This page is still under construction.

You benefit from a high quality recording. It assures that your material can be transcribed more easily and quickly. That in turn, translates into lower cost and higher quality.

How can you improve your recordings? The following tips will help:

• Play back your recording from time to time
  • Is the sound quality clear?
  • Are you speaking clearly?
  • If you are using a tape, does the speed remain constant?
• Replace your batteries frequently
  • Batteries are cheap
  • You may want to use a transformer or adapter if you are working at home
  • Some recorders allow you to record with bad batteries. Don't!
• Use the recorder's conference/dictation setting wisely. Your manual explains how to use this setting.
• Hold the built-in microphone close to your mouth
• Are you using an external microphone? Experiment with the best recording distance from your mouth
• Be sure that people at a meeting speak one at a time
  • It is difficult to transcribe a conversation with two speakers
  • It is practically impossible to transcribe more than one simultaneous voice
• Set your recorder for fast, high-quality speed
• If you are interrupted by noise, repeat the section with the problem
• Try to work in a quiet location

Meetings

• If you are recording a large meeting, set up several microphones scattered around the hall. Encourage each person to speak directly into a microphone.
• Speakers who move around can be given lapel microphones.
• Sometimes it may be cost-effective to use more than one recorder at a meeting
  • True, the transcriptionist will have to listen to the same material more than once
  • However, it may make the difference between a complete transcription, and sections that cannot be understood

Memory cards, disks, or cassettes

• Provide good quality media
• Keep an emergency copy for yourself
  It will not be returned

Play a sample file that you have created on the device. If you like what you hear - fine. If you don't like it then work on the issues relating to the recording before sending it off to your transcriptionist.

You do want all of your recording to be transcribed and this is the place to do it. Just prepare a sample and watch as the sample is being transcribed. See if you are happy with the way it is handled. You're looking for a sample with a lot of problems.