I just posted this to the Blind and Fine subreddit. I wrote about it earlier, but this is much simpler and focused more on a specific program and an alternative.

Let me start by saying that I am far more familiar and comfortable with analogue audio equipment than digital. My extent of digital recording is using Virtual Recorder to record mp3s and MPCHC to play them, or using a portable recorder like the Milestone 112 ACE or the Olympus DM-720-770. So most of these terms are new to me. That said, to make a very long story short, I have a personal project in which I am attempting to make some acoustic recordings sound like early electric ones. Basically, less tinny and a bit clearer. Obviously I'm not expecting 2026 quality, but 1926 or early 1930's would be nice. I first thought this needed to be done with frequency restoration, since acoustic media, be it disks or cylinders, always fail to record certain ones. But I found that the very few programs designed for this are inaccessible with NVDA. Then, I learned that I can simply use an equalizer and an exciter and/or saturator to do essentially the same thing. I decided to try Reaper. I installed it, along with the Osara and SWS. I was able to load a file and get into the equalizer to change the numbers in the bands as a low and high shelf (this most likely equates to bass and treble). But it seems that the volume is set to 0, because even when loading a file for the first time, when I hit space, it doesn't play. I can't find the volume controls either. When I hit tab and shift+tab, there are numbers, but none appear to be volume. Can anyone help me? Is there a much simpler program that I can use? If not, can anyone recommend an analogue setup for me? It doesn't need to be new at all, just affordable (under $200). I don't need to worry about accessibility there, since it would all be knobs and sliders.

#accessibility #AcousticRecordings #analog #analogue #blind #digital #FrequencyRestoration #music #NVDA #phonographs #Reaper #recordings #records #restoration #sound #technology

*Update! This is an absolute disaster! I have no ida what I'm doing, and this thing runs on text files, not sliders, so I can't actually hear things live. I might try another digital option, but honestly, I think I'd be better off with a real mixer with manual controls. The problem is that they probably cost hundreds of dollars! I'll need to see. But the fact that nothing like this is accessible for the blind is not only dishearting, it's downright upsetting. Do we not have the right to work on such things as do the sighted?*
I have returned to my project of frequency restoration in acoustic recordings.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OldOpera/comments/1oqgz2k/frequency_restoration_in_acoustic_recordings/

Because I know very little about all of this, I asked more questions of Perplexity. (This is not medical information or something so important that it requires meticulous manual research, so I do trust Perplexity here.) It seems that, even though programs which explicitly work with frequency restoration are not accessible to the blind, there is another way to do this via equalisers, harmonics, and other means. This is exactly what I was told to do. I would prefer an analogue setup, since I could hear things as I moved the sliders and knobs, but this might be more precise. This also might be more accurate in the longrun, since there is apparently no real way to restore frequencies faithfully i.e. it would be guesswork and who knows how realistic it would sound. This way, it's working with what's already present and simply enhancing it. I am going to use acoustic and electric recordings of Schipa and Bonci as my controls, so that I can judge how early electrics compare directly to acoustics.

"The good news is that you can build a usable, keyboard‑driven EQ and harmonic‑enhancement workflow without relying on mouse‑dependent GUIs. NVDA will let you navigate most of the necessary controls, and you can use a combination of host‑agnostic EQ and a simple harmonic plugin.

