How to get the best out of dubious audio

I’ve been working as a transcriber for the past eight years and have learned some helpful tips along the way on how to get the best out of a low-quality piece of audio.

Here are a few:

· Turn up the volume! I use Express Scribe transcription software and there are many options for tuning low quality audio. The first thing I try is the channel toolbar. Audio dictation often includes a floor threshold reading. With Express Scribe’s channel strip, you can change the dB (volume) of two channels within the audio. This can really help a speaker’s voice stand out. For extremely quiet or distant speakers, a better option may be Extra Volume Boost under the Special Audio Processes menu. This can be used if the volume needs more power than the main controls give it. Extra Volume Boost increases volume by 10%.

· Will refine! To get extremely fuzzy sound, there are other special audio features in the Express Scribe software. For fuzzy or muddy sounds, you can ‘Reduce Background Noise’ or use the ‘High Pass Filter’. Reducing background noise should be your first choice if the speaker is audible but you may be driving a car, sitting in a cafe, or moving papers while dictating. In this feature, Express Scribe distinguishes sound by volume, so if the volume of the background noise is almost equal to the volume of the dictation, using the high-pass filter may be a better option. The high pass filter distinguishes sounds by pitch, so here, only sounds above 450 Hz are kept in the audio. This is an invaluable tool for clearing up ‘muddy’ audio.

· Skip it. When you’re writing a transcript and can’t hear a word, it’s very tempting to keep pressing that pedal and hearing the same word over and over again. The truth is that by doing this, you are actually making your job more difficult by taking the word out of context. Try to notice what is not clear, and then listen to the end of the sentence, or even the following sentences. Chances are, that word will repeat itself, and if not, you still increase your chances of cracking it by considering, ‘What word is really missing from this sentence?’

· Give it time. Have you ever noticed that the transcription seems to be easier in the middle of the audio? Sometimes it takes a while to get used to a speaker’s accent or learn the lingo. If you find yourself having a lot of doubts during the first five minutes of your audio, don’t dwell on it. Consider your [unclears] and keep writing. Chances are you’ll find out when you do it again later, you’ll have adjusted to your speaker’s accent, tone, and style, and you’ll be able to pick up on that word much more easily. Also, hearing a word over and over again can give you a kind of mental block. It can be helpful to just take a break from finishing writing and then coming back with a clear head.

· Share it. If you have someone on hand, make them listen to you. Two heads are better than one and you will be surprised how effective this method is.

· Guess it. – Kind of. This tip tends to work well for industry-specific jargon. If you think a word is the name of a company, product, or specific industry term, it may be worth just typing it phonetically into Google and seeing what comes up. We all know that if you use Google’s AutoComplete function, the search engine gives you word suggestions. Look at those words as you write each letter and see if any of them seem correct to you. If so, click on it and check the meaning to see if it makes sense within the context of your transcript. Alternatively, type your word and see what spell checkers Google offers. This method is brilliant for finding the correct medication spelling when doing medical work. However, be careful to check the meaning, spelling, and relevance of the word, and also listen to it one more time on the audio, just to be sure.

So if you are offering transcription services, you can be sure that with these tips you will always be able to get the best out of any audio file.