Delivering an Effective Presentation (From a Transcriber’s Point of View) -2/2

(Topic continuing from the previous post)

3.  Access to Video Recording:  Nowadays, many of the speeches at high level meetings, conferences, and forums are covered by video recordings, generally for archiving purposes.  Such recordings are of tremendous help to the transcribers because it helps in speaker identification, helps resolve confusion on slide identification if the video contains slide footage, and to a lesser extent, helps in identifying many words merely through speakers’ body language and gestures.  However, this is only true when the video is of good quality and it has been supplemented with PDF or PPT references.

One issue that transcribers sometimes face with the video footage is that many times, the video shots of PDF and PPT are sent as references.  This should be avoided as much as possible because such video footage, due to light reflection, uneven focusing, and wrong handling of the camera are of far lesser quality than the actual PPT or PDF document.  The words written in the PPT slides then cannot be clearly deciphered leading to ambiguous interpretation on the part of the transcribers.

4.  Accent and Spoken English Quality:  The main element that the transcriber needs to produce a good quality transcript, and in many instances maybe the only one, is the voice file.  Hence, even if the reference quality is not good, it can be made up by a voice file which is clearly audible, less accented, and without distortion.  To deliver his message correctly to the audience, the speaker should speak in clear and correct English, keeping a moderate pace.  The correct speech pace becomes even more significant for South Asian speakers as they generally have heavily accented voice and sometimes use faulty English sentences, which can lead to wrong interpretations.

5.  Proper Placement of Recording Equipment:  Generally, the recording equipment used in seminars and conferences is of high quality, but the placement can be faulty.  The microphones are wrongly placed as a result of which they pick up side conversations, ruffling of papers on the dais, and noise from other electronic equipment placed close to the microphone resulting in distortion of the main speech.  Hence, care should be taken that the microphone be placed at a proper place and proper distance to catch the speaker’s speech only and not any other sounds.  In this regard, it is important to note that the reverberation quality of the hall should be checked beforehand; otherwise, the recorded speech will have echo effects making the speech difficult to listen to.  If PPTs are being video recorded, the camera should be placed where reflection of lights on the PPT slides is minimum and the words are recognizable.

Keeping in mind the above points while delivering a structured speech such as a presentation or lecture will not only help in making the presentation lively and effective for the audience, but will also help the transcriber deliver a superior quality transcript which ultimately will lead to a satisfied client.

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Delivering an Effective Presentation (From a Transcriber’s Point of View) -1/2

As transcribers, we come across various types of jobs that we have to transcribe.  They can range from telephone conferences, where the speakers speak in very fragmented and unstructured sentences, to speakers delivering presentations in a high level forum or symposium.  Although not too much can be done for unstructured speeches for providing a clear transcript, a lot can, however, be done for structured ones like in presentations, which can enhance the quality of the transcript.

While giving a presentation or while recording it, the transcript quality may not be foremost on the minds of the speakers and the organizers; however, for a good quality transcript, a number of factors come into play.  These factors can be internal, meaning factors the transcription provider has control over and external, meaning factors which are beyond a transcription providers’ control.  These external factors are in control of the recording company which records the audio/video; the organizers of the symposium/forum which choses a hall with, say, less reverberation; to the speakers themselves who prepare the PowerPoints and speak fluent English at the correct pace.  Today, we will look into some of these external factors and look into what can ensure a better quality presentation and, thus, a good quality transcript.

1.  Proper　PowerPoints:  Speakers giving presentations in symposiums and forums usually have a PowerPoint presentation (PPT) to help them present their ideas and thoughts in a very structured manner to the audiences.  These PPTs, when made correctly, can greatly enhance the speakers’ thought process and help present a clearer picture to the audience.  There are a few pointers that should be kept in mind while making an effective PPT.

a)  No. of Slides:  The speaker should keep in mind that the number of slides of the PPT should be kept at a moderate number to make the right impact with the audience.  Fewer slides will give very less detail about the idea presented and thus the audience will have to rely mostly on the speaker’s speech for information flow, whereas too many slides will lose the attention of the audience as their focus will be divided between reading the content of the slide and listening to the speaker.

b)  Logical Flow of Information:  The flow of ideas presented in the slide should be logical.  Disjointed flow of information in the slides will create confusion in the minds of the audience.

c)  Grammatically Correct English:  The sentences used in the slides should be grammatically correct.  Many speakers bring with them slides that are marred with improper English which leads to ambiguous sentence formation and, ultimately, ambiguous interpretation on the part of the audience.

