Preserving recordings sometimes requires developing new methods. The United Music Foundation contributes to research into the degradation and restoration of magnetic tape and shares the results of this work through scientific publications.
Preserving Montreux Jazz Festival Recordings: A New Approach for Restoring Pyral CJ87 Master Tapes
ARSC Journal — Volume 55, n° 2, 2024
In this article, our Project Manager, David Hadzis, presents the method he developed to restore severely degraded Pyral CJ87 tapes that did not respond to conventional treatments. This method enabled the preservation of a collection of Montreux Jazz Festival recordings made between 1978 and 1980.
The article was published in the ARSC Journal, a leading international journal devoted to the history and preservation of sound recordings.
Multimodal analysis reveals hydrolysis as a shared mechanism in magnetic tape degradation
npj Heritage Science — Nature Portfolio, 2026
Our Project Manager, David Hadzis, co-authored this study alongside international researchers and specialists:
Jack Harrison, Joyce James, Camelia N. Borca, Dominik Blatter & Sebastian Gliga (Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Switzerland), Richard L. Hess (Canada), Kelly Pribble (Kvibe Enterprises, U.S.A.), Frédéric Ménétrier (Audio Gecko, France), Alain Dufaux (EPFL Cultural Heritage and Conservation Platform (CHC), Switzerland).
The study shows that several forms of magnetic tape degradation can share a common chemical mechanism while producing different symptoms during playback. These findings help improve understanding of tape condition and guide the choice of treatments to preserve the recordings.
The Sidney Bechet in Switzerland / en Suisse project received two national awards, one in France and one in Switzerland. It combines the preservation and restoration of rare or previously unreleased recordings with historical research, presented in a box set featuring four CDs and a 216-page art book.
Prix de la Meilleure Réédition ou du Meilleur Inédit 2014 – Académie du Jazz
Paris, 19 January 2015
This award honours the Sidney Bechet in Switzerland / en Suisse box set for its sound restoration, presentation of the recordings and quality of the accompanying documentation.
Prix Memoriav – Commission suisse pour l’UNESCO 2014
Bern, 27 October 2014
Presented on the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, this award recognised the project’s contribution to the preservation and promotion of Switzerland’s audiovisual heritage.
Discover the Sidney Bechet in Switzerland / en Suisse project
