Handy Portable Recording devices for digital transcription:

There are two different sets of devices the Olympus WS-3xx Series and the Zoom H4 which is of a better quality and more expensive than the Olympus WS-3xx which does not have the features of a H4.

A Note on the WMA Transcription Recording Devices /Digital Dictation Devices

The devices that have the potential of recording ‘Type-1’ audio for interview transcription are Olympus-WS 100, WS-200S, WS-300M, WS-310M, or WS320M.

You can either buy a WS-300M or WS-310M, the difference between the two models is only in the capacity. The WS-300M can record 8.75 hours of audio where as the WS-310M can record 17.5 hours of audio, and the prices for both these models was under US$ 100 until recently

Any device that records in the DSS or DVF format is not recommended, the audio quality in such formats is not of high standards, and therefore will not qualify for ‘Type-1’ billing. The audio in Olympus records in the WMA format, which is of the highest quality.

Settings recommended for Olympus WS-100 thru WS-320M;

Please read the manual with regards to using the menu settings. After having done that navigate to the following menus and set them as indicated below:

Recording Modes (MOdE)
The default settings for the device are in “HQ” mode. The other choices available are
(ST) HQ, HQ, SP & LP

By using ‘HQ’ mode the WS-100 will have 4 hours of recording time. The WS-200 will have about 9 hours of recording time; however the (ST) HQ mode is available only on the WS-200S model, and should not be used.

Microphone Sensitivity (MIC)

It is recommended that you use an external microphone, however if are using an in-built one, the settings should be changed to “Hi Sensitivity “.

Please attach an external microphone to the ‘MIC’ IN port on top of the device.

The Sony ECM- MS907 will greatly improve the audio quality; the in-built microphones in most of these small devices are not as sensitive as the external ones.

Go on reading about the proper use of a Microphone when Recording for Transcription......

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