1. Accessible EQ setup (Windows‑friendly)
A solid, free option is Equalizer APO running system‑wide, with a simple host such as Audacity (which you already know from your post‑thread) or TagEditor‑style players. 
videoproc
+1
Typical flow:
1.
Install Equalizer APO
•
Download from equalizerapo.com and run the installer.
•
At the device‑selection screen, choose only your playback device (e.g. “Speakers” or your USB DAC) and accept the reboot.
•
After reboot, open the Equalizer APO Configurator via Start Menu or the task‑bar icon.
2.
Set up a basic config tab
•
In the Configurator, remove the default tabs if you want a clean slate.
•
Press Tab through the controls until you reach the “+” button; press Enter.
•
Choose “Control” → “Include” from the menu, then select a new text file (e.g. Tamagno.cfg).
•
Return to the main pane, press Alt+Tab to cycle to the new tab; you will now see a blank filter list.
3.
Add a shelving EQ for bass
•
Position on the “+” button again; press Enter.
•
Navigate to “Basic filters” → “PEQ” or “Low‑shelf”.
•
Use the numeric fields to set:
•
Filter type: Low‑shelf
•
Frequency: around 200–250 Hz to start.
•
Gain: +1 dB to +3 dB (very gentle).
•
Repeat with a High‑shelf around 3–5 kHz if you want subtle vocal presence, again only +1 to +2 dB.
4.
Apply and test
•
Go to File → Save in the Configurator.
•
Make sure the power‑toggle is on for your device.
•
Play your Tamagno file in Audacity or any other player and judge the warmth versus “tinniness”.
NVDA will announce labels such as “Gain”, “Frequency”, “Q”, and “Filter list”, so you can tab through each numeric field and adjust by typing the value directly. 
equalizerapo
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2. Harmonic enhancement (accessible workflow)
For harmonic “body” without heavy distortion, you want a straightforward exciter/saturator plugin. A free, relatively simple option is HarmonicAdder (Anarchy Sound Software), which is a VST plugin that generates overtones from the dominant frequency content. 
youtube
 
reddit
How to use it with an accessible host:
•
Install VST2 into Audacity’s plugin folder (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Audacity\Plug‑Ins).
•
In Audacity:
•
Open your Tamagno file.
•
Press Alt+P → “Add / Remove Plugins…” to ensure the plugin is listed.
•
Press Alt+L to open the “Effect” list, then navigate to the exciter/saturator and select “Apply”.
•
Use a low drive setting (e.g. 10–25%) and a highpass before saturation if your host supports a simple EQ‑in‑chain, so you avoid muddying the bottom.
Because the plugin window is usually a simple dialog, you can tab through parameters such as “Drive”, “Mix”, and “High‑cut”; NVDA will read each label if the plugin is coded accessibly. 
github
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3. Keyboard‑driven listening‑test schema (for your comparison)
To keep the process systematic, you can adopt a simple keyboard‑driven test set:
1.
File list
•
Keep one directory for each singer: Tamagno, Affre, and one or two electric‑era references (Schipa/Bonci).
•
Use Windows Explorer with NVDA to open each folder, press Enter on one file at a time.
2.
Quick‑switch profile
•
In Equalizer APO, save one profile for Tamagno (slightly warm, cautious +‑bass), one for Affre (neutral), and one for Schipa (closer to the original, electric‑era target).
•
In the Configurator, switch tabs with Ctrl+Tab and then press File → Save after each change.
3.
Test sequence
•
Start playback (e.g. in Audacity or your preferred player).
•
Use Spacebar to play/pause, Shift+→/← to nudge by 5 seconds.
•
For each file, ask:
•
Is the voice more “body‑ful” but still recognisably Tamagno‑like?
•
Are consonants sharper without sounding artificial?
•
Has the timbre begun to resemble your 1926/30 electric reference more than the 1903 original?
Because you are already using a clean transfer, the main variables are low‑shelf gain, high‑shelf presence, and degree of harmonic saturation. You can keep a small text log (e.g. Notepad) with entries like:
•
Tamagno+2.5dB_250Hz_Sat20%
•
Tamagno+1.5dB_200Hz_Sat10%
and move back and forth with the keyboard until you find the most musically convincing setting.

4. Practical suggestions for your goal
Given your stated aim (less tinny, more like early electrics, perhaps 1926–30), I would:
•
Never boost the bass so much that the fundamental pitch of the voice goes soft or “boomy”.
•
Use the harmonic plugin only to add a thin layer of upper‑mids and lower‑highs, not to create a modern‑sounding recording.
•
Keep your original 1903 transfer as a reference file and compare it with the processed version on the same tracklist, using the same signal path and volume.
If you like, I can draft a concrete step‑by‑step checklist tailored to your usual workflow (e.g. starting from Audacity, Equalizer APO, and one exciter plugin), with explicit NVDA‑friendly key sequences and values you can try first."

We'll see what happens and how accessible all of this is.

