This page describes various information Type-thing Services has compiled about dictation, transcription, and related Internet, Web, and technology topics.

• About recording quality
• Transcribing essential but poor quality dictation
• About tapeless (digital transcription, phone-in)
• Options for transcription
• About tape sizes & formats
• About digital audio files
• About audio files from video
• About quantity of dictation per tape
• About cost to transcribe
• Why not use computer dictation, speech-to-text programs?
• Is off-shore transcription worth it?  

How can you ensure the best transcription for your business? Finding a good transcriptionist is one answer; however, effort to transcribe a tape, the overall quality of the transcript, and the cost of producing the transcript is dependent on the quality of the tape that is generated. By producing a good recording, you may be able to reduce the cost of your transcription, increase accuracy of transcription and reduce the number of "inaudible" sections on your transcript. At Type-thing Services , we've compiled a list of transcription DOs and DON'Ts that may be of help.
 

Things to do	Things not to do
Speak clearly. Speak at good level.	Speak in a rushed or hurried voice or mumble. Speak quietly.
Have people speak one at a time.	Have people talk at once and interrupt each other frequently.
For tape recorders, record on fast speed. This makes a clearer recording but uses more tape.	Record on slow speed, which uses less tape but makes a "muddier" sounding recording which takes longer to transcribe possibly resulting in transcription errors.
Record in a quiet environment.	Record in an environment with lots of background noise like a restaurant, subway, or place where others are talking or making noise.
In groups of two or more, make sure each person can be heard equally well. Use recording system with multiple microphones in large groups to ensure you can hear each individual.	In groups of two or more, allow some people to be heard well while others are barely audible or not audible at all.
Use a microphone near the speaker.  If the speaker will move around, use a wired or wireless lapel microphone.	Use a stationary microphone and let the speaker move around, creating hard to hear sections on the dictation.
Use good quality equipment made for the number of people you are recording. Alternatively, if good equipment is not available, use multiple tape recording devices around the room (we will have to listen to each to fill in gaps from the others).	Use poorly maintained, low-quality equipment. Use equipment that was designed for recording one person to record a group of people.
Keep recorder going (turned on and recording) well before people talk.	Use the "auto-vox" feature that chops off the beginning of people's sentences.
In large groups, have each person state their name before talking if they need to be accurately identified. Alternatively, have a note taker make notes each time a person talks including their name and the first few words that they say.  Provide agenda.	Provide no records of a complex recording environment.
Provide lists of speakers, agendas for meetings, and other references as available to us so that we can create better annotated, ordered transcripts from your audio.	Provide nothing but the audio so that you have to edit the speaker identification and order of your transcripts.

Not all of these hints apply to all situations. A single-person transcription rarely has any of these possible problems. Sometimes you cannot avoid background noise or conversations where people interrupt and talk over one another. A good transcriptionist can help some of these situations; however, they cannot perform miracles. When you are recording important information, especially for group discussions, it pays to invest in a good conference microphone set and recording system.
 

In some cases you may wish to transcribe poor-quality dictation because the content is essential.  Type-thing Services will review each case individually to let you know what we can do to provide the best quality transcription possible.  Poor-quality dictation includes those which is noisy, muffled, simultaneous overlapping conversations, and two or more speakers recorded at greatly different volumes.  In some cases we are able to digitize and enhance the audio to remove noise or clarify the speakers.  See information on this page about digital audio files .

In such cases we will work to understand how many "inaudible" sections are permissible.  This work is billed at an hourly rate depending on the services needed.  Rush service for poor-quality tapes, if available, is billed at rates higher than normal rush because of the large effort and possible transcriber fatigue involved.

In large jobs where we encounter a poor-quality tape, we will often choose to not transcribe the particular tape until the customer is contacted for guidance.  In rare instances we may refuse to transcribe very poor audio because of the likely low quality of the resulting transcription or fatigue on the transcriptionist.
 

Tapeless and Digital? Tapeless and Digital refer to dictation without audio tape. This could be a hand-held recorder that stores your dictation in memory modules, or it could be a phone-in dictation system.  These types of devices are starting to replace hand held tape recorders.

