Our Transcription Archives are a collection of blogs we’ve written here on the ATC website. This collection features blogs pertaining to our main service––transcription.
Continue reading “Malcom X: A Life of Reinvention – Manning Marable”
Nobody likes being replaced by a computer, or a robot, and we are no exception. Our short answer to that question is this: “we are more accurate and more versatile than the software available today.”
Still don’t believe us? Well, we’re going to introduce you to our competition.
Speech recognition has been around since 1952: that early device could recognize single spoken digits. (We, on the other hand, have been around since 1966, and were able to recognize whole spoken sentences immediately.)
The next large leap forward came in 1982: Dragon Software, who still release speech recognition software today, released software for industrial use. By 1985, that software had a vocabulary of 1,000 words – spoken one at a time. (That is comparable to a four-year-old child. We don’t recommend having a four-year-old, even a precocious one, transcribe your audio.)
Dragon itself even admits this today: “Most of us develop the ability to recognize speech when we’re very young. We’re already experts at speech recognition by the age of three or so.” Our college-educated transcriptionists had vocabularies in the 17,000-word (and up) range. Even in 1985. And they still do.
By 1993, a computer could recognize over 20,000 spoken words, which put it on a par with human beings. Except for the accuracy, which was only 10% in 1993. By 1995, the error rate had dropped to 50%, which is quite a leap in a short time. (Our transcriptionists test at 98% accuracy.)
We know, we know…
“That was back then. How about now?”
We’re glad you asked.
There are a lot of data points up there, so let me highlight the important features:
A 98% accuracy rate means you will spend much less time reviewing your audio, correcting errors and inaccuracies, and much more time growing your business.
The bottom line is this: computers are getting smaller, and more powerful, all the time. They can do many things better than human beings can.
But not, as you can see, transcription. And looking at the graph, they won’t catch up anytime soon.
Your audio wasn’t recorded in a lab, it was recorded in the real world, where we live. We transcribe conversations and meetings every day, from all over the world. Not to mention webcasts, dictation, presentations, and conferences.
Again, Dragon says it themselves: “People can filter out noise fairly easily, which lets us talk to each other almost anywhere. We have conversations in busy train stations, across the dance floor, and in crowded restaurants. It would be very dull if we had to sit in a quiet room every time we wanted to talk to each other! Unlike people, computers need help separating speech sounds from other sounds.”
We like computers, and we think we can co-exist. So, by all means, speak your destination into your cell phone’s GPS, or say “tech support” to speak to technical support. Those are two versions of speech-recognition software that many of us use almost every day.
But if your audio is any more complicated than that, call us. We’re versatile, we’re accurate, and if you pour us enough coffee, we won’t crash.
We have run full tests on the entire Dragon experience, from opening the box all the way to the proof of the pudding, which is in the crust… er, the transcript. We will publish those results on or before February 17, so keep an eye on your inbox and this blog for the results!
Headquartered in Somerville, Ma. Powderhouse Productions has been producing a wide range of television shows since 1994 for channels such as PBS, National Geographic, TLC, and the programs we’ve most recently been transcribing, “Dogs 101,” “Cats 101,” and “Pets 101” for the Animal Planet network.
So you truly want to know the answers to these questions, well you could just ask my team of transcriptionists, but then you wouldn’t be watching the premiere this Saturday night at 8 p.m. on Animal Planet.
– Dan Miller VP, Production
Oral History Meets TV = Transcription Bliss @ ATC
We here at the Audio Transcription Center have probably all watched more television in our lives than we care to admit. Still, we like to think of ourselves less as gluttons for the tube and more as refined connoisseurs of the medium. But, though we may try to act all cool, nothing sets us a-twitter like receiving a new transcription assignment from our friends at the Archive of American Television (you might know them better as “The Emmys”)
Wait, TV has an Archive?
Yup. Founded in 1997, the Television Academy Foundation’s Archive of American Television is a treasure trove of one-on-one interviews with TV luminaries — from the early pioneers who shaped the medium, to beloved personalities of TV’s golden age; from the actors, actresses, news anchors, and hosts who’ve worked in front of the camera, to the directors, writers, composers and producers who’ve worked behind the scenes.
From the BoobTube to YouTube
And, as part of its vision “to chronicle electronic media history as it evolves… and make the interviews available worldwide,” the Archive has digitized over 2,000 hours of its original content, making hundreds of these interviews accessible online. For FREE.
A few of the most recently posted interviews include:
And of course our first love, Transcripts
In addition to having hundreds of interviews available to watch online, complete transcripts of most of the interviews are available from the Archive (for a fee, and for research purposes only). For additional info, contact the Archive’s Digital Projects Manager, Jenni Matz.
SO WHAT’S THE DIFF?
