Using a good recorder will reduce your transcription cost by providing clear, easy to hear tapes.
Built in microphones limit volume levels and quality, while increasing background noise. Use Clip-On microphones whenever possible for each individual participant in a discussion.
Setting the audio levels on your recording devices to high allows the transcriptionist the option to turn his/her volume up to an appropriate listening level. The best rule of thumb however is to pretest each participant, and adjust their proximity to the microphones so that all are picked up clearly and at the same level.
Recording at a slower speed will save tape and extend recording time, but often at the expense of doubling the amount of noise. Faster recording speeds save you transcription time and money.
Voice activation features shut off the recording when the sound level goes below a certain threshold, often shutting speakers off in the middle of a sentence. Always make sure this feature is off.
Brand name full size cassettes provide better reliability than off-brand and mini cassettes. In the long run, it is worth the extra investment of a few cents per tape when the ultimate goal is to retrieve clean, usable data.
Many people feel self-conscious about being taped. However, if your participants speak so softly that we cannot hear what is being said, it becomes hard if not impossible to transcribe. Don't Be Afraid To Ask the participants at the beginning of the session to please speak loudly, clearly, and to speak one at a time. Always - Test all participants prior to being taped for loudness, clarity, and proximity to microphones.
Tapes recorded in a noisy environment make it very difficult, if not impossible to transcribe. Classrooms, restaurants, cars, etc., are just some examples of places that will tape poorly. It will help to:
A sound technician is often available at the conference center, university, or hotel where you might be intending to record a meeting. This can be very helpful for multi-person taping sessions.
Recording your material on only one side of a tape can turn around your transcripts faster. This allows more transcriptionists to work on your project simultaneously. If you need to keep a copy please make sure it is the duplicate and not the original. Copies have lower audio quality than the masters.
You can enhance the accuracy of your transcripts by providing lists of important names, places and technical words for reference.