Audio Transcription FAQ's
Audio Transcription FAQ's Include:
- Is Digital sound better than analog sound?
- How do I send audio files on the internet for conversion of speech-into-text?
- How do I record telephone interviews or conferences for transcriptions?
- Is it possible to record telephone interviews through VOIP applications such as Skype?
- What are the kinds of microphones used for recording audio?
- What is the best possible position of placing a microphone for recording interviews?
- Do I need to compress the audio I send online for transcription?
- How do I compress audio files for sending them through email?
1. Is Digital sound better than analog sound?
Digital voice recording equipment converts the physical properties of original sound to a sequence of numbers, which can be stored and later read back for reproduction. They record sounds as data-bits the same way as a computer stores information. The sounds recorded in a digital recorder have a higher signal-to-noise ratio. Noise in this case refers to all background noises that can cause distortions in the recording. Analog recorders such as a tape cassette recorder, record sounds as waveforms. This ultimately reduces the quality of the analog recording when compared to a digital recording. .Digital recordings are also easier to copy and manipulate as compared to analog recordings. Also in case of tape recordings, the sound quality deteriorates with each subsequent copy made. However, the digital audio recording can be duplicated as many times as required without any change in quality.
2. How do I send audio files on the internet for conversion of speech-into-text?
It will depend on the audio file format the recording is in. If you wish to send a recording of an audio cassette, you will first need to digitize it, meaning convert that into a .wav file or into mp3 format. There are agencies that convert audio cassettes into .wav or .mp3. If the audio is on a mini disc or a compact disc, you need to copy it on your hard disk and then convert it into .mp3 or .wav format by installing the latest version of Windows Media Player 10.
3. How do I record telephone interviews or conferences for transcriptions?
For recording Telephone Interviews or Conferences, you will require a telephone with a handset and a recording adapter. This specially built adapter is attached to the handset of the telephone with wires; the two-way conversation can then be recorded on to a portable recorder, or directly to a computer. Similarly, cell phones can also be used for interviews, but a different adapter is available for a wireless phone.
Radio Shack makes a device Wireless Phone Recording Controller Part No.17-855" that allows you connect a recording device like a cassette recorder into your headset jack onto your telephone and a headset so you can record telephone calls.
4. Is it possible to record telephone interviews through VOIP applications such as Skype?
Yes, it is possible, with the help of customized applications that need to be installed on to your computer. To know more about the freeware or pay-n-use applications that can record Skype calls
Some of the applications listed on this site can also be used to record streaming audio and video files on the internet. If you wish to record streaming media such as Podcasts or Webcast for transcriptions, these applications can be useful.
5. What are the kinds of microphones used for recording audio?
The two most common types of microphones are: omni-directional and directional. The omni-directional microphones are to be avoided, since they pick up sound from all directions. The directional microphone when used for recording does not pick extraneous sound in the background. It picks sound only from the direction it is pointed at without recording the background noise
In order to get the best sound quality, avoid using built in microphones on recording equipments, because most of them are of inferior quality.
Using a microphone stand is a good idea. This will eliminate the problem of microphone handling noise being added to the recording. It will also make it possible to position the microphone in the best location for the person speaking.
6. What is the best possible position of placing a microphone for recording interviews?
The ideal position is to place it as close to the interviewee as possible, microphones function under the Inverse –Square methodology, meaning double the distance, lower the audibility of the sound, therefore it is essential to place the microphone 2 feet away from the speaker and ensure that it points directly at the speaker
7. Do I need to compress the audio that I send online for transcription?
If you upload the audio online through FTP servers such as https://www.transcriptionstar.com/file-drop.html, compression of the audio files is not required, but if the files are being sent through an email account, depending on the account you are using, audio files need to be compressed to under 10 MB a file.
8. How do I compress audio files for sending them through email?
Sound Recorder has an option for using audio compression, which causes the sound files to be "crunched" in order to take up less space.
- Click => Start > Programs > Accessories > Entertainment or Multimedia > Sound Recorder
- Sound Recorder will be displayed
- Open the File that you wish to compress.
- Click File in the Sound Recorder
- Go to Properties
- Click - Convert Now
- Sound Selection pop-up option will appear
- Attributes: This is where you will choose the frequency range of the sound (the larger the range, the better the sound quality), and the number of bits that make up each section of the sound (the more bits, usually, the higher quality).
- On the Attributes list, choose 22,050 KHz, 16 Bit, Mono and click OK
- Click OK to close the Properties
- On the File menu choose Save As and save the file in a folder of your choice, click OK.
The file saved will have a .wav format.
- If the length of the recorded audio file is 60 seconds, the .wav file will occupy approximately 2.5MB space on the hard drive, and in order to reduce the size of the file for a quick upload/download, a compression software is required which will shrink the length of the file, without the quality of audio being affected.
- A audio compression software called SCMPX , designed to work in Windows and can be downloaded from the link below:www.din.or.jp/~ch3/index_e.html
- Once download is complete.
- On the desk top, click the shortcut icon to open SCMPX
- Click on the Convert button
- Options of Single File or Multiple Files will be displayed.
- Select Single File
- Select Encoding Mpx
- Now select the .wav file to be compressed, the SCMPX will open the Encoder
- In the Encoder change the bit rate setting to 128000. Allow the rest of the settings to be on default.
- Click OK
- The SCMPX will compress the file and create a second copy of it in an MP3 format; the compressed file will be ten times smaller than the .wav file
The compressed file in the MP3 format and can be sent as an email attachment.
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