Digital audio archiving strategies in Turkiyr: methodological and technological analysis through the example of İbrahim Alimoğlu Music Museum

Abstract

This study examines the sound archiving strategies in Turkiye within the paradigm of digital museology. The case study conducted through the example of the İbrahim Alimoğlu Music Museum deeply analyzes the integration of convolution reverb modeling, multi-channel recording techniques, and virtual instrument modeling. The research adopts a qualitative and descriptive approach, examining the sound archiving project applied at the İbrahim Alimoğlu Music Museum through a case study method. The methodological framework focuses on the systematic analysis of sound recording techniques, convolution modeling, and virtual instrument development processes. As part of the case study, 298 musical instruments in the İbrahim Alimoğlu Music Museum were analyzed through their recording, editing, and mixing stages. The microphone techniques used in the instrument recordings, the modeling of spatial acoustics with the convolution method, and the digitization of historical instruments that cannot be played using sampling techniques were analyzed in detail. The research data were obtained through the analysis of 1,476 sound files produced within the project, documentation of the recording processes, and analysis of technical equipment. The study demonstrates that the preservation of the acoustic characteristics of instruments in the digital environment is not merely a technical archiving process, but also plays a critical role in the preservation and democratization of intangible cultural heritage. The study presents a unique methodological framework for integrating architectural acoustic modeling and virtual instrument development into museological practices, analyzing the distinctive aspects of Turkiye's approach to digital cultural heritage compared to international examples. As a result, by digitally recording the 298 instruments and mathematically modeling the museum's acoustic environment using the convolution method with 1,476 sound files, the study has preserved the authentic sound characteristics of the instruments. From the perspective of the methodological approach, the research systematically analyzes sound recording techniques and virtual instrument development processes through a qualitative and descriptive case study methodology. In line with the recommendations, artificial intelligence-supported technologies, virtual reality, and interdisciplinary collaboration are of critical importance in digital museology applications. The study reveals the transformative potential of digital sound archives in preserving musical heritage, offering a methodological innovation for music museology.