B -- FEASIBILITY OF RECOVERING ERASED MATERIAL FROM THE 18 1/2 MINUTE GAP IN THE NIXON TAPES.

Notice Date

August 8, 2001

Contracting Office

National Archives and Records Administration, NAA, Acquisition Center, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 3360, College Park, MD, 20740-6001

ZIP Code

20740-6001

Solicitation Number

NAMA-01-Q-0022

Response Due

September 7, 2001

Point of Contact

Marion Bass-Dyer, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-713-6755 x 239, Fax 301-713-6910, Email marion.bassdyer@nara.gov

Description

Feasibility of Recovering Erased Material from the 18 1/2 Minute Gap in the Nixon Tapes. This is a two-step process consisting of: (1) Submission of Technical Capability, Proof-of-Concept Qualification Testing, and Evaluation and Discussion of Technical Proposals; and (2) Price Competition. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is seeking sources to assess the feasibility of recovering erased audio program material from an 18.5 minute segment of the original "Nixon tape" 342, without damaging the original tape in any way for the Nixon Presidential Materials Staff. -- Step (1), Technical capability, proof-of concept qualification testing, and evaluation and discussion of technical proposals. Potential vendors who currently employ viable techniques for the recovery and processing of erased audio signals on 1/4 inch magnetic tape and who are capable of recovering erased audio recordings of speech are requested to submit capability information in response to this synopsis to: Contracting Officer, National Archives and Records Administration, Acquisition Services Division (NAA), Attn: Marion Bass-Dyer, 8601 Adelphi Road, Suite 3360, College Park, MD 20470-6100. Capability information includes but is not limited to business size, professional experience, past performance, personnel resources, and details about the vendors' methodology, technical approach, the equipment the vendor proposes to use, terms and conditions and the facility where the work will be done. Technical Proof-of-Concept Qualification Testing is organized into three proof-of-concept tests phases. Each of the three test phases will consist of a test tape to be recovered, each tape in the sequence being progressively more representative of the original recording. Each test, in order, must be successfully completed at NO COST to the Government. Vendors will be required to recover audio tones and/or intelligible speech on a test tape and return the test tape, undamaged in any way, along with the recording of recovered audio, before the next test in the sequence will be initiated. For information, the test protocol will consist of a sequence of three test tapes recorded with signals and conversation known only to the NARA evaluation team. Each succeeding 1/4 inch test tape will more closely simulate the original recording in terms of signal levels, types of signals, type of tape, etc. After recording the test signals the tapes will be "erased" in the normal fashion on a properly operating recorder. Vendors will have to recover all information recorded on the test tapes without any evidence of damage to the test tape or the signal recorded on it. Identical test tapes will be provided to each candidate. The overall goal of this effort is recovery of intelligible speech on tape 342, comparable or equal to the quality of speech recorded before or after the "gap", not just speech like patterns or an indication that there was recorded material in the gap. (Note: This effort is not directed at traditional forensic investigation of the tape to determine authenticity, age, erasure status, etc. Those factors are not in question). The goal is recovery of intelligible speech. The characteristics of the three test tapes are: Test Tape 1 -- Audio tones and speech recorded on 1.5 mil tape at -10dbu level at 3.75 inches per second tape speed on a contemporary tape recorder. The test recording will be "erased" in a normal manner on the same recorder. Vendors will be told only that the tape contained, before it was erased, some audio tones and some spoken word conversation similar to that on the original tape sections that still exist. Vendors will be required to recover the test tones and the spoken word conversation to a level such that the tones would be correctly identified (frequency, relative amplitude, etc.) and the spoken words would be intelligible. The recovery effort must cause no physical damage to the tape or reduction or alteration of the signal on the tape. Test Tape 2 -- Audio tones and speech recorded on 1.0 mil tape at 1.875 ips tape speed on a contemporary tape recorder at a level similar to that on the non-erased sections of the original tape. The test segments will be erased in a normal manner on the recorder they were recorded on. This test tape will contain a non-erased simulation of the conversation that is on the original tape. Vendors will not be told what was recorded on the tape prior to erasure. Vendors will be required to recover intelligible speech from this recording. The recovery effort must cause no physical damage to the tape or reduction or alteration of the signal on the tape. Test Tape 3 -- Using the original White House audio recorders involved, and a portion of blank 0.5 mil recording tape of the type used in making the tape 342 original, a simulation of the original speech will be recorded on the test tape at a level and signal-to-noise ratio similar to that on non-erased portions of the original. This simulation, recorded and erased at 0.9375 inches per second, will be as close as possible to the speech that still exists on the original tape before and after the "gap" on the assumption that the recording that existed in the erased gap was similar to that before and after the gap. The test recording will be erased on the machine that is thought to have been used to perform the erasure on the original tape. Vendors must recover intelligible speech from this recording. Vendors will have a sample of the conversation on the original tape that exists before and after the 18.5 gap. The recovery effort must cause no physical damage to the tape or reduction or alteration of the signal on the tape. Vendors will submit their recovered recordings, in a contemporary recording format, along with the original test tape they were sent for each stage of the test protocol. The General characteristics of tape 342: Tape 342 was recorded on slow speed: 15/16 inches per second, 6 1/2 hours per reel. The tape stock was generic. The recording system was a voice activated Sony 800B. In this particular case, the recorder was in the Old Executive Office Building (OEB). The microphones were hidden in the desk. The microphones were unshielded; they were not well placed -- if the conversation was not right at the desk, the voices are faint. Voice activation did not always work. Tape 342 was one of the OEB recordings. It covers June 12 -20, 1972. It has 28 separate conversations and the 18.28-minute gap. The quality is poor. There is excessive background noise. Technical Information on Tape 342: Composition: NARA believes the tape is a polyester base material. There has been no investigation of the binder. The brand name is unknown because it was a drugstore white box item, a generic tape. Some 3M tape was used. There remain 6 reels of original blank 1/4 inch recording tape, part of which would be used in stage 3 of testing. Tape storage conditions: The conditions in the White House complex are unknown, but assumed to be less than optimal, with little or no humidity control. At one point the tape was kept in a closet across from the cafeteria. For a short period of time the U.S. Marshall had custody of the tape June 20, 1973 -- November 29, 1973. In 1977, the tape was transferred to the National Archives and Records Service and placed in good environmental storage conditions (70 degrees F and 50% RH.) In 1982, the tape was moved to a warehouse in Virginia. Conditions there were poor. For short periods of time, the tape was exposed to high levels of temperature and humidity, as much as 90 degrees F. and 90%RH. In 1993 the tape was moved to the National Archives at College Park, where it is stored in optimal conditions (65 degrees F and 30% RH.). Usage: Since 1977, the tape has been played six times in three separate efforts to create duplicate sets. Each effort consisted of one play to analyze the sound quality of the tape and another play to duplicate the tape. Physical damage: There is a notation in the box stating that the 1974 examination caused wrinkling of the tape four inches before the gap. The tape was last played in 1992. Inspection in 2000 revealed no visible signs of deterioration. The tape is in good shape, stored tails out and in a good firm pack on its reel. No portion showed any signs of sticky shed syndrome. The tape has not been edited and spliced. The tape is still intact. The portion of tape 342 just before and right after the gap have been determined to be about abuse of power and thus may be retained and are open to the public. -- Evaluation and Discussion of Technical Proposals. NARA will have a 30-day evaluation period to analyze the results of each submission. A test in the sequence will be "failed" if either the audio is not satisfactorily recovered in NARA's estimation or there is evidence of any damage to the test tape. NARA will give consideration to the quality and quantity of recovered audio tones and intelligible speech in deciding whether or not to invite the vendor to proceed to the next test phase. Following the completion, or early failure, of the proof-of-concept test sequence by the vendors, all successful vendor results (completion of the tests, without damaging the test tapes) and procedures will be evaluated. The results are to be evaluated by the NARA evaluation team to determine success or failure of attempts at recovery of the erased recordings and to determine any damage to the test tapes. Evaluation criteria include intelligibility, no damage to the test tape, "useful recovery", past performance, technical methodology, technical capability and resources (personnel and equipment). Technical factors are of equal importance and more important than price. Your technical information shall not include any prices or pricing information. Discussions with vendors who are determined to be qualified may be necessary. Disqualified vendors will be notified in writing that they will no longer be considered. -- Qualified vendors will compete for Step (2), Price Competition. Award of any contract will be based upon best value. In step (2), only bids based upon technical proposals determined to be acceptable, either initially or as a result of discussions will be considered. Each bid in step (2) must be based on the vendor?s own technical proposal. Vendors should submit proposals that are acceptable without additional explanation or information, other than that expressed in this announcement. The Government may make a final determination regarding a proposal's acceptability solely on the basis of the proposal as submitted (including completion of the testing). The Government may proceed with the second step without requesting additional information from vendors of proposals, that it considers reasonably susceptible of being made acceptable, and may discuss proposals with those vendors. -- Background information. NARA welcomes comments on our testing methodology and will give consideration to other approaches to testing provided the measure of success as judged by NARA's technical panel remains the recovery of intelligible speech and tones with no damage to the test recordings. NARA will not give consideration to any testing of the original recordings without successful completion of a proof-of-concept process. The 1974 report's conclusion that the gap is an erased portion of tape remains acceptable, but the conclusion that there was no known means to recover speech could be revisited now that technology has advanced since 1974. The origin of the proof-of-concept testing sequence and information from the Advisory Panel on White House Tapes of May 31, 1974 concerning tape 342 is available upon request. Prior to proceeding with Step (2), NARA will assess the feasibility of demonstrated recovery techniques and the potential risk to the original tape before a final decision is made to proceed. -- If a decision is made to proceed with Step (2), Price Competition, a Request for Quotation (RFQ) will be issued ONLY to vendors who submitted acceptable capability information, including resources, methodology, experience, and successful completion of each of the proof-of-concept test tapes in Step (1). -- A Firm Fixed Price Contract is anticipated. The contract delivery schedule and security and on-site performance requirements will be provided in the RFQ during Step (2). All responses to this announcement must be received no later than 4:30 PM EST within 30 calendar days of the date of this publication. All responses will be considered. All questions must be faxed to (301) 713-6910. The NAICS Code for this requirement is 512290. Potential sources should specify their business size.*****

Web Link

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Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010810/BSOL002.HTM (D-220 SN50U418)