Type-thing Services prefers you consider phone-in dictation because of the numerous advantages it offers. See the "Phone-in Dictation" page on this Web site by clicking on the button to the left.

We have the capability to download audio files for transcription and have also transcribed from voicemail and other digital transcription services and devices. We typically copy this format to a dictation tape or our phone-in dictation system and transcribe from that format.
 

There are several considerations for customizing your transcripts. Here are a few common options you can discuss with Type-thing .
 

Inaudibles:	type-thing Services normally marks parts of the transcription which cannot be heard or are uncertain as "[inaudible]." We will typically go back three times to try to understand such conversation after which we mark "[inaudible]" the words we could not hear. Type-thing Services does this as a compromise in order to reduce your transcription costs. If transcription of these hard-to-hear sections is of importance to you, we can spend more time with the section or by reviewing the tape a second time. Under extreme cases where hard-to-hear dictation must be recovered, we can digitize and filter the audio to obtain the best possible material for transcription. For example, we can subtract out the local background noise in the recording so voices can be heard. However, this requires an additional charge for recovering the speech audio.
Guessing:	Type-thing Services will not guess the words that may have been said in a hard-to-hear section of your tape. We will use context of the conversation to help understand these sections, but we will not guess at what has been said.
Grammar:	If requested, we can correct grammar as we transcribe. Quite often spoken English does not work well in written form or the speaker may have certain grammatical errors. In addition, type-Thing normally does not transcribe the "ums" and "ahs" which are often used in speech. Let us know if you wish to have transcription that is verbatim or corrected for grammar. This choice is often dependent upon the final use of the transcription.
Format:	Please let us know if the layout format of your transcription is important to you. If you're not sure about this, we can suggest several formats based upon the number of speakers and purpose of the final transcription. Options include paper printout margins and how multiple speakers are identified. Most options will not affect the cost of transcription. We will identify extra costs upon your request for special formatting.  How we provide transcription to you is also an option. We can provide printouts, electronic files on disk, email your files, or post them to our web site so that you can download them from the Internet (in a way others cannot access). When providing electronic files, there are numerous file formats that we can provide. Type-thing Services uses the Microsoft Office suite of products; however, we can provide formats such as Wordperfect, Macintosh files, text files, and many others. In addition, today's word processor programs are usually able to read in many different formats, so file format is usually not a problem.

There are three primary sizes of tapes all of which Type-thing Services can transcribe. In approximate order of popularity they appear to be: 

1. Micro cassette,
2. Regular cassette, and
3. Executive cassette.

Shown above are the regular cassette (top), executive (left), and micro (right) with approximate sizes for each tape. Micro and Executive cannot be used in the other's machines. Executive tape dictation systems are more expensive but provide superior clarity of dictation.

Formats

Most popular recorders use a single track of audio. Some of them have two speeds that you can record your audio. Recording on the fastest speed produces higher quality dictation, but provides less recording time on the tape.

Multiple-track recorders are typically used in settings that require very accurate transcriptions and have multiple persons that might speak simultaneously. For instance, courtroom transcripts are often taken by a four-track recorder with each person wearing a separate microphone and recording on a different track of the tape: judge, two lawyers, witness. Multiple-track recorders are rare outside of the courtroom setting. However, they provide superior transcripts because the transcriber allows one to listen to each track individually or all tracks at once.

With the advent of multimedia computers (audio, video, etc.), more material is being generated in the form of digital computer files. Digital hand held dictation devices are now available that record to a memory card and can generate audio files you can place on disk or send over the Internet. Type-thing Services has the ability to transcribe such files that come in a variety of formats.

We can also generate these files for use on your web site from your audio or video tape.  We'll work with you to understand what you need for your application.  Part of our service is understanding these formats and knowing which work well on the web and Internet.  We use multiple methods to make the smallest possible audio file for your purpose so that the file can be downloaded or transmitted most efficiently.  See our Web and Internet Services page for more detail.

