[Dtb-talk] A question about preferred book formatting

[Tim Gillett]

To be fair to the Talking Book producers in the days of linear tape, the best of them  used some fairly sophisticated indexing
given the technology of their day.
They felt an obligation to because linear tape is of course poor for random access.

In addition to tone indexing, some producers used an actual voice which could only be heard if you fast cued the tape. 
Readers heard voice markers which said "chapter one", "chapter two" etc right through the text.

In digital remastering both the tone index markers and the voice markers should carry over into the digital audio files from the master tapes. 
It's actually easier too in digital to locate these precise points in the text as the production operator  can "fast cue" digital files  
by increasing playback sample rate while watching the screen for a matching pause representing the actual chapter break. 

I'm fairly sure the UK RNIB Clarke and Smith 6 track cartridge referred to by Mary  employed this technique. 
This format goes back to the late 60's and was used extensively in the UK.
 It was also used in Australia and New Zealand before the NLS 4 track cassette displaced it.
 
These tone and/or voice markers would make DAISY markup at least to chapter level  much easier 
as the audible markers are already there on the tapes.

Also part of the reason designers employed 4 or 6 separate tracks on a tape was indeed to enable easier random search. 
On the one cassette or cartridge you could "skip" across 4 or 6 parallel tracks as a rough search of a lot of material. 
The recording was already cut into multiple blocks.  Then with the tone or voice indexing you could navigate more precisely 
through each separate block.
And this was  for "leisure " reading. 

Mary's point that in the UK they have had to respond at a later stage to borrower demand for indexing is interesting.
The process of digitising and the process of DAISY indexing are related but can also be considered as two stages.
Of course as a priority you have to digitise the analog titles first to preserve borrower access.
 But having done that and made the titles accessible to borrowers in a digital format, 
it's always possible to go back to those bare digital files and work on the indexing at a later stage.

To some degree borrower tastes change too so adding DAISY navigation  later might more be in tune with  current
 and future demand for that title.

Tim Gillett
Audio/Electronics Technician
Perth, Western Australia