Recording Studio 

The Akademi's Recording Studio, located on the 3rd floor of Rabindra Bhavan is perhaps one of the oldest Studios made with proper acoustic treatment. It is fully equipped with state of art equipment operated by qualified technical personnel for the recording of classical /vocal and folk music. Initially, the Studio was used exclusively for professional audio recordings but in the early 70s cultural organizations were also permitted to record in our studios on rental basis. However, with increased in-house recordings of the Akademi, this facility was later discontinued. In 1981 with the aim of introducing video recordings certain modifications were made in the Studios including complete lighting set up with cyclorama screen. Further it was renovated in 2005 with other facilities.

Recording Technology

Initial documentation work was carried out on wire spool recorders. Great masters like Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan and T. Chowdia and many other masters were recorded on this format. Most of these recordings were later transferred to analogue tapes. With the passage of time, this format was replaced with quarter inch magnetic tape.

Initially, in the area of archival cine material, the filming was done on 16 mm format on reversal colour films. The filming of Republic Day Parade and the Folk Dance Festival was a regular activity of the Documentation Unit in early 50s. Perhaps the only exhaustive collection of the rich tradition of folk dances of that time is available with the Akademi. Later on, this format was replaced with 16 mm black & white and colour negative films of which prints were also made. As entire filming of 16 mm films was done with non-synchronize camera, only silent film material was possible, although in most of the cases, sound was also recorded simultaneously during the filming. In order to have synch sound with cine film, nonprofessional Super 8 Sound film was used for the documentation from May1979 to December 1980. Subsequently the unit acquired a 16 mm Éclair, a professional synch sound camera with Meltron (Nagra) synch recorder.

From 1981, the Akademi started recording in U-matic low band format which was subsequently upgraded to High Band in 1991. At the same time, DAT was introduced for Audio recordings. For longer coverages of seminars and workshops etc, SVHS and VHS format were used occasionally.

In 1999, video format was again upgraded to the internationally recognized Beta format and the Documentation Unit adopted Digital Technology for video recording by using DVCAM format in 2001.

Initially, in the case of still photography, 120 size black & white and colour negatives, and 120 size colour slides format were used for the purpose of documentation. 35 mm black & white and colour negatives / slides / still films were also added in negative format. Hasselblad, Mammia and Bronica cameras were used for a bigger format of 6 X 7 cm. size which as well as for black & white and colour still photography. At present digital technology has been adopted.

Playback/Preview

Preview facilities for the Audio Listening, Video Screening with LCD Video Projection of first generation of video tapes of different formats like VHS, SVHS, U-Matic Low Band and High Band, DVD, VCD, Beta SP and DVCAM are available in the Documentation Unit. Facility for screening of films and video recordings from SNA Archives is also available at the venue in Delhi and other places during the events organized by the Akademi.

Control Room / Editing Facility

Presently the studio has a control room of both the recording and the video studio. It is equipped with latest DVCAM, High Band and Beta AB Roll Editing set up.

The Akademi has compiled about 18 films in the Akademi Studios with the available in-house technical/ personnel and post production equipment. At present digital technology has been adopted