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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