Some of the existing formats for digital audio files are: 
 

Windows PCM (WAV) MPEG3 FhG (MP3) 8-bit signed raw format (SAM)  ACM waveform (WAV)  CCITT mu-Law and A-Law (WAV)  Dialogic ADPCM (VOX)  IMA/DVI ADPCM (WAV)  Video formats (AVI, MOV, etc.) Sony Memory Stick Voice  (MSV) Sony Digital Voice File (DVF) Sony IC Recorder Sound (ICS) Olympus (DSS)

MPEG audio (layers I and II)  Microsoft ADPCM (WAV)  Next/Sun CCITT mu-Law, A-Law and PCM (AU)  Apple Quicktime Raw PCM Data Real Audio (RA, RAM, RMM, RM, etc.)  SampleVision format (SMP)  Sound Blaster voice file (VOC)  TrueSpeech (WAV) DiamondWare Digitized (DWD) Apple AIFF (PCM encoded data only) (AIF) CD and DVD Audio Disks

New formats are coming out all the time!

Which type work on the Web and Internet?  The web and Internet use of audio is evolving.  Original sound files included the Next/Sun (AU extension) files and the also, due to Windows' popularity, the WAV files.   Later formats like Quicktime and Real Audio showed promise in reducing the file sizes and added ability to stream the audio.  Streaming means the audio is played over your computer's speakers pretty much it arrives.  Before that, the entire audio file had to be downloaded before it was played, which was inconvenient for large files or those that were transmitted in real time.  Now MPEG3 files are popular for music files and are very good at compressing audio as are WAV type TrueSpeech files.  The answer to the question really depends on what you are trying to do and what resources you have to provide the audio files to the user.  Some issues include:

• How are you going to provide audio files to the users?
• Will the users be able to work with the audio files you provide?
• What bandwidth Internet connection do the users have?
• Are the files going to be downloaded or streamed?

• Newer audio file technologies typically make smaller files.
• Some file formats (or options within a format) can reduce size.
• As the number of samples per second is decreased, so is the file size (usually).
• As the number of bits of resolution (dynamic range) per sample decrease, so does the file size (usually).

What can be done with Audio files to edit  the recording?  Digital audio files can be easily edited to produce a good quality finished product. For this discussion, editing is the simple rearrangement of audio segments that is analogous to cutting and splicing audio tape.  Some examples are:

• Audio can be easily deleted.
• Audio can be easily moved, copied, or spliced.
• Silence can be added or removed.
• Audio from other sources can be spliced into the recording.

What can be done with Audio files to enhance the recording?  Digital audio files can be enhanced either to improve poor-quality sound or by adding various special effects.

• Uneven speaker volumes can be adjusted so low volume speakers can be heard.
• One speaker can be increased or decreased in volume to generate a sense of distance or depth.
• Many constant background noises (hum, buzz, noise, etc.) can be eliminated without distorting the speech.
• A large number of recording studio special effects can be added to all or parts of the recording.

Video may now refer to video tape or electronic video files. Digital audio can usually be extracted from video files and transcribed as noted above. Video tape transcription requires making an intermediate audio tape that can be more easily transcribed. Type-thing Services has the ability to transcribe the following formats. Other formats and standards (such as PAL) can be converted with a slightly longer lead time. 

How much content can fit on a tape? It depends on how fast the person or group talks, and how much quiet time is on the tape, the tape capacity (length). We have seen 3000-12000 words per tape, 5-50 pages per tape (various length tapes).

Cost for transcription can be based upon amount of material ($/word, $/page, $/line, etc.), time to transcribe ($/hour), piece rate ($/tape), or bid by the job as requested by the customer. Type-thing Services will consider all of these methods. However, we may only bid a job in a particular method depending on the material to be transcribed and the consistency of the material on the tapes or audio files.

The cost to transcribe is also dependent on the amount of technical knowledge or editing required for transcription. Medical transcription typically costs a bit more because of the additional skill, tools, and references needed to ensure an accurate and usable transcript or medical note. In a business transcript, the cost will be higher if the customer requires extensive grammatical corrections.  Costs may also be related to the amount of time required to service your staff with inquiries, special requests, and "stat" or rapid turn-around requests.

