ABSTRACT
Brownrigg Jeff outlines some of the questions which confront an editor of early sound recordings and to pursue some of these using examples drawn from recordings of Australian singing voices made before about 1926. He explores the idea of the evolution of the presentation of sonic information during the late nineteenth century, the period when the written transcription of sounds was finally overtaken by a recording process which offered a new truth to life, a new accuracy and unprecedented fidelity. Recent recordings also have a wider audio spectrum: they encode more comprehensive sonic information and present it stereophonically. The editor is likely to be directing a process in which the wizardry of the audio technician achieves the desired outcome. Audio engineers can filter out unwanted or irritating frequencies, compress the audio spectrum and cause any number of 'improvements' or adjustments.
