Digitization • archives • language • sound
Preserving voices.
Shaping sound.
Digitization and digital archive management to protect your collections. Recording and sound design to bring your ideas to life.
Craig Carpenter
Recordist, sound designer, researcher & digitization specialist.
Digitizing with CARE.
Clients & collaborations
En’owkin Centre
Trailmark Systems
UBC
Experience
20+ years in professional sound
Film audio, field recording & voice recording.
Research
MA, UBC Okanagan · 2024
Language technology & Indigenous methodologies.
Recognition
Emmy Award recipient
SSHRC CGRS D award · 2026.
How I can help
Expert sound.
Practical support.
Digitization, recording and practical training shaped around your collection, audience and team.
01 / Preservation
Digitization & archives
Careful transfer of open-reel audio, cassettes and VHS, with preservation files, access copies and documentation shaped around the collection’s priorities. $35–$65 per hour of work, depending on the collection and scope.
02 / Language & capacity
Language resources & training
Create ReadAlongs that connect recorded voices with written text, and develop practical skills in recording, digital stewardship and language tools.
03 / Film & media
Film & post sound
Sound design, dialogue editing, Foley, voice and ADR recording, restoration and mixing for film, television, animation and digital media.
04 / Podcasts & voice
Podcasting, audiobooks & narration
Podcast production, narration and audiobook recording in my own studio, with editing and mixing. Projects are quoted individually.
05 / Project development
Consulting & planning
Workstation setup, equipment selection, documented workflows and practical training to build your team’s capacity. Consulting is $125/hour, with scope and deliverables agreed in advance. The introductory call is free.
Selected work
Language, sound & stewardship.
Digitization at the En’owkin Centre: recording and archival workflows since 2020. Read the case study →
MA / 2024
Kʷu sqilxʷ & ReadAlongs
An interactive digital edition that brings nsyilxcən recordings, text and Indigenous methodologies into relationship.
Fieldwork / ongoing
Marine acoustics with Trailmark
Above- and below-water recording in Saanich Inlet, with acoustic analysis and support for Guardian training.
Research / in development
Immersive listening & phonetics
PhD research on environmental listening and unfamiliar speech contrasts, with a paper in development for ICPhS 2027.
AI / 2026
AFN panel & AI literacy
First Nations AI strategy discussions and practical AI literacy training, grounded in community authority and informed choices.
A foundation for every project
Authority stays
with community.
Community authority determines what is recorded, where it is held, who may use it and what happens next.
For First Nations projects, the Nation interprets and applies OCAP® alongside its cultural protocols and consent processes. These decisions guide the technical work.
Sound art / Featured installation
Sound, space & listening.
For Enchantments in France, I created two sound works as binaural renders of Dolby Atmos mixes. Hear Eels and Flamingo, and explore my ambisonic and spatial sound practice.
Podcasting, narration & audiobooks
Record in my studio. Bring your story to life.
Plan, record, edit and launch your podcast, or arrange narration and audiobook recording in my studio. Explore the services and examples, then get in touch to discuss your project.
Hear my voice
A 45-second documentary narration excerpt from Robert Hogg & The Widening Circle of Return, produced for the SpokenWeb Podcast.
More listening: Story is Story, my oral-history podcast →
From the blog
Latest from Talking Owl
Practical notes on digitization, language supports, listening and community capacity.
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From recording to ReadAlong: bringing voices and written words together
A practical guide to bringing authorized language recordings and reviewed transcriptions together in a community-directed ReadAlong.
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Before the first tape: deciding what a language collection needs
A practical starting point for community-directed digitization: clarify the collection’s purpose, authority, transfer priorities and continuing care before playback begins.
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Smart Management and Storage of Digital Audio Archives
After converting old tapes into digital formats, the task of properly managing and preserving these digital files becomes paramount. This not only…
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Funding & planning
Make room for
the next application.
A dated guide to funding for language work, cultural heritage and digitization, with official sources and calendar links.
Upcoming deadlines
- 22 October: FPCC Mentor-Apprentice & Youth Empowered Speakers
- 16 November: Canadian Heritage First Nations Languages Funding Model
- 19 November: FPCC Language Vitality
- 25 November: FPCC Heritage Vitality
2026 dates · checked 19 October. B.C. First Nations language applicants use the FPCC route. Check eligibility and closing times →
