Just a note on Transcriber - it is fantastic if you really have a need
to tie the transcription to the audio - but my experience of it was that
its very labour intensive to get the right text to tie to the right
audio with any accuracy - after a couple of interviews I went on to
Express Scribe and I find it does everything I want in a lot less time -
especially as I like to use keyboard shortcuts in Word when
transcribing. Regularly jotting down the time on the recording during
transcription makes it a doddle to find the original audio again. If
you're doing your analysis in another program (like NVIVO), going to the
audio in express scribe is just about as fast as finding it again in the
Transcriber file.
Matt
-----Original Message-----
From: qual-software [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Duncan Branley
Sent: 18 July 2003 14:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Digital audio recording and transcription
Just briefly to add to Alan's message, Transcriber enables you to do the
transcription on a computer (PC or Mac) and tie the transcription to the
audio file. It is free and details are available on both of the links
he
provided. He has details on his excellent site for exporting such a
transcription to Atlas-TI and on mine I have details for NVivo.
The main issue is that you need to create the audio files - MiniDisc
(although a digital format, its files cannot be played directly on a
computer) and cassette players can easily be connected to a computer and
the sound they produce recorded by the computer.
Alan's discussion of digital recorders summarises well what the
sometimes
opaque audio specialist resources suggest. The advantage is that you can
transfer the digital files directly from the recorder. The trouble is
the
technology is not yet reliable enough to recommend it - though it should
be
in the next couple of years (a subjective evaluation - you might want to
test things out yourself). Another brand to check out (and which people
have reported success with at the recent conference at the Institute of
Education) is Archos which records directly into mp3 format
<http://www.archos.com/products/prw_500279.html>. You might want to get
an
external microphone for it. In the UK it's c £250 on their website
"including taxes".
Duncan
--On 18 July 2003 09:21 -0400 Alan Stockdale <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I have never used one and the various people that have done
transcription
> for me using Transcriber have never felt the need, although I have
offered
> to buy one if they wanted it. The one I am aware of is the PI
Engineering
> X-Keys Foot Pedal. See http://www.ymouse.com/product/pxkfoot.htm.
There
> may be other options.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Xavier Moonen" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 7:53 AM
> Subject: Re: Digital audio recording and transcription
>
>
> Allan,
>
> Any suggestions about foodpedals?
>
> Xavier Moonen
>
> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: qual-software [mailto:[log in to unmask]]Namens Alan
> Stockdale
> Verzonden: donderdag 17 juli 2003 19:13
> Aan: [log in to unmask]
> Onderwerp: Re: Digital audio recording and transcription
>
>
> Here's my 2 cents ;-)
> http://www.edc.org/CAEPP/resources/audio.asp
> also see:
> http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/duncan/
>
> Quick answers to issues you raise below:
> 1. You are correct about the use of VR.
> 2. You could transcribe directly from MD, particularly if you have a
> recorder like the Sony MZ-B100, but it is probably not the easiest way
to
> go. rerecording the audio to PC and then using software is one way to
go.
> This can be cheap. I buy decent audio recording software (e.g.
CoolEdit
> 2000 about $70 online). There are a number of software programs that
can
> be used for transcription that are free: Transcriber, Express Scribe,
> etc. Some programs will synchronize the audio to the transcript (very
> useful!). You can buy foodpedals that can be setup to work with any
> software program if you feel the need.
>
> MD has been around for a long time. It is a mature technology. The
audio
> quality is very good. Cost is also low. It has the best quality/cost
> ratio. You won't go too far wrong with anything made by Sony or Sharp
> with a mic-in jack (some don't have this). See
http://www.minidisc.org/
> for more information. My own preference is for Sharps. Issues with MD
in
> general are 1. Lack of fast digital transfer to PC. 2. Needs to be
used
> with a little care.
>
> Solid state is the future. Several choices at the moment. Best options
are
> probably: 1) Digital memo recorders. I'm not convinced current
recorders
> are suited to doing qualitative research but some people use them.
They
> are getting better each year. Check out the new Olympus DM-20. Not
sure
> what it costs. Probably not really cheap. 2)Professional solid state
> recorders. Most affordable is the new Marantz PMD670. Very serious
> interview and meeting recording tool with nearly every bell and
whistle
> one might desire. You may find it too heavy/large, uses too many
> batteries, and still too costly (although much cheaper that their
earlier
> models). The digital equivalent of the WMD 6C doesn't exist yet.
Marantz
> has told me they understand the need and are working on
> cheaper/smaller/lighter/simpler solid state recorders. Maybe in 2004
or
> 2005...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steff Hazlehurst" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 7:47 AM
> Subject: FW: Digital audio recording and transcription
>
>
> I recently posted the query below to the research administrators list,
> but a colleague has pointed me towards this list, where you clearly
have
> lots of expertise in this subject. I've looked in the recent archives
and
> I can't see the exact question I am asking, so I hope you will be
patient
> with me if it has been asked before.
>
> I am willing to go digital with audio recordings, but am concerned
about
> how transcription actually works in practice and what it will cost to
> change over (bearing in mind that we will work in both tape and
digital
> mode for some years as we can't afford to dump all the existing
> equipment!). Some people have suggested to me that what they do is
record
> on mini-disc, then transfer to tape and transcribe from that. Is this
the
> best we can do? Your advice would be much appreciated.
>
> Looks like the standard of the list is open response to all, but am
happy
> to receive private responses and create a summary if preferred.
>
> Many thanks
> Steff
>
> -----Original Message-----
> I know we are not alone in having been users of Sony Walkman WMD 6C
tape
> recorders hitherto, for recording research interviews and focus groups
> onto normal-sized cassettes for note taking and transcription. These
are
> then played back, either on the walkman, or on standard transcription
> machines, by researchers themselves, or contracted out transcribers,
> depending on the size and nature of the job.
>
> However, our supplier has finally run out of WMD 6Cs (having been
> importing them from the US of late), and tells us Sony is stopping
> manufacturing them, and wants us to go digital. It's that or a machine
> which we have previously found inferior (but cheaper!). I should note
> that we still have one or two Marantz machines, but despite their high
> quality these are less favoured by users because of the extra weight,
and
> me because of the extra cost.
>
> So I would like to know your experience of using digital recording in
the
> sort of circumstances I am outlining. My reservations are:
>
> 1. That it cannot in practice be sent direct to voice recognition
software
> as the manufacturers claim, because this software takes time to
'learn' to
> recognise a speakers voice, which is fine for dictation, but will not
work
> for one-off interviews, and worse, focus groups.
>
> 2. I don't know what the options for playback and review for
transcribers
> are otherwise - do we then need to buy half a dozen new transcription
> machines at £300 each, say? Or can the recording material (flash
memory
> cards or whatever) be put into PCs and replayed and reviewed via some
> piece of audio software whilst typing (obviously not going to be as
good
> as using a foot pedal, but might be ok)? Or do you feed it through the
> voice recognition software once, then get a human being to correct the
> errors while they listen to it? And I normally assume 4 hours
> transcription per hour of recording, using standard transcription
> machines with foot pedal rewind, what will any of these changes mean
for
> that time, and hence my budgets?
>
> I will of course be talking to my suppliers about what they recommend,
> but I suspect what suppliers think happens, and what happens in
reality,
> may be two different things, and any advice on actual human/workload
> effects/implications would be really helpful. Also if you have gone
> digital and could make specific recommendations on make/model of
> recorders and playback equipment (both to choose and to avoid!), that
> would be particularly helpful.
>
> Thanks
> Steff
>
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