AYBILGE / INSIGHTS
Better audio makes better transcripts
Start with placement, not price
A microphone at a suitable distance and in a stable position can matter more than an expensive model. Desk vibration, keyboard noise and room echo can cover speech. Record a short test in the actual environment and listen before starting the important conversation.
Simplify the sound around you
Move away from persistent noise where possible. Bare rooms with hard surfaces can increase echo, while softer furnishings may help. Noise reduction can be useful, but it cannot reliably recover every word from a poor recording. Improving the source is usually easier than repairing it afterwards.
Let speakers take turns
Overlapping voices are hard for both listeners and transcription software. Agree to speak in turn and pronounce important names or specialist terms clearly. For remote meetings, headphones can reduce echo and make it easier for participants to hear each other.
Preserve the original
Keep the original recording when producing edited audio or a transcript, with access and retention appropriate to the content. This lets you verify an uncertain passage later. Tools such as Record2Text can help organise the workflow, but a clear source remains essential when judging the resulting text.
Run a short recording before the real session
A ten-second check can reveal a problem that would affect an entire interview. Listen back through headphones. Confirm that the main speaker is clear, the microphone is not rubbing against clothing and the loudest passages do not distort. A quiet room with a badly positioned microphone may still produce a poor result.
Check the source
- Place the microphone close enough to capture speech clearly without breath or handling noise.
- Reduce competing sound where practical, including fans, music and notifications.
- Ask participants to avoid speaking over one another, especially when names or figures are being discussed.
Keep the original recording when making an edited copy for transcription. Aggressive noise removal can remove parts of speech along with background sound. If a word remains unclear after listening, mark it as uncertain in the transcript and seek confirmation rather than inventing a plausible replacement.