@Deborah-Wesley

Hi,

I'm doing pretty much the same thing but I also have 8mm, Super8 with sound film, VHS, and other video files to go along with digitized photos and cassettes. You are undertaking an enormous project so I suggest that you get the entire work flow figured out before going much further. File management and documentation (register/database of projects, digitized and exported files) is one of the very important elements as you will see as we go through this together. I'm still sorting this out and suffering from not having thought through the entire process.

I hope that you have been digitizing to wave files and not mp3.

Before going further, @SP. mentioned the error (101) that SFACL4 throws up at the beginning and when doing certain things. It seems that no everyone has this problem. Do you have this problem?

Next, SFACL4 comes with a lot of additional plugins. Did you install and activate all of these?

Most importantly, you should have both the iZotope Elements 10 and SpectraLayers Elements 10 installed and activated.

There are many cleaning tools out there that you can use. iZotope and SpectraLayers have similar tools, but SpectraLayers has some features that are very interesting, like unmixing vocal (voice) from the background, allowing you to clean/reduce/modify/eliminate background and other noises.

As @SP. showed, you have the Spectral Cleaning native to SFACL4 and it's very good for removing specific noises and glitches. You can do the same in SpectraLayers, but it's more complicated.

There is also Accusonus 6 cleaning tools that are very good. There are a couple more tools than the others propose, including DeBreath and PlosiveRemover. These were made available for free but eventually removed. If you want these, send me a personal message.

Next, you may want some better tools for mastering, in particular compressor and equalizer. I suggest that you download and install the free bundle from Melda.

Once you have everything set up, we can look at what to use, how and when.

Out of curiosity, which video program are you going to use?

John CB

@SP. and @browj2 - Many thanks for your replies. I do indeed get the 101 error. I tried using the 32-bit version instead, but then when running Auto Cleaning and some other functions I received new error messages that I suspect were memory related. So I have reverted to the 64-bit version. Which does seem to work. I replaced my graphic card last summer with a GeoForce RTX 3060, hoping to buy a couple years until the inevitable PC replacement.

@SP.- Thank you for the suggestion of Ultimate Vocal Remover - I will give it a look. As to manual detail editing - I will only revert to doing so if I have a VERY high value tape with MAJOR issues. Considering the wealth of the family archive I have amassed, I have to adhere to the 80-20 rule (or maybe 90-10).

@browj2 It is nice to "meet" someone who is traveling down a similar path. I have three closets and four file cabinets stuffed with the family archive - photos, audio, ephemera, and - you are correct - video. (Bless my supportive husband.) Several years ago, before I retired, I had the old 8mm film digitized by a service - the result is mediocre. I have transferred many of the VHS tapes to DVD. The whole audio project needs a lot of help, and rework, but that is a challenge for another day (or more accurately, another year.)

I certainly echo your sentiments that a documented workflow with an organized file system is essential. Perhaps more important is making sure a solid backup plan is in place. (I was an IT professional for 40 years, hence I have four copies of all my data - my primary NAS, an onsite backup drive, an offsite backup drive, and a cloud backup.) Plus subsets of the data shared with cousins occasionally.

I appreciate any and all tips you can share on this process. I am glad to learn from the hard-knocks of others. I am saving to .wav. Again, I know virtually nothing about audio (yet), but I relate wav / mp3 to the tiff / jpg image standards. I do have some mp3 files that I have gathered from other folks, but the cassettes I have started recording are all to .wav.

101 Error: As I mentioned, I do have the 101 error. Are you running 32-bit or 64-bit? If 32-bit is working for you perhaps I should give it another try, but I seemed to have other issues with the 32-bit.

Plugins: I did not have the plugins until early this morning. I had seen links under Cleaning to the plug-in modules, but then it asked for a license key. It was not until last night as I was reading some of the forum messages here, that I realized I had the license keys - and more download links - in my email. So I got those all installed and registered this morning. These extra plugins are part of what prompted me to post here - I think I could spend the next month, if not more, learning about all the cleaning and mastering options. While that would be fun in its own right, I need to get on with this project so I can get to the end game - using these digital assets to create material that will share and preserve our family history with the next generation. I have a LONG list of ideas, longer than I will ever get done. So I don't want to spend unending time on just figuring out the process. (Although, as we both have said, getting a good process in place is critical.) So I installed / registered - wizardFX MAGIX Extension Pack, iZotope RX 10 Elements, iZotope Ozone 11 Elements, and SpectraLayers Elements 10 - although SpectraLayers may be version 11.

