HSSH Analog Afternoon Showcases Digitization Support for Researchers

The held on 28 November 2025 at the HSSH premises gathered an enthusiastic group of researchers interested in preserving old audiovisual materials. The session offered a concise overview of digitization workflows, followed by a live demonstration using cassette tapes.

The hands-on portion highlighted the challenges and quirks of old media technology. Exploring the tangle of switches and controls on vintage playback devices can look complicated but is usually simple. “These things have many buttons, and most of them don’t do anything relevant,” organizer Pentti Henttonen said. 

Participants were reminded that HSSH Interlab actively supports research needs.“If there’s a research-based need, Interlab and HSSH will do their best to get the equipment needed, and help,” Henttonen said. Researchers with digitization needs are encouraged to reach out. Interlab can acquire equipment based on the materials and formats researchers work with, so don’t hesitate to for guidance.

Interlab, administered by HSSH, supports multimodal individual and interaction research and provides facilities, software, and equipment for both on-site and field data collection. Researchers can book consultations for methodological or technical guidance, including digitization needs.