These PowerPoints are frequently sent to the transcribers as references along with the voice file.  Hence, keeping in mind the above points while making a PPT will not only help the speaker deliver a smooth and logical presentation, but also help the transcriber enhance the accuracy of the transcript.

2.  Using the PowerPoint Presentation Correctly:  For an effective presentation, the speaker should not only prepare a good PPT, but should also complement it by presenting and elaborating on ideas given in the PPT in a logical sequence and at a correct pace.  The speaker should, as much as possible, stick to the PPT and not jump across the slides.  Also, the speaker should pick a slide, elaborate on it, provide examples where necessary, and then move on to the next slide.  Jumping across slides will lead to confusion for the audience.  It will also create confusion for transcribers because most of the time, they have access to audio files of the presentation only without any access to video footage.

(To be continued to 2/2...)

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Equipments we use - 3 (Software-2)

In this part of the blog, you will see some details about softwares used in the actual process of transcription.  So far, you have seen how the source (audio/video) is obtained and processed using different softwares.

<The series back number>

Equipments we use - 1 (Hardware) 
Equipments we use - 2 (Software- 1)


The actual process of transcribing the processed audio/video source begins now.

1) Audio/Video Player:  This is the software used to play the source either in audio or video format.  The freely available softwares in the market today have limited capability of playing files only in certain formats like mp3, wav, wma, etc.  Transcribers have to carefully choose players available according to their requirements.  Features include: the basic – play, forward, rewind, foot pedal compatibility, hot keys – and the advanced – bookmarks, timestamps.
An important point to remember chose players where playback of videos while using the foot pedal is smooth and does not often as is seen in most softwares, thereby affecting sound output.
a. Play, pause, forward, rewind (Basic features).
b. Foot pedal compatibility.
c. Hot-keys (forward, rewind, jump seconds, etc).
d. Bookmarks.  You can bookmark audios in places where you have left an unclear for review.  The bookmark come very handy when there are multiple unclears in an audio which you can review later.
e. Timestamps:  You can copy time stamps to mark unclears points in an audio.
f. Background noise removal.

Express Scribe Interface

Examples:  Express Scribe media player

2) Microsoft office/Macros:  Our transcripts are typed in MS Word documents.  Auto-text and auto-correct are used to speed up the typing process.  Macros also come in very handy to simplify repeated tasks as checking gender inconsistencies and spelling errors.

3) Dictionaries/References:  Numerous reference dictionaries are available freely in the market.  Oxford, American Heritage, Collins.  The latest dictionaries offer advanced features like Wild Card Search, Hot Key functions, etc.

a. Wild Card search.  Ever wondered when you can partially hear a word but do not the spelling, here’s where wild card comes handy… The wild card feature can give you a list of the words containing the characters you were searching for.
b. Hotkeys.  One can use hotkeys to activate the dictionary and search the selected word.

Oxford Dictionary interface

WordsWeb Pro Interface

Examples:  WordWeb Pro

Thus, these are the different softwares that we use to make our transcription process smoother and efficient thus ensuring an optimum-quality transcript.

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Reliability of Voice Recognition Technology

Voice recognition technology refers to that technology that recognizes spoken word and converts it into text.  There are many voice recognition softwares in the market, the most popular one being Dragon Naturally Speaking Software by Nuance.  Here, we will talk about this particular voice recognition software.
 

Dragon Naturally Speaking

Voice recognition software is very helpful to an individual whose keyboard skills are poor.  The software ‘Dragon’ is designed in such a way that the user has a proper interface with the software and its features to the fullest extent possible.

To start with, the software needs to be trained.  Every new user creates his individual profile and then starts the procedure to train the software.  Dragon comes with a module in which the user needs to train it with regards to the tone of the user’s voice.  This module has a series of steps to be followed so that the software gets accustomed to his voice.  Once the user is comfortable with the commands of the software, he can work with the software on live jobs.

As a transcriber, a live job means the audios to be transcribed.  With this software, a transcriber can listen to the audio and speak out the lines as they are heard.  This software also contains intelligence which is of added advantage to the user.  If a user narrates a line, the software is able to interpret the content to some extent and not confuse with phrases like ‘I scream’ and ‘ice cream’ according to the context.

This software is also helpful for those who lack a proper English vocabulary.  Difficult and rarely used words like ‘habiliments,’ ‘sacerdotal,’ etcetera, if spoken properly and clearly, can be typed out by Dragon without the transcriber knowing these words.  It is also useful in a similar way in case of names of places.  The more this software is used, the more it gets accustomed to the voice and tone of the speaker thus enabling it to grasp the context and content matter of the file.  This helps to easily get hold of some words which are time-consuming to find in some cases.