So with all these plugins, where would you suggest I start cleaning? I am sure the answer is "it depends", but where would be your first go to tool for: the following three items that run throughout the tape? I think the first two are part of Cleaning, and the third part of mastering. Is that correct?

• Rumble, hum, and/or hiss from the tape recorder
• Ambient noise (such as car noise while driving to a cemetery or wind)
• Uneven volume as people move about the room, or voices drop off

I will look into Accusonus 6 and Melda if you feel those would be helpful beyond what came with Sound Forge Audio Lab, especially since the price is right.

Video program is a good question. For many years I have used ProShow Gold by Photodex. Photodex ceased support in 2020, but the programs still run on my PC. I doubt though that I will be able to install and activate when I do replace my desktop. A couple years ago I purchase Davinci Resolve when they were practically giving it away. I have played with a bit but have not created a major project with it yet. What do you use?

For photos I live in Lightroom, augmented by Photoshop and Topaz AI.

If you have made it to the end of this (I did not intend to write so much), thank you.

Debbie

@Deborah-Wesley

Hi Debbie,

Good stuff.

To get you going, open a project or record.

The first step is to get a good recording with the volume set so that you don't get clipping - nothing that goes up to 0 dB, with most between -20 to -10 dB.

Take a look at the waveform. If it is large with no spikes going to the top, then your recording volume setting was probably good. If it's small all along, then you recorded too low and may want to increase the record volume in the Windows settings.

Next, I Normalize. This is a contentious issue as many will tell you to do this after cleaning. I do it before cleaning because SFACL4 is a non-destructive editor for the most part and Normalization can be undone or modified and there is a second reason. Look up what Normalize does. Press N. I suggest normalizing to -1 dB. You can see what the program is proposing under Peak change. If you're getting a Peak change of more than +15, then you probably recorded too low.

After normalizing, the waveform will change accordingly. There is a middle handle that is the object volume. It should have moved up be the amount of volume increase. Click on it and hold the mouse button down. You can always adjust the object volume here.

A sudden loud noise, like a cough close by, can mess up normalization. I'll discuss problems like this later.

Now when you play back, the volume will either be louder or the same. And you will probably hear the background noise much louder. I find that it is better to get the noise removed/reduced when it's loud and not find out later that there is still unacceptable noise once the volume has been increased.

Next, Cleaning.

There is an Auto Cleaning tool at the top right of the Cleaning window. Try it to see what it does. Any of the Magix De- whatever tools that it uses will be turned on when you click on Cleaning. You can tweak them.

Alternatively, probably better, and as a comparison, try iZotope RX10 Repair Assistant. First, turn off any other cleaning effects. In the Repair Assistant interface, click on the ? and read how it works. In the help text, make sure to read the correct part as you are using the Repair Assistant not the Repair Assistant Module. Click on the Voice in the interface if not selected by default. Click on Learn. Start playback preferably where there is just background noise for a couple of seconds, then speech. It will listen and then create a suggestion. Stop playback. Look at what it did. There are 5 De's. DeHum is not one of them as that is just part of De-Noise. Play back and listen. Any better?

You can tweak the tools. You don't want to hear any artefacts or chirping. Play with the tools by turning them down, then up. Bypass. Sometimes, some background noise is desirable, so adjust the dials to suit.

As another test, you can play with the tools individually. Start with the obvious - De-noise.

This step should take care of most of your problems.

Next, Spectral editing

If there are any sudden noises, clicks, taps, door closing, a cough, etc., you can click on Spectral in the upper right menu and try removing these noises. Read up on how to do it. It takes practice to get it right.

Next, Volume adjustment - compression combined with volume curve adjustments.

Compression will make weaker speech closer to louder speech. Read up on it. I mentioned using the Melda Compressor because it has the traditional graph, making it easier to understand. More on this later.

