Abstract
The access and study of digitized historical audio recordings require more than simple sound playback, as these materials embody complex physical and contextual information. Previous studies have explored the virtualization of tape recorder functionalities; however, such approaches alone are insufficient to fully support scholarly analysis and restoration processes. Recent developments in standards, such as IEEE/MPAI Standard 3302-2024 on Audio Recording Preservation, have emphasized the potential of integrating automated multimodal analysis to support restoration and access, including valuable contributions from artificial intelligence techniques. The main contribution of this work is a standalone web interface for analyzing and annotating digitized historical audio recordings, integrating synchronized audio and video of the tape during the digitization process to provide additional insights, such as annotations and the presence of splices. The proposed interface represents an initial step toward the integration of MPAI-based technologies for restoration. In this context, a computer vision approach is also introduced and evaluated, capable of identifying key components such as the playback head, magnetic tape, and pinch roller, which are essential for supporting future extensions toward (semi-)automated restoration techniques.