Using 'Dragon' for the actual work

At times, a file can have some medical terms specific to some disease.  In these cases also Dragon helps to some extent and deciphers the words with regards to the contextual meaning of the statement.  A disease name such as amebiasis can be spelt as pronounced by Dragon more or less in a correct way provided the user narrates it correctly.

In general, even simple English words which frequently appear in a file; for example, words like ‘differentiation,’ which are long and tedious to type, are easily taken care of by Dragon once it gets used to the speaker’s accent, tone, pronunciations, etcetera.  All in all, Dragon reduces the time spent on typing the file and enables a transcriber to devote more time to research.  This results in optimum quality transcripts.

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Speaker Identification – Expectations and Limitations

Speaker Identification is the process of identifying different speakers in the audio file/transcript.  Usually, speaker identification is done by one of the following methods.

1.    Reference Material/Agenda – In case of a meeting/conference/symposium, if we have the minute-to-minute agenda of the meeting along with the names of the speakers, we try to match the speaker to the speaker names as given in the agenda.  This is the simplest way to get accurate speaker names.  So, we always encourage our clients to send us the agenda or draft of the meeting/conference/symposium at the time of job confirmation so as to get accurate speaker identification for their jobs.

2.    Video Reference –Speaker identification can be made easy if the client provides professionally recorded video files as references where the focus is completely on the speakers.  In such cases, the transcriber can easily identify the speakers by viewing the video.

3.    Googling/Research skill based – There are many cases where there is no reference or speaker names provided by the client.  At this time, it is a very challenging task for the transcriber.  The transcriber tries to identify the voices of different speakers, simultaneously differentiating them into Speaker1 or Speaker2.  If the speakers identify themselves while speaking, the transcriber then uses his Googling/search engine skills to find out the name on the internet.  He then tries to relate the speaker name to the content of the file so as to judge whether it might be the same speaker.  The limitation in this case is that there is a high chance of identifying the wrong speaker as the internet is not a very reliable source.  This is because the search engine shows up a very wide variety of results with the same name.

4.    Voice differentiation – This is the most difficult method.  If there is no reference material or agenda and if there are more than 3 to 4 speakers in the audio, then it is very challenging to differentiate the speakers based on their voice tone.  This is especially so when it is a discussion where the speakers’ voices overlap and one cannot decipher what each speaker is saying.  Identification of speakers is almost impossible if the audio quality is bad.  In such cases, we try our best to use our listening skills to differentiate the voices to our best possible ability.  The limitation in this case is that it is based on the listening skills of the transcriber and there are high chances of mix up of speakers.

As our standard service at Cripton, Speaker Identification is done as [Male] and [Female] or Interviewer or Interviewee.  Having said that, our Transcribers/Editors always strive to do speaker identification to their best ability by applying one of the above-mentioned methods.  But these methods have their limitations; for more than three speakers, it becomes difficult to identify a particular speaker without a set agenda as a reference.

Hence, the only way to expect correct speaker identification is to provide proper reference material in the form of agenda/draft or speaker names of the conference/meeting/symposium, video files, etc.  Also, it is very important that the client uploads all the reference material along with the job itself and not at a later time as speaker identification is done at a primary stage when the transcriber is working on the document.  Hence, it is always advisable for the client to upload all the appropriate reference materials along with the audio jobs.  This will ensure the delivery of a transcript with accurate speaker identification.

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Equipments we use - 2 (Software- 1)

The transcription process, as mentioned in our previous section, begins with the audio/video recording to the finalizing of the transcribed text.  In this section, the software aspect of the process will be touched upon.


1.  Recording of the audio/video (Dictaphone, microphones)  Good audio recording is critical to transcription process.  It is very important to invest in a good quality microphone.  There are two kind of microphones; omni-directional (sound recorded from all sides) and uni-directional (sound recorded from one side).  When choosing a microphone, it is best to go with a unidirectional microphone.  This is great for recording narration as it only picks up the sound coming from the narrator, so a lot of ambient noise is eliminated.  Omni-directional microphones are used in group recordings.

 2.  Transfer of audio/video recording (via Internet using secure FTP softwares/share servers).  Once the recorded audio or video is finalized, it is sent to the transcription company for transcription.  We use HTTP servers hosted by ShareFile (http://www.sharefile.com/) for transfer of the recording source. Investing in a fast and reliable internet connection is very crucial, as transfer of large files require faster bandwidth and connection speed, which reduces download and upload time of files.

