Transcribing Interviews

(last statement may not be true)

BEHOLD THE DICTAPHONE

there is software that will slow down a sound file, so that you can transcribe without having to constantly stop and rewind (a la a dictaphone) (of course this requires your recording to be a sound file in the first place)

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/413ADNZ29HL._SS500_.jpg

Just make something up Ronan. It will be more interesting.

And then go back and re-record it in your best impersonation of the interviewee, so that you can't be accused of making it up.

I don't see what can go wrong.

what could be more interesting than minimal house!

I found the transcribing sometimes more fun than the actual interview. Hah.

Ugh, transcribing interviews. This is why interns were invented.

this will do CDs, too -

The Amazing Slowdowner -

http://www.ronimusic.com/slowdown.htm

yeah the slowdowner is what u need

i'm a really fast typist but any transcription is mindnumbing. slow it down tho, and it's a piece of CAKE

great idea, thanks a lot.

I have a nice digital dictaphone and stuff but even stopping and starting is a nightmare. my brain can't hold attention everytime I stop the tape.

Couldn't you just ask the people to speak really slowly?

ugh stopping and starting is PRECISELY the nightmare. lol it's be easy if u could ask ppl to speak reeeallly slooowly. the problem with interviews is you don't realize how MESSED UP most of us talk, grammatically, until u hyave to get every word down

As you might guess, I am rather fond of e-mail interviews for this reason. (Actually, an interesting comparison was made to me the other day -- I'd interviewed Ilyas Ahmed online for Dream magazine and after I'd drawn up all the answers and did some editing to make it flow better, I sent it back to him for review. He then changed a few answers a bit since he felt he was unclear on some points, and said that it reminded him of the recording process, editing and improving his own work.)

I loved the email interviews but unless you *tweaked* it a bit, it doesn't flow. That's why I absofuckinglutely loved phone interviews. I always got so nervous when it was face 2 face (sadly not face ON face when it was Steve Wynn har har). I always smoked beforehand cause I was so nervous, which resulted in a complete bodily breakdown as I wasn't a smoker. hahah

I kind of like transcribing in moderation, but sometimes I'll end up with two 110-minute cassettes' worth of interviews and realize that there literally aren't enough hours in the day for me to transcribe all of it in the time that I need it. Are there any affordable voice recognition computer programs that would work well? I guess it would depend on the sound quality of the interview tape.

ronan, track down a program called express scribe (or transcriva for macs), it lets you upload interviews as digital files, and then stop, start, slow them and speed them up, like a 'proper' transcribing machine. its a godsend.

Transcriva.

Ooh yummy.

I loathe transcribing and I wish I could get back the three years of time I've probably spent doing it over the course of my life. However, it's always a good idea to listen to the interview once through before you do this so you can make an outline of the piece you're going to write, also so you can make mental notes to FFWD over those tangents and Uhuhuhms you won't be needing.

Although I loathe transcribing, no way on ERF am I getting an intern to do it, because a) they always fuck up on the really big words because they were not having the conversation and b) OMG the sound of my tapevoice, yuck.

It's past midnight, and I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.

damnit.

The worst part of transcribing: it requires all your attention.

My handwriting is pretty awful, so I try and get the other party to do it.

DONE. It's funny at the end 'cause the guy realizes who i am, and then he quickly gets off the phone.

OK, splain this!

fucking hell why does this take so LONG, how have i been transcribing for three hours and am only halfway through

DONE. It's funny at the end 'cause the guy realizes who i am, and then he quickly gets off the phone.
― Tape Store, Monday, September 17, 2007 2:12 AM (7 years ago)

OK, splain this!
― Trayce, Monday, September 17, 2007 2:23 AM (7 years ago)

Exes.

i do freelance transcription for other writers -- it's something i've never really minded doing as long as the audio doesn't suck. if any of you ever need a transcriber, get in touch. i do a good job and i have references. (ping me on fb or twitter, since i don't check my ilx-associated address that often and i don't want to give out my regular email addy on here.)

i second the recommendation for express scribe. i use it with an altoedge usb foot pedal, which leaves my hands free to type.

@getbent?

@jody_beth

I do this maybe once or twice a year. Just spoke with a subject about her farmers market project in a little town.

When I transcribe them, I slow down the "tape" all the way to where it sounds like we're both drunk. Not looking forward to listening to me and the farmers lady slur our syllables over fresh peaches.

ME: What's the application process for local vendors who want to sell their produce at the city market?

HER: Well, they can apply their foot lightly to the gas pedal and back their truck up to the yellow line at the pavilion.

ME: http://i.imgur.com/Qpjazrc.gif