How long does it take to transcribe a tape? Typically it can take from two to six times the length of the tape to transcribe. This large range depends on the type of material, clarity of the tape, number of speakers, clarity of the speakers. Most of the work that Type-thing Services has performed has taken 1.5 to 3 times the length of the conversation.  Single-speaker transcription with clear audio takes the least amount of time.

When considering $/word versus $/line, make sure you know the definition of a line. Usually a line has nothing to do with how many lines you have on your printout. It is often defined as a certain number of characters across (which assumes a monotype font). Type-thing Services typically provides a $/line cost for medical transcription and $/page cost for interviews because this is standard in the industry; however, we can convert our estimates to other measures if requested.  Also note that some formatted documents with many short lines could cost significantly more than a $/word rate.

Sometimes we are asked why a person considering transcription should not simply use one of the new and improving programs for computers that type while you talk. These programs recognize your speech as you talk into a microphone and type what you say into a document. The thought is that you would save a lot of money in transcription costs. In fact, several companies have sprung up and have marketed specific systems for the medical and legal communities.

Our simple answer is that it is a matter of cost and convenience. If the total cost to the dictator is less using such text-to-speech systems, then they should use them. Our experience is that these systems are not yet sophisticated enough to pay for themselves, and may actually cost professionals more due to their ongoing time investment.  For practical dictation, these systems have a long way to go.  When making that decision consider the following points:

Costs more overall

Why should a highly-paid professional spend time sitting in front of a computer editing their text, continually retraining the program for new words and names? Time is money and, at least today, text-to-speech programs seem to take time away from the professional. Some systems allow you to talk into a dictation machine; however, you must still worry about the points below.

Talk clearly

You must talk clearly and enunciate each word. The programs are getting better, but you cannot slur your speech, talk extremely fast, etc. The surrounding must be quiet, not a noisy room, lobby, or car. Multiple people cannot be talking around you or in the dictation.

Do you speak like you write?

Spoken English is vastly different from written English.  You may be surprised at how unstructured spoken English appears when typed.  When requested, we regularly correct our clients spoken English into professionally appearing written transcripts.  With speech-to-text programs, you will have to train yourself to speak in written English form.  This is not the only problem.  Many of our clients do not always speak in an ordered linear format from beginning to end.  Part way through a dictation, they will remember something that should be inserted elsewhere in the final product.  With a human transcriptionist, you only have to give direction and the content for this to be accommodated.  With a speech-to-text program, you end up spending more time.

Are you a secretary?

Once you have your transcript in the computer, do you know all the rules of grammar, spelling, formatting, etc.? If you do, great. Now waste your valuable time performing such an administrative function. Is your staff going to edit the transcript? If so, great. Do they have good secretarial skills that will produce letters, reports, and documents that present the professionalism you need?

Train, train, train...

Although these programs are getting better all the time, they are not yet like the science fiction portrayals of computers recognizing you talk. The programs today cannot recognize speech from every person; they must be "trained." Even after they are "trained," they will make occasional errors, and will almost always not understand uncommon words, new words, or new names. You must train them at least once each time such words arise.

Not for groups or poor quality recordings

Even if the computer can understand one person speaking clearly, it cannot yet even attempt to untangle a transcript of multiple speakers, sometimes talking at once, often in noisy conditions, some talking quietly, some talking loudly.

How do we know? Not only do we talk to a lot of people requiring transcription and considering speech-to-text programs, we have tried this software ourselves as a way to increase our productivity.

It's not a secret that, as with many industries, off-shore competition has moved in to challenge providers of transcription services in the United States.  Is it worth it to you?  While this answer is something you'll have to decide for your situation, make sure you're looking at savings in the bottom line cost of your transcription solution.  The following information may be of use in considering this option.

First of all, do you even know when your transcription is being sent off-shore?  Many of these companies have purchased domestic companies, ".com" web sites, or established offices in the U.S., but still send the work abroad.  You may interact with a U.S. citizen and call a U.S. phone number.  Make sure to ask where your work will be done, and in general by whom.

Total cost for your transcription is likely related to these four items.  Some items may be more important to you than others depending on your business needs.