Off for a drink by the fire.

John CB

John - Thank you for your guidance. I will work on restoring one of my recordings today using your advice and report back. Once upon a time I was a novice with photo restoration - and while I would never classify myself as an expert, I do feel I have reached "competent." I will report back.

Would love to hear more about your project(s).

I experimented for quite a while on one of my recordings this morning - my cousin interviewing his mother in the early 1990s. First, I normalized - this is not a feature I had worked with yet, so thank you for the tip. The I tried a variety of cleaning methods. For this particular tape I settled on (for at least now) the RX 10 Repair Assistant, and, because I still had a significant low rumble (perhaps form the tape motor), the ERA Noise Remover Pro. I tried some of the Mastering tools but need to read a lot more to get an idea of what I am doing. Time to let the Cleaning learnings soak into my brain and come back to Mastering later today or tomorrow.

Hi Debbie,

We're off to the mountains today, back tomorrow.

Take a look at turning on the volume curve and making adjustments to High peaks on the waveform. This is usually another necessary step.

John CB

I am improving at editing, but still far from where I want to be. At the end of one tape I found my aunt playing her ukelele and signing a song from her childhood. I married it up with a few photos. and posted it to Facebook for my cousins. (The last of the five children passed away in 2005). I was able to remove a lot of the background rumble but still have some hiss. On the other hand - not one member of my family complained.

My next major learning is to even out the audio - for instance, my aunt interviewed a local woman who was 107. My aunt's voice is fairly easy to hear, but the interviewee is rather faint. Is this what compression does?

@Deborah-Wesley

My aunt's voice is fairly easy to hear, but the interviewee is rather faint. Is this what compression does?

Strictly speaking, No, unfortunately. Compression is the means by which the overall dynamic range of an audio file (the difference in level between the "loudest" and "quietest" sounds) is reduced. So, it may achieve what you want to do with your file, depending on how large a difference is present (=how great a dynamic range).

My suggestion would be the following:

• First "normalise" the file, to 0dB if you can. This will make the "loudest" sounds, the "peaks", meet that level, so raising ALL the relative levels in the file by whatever amount is required for the peaks to be at that 0dB level.
• Apply compression to the resulting file, perhaps starting at a threshold of -10dB and a ratio of 2:1.
• Having applied this compression, now normalise the whole file again to 0dB.
• Listen to it and decide whether further normalise/compression is required. if so, repeat the above procedure.
• It is very possible that you will now have a file with a higher than acceptable level of noise/hiss. Use the noise reduction tools you have to carefully reduce these unwanted elements. I say "carefully" because it is very easy to overdo the noise reduction and end up with a file which sounds as if it has been recorded under water!

I would also strongly recommend saving the file to a new name at each stage of this process. Thus, if you find you need to revert to an earlier version it will be immediately accessible to you!

HTH

Jeff
Forum Moderator

@Deborah-Wesley @emmrecs

Hi Debbie and Jeff,

With SFACL, applying compression then normalizing again does nothing. You have to export/import. I try to avoid doing that, so below is a quick video that I did up showing some tricks, at least for the audio file that I made.

The main trick is to normalize, look at what is at the peaks. If they are caused by sudden loud noises and can be cut out, then do so. As per the video, cut on either side or make cuts when there are large volume changed, then normalize the parts separately. This works as SFACL normalizes trimmed objects on their own.

Then compress. Also, you can do combine the method with what I show at the beginning, reduce some of the peaks using the volume curve. However, doing this has no impact on Normalizing, or rather, normalizing ignores compression. But, you can then raise the object level, carefully, avoiding going too high and getting clipping.

As shown in the video, you use makeup gain to get the volume back up to the top without having to normalize again.

In SFACL, there are also a couple of other things that can be done. Take a look at Effects, Loudness adjustment. There is a description of how it's used in the interface.

EDIT:

The other is Auto at the right of the Master volume control. This enables the volume to be automatically optimized. If you click on it and have the Info window open, there is a description of what Auto does - Normalization to even out the volume to preserve maximum loudness and peak control. You have to play the loudest part of the entire timeline, then click on Auto. It adjusts the Master control level so that the highest peak goes to 0 dB. Watch out for this if you use Auto.

