Absolute Marketing & Research

Helpful Hints Before You Tape

Recordings should be as clear and as noise free as possible for accuracy and completeness.

Use Quality Equipment

Using a good recorder will reduce your transcription cost by providing clear, easy to hear tapes.

Use External Microphones to Increase Volume & Quality

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.

Generally Set Audio Volumes to High Placing Microphones as Close to the Sound Source as Possible

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.

Record at the Fastest Speed

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.

Turn Off Voice Activation Features

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.

Tape Choices

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.

Ask Your Subjects To Speak Up

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.

Find a Quiet Place When Recording

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:

• Close any windows or doors.
• Remove food, plates, glasses, candy with wrappers, or anything that can add distortion or unnecessary background noise.

Sound Technician for Large Meetings

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.

Shorter Tapes Transcribe Faster

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.

Provide Uncommon Information

You can enhance the accuracy of your transcripts by providing lists of important names, places and technical words for reference.

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