APG-L Archives

Archiver > APG > 2005-06 > 1119147667


From: "Linda Merle" <>
Subject: RE: [APG] Professional compensation
Date: Sat, 18 Jun 2005 19:21:07 -0700


Alvie,

>I know the main question is going to be getting the lectures into some sort
>of stored medium and then converting it from data to MP3.
>It is most difficult to convert from cassette to MP3 but it can be done.
>Go for it Craig.

Unless you have a huge amount to do, this isn't so hard at all any more. I transcribe tapes all the time from my PC (not for genealogy).

The low tech way to use a product named Express Scribe. You first buy a cable at Radioshack. Plug one end into an output jack in the tape deck (like microphone) and the other into an input on your soundcard. You then download Express Scribe, a free product. I never recall the URL. www.google.com for it. It loads slow (memory hog) or I'd fire it up and check. It's bedtime!!

You install Express Scribe. You then use it to transfer the tape contents to the computer in an analog file. You set up the Dock right (reading helpfile) to specify the input and then you turn on the tape player. It plays it into your computer.

You can transcribe from it. Express Scribe also handles mp3 files directly. To convert to Mp3 you can use any number of products. Many will let you try them out free. I downloaded a couple last time I had to convert to Mp3.

Total cost is $20 for a cable.

This is what I do and several organizations I am associated with use. For the backlog of 20 years of tapes, we used a firm in I think it was Singapore. We sent tapes, and they returned a disk of digitized files. Used them because they were cheap. The tricky part when you have this amount of data is setting up a database that identifies each tape and tape set, the event, and the status, etc, etc. Not a big deal either. If you have a little cash, invest in a document management system. I used to work for a document management firm and learned to REALLY appreciate our software when I then worked for this extremely tiny non profit publishing firm (with lots of old tapes it needed to digitize and transcribe -- we could not afford it.

Express Scribe uses hotkeys -- no footpedal needs purchased. Amost anyone can adapt to the hotkeys in no time flat. However for backlogs you need some pro equipment so you can do it much much faster.

If you need any help with this project, lemme know. Been there, done that, got .... carpal tunnel, actually <grin>!

Linda Merle








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