Debbie, I presume that you have not yet digitized all of your 200 cassettes. If you are monitoring whilst digitizing, then you may want to put in some markers of anything that is significant that you may want to go back to easily. For example, a different topic, person, event, funny line, glitch, particularly bad noise problem, etc. Use Alt+M during recording to put in markers. These are for notes, not for tracks; track markers (M) are different. You can go through jumping from marker to marker - Ctrl+left/right arrow. You can adjust the location and add in text to the marker for reference. While there, you may want to make cuts or edits.

You can also put in track markers but not during recording. Read up on track markers as they are very useful for exporting parts of the audio to separate files, something that you may want to consider.

You mentioned wind noise. This is particularly difficult. Magix Movie Studio/Video Pro X has a Wind Reduction effect. All it does is create a high pass filter or rather, it reduces the lower frequencies downs to 0. I have not had much success with it, but it has worked. You may want to try one of the online tools if you can find a free one.

Also, you mentioned doing Speech to Text. If you happen to have MicroSoft Office 365, then you can do this directly in Word - Transcribe. You can have multiple speakers and with or without timecode.

More the next time. Take a look at EQ and at how the YouLean Loudness Meter can help you.

Here is a link to a tutorial on the YouLean Loudness Meter .

There is also a similar meter with the free Melda bundle.

John CB

John - This is WONDERFUL information. Thank you so VERY much! It will take me a bit to digest it all, I bet this will be a lot of help to others as well who come across this thread.

I have not tried putting n markers - but it is a good idea. I monitor sometimes as I am recording, but not all the time. I suppose I have 50 of the 200 recorded. Chipping away. My sister sent me a message that she has found more tapes.

I have to admit I had no idea Word now has a Transcript feature. Amazing!!

This will certainly keep me bust for a couple days.

John -

It took me a few days (lots of Nana duty on my schedule), but I finally had time to review your information again this morning, It was SO helpful!!! Thank you. I learned a lot. Now to practice - and with 200 tapes I will have lots of opportunity to "practice". While I am sure I will fall short of perfect, I understand much more than a couple weeks ago, I am finding many treasures embedded in these tapes. Looking forward to more. Again, THNAK YOU!!!!

@Deborah-Wesley

Hi Debbie,

To back up a bit,

Video program is a good question. For many years I have used ProShow Gold by Photodex. Photodex ceased support in 2020, but the programs still run on my PC. I doubt though that I will be able to install and activate when I do replace my desktop. A couple years ago I purchase Davinci Resolve when they were practically giving it away. I have played with a bit but have not created a major project with it yet. What do you use?

I use Magix Video Pro X16 (VPX), but Magix Movie Studio (MMS) Platinum or Suite is a good alternative. I have both, mainly because I do tutorials on MMS but I use VPX for everything else.

Other than the great feature set, massive content and templates, the most important feature for me is multiple movie capability in a project. That is, a project can have multiple timelines, each with different settings if desired. Resolve has this feature; most video editing programs do not.

When I am putting together a project, I often realize that I should have more than one project or the project should be split up. VPX/MMS makes this simple by adding one or more Movies.

Example, going through digitized VHS material, most files have more than one subject/topic, and I can easily use the material to make a second, third... Movie. A vacation video - multiple locations and activities, etc., so I split the project into multiple timelines.

When I'm building a project and going through material, photos, videos, audio, I find material that I would be best in a separate project. Easily done, just add a Movie or 2 or 3 and import the material while I'm viewing it. Better than coming back to do it later. If I already have a project started for that subject, I can export the movie and import into the other project.

VPX has an additional way to do this by using the Project Temp Folder with subfolders.

Each Movie can be exported separately to MP4, or just exported as a Movie file to be opened in a separate project. There is a lot more - import, export, merge.

If you want to create DVD/BD's, this can be done from within the project. You can have multiple Movies each with chapters burned to DVD/BD.

