The optical retrieval and storage technique called VisualAudio
[http://www.eif.ch/visualaudio] provides a way to extract sound information
from a phonograph record without any mechanical contact. The process involves three steps: 1) A picture of each side of the record is taken using a dedicated analog camera, and the film is stored as the working copy; 2) The film is scanned; and 3) The image is processed to extract the sound. The technique can be used to retrieve the sound of older records that are so poorly deteriorated that no regular turntable can be used. A working system has been built and has already been used to retrieve the sound from several records. This talk will describe the principles and characteristics of the
different parts of the system and the performance, which is to be used in 2006 to retrieve the sound from several thousand old records.