#AcousticRecordings #FrequencyRestoration #music #phonographs #recordings #records #restoration #sound #technology

I posted this some time ago, but now that I have a few blind friends who are involved in programming, and especially the musical side of things, I figured I would try again. To summarise. I want to see if it is possible to make pre-electric recordings sound like early electric ones. So one from 1903 might sound like it came from 1930. I doubt we could go any higher than the 1940's, if that, given the constraints of acoustic recording, but it would still be a huge improvement in sound. Perhaps, with the right software, some frequences can be restored. The trouble is that there are only a few such programs and all are inaccessible with screen readers. I explain things more fully at the below link. Normally, this is a subreddit about opera recordings and singers from the 1950's and earlier, so if you have no clue about this but like opera, feel free to join us in general.

Frequency Restoration in Acoustic Recordings

https://www.reddit.com/r/OldOpera/comments/1oqgz2k/frequency_restoration_in_acoustic_recordings/

#accessibility #AcousticRecordings #Android #AudioRestoration #blind #DigitalRecording #FrequencyRestoration #gramophone #IOS #Linux #MacOS #opera #phonographs #records #software #technology #Windows

I'm an atheist, but I still enjoy various types of music, including the religious variety, as some is quite beautiful. To that end, I posted this a few years ago on Facebook. I braved the nightmare that is the main site today and was able to find it. I hope it brings joy to you.

Now, it's time for some Christmas music history! Some of these are playlists, so just skip what you don't like, I promise, this is not the usual music you hear in shops!

I have a few time periods in mind, but let us begin with the very first Christmas song ever written.

Jesus Refulsit Omnium - Roman Christmas Song - YouTube

youtube.com/watch?v=izRVH2avtz…

And now, for something a bit more modern. Don't expect to hear Elvis on this list, though.

Here are some songs from the eighteenth century! Unfortunately, these are just instrumentals.

18th Century Authentic Christmas Music

youtube.com/watch?v=bwiJ9qsIBN…

On to the Regency! Yay! Sadly, there isn't much available from then. Please feel free to make suggestions.

The Gloucester Wassail/The Holly and the Ivy, Regency Christmas

youtube.com/watch?v=tzv5eGTxvi…

This may or may not be authentic, but it's pleasant. Again, it's instrumental.

Regency Music - Peaceful Christmas

youtube.com/watch?v=ynx3fv7JpI…

This is real, in more ways than one, as the song existed then, and it's being played on a genuine Regency piano!

O come o come Emmanuel played on a Regency period Broadwood square piano

youtube.com/watch?v=iSJwQidimD…

On to the Victorian era. Believe it or not, while a large number of familiar Christmas songs came from then, I can't find a good playlist! Again, if you know of one, please suggest it. While this recording is modern, you can be sure that Victorians would have been very familiar with the arrangements and that many also spent time in the church where this was recorded, probably hearing the same organ, too!

Victorian Carols from St Bartholomew the Great

youtube.com/watch?v=q8GV7NMfy3…

Now, let's turn to my second favourite period next to the Regency, the Edwardian! This extremely special! All of the following was actually recorded then! I have made it a tradition to listen to this every year. Some of the tunes may be familiar, but in several cases, the lyrics may not be. The last one is a real treat for the children and those young at heart!

Vintage Christmas Songs from the 1900's & 1910's Playlist

youtube.com/watch?v=zOBKgQj-qq…

I'm not very familiar with this one.

1900s -1910s Victorian Christmas Music Selection

youtube.com/watch?v=AXflh4s6T9…

This is from two years after King Edward's death, but I had to include it, as it's a lovely version. Note that the link that I originally provided no longer exists, so I had to find another. But here, you can actually see the grammophone!

"Silent Night! Hallowed Night!" Elsie Baker on VV Model XI, 1912.

youtube.com/watch?v=nElAx0MpBs…

Finally, as my friends know, I love Eton College, so I had to include this. It breaks the theme slightly, in that it doesn't belong to a specific time period, but songs from different times are sung, and all in a very traditional manner.

Eton Choir Christmas

youtube.com/playlist?app=deskt…
#ancient #choir #choral #Christmascarols #Christmas #Edwardian #English #EtonCollege #fortepiano #historical #instrumental #Latin #music #phonographs #Regency #Roman #songs #Victorian

Season's Greetings to USAians who celebrate.
"His Master's Gobble".

#turkeys #phonographs #thanksgiving

Discover the history and stories behind the songs of yesteryear on #ThreeTuneTuesday. Tune in every Tuesday at noon EST for a unique musical experience.

#Phonographs #VintageMusic

https://blindskeleton.one/radio