The programs have extensive audio editing features. SF Audio Cleaning Lab 4 is supposed to be the upgrade program for the external audio editor that comes with VPX/MMS, but, unfortunately and annoyingly, it doesn't work properly with VPX/MMS - it doesn't open the audio object that is on the timeline. All previous versions worked with VPX/MMS. I now use a workaround which is probably better. I only use SFACL with the audio from video files when I need cleaning features, like spectral cleaning, that cannot be done in VPX/MMS. I also use SFACL for doing voiceover/narration for my tutorials as there is better control of the waveform when using a volume curve, and a better normalization tool. And, SFACL can use VST3 plugins; VPX/MMS only VST2.

Several years ago, before I retired, I had the old 8mm film digitized by a service - the result is mediocre. I have transferred many of the VHS tapes to DVD. The whole audio project needs a lot of help, and rework, but that is a challenge for another day (or more accurately, another year.)

I digitized my own 8mm and S8 films to 1080P. I presume that yours are 720P. The files are 20 fps for both formats. Once in VPX, I simply change the Speed to 16 or 18 from 20, and the adjustment is correctly made, irrespective of the project/movie settings (I usually use NTSC 29.97 fps). Then I go to work editing. Almost all files require video cleaning - video noise removal, scratch removal, dust removal, etc. For this, I use Neat Video, a must-have plugin. Often, I have to do some stabilization, so I use the proDAD Mercalli plugin, another must-have plugin. I have to go through a similar exercise with the VHS material.

BTW, you can copy the VOB files from a DVD to your hard drive and open them in a video project for editing.

FILE MANAGEMENT

You probably have a system set up for file naming in SFACL. If not, I suggest that sit down and think through the work flow of everything. I have a real mess that got better with time, but still a mess.

Under the SFACL user files in my documents, I created a subfolder called Projects. I create subsubfolders by topic, and subsubsubfolders per project. Digitizing a cassette would be a project. Then I create a sub....subfolder called Exports. So the project VIP file and the digitized files are together in their own folder. Any exports from SFACL go to the Exports subfolder, thus keeping the original digitized wave files separate from the output files.

I needed a register of the projects along with a description. I used Excel for this for my Super8 sound files. The digitizer does not do sound, so I had to run each film through the projector and I filmed each using a transfer box and video camera, and additionally captured the audio directly from the project audio out to audio in on the computer and into an SFACL project. So, I had to keep track of the filenames from the Wolverine, the filenames from the video camera, and the audio files from SFACL. It was a bit of a mess, but the register helped, along with comments as to the content of each. Then, I had to sync all of this in the video editor.

That is just the audio part. Now for the scanned and other photos, videos and video projects.

I have Magix Photo Manager (PM), which is really a Media Manager as it handles photos, video and audio files. Unfortunately, it desperately needs a facelift, but Magix has dropped development. This is unfortunate as there is no other file management program that I can find that does the same thing overall.

In any event, in PM, I add in comments to the scanned photos and tag the photos with the people/families. Initially, I used a spreadsheet, but I found it better to use a program in which I can view the photos at the same time. I usually have to sit with a relative to identify people from my wife's side. The information is data-based and I can export the filenames and comments to an html file, import it into Excel and print it out, and save the Excel version in case the database goes poof.

Files can be dragged and dropped from PM to the video editor.

Albums can be created on the fly and supposedly opened in the video editor (broken in the latest versions of VPX/MMS) for use in projects.

PM has a feature to record an audio file that gets attached to a photo, that is, it gets saved with the same filename.wav in the same folder. We did one. The aunt talked for 40 seconds for the first photo. This won't work for several hundred.

In your case, I presume that you have done a similar exercise using Lightroom. Did you create albums as you scanned photos with the idea that groups of photos would be good to use in different video projects?

This leads to the next part. What is the overall objective? Multiple videos? Have you given any thought as to the topics for video projects? Written them down?

SOME OF MY PROJECTS

My wife's aunt gave me a bunch of files, photos, VHS and audio cassettes and an extensive family tree that I imported into Family Tree Maker and created just the parts required for the aunt's desired part of the family. The main instruction was to save the furniture (sauver les meubles, in French). The objectives are still being sorted out, but part is simply creating DVD's from the VHS files. The main task is to create something with the rest of the material, centred around the aunt's (and mother-in-law's) family.

