15 Tips for Recording Audio at events with Multiple Speakers

Here are a series of suggestions, we’ve compiled from customer anecdotes, that will help you to effectively coordinate pre-event preparation and recording of audio and video for conferences, business meetings and focus groups.

 

 

1. If you have a substantial amount of content to be processed, notify the transcription provider in advance
2. Provide the transcription provider with any specifics, formatting or other requirements you may have, before the recording is submitted for processing
3. For improved flow and usability of the end product, you may wish to avoid verbatim transcripts (where every sound/word is typed out). It may be more practical to request an edited version where ‘ums’, ‘ahs’, chair scraping and other distractions are removed.
4. Record the conference proceedings in a digital format rather than on tape; this will ensure that the recording is clear, can be accessed by a number of transcribers simultaneously, can be transferred electronically and can help to control financial cost and turnaround time
5. Use quality recording and noise cancellation equipment; ensure you test all hardware and systems before the actual conference starts.
6. Have at least one back-up audio or video recording device operating concurrently
7. Save a copy of your recorded content
8. If necessary, provide an overview, background or technical information to the transcription company so that they are able to minimize contextual errors
9. Ensure compliance with privacy and associated laws – this may mean that you get participants to sign release forms
10. Based on the size of the conference venue and the number of participants, use external and roving microphones, which can pick up different voices clearly.
11. With large numbers of participants, ask them to introduce themselves and mention their names each time they speak
12. Request that participants SPEAK SLOWLY and in a loud, clear voice when using microphones
13. Make participants aware that any external sounds and side conversations may affect the actual recording quality and to desist from the same while the recorder is running
14. Provide the transcriber with a list of participants’ names and other details so that he/she can refer back if some sections are unclear or if different voices cannot be clearly distinguished.
15. Keep the agenda and discussion on track by acting as a moderator – transcription costs time and money, so irrelevant discussions or segues into unrelated topics may create needless expense