As part of my Tech Graduate Student Assistant role, I had the opportunity this spring/summer to work in our Digital Media Projects Lab (aka, the DMPL for short). Several archival students were participating in a digitization effort in collaboration with the Detroit Sound Conservancy. They were taking old reels, tape cassettes, DATs, and other obsolete audio formats and converting them into computer files.

My responsibility in the lab was overseeing each of the different stations and the equipment, including mixing boards, audio interfaces, and lots of RCA cables. I helped other students troubleshoot when things went wrong, and I also got to experiment with open-source software like Audacity and OBS Studio. Technology isn't always about the latest and greatest; there is a lot to be learned from working with older forms of tech! I also really enjoyed working with my peers and working together to solve problems.