My wife is working on a powerpoint presentation for her aunt that will be turned into a video at some point. However, that will only cover a small part of the material. I am looking at multiple video projects and a website with the videos and text as a final output...or something like that.

My sister-in-law gave me a big plastic container of photos, photo albums and some video cassettes and she told me to do what I wanted with it. Still scanning.

My wife gave me her (and her mother's) photos and albums, audio cassettes, VHS tapes and other material to add into the mix.

A wife's cousin gave me digitized S8 files of the family, mostly her family.

Then I have my material from the last 20+ years that I've been with my wife and attended family events and filmed and photographed.

I made a Venn diagram to illustrate what I have - and the intersections. So, I have projects on-going for various parts, with intersects. Talk about complicated!

Other work to be done is getting comments, some verbal, some video from various family members to go with the other content. The aunt wants more family stories.

Which all leads back to file and project management. Think about all of the material: photos, videos, audio files, transcripts, text for narration, and multiple projects to be done, managed, tracked, issued and distributed.

I created a database using MS Access to keep track of my video Projects and Movies, DVD/BD's. I now realize that I have other material all over the place that I need to keep track of. My database is under expansion.

So as I said, you may want to sit down and think about the overall enterprise, what to do, how to do it, and how to manage it.

I hope that I haven't discouraged you at all.

Please let me know how you are making out and how you are managing the various aspects.

John CB

John -

Hope you are doing well. It was a busy weekend here - lots of granddaughter time.

Video

Thanks for your comments on Magix Video. I will keep it in mind when I move on to my video tapes. Your point about multiple moves is a great one. Folks don't really want to see an hour of video at a time anymore. Short snippets are the way to spark interest. Too bad it does not work seamlessly with SFACL, but I will follow your guideline for the workaround if I go that way.

I used to create DVDs and distribute to family - but now many (most?) no longer have a DVD or Blu-ray player in their homes. Especially the next generation. I am thinking about how I will distribute - besides posting snippets on Facebook (for my generation) and Instagram (for the younger set). When I scan photos / slides for my cousins I also used to return them to CDs or DVDs; now I give them USB sticks. I put the USB sticks in a small box with a label - hopefully helping to keep it from being shoved in a drawer and unrecognizable. I add a Readme file on the stick with a description of the contents, as well as printing the Readme and tucking in the box. Not great for archival storage - but it is the best I have devised so far. I have considered ordering custom USBs with my HoosierRoots logo, but I don't trust the USB sticks from the custom print shops to be of high quality.

I need to devise a good streaming method for my cousins to access the digital archive. Initially I might host from my Synology NAS, simple enough to set up. But my NAS won't really outlive me (although I have given directions to my technically capable nephew.) I am considering a site like Forever.com or Permanent.org, but who knows how long those sites will last despite their best intentions. (MemoryWeb just announced they are closing up shop.) I am also considering uploading and linking some of the media to familysearch.org which has a mission of memory preservation built into their religious beliefs.

I am filing your notes / tips about video away for reference. Hopefully when I get past the audio project and on to the video, I will remember your suggestions.

I noticed you mentioned Wolverine for your video capture - I have considered getting a unit. Which model do you have? Would you choose it again? I don't have a lot of 8mm video - maybe 20 reels of various sizes.

File Management

Naming conventions for audio files: yyyy-mm-dd Subject - Person(s) - Place. Using Auphonic to help with transcription (and sometimes some more audio cleaning). It also writes a summary and makes chapters, which it adds to the file as metadata. I also use Adobe Bridge to add metadata to the file - such as where I obtained the tape from, where stored, and family branch. Right now the audio files are residing in folders indicative of the workflow stage. Once I am finished processing, I will move into the final Archive Audio folder, with a subfolder by family branch.

As you guessed, for photos I use Lightroom to organize and tag - Tags of When (decade / year / month or season), Who (hierarchy by family / branch / person), Event (wedding, Easter, reunion, vacation, etc), Where, What (slide, photo, negative, etc). I also note where I received the image, where it is stored). When and how digitized. Plus, I add notes if I use the photo in a project (so my cousins don't see the same photo very slideshow.) I also use Lightroom (augmented with Photoshop and Topaz AI) to digitally restore the photos. I scan in tiff and keep the original scanned file "as is". After restoration I save in jpg (which embeds the edits and the metadate); I share the jpgs. So far 18,000 photos scanned of which 8000 are restored. I am perhaps a third of the way through the photo archive.

