- Choose a calm and comfortable location.
- Select appropriate microphone.
- Turn off voice activation.
- If you want the participants to be identified throughout the transcript get them to say a little about themselves first, before starting the discussions. That little bit of extra time at the beginning of your session will enhance the opportunity for the transcriber to accurately reflect who said what and when.
- If you think people are quiet or difficult to hear, the transcriber will also certainly notice that, so tell them politely at the beginning to speak up a little for recording purposes.
- Thanking the person by name after he/she has spoken is always a good idea in case they mentioned their name quickly.
- Try and have drinks available during the break times. Cups and crockery may add disturbance to audio.
- Request all participants to turn off their mobile phones. Phones set to vibrate or silent mode will still cause signals to be picked up by speakers/microphones.
- Have a mock run of your roundtable / conference call in the chosen room to check on recording levels, placement of the microphone and background noise. Listen to the recording through headphones and make sure it is getting recorded right.
- Wherever possible supply the transcriber with a list of participants and any technical terms referred to throughout the meeting.
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