KATE BATTERSBY WORDS & MUSIC words department |
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Interview recording tips In these notes I offer some practical approaches that can help keep transcription costs down. These are based on my personal observations over many years of transcribing oral history and court proceedings. To keep transcription cost to a minimum, there is no substitute for a good, clear recording that is well-documented. When considering this and other advice, always keep in mind the purpose and character of your project. Sometimes the guidelines must be set aside because the flow and spontaneity of your interview depends on a particular environment. Sometimes it is just not practical to eliminate all sources of noise, and sometimes it may even be desirable to include it. Make friends with your technology so that you can get the best out of it. It will not always be possible to achieve the ideal of a separate microphone and recording channel for each speaker, but whether or not you have this option there are many additional ways to maximise the quality of your recording. Before you begin, make a test recording. Where possible, assign a separate microphone and channel to each speaker. Once everyone is relaxed, record a segment of natural conversation involving all participants (interviewer included). Then listen back to the recording. If there is no significant background noise, each speaker is clear and there is a good balance between voices, you are ready to begin! If not, make adjustments then conduct another test. A little patience at this stage is rewarded by a top-quality recording and the knowledge that your participants' valuable information has been safely captured. Don't rely on your equipment's meters alone - a machine is no match for human ears! Instead, always listen back and adjust with confidence where necessary. Stay alert during the course of the interview for any changes and be prepared to pause for further adjustments if needed.
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