The Sound series (9 linear ft. + oversize) spans from the early 1940s to the early 1990s and is organized by format.
The earliest audio recordings are phonograph records and soft vinyl "flexi" and Sound Scriber records, which are labeled as containing notes on Macbeth as well as material generated during Richard Wilson’s solo film production work. Some early acetate records that were likely cut in the office as Wilson or Welles ware also included here, though the contents of many of these are unknown.
The bulk of the audio is comprised of reel-to-reel and audiocassette tapes. Sets of reel-to-reels and cassettes of Welles’s radio work, created by Richard Wilson as part of the preparation for the Theatre of the Imagination , represent a major portion of the sound recordings. Other recordings range from interviews, to Richard Wilson's telephone conversations, to lectures given by Richard Wilson on Welles and the Mercury, to tributes to Welles. Various soundtrack materials for a few Richard Wilson films are also included.
Several commercial records, including jazz, samba, and pop recordings have been retained in the collection though it is uncertain whether they were used in or for any production by Wilson or Welles.
To facilitate access, a few of the reel-to-reels and one cassette in this series have been transferred onto recordable compact discs. The numbering and labeling of the CD-Rs corresponds to the numbering of the tape reels and audiocassettes.