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Mini tc/recorders


jwill

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I recently had a request for a time code enrypted record of an interview. I told the client that I did not have this tool. She came with a zoom recorder and we jammed tc with a pad and an audio out. She was satisfied and sent it to a transription house. I have heard from other mixers that the zoom is ok but a zaxcom zfr100/2--/300 would be a better choice. Are any of you using either th zax or the zoom and what are your impessions of each? JHW

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None of the transcription companies my clients use can read TC metadata in any form from any format. I'm not saying that there aren't companies that do this, I just never seem to run across them. They can read LTC from an audio track, as you did, or you can tell them what the start TC time of the files you are giving them is (via a Wave Agent or BWF Widget report generated from your wav files that have TC metadata) and they can start counting from that. Both of these methods are safe bets--for sending files where you are counting on them reading TC metadata you might want to phone the transcriptionist first.

phil p

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None of the transcription companies my clients use can read TC metadata in any form from any format. I'm not saying that there aren't companies that do this, I just never seem to run across them.

I find the only time I really put TC on a audio track any more is by request - which is rare - or if we are going to be doing a lot of stops and starts and I don't want to create a lot of small files. With the TC on an audio track I can pause the recording.

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BWF Widget can make the files and transcribers can use widget to play the files back. Several east coast facilities have it. Sometimes, i'll send a sample file with a sound report for them double check the data, but in the end- they usually are very happy.

I think courtney did some mods to the program so that it was transcriber friendly- foot pedal controls etc...

I have not done TC on one channel transcription in many years.

john.

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None of the transcription companies my clients use can read TC metadata in any form from any format. I'm not saying that there aren't companies that do this, I just never seem to run across them. They can read LTC from an audio track, as you did, or you can tell them what the start TC time of the files you are giving them is (via a Wave Agent or BWF Widget report generated from your wav files that have TC metadata) and they can start counting from that. Both of these methods are safe bets--for sending files where you are counting on them reading TC metadata you might want to phone the transcriptionist first.

phil p

Hi Phil, as well as sound recording I do transcription. Usually we get TC in the metadata of bwavs or TC panned one side and a mixdown panned the other. I can tell my software where the TC is so it cuts it from my monitor mix and feeds it to the TC reader to be added to the transcription document.

It's pretty rare we hear from the soundies directly, which is a shame. Often it would be quicker to email with the guy recording the tracks than go through production who might not understand the tech as well.

Have to agree with Fernando, it's many years since I put timecode on an audio track, everyone my clients use (in the UK) prefers it embedded.

Hey Jon, as I said to Phil I think it depends on what software you use. I've been sent every type of timecoded and non-timecoded files imaginable, including a few recently where the soundie just read out the TC into the slate mic! It was rough but was close enough for the paper edit.

A request from all transcribers to all soundies, please make the interviewer audible, even if they're not in the actual final cut. Guessing what the question was from the answer is no fun at all. Thanks!

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Hi Phil, as well as sound recording I do transcription. Usually we get TC in the metadata of bwavs or TC panned one side and a mixdown panned the other. I can tell my software where the TC is so it cuts it from my monitor mix and feeds it to the TC reader to be added to the transcription document.

It's pretty rare we hear from the soundies directly, which is a shame. Often it would be quicker to email with the guy recording the tracks than go through production who might not understand the tech as well.

Hey Jon, as I said to Phil I think it depends on what software you use. I've been sent every type of timecoded and non-timecoded files imaginable, including a few recently where the soundie just read out the TC into the slate mic! It was rough but was close enough for the paper edit.

A request from all transcribers to all soundies, please make the interviewer audible, even if they're not in the actual final cut. Guessing what the question was from the answer is no fun at all. Thanks!

All very useful info Nick, thank you very much

It could be great to have a list of transcription software that will use embedded metadata from our BWAV files, so we can advise transcription houses that are not up to date and make their and ours life easier.

A list of solid, tested, widely used, metadata-ready transcription software.

Nick, could you start that list with the software you use please?

Thank you!

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All very useful info Nick, thank you very much It could be great to have a list of transcription software that will use embedded metadata from our BWAV files, so we can advise transcription houses that are not up to date and make their and ours life easier. Nick, could you start that list with the software you use please? Thank you!

I use Transcriber2 from VideoToolShed. We've used this software since Bouke first created it and have worked with him to get features added and bugs removed. I use the OSx version but other people in the group (we're a collective of transcribers who distribute work around to get it turned around as quickly as possible, often over night) use the Windows version. We also use his other tools such as ProxyRender for the more obscure files we receive. Sometimes, and it's rare now, we get things on DVD, DV and plain old cassette! Some people in the group have been doing transcription for 20 years so we're setup for everything!

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A request from all transcribers to all soundies, please make the interviewer audible, even if they're not in the actual final cut. Guessing what the question was from the answer is no fun at all. Thanks!

I had to do some of this at MTV summarizing interviews with people. About half the time they never recorded the mic the interviewer was speaking into... Made for some annoying google searches and lots of guesses.

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I had to do some of this at MTV summarizing interviews with people. About half the time they never recorded the mic the interviewer was speaking into... Made for some annoying google searches and lots of guesses.

Google is very much my friend! We do a lot of stuff on science but my general knowledge doesn't stretch to particle physics or the intricacies of the universe so I usually have google open in another page to quickly find the right spelling and details for a subject.

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Is there a favorite system the mixer should use for those of you who transcribe?

Personally I like timestamped MP3 with all tracks monoed. that way its small for sending to us over the internet and I don't have to listen to one-legged audio for hours on end! Some good labelling is always useful too!

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