3.  Processing the audio/video format (sound format converter, sound file extraction from a video, background sound elimination).

a) Format conversion:  Today, since there are so many formats of sounds available (mp3, mp4, mp2, wav, wma), we need to process audio formats that are incompatible with our audio player software.  Depending on the requirement, we process the audio or video source accordingly.  For instance, softwares like Goldwave, Switch, Wavepad , OJOsoft are mainly used to change the format of any file to an Mp3 or wav format as both these formats are compatible with all audio players.

Goldwave interface

b) Sound extraction: While transcribing a video which is very large in size, extracting the sound from the video and then transcribing the audio can also be done.  Larger videos take a longer time to get loaded onto the transcription software player; hence we use softwares such as ‘OJOsoft’ for extracting the audio from a video source.

c) Sound amplification/background noise removal: Generally, all transcription software that we use has a background noise elimination feature, but as our experience has proven, it is always helpful that we eliminate background noise manually rather than automatically given by the software. A software named ‘Audacity’ can also be used for background noise elimination.  Please note that when the audio is really bad, it is not always possible to eliminate backgrounds noises.  A word of caution—when using softwares for background noise removal, there can be loss of original sound.  It is imperative to have some practical experience while using softwares for eliminating background noise.

Equilizer interface

USEFUL TIP:  A very helpful feature is the Sound Manager Feature of your motherboard.  The Sound Manager is a link to the equalizer of your computer system.  This is a very important feature because you can amplify low sounds, remove background sounds, etcetera.  In your equalizer, the Bass feature generally enhances speaker volume, and the Treble option takes out the background sound and clarifies the main speaker voice.  Use of the Sound Manager has become an important practice at Cripton as we can process audios without any loss of sound quality.  This feature is available for most computer motherboards available in the market, and is a must-have for all transcribers.

 A combination of the amplifier speakers (mentioned in the previous blog) and use of the Sound Manager feature gives you the most optimum output of sound to your headphones.

In our next blog (in later January), we will show you different softwares used in transcription, various reference softwares, players, and some useful tips and tricks.

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Equipments we use - 1 (Hardware)

In this serial topic, we explain about the equipments which enable/enhance transcription work. Today, we cover hardware (and software in the next post).

The transcription process involves

Cripton editors' room

1.  Recording of the audio/Video.
2.  Transfer of audio/video recording.
3.  Processing the audio/video format.
4.  Transcribing to a text document.
5.  Proof reading, editing, and finalizing the transcribed document.
6.  Delivering the finalized document to the client on the stipulated deadline.

This article will run you through the hardware required in each aspect of the process.

1.  Personal Computer/Laptop
It is very important to invest in a higher configuration PC/laptop.  Having a higher configuration means your PC must have a good processor (Intel or AMD).  Now, the latest processors have faster and efficient processing ability.  Having a higher Random Access Memory (RAM) helps in faster processing (opening and closing documents, saving, copy-pasting large data around).  The computer should also have sufficient storage space.  Since general transcription involves large audio/video data files, you should have sufficient storage space to handle and store data on a daily basis.  Hard drives with large storage capacity are available easily.  In terms of portability, a laptop is a good investment.  To type comfortably on a laptop, you can also attach a separate USB keyboard or mouse.

2.  Internet Connection
Having a good internet connection is a must.  Investing in a good internet connection will decrease your download and upload time, hence you will be able to accept and deliver data faster.  You should also have a backup internet connection in case one goes down.

Foot pedal

3.  Foot Pedal
A foot pedal helps you to playback audio (play, forward, rewind) simultaneously as you are transcribing.  Foot pedals are mainly of two kinds depending on your PC configuration; older ones come with a serial port (game port) and latest ones with a USB port.  This is however optional, as many transcribers use hot-keys on their computers for playback.  Having a foot pedal is an optional requirement if you have a good typing speed.

Speakers on both sides of PC monitor

4.  Headphones and speakers

This, I must say, is the crux of your whole setup.  Invest in good quality headphones.  When buying a headphone, check for voice clarity and comfort, as both go a long way.  Sound amplification has been a major concern amongst transcribers.  In general transcription, our audios can be of varying quality.  This is where amplifier speakers (with 3.5 mm port) come into the picture.  All transcribers must invest in these amplifier speakers, as you can increase or decrease the volume of your audios with just a twist of a button.  One can only realize the importance of these speakers when the volume of the audio is really low, and you can get instantaneous amplification in sound.

All in all, investing in a good computer setup and having the right accessories will go a long way to help you transcribe audios/videos faster and efficiently.

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