1. Raw cost to transcribe ($/line, $/page, etc.)
2. Quality of the transcript or product (ability to use the product)
   
3. Customer service, responsiveness and flexibility to your needs
4. Specific off-shore issues (turn-around, privacy, security, export-control regulations)

1. Raw cost to transcribe

Because raw cost to transcribe is the initial attractive feature of off-shore services, this is usually not an issue.  You should understand that raw cost is not your total cost.  Consider the total cost in your decision.  Total cost may be affected by the following three items.

2. Quality of the transcript or product

The most common complaint we've heard from clients that have tried off-shore services is that the innate language barriers cause inaccurate transcripts, grammar is poor, and there are spelling  problems.  This is worsened by U.S. clients that tend to talk fast, mumble, or of have a strong local U.S. accent.  If you don't mind a poor-quality product, this may not influence your decision.  Just remember that a poor quality product may influence your total costs now because you have to fix the product yourself, or it may influence your future costs should you call upon the transcription in the future and find it useless.  If the transcript is a form of insurance or mandated record, you may be found negligent for accepting a poor quality transcript.  If a faulty transcript is used in the future, it may cause erroneous actions that will increase your costs.  Note that you can get poor quality from domestic sources too, so this is not just an off-shore issue.  Off-shore sources may be able to produce high-quality product if they have the right staff; however, they are having an increasingly difficult time finding qualified staff.

3. Customer service, responsiveness, flexibility

If the off-shore services and their domestic front offices cannot provide you with the customized and responsive services that make your work efficient, then that adds to your total costs.  If this doesn't matter to you because you need little customer service, then off-shore services may be more attractive.  Common complaints we've heard from clients include problems redressing quality issues, following up with updates, and corrections.  Because many off-shore services save money by having large-scale operations, they may also have some trouble at customizing their process to fit your business needs.

4. Specific off-shore issues

The basic fact that your work is sent off-shore may be an issue you've not considered.  One positive issue is that if you require quick turn-around, those working on the opposite side of the globe can transcribe while you sleep, so your work may be ready the next morning, in less than 24 hours.  There are a number of potential negative issues.  Is the process to send the work abroad such that it meets your security and privacy needs?  It is not just the transmission of your audio that should be secure, but there should also be assurance that the companies and individuals abroad can maintain privacy and security.  Their networks, computers, and facilities should be as secure as domestic providers.  A number of instances in the press have shown that security abroad is an issue.  If something does go wrong, how are you going to take action against an off-shore company?  Another problem to consider is export-control regulation.  This appears to apply mostly to technical data, not necessarily personal medical information.  Export Administration Regulations ("EAR") and International Traffic In Arms Regulations ("ITAR") control the export of commodities, software, technical data and other information to foreign countries.  If you send information abroad in audio files which is covered by these regulations without the proper export licenses, you can be fined and go to jail.  If non-U.S.-citizens within the U.S. access this information, it is also considered an export.  Check with your company or institution to see if your transcription contains export-controlled information.

How does Type-thing Services know?

We receive clients who have not been satisfied by their experience with off-shore transcription services for many of the reasons noted above.  We have been contacted by numerous off-shore companies that have wanted Type-thing to front their services to U.S. customers. We have seen transcripts produced by off-shore transcription companies when clients were not happy with the results.  We have called to investigate the utility of using such services ourselves.

Does Type-thing Services use off-shore transcription services?

No.   All our work is performed in the U.S.A.  Most all of our work is performed nearby our location so that we know and can interact personally with our transcriptionist.  Quality is an essential element of the product Type-thing services provides.

Is off-shore labor plentiful?

Not necessarily.  Plentiful qualified labor is the entire premise for off-shore transcription companies ability  to maintain low rates and quality.  Recent news articles show that as the global economy evolves, off-shore markets are experiencing difficultly in obtaining enough qualified labor for many technical tasks and service tasks that require training.  Their qualified staff must be paid more or they move to higher-paying jobs.  To maintain lower rates, they must use less-qualified labor.  The grass is not always greener on the other side of the ocean.