Re: Somewhat OT: Music Scanning Query

[Marvin <physchem...>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <Warschauer (at) aol(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 4:24 PM
Subject: Somewhat OT: Music Scanning Query


> This is somewhat off topic (I apologize), but I'll bet that there are
mavens
> out there who can answer my questions (and I don't know where else to
ask).
>
> I'm interested in getting a scanner to use with my collection of old
Yiddish
> song books, choral arrangements and sheet music.  Some of the material is
> quite old and not in the greatest shape.  In addition, I have a large
> collection of hand-notated transcriptions of klezmer and Hasidic tunes.
>
> Does anyone have any idea what kind of resolution I will need to make
good,
> clean scans of this material?  Any other issues regarding contrast (for
> example, faint notes on yellowed paper)?
>
> Could I use any flatbed scanner, or (since I'm scanning books), does it
need
> to be any special type?
>
> I've got a Mac PowerBook G3 with USB.
>
> Finally, any ideas regarding format?  Is it worth investing in Adobe
Acrobat?
>
>
> I'm a novice at this, so any info would be appreciated!
>
> Thanks very much in advance,
>
> Jeff Warschauer
>
You definitely need a flatbed scanner.  The other kind only handles
individual sheets, not books.  Get one that uses the USB connection; it
works faster because other connections transfer data more slowly from the
scanner to the computer.

For most purposes, scanning at 200 pixels per inch gives good copies,
assuming that your printer has comparable or better resolution.  There is
sometimes, but rarely, a need to scan at higher resolution.  There are
reasonably priced scanners with resolutions up to 600 pixels per inch.  Ones
with higher resolution cost much more, but you don't need that.  I have a
Visioneer scanner that I got last year that cost less than $50 after rebate;
watch the ads to bargains like that.

You need image editing software to correct for things like fading.  Most
scanners come with some software, but you may find that it doesn't do your
job very well.  I use a program called "PaintShop Pro".  It has much more
capability than you need, but lists for only about $100 and can be obtained
for much less on sale.  The current version has new tools for editing
scanned images and images from digital cameras that are effective and fairly
easy to learn to use.  You can try it out by downloading the trial version
(it has all the capablities, but stops working after 30 days) from
http://www.jasc.com.

You can print your scans out of PaintShopPro, or any other program that can
handle graphics, including most word processors.  You don't need Adobe
Acrobat unless you mean to distribute the sheet music on the Web.  Even
then, you could load the images as .html files.  If you do need Acrobat,
Adobe lets you send files to them over the Internet, and they then send back
the files in Acrobat format.  It is less convenient than having the
software, but it is a lot cheaper.

I know more about scanners than I do about Jewish music, and I'll do my best
to answer other questions you have.




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