jwill Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Norflus Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 Were they looking for actual TC embedded files or a file just for transcription with an audible TC track. Because if it its just for the later a zoom will work. But a zrf will work for either situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 today, if they can't read embedded timecode it's just because they don't want to : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gilbert Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Norflus Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 So are the transcribers who can read embedded TC getting that TC off MP3s? If so how are you making the MP3s w/ embedded TC? phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Norflus Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 I'll record on my TRX then run it through Zaxconvert to convert the files to an mp3 with a TC stamp. Its a much cleaner sounding file because there is no TC bleed on the dialog track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruben Rojas A Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 What about this one??? Seems like a good option for using a recorder for TC and audio feed. http://www.pro-sound.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PSS&Product_Code=SLOCM&Category_Code= Don't know if it could work in this application in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngooch Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrd456 Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 To John Gooch, Is your father Don Gooch? I worked with a Don Gooch at Wally Heider recording in San Francisco in the early 70's. Also Mikel Denecke of the time code slate worked there.------Both great people. J.D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngooch Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Sorry , no relation as far as I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Flaitz Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimMansen Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Is there a favorite system the mixer should use for those of you who transcribe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Which are the current apps for Mac that will generate timestamped MP3 files from a bunch of BWAV files? (for PC obviously BWF-Widget Pro) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Which are the current apps for Mac that will generate timestamped MP3 files from a bunch of BWAV files? (for PC obviously BWF-Widget Pro) not sure it'll export mp3's but Sound Devices Wave Agent is always worth a look. http://www.sounddevices.com/products/waveagent.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 thank you Nick, WA is useful for some things but won't generate the correct time-stamped MP3 files Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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