Projects

I have not created a lot of "permanent" albums yet - but I constantly use the tags to gather photos for a project. E.g. "All Jones Jamboree photos from the 1970s with 3 stars or above." Then I create a album for those for the duration of my project. Toss some out. Export a copy to a working project folder. Add a tag that I have used the photo in a project.

Certainly, nice to be able to drag the photos straight to your video editor. The advantage of staying in one ecosystem. It bothered me a lot when Adobe went to a subscription model, but I have gotten over that. I almost always upgraded every year anyway, so the finances are about the same. When (if) I ever get everything scanned and tagged, perhaps I will move to another platform - the god news being Lightroom embeds all the metadata i the file. Adobe does a nice job of syncing to their cloud, so I put some photos there and share the "Best of Reunion" shots that way.

Really wonderful to capture your aunt's story. I have Vivid-Pix Memory Station license which has a similar feature, I have not tried using that aspect of it yet. I got the platform because it lets me save tiff files with my Scan Snap SV600; the native ScanSnap will only save in jpg.

I don't as yet have a list of projects, though many swirl in my head. But there are categories.

• Extract information from audio interviews to augment my family history research. Cut and paste from transcription selections into RootsMagic as Source where appropriate.
• Create brief photo slide shows narrated with audio and/or augmented with family singing (one branch is a very musical bunch.) Post to Facebook and Instagram.
• Create a "CD" of family songs (this has been asked for recently.)
• Crate video snippets to post to Facebook / Instagram.
• Create narrated family story video - using photos / videos. Narration pulled from audio and / or video tapes. Considering using AI to create narration from text assets (one branch had a twenty-year monthly newsletter, PACKED with family stories) and voice prints. I could have my mother's voice telling the story of her wedding day which she wrote down - now I could have her "read it outload." I am going to make a test project, then discuss with my cousins how they feel about me using their parents and our grandparents' voices for this.
• Use photos (including frames grabbed form video) to illustrate family history books. I helped my father finish his autobiography - 200 pages including 400 photos. We finished it a month before he died the day following his 96th birthday. I am currently working on three book projects 1) my great-grandmother's diary, 2)memories / stories about my mother and her four siblings, and 3) a shorter work covering my great-great-grandfather and his 12 children. (I have about 300 photos I need to get scanned from that.)

You certainly have a long list and big task ahead of you. Once we start this, more material comes out of the woodwork. I have three cousins sending me audio tapes (one who now lives in New Zealand). to preserve. Our family is thrilled to have "someone" (i.e. you and me) take custody of this material and do "something" with it. I figure about half of what I have was from my parents; the other half I have amassed form cousins.

You and I - we are archivists, I have come to realize. We may not be open to the public and have visitation hours posted, but we are archivists just the same. It is a calling - a calling which I have accepted and embraced. It is a precious gift you are giving to your family. A gift that requires a financial investment, technical knowhow, a willingness and passion, and time - lots and lots and lots of time. I sometimes wonder if I will ever get "everything" preserved, but I keep chipping away at it.

Your Access Database is an interesting thought. Once upon a time I programmed professionally in Access, so I certainly feel comfortable with it. One of my keys to organization is my NAS. I have created a drive Share "Archive" with top level folders - Audio, Documents, Photos, Videos. Everything I have digitized goes there. I have another share "Photos" which has my "modern" photos - all the digital photos taken from 2000 on; someday I may merge them into Archive. My nephew knows these two shares are the "important" ones.

I am also giving considerable thought to Legacy preservation - where should all the physical media go? And where should the digital media go long term. My plan is to start dispersing much of the physical media sometime in the next decade. (Actually, I have given some photos away already - for instance, why did I have the very nicely framed senior photos of my father's brothers? Except my father got the box from his mother. And I should not be the one with the POW record for my mother's brother.)

Well - this has been longwinded. Nice to chat with a kindred spirit. Hope your projects are going well. Back to working o the audio.

Debbie