But it’s not just the difference in technology that separates the Audio Transcription Center from the transcription services of yore (mother’s days). It’s our attitude towards the business and our firm belief that we are only as good as the people we employ.
We strive to be more than just an office where an army of anonymous typists sit and click out transcripts day after day in stuffy cubicles.
Sure, we have a large staff (100 plus!) who all can type a minimum of 75 WPM, and who seem to work tirelessly at our 15 workstations, 24/7/365. And, okay, there might be some cubicle-esque work areas here… but that’s where the similarities end.
A PLACE FOR BRAINIACS
But what we continually take pride in is that all of our staff members have so much more to offer than just speed, accuracy, and efficiency. They’re brainiacs, to be honest. At any given time, we employ some of the best and brightest transcriptionists with degrees ranging from BAs, to JD, to PhDs. To use a classic Sandy-ism, “Since when do Boston’s PhDs have to give up eating?”
Not only do our transcriptionists come to us well-educated (and usually hungry), they also come from a myriad of social and ethnic backgrounds with knowledge sets ranging from science and tech, to popular culture, to art history, to finance, to law, and more.
Working with this large and diverse pool of knowledge and talent allows us to custom match transcription projects to just the right person (or people) for the job.
Add that all together with our ability to handle pretty much any audio file, our streamlined work flow and digital workstations, and that’s what gives us the confidence to offer:
WHAT ARE YOU, LIKE SUPERHEROES OR SOMETHING?
Well, when it comes to transcription at least. And we certainly think we’d all look pretty sharp in capes…
THEY LET YOU OUT?
THE LIVES OF TRANSCRIPTION NERDS…
Though some of you out there might find it hard to believe, given the long hours we spend here “beating unreasonable deadlines since 1966,” we do occasionally get out of the office. And when we do find ourselves out and about socializing with people unfamiliar with our transcription biz, we oftentimes are presented with this statement/question:
“Transcription. Mmmm… that’s interesting. What exactly do you transcribe?”
Of course we go through our laundry list of fascinating transcription topics, but nothing gets a conversation moving faster than mentioning StoryCorps.
And with good reason. In just seven years, StoryCorps has grown from a modest startup with big ambitions into a full-on national non-profit movement.
WHAT, IS THAT LIKE THE PEACE CORPS OR SOMETHING?
Well, yes, kind of. StoryCorps is a public service, but its mission is the recording and preservation of the stories of everyday Americans. It is one the largest, most unique oral history projects, and also one of the first and largest born-digital oral history collections — comprised of over 50,000 interviews, recorded in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
“By listening closely to one another, we can help illuminate the true character of this nation reminding us all just how precious each day can be and how truly great it is to be alive.” – StoryCorps’ Founder, Dave Isay
It all began with one recording booth in NYC’s Grand Central Terminal in 2003. Now, in 2010, StoryCorps has recording booths in Milwaukee, Nashville, Atlanta and San Francisco, plus two MobileBooths (housed in nifty fifties Airstream trailers) that have traveled to more than 100 cities in 48 states.
The grand total of interviews? Well over 50,000 and counting.
The compact recording facilities provide a professional-grade environment for ordinary people to share and listen with an end result of broadcast quality audio on a CD they can take home. The interviews are in turn added to the StoryCorps Archive, housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
You can hear specially selected interviews Friday mornings on NPR’s Morning Edition. These stories are also available for listening on the StoryCorps’ site, or subscribing to the their podcast. Or, listen to some on the player below!
“TRANSCRIPTION IS OUR BUSINESS, ORAL HISTORY IS OUR PASSION”
That’s our company motto, coined by Sandy, Audio Transcription Center’s founder and president. Naturally for us, working with StoryCorps is a perfect fit. And boy, do we love working from that pristine digital audio — although, many a transcriptionist has been moved to tears or laughter (frequently both) while working on SC interviews.
We’ve been transcribing select groups of interviews for StoryCorps since 2006, and many of those appeared in the collection Listening is an Act of Love. (Our services are available to any individuals who would like a transcript of their session.)
Just in time for Mother’s Day this year, Story Corps’ new collection, Mom, hits the shelves of bookstores nationwide April 15.
As one of the largest transcription service providers for historians, academics, and researchers from across the nation, we have the pleasure of being some of the first ears and eyes to handle diverse and extremely exciting source material.
Hardly a day goes by where the team here at The Tape Transcription Center isn’t amazed or excited (or even inspired!) by the projects that come through our humble office here on the Common.
Now, we’ve decided to take the opportunity with our blog to initiate a monthly spotlight on some of our fascinating clients and their work.* Right at the top of our list of people-and-projects-we-want-to-tell-the-world-about-via-the-internet is Peniel E. Joseph and his pioneering work on the history of the Black Power movement in America.
A Professor of History at Tufts University, Dr. Joseph is a pioneer in the field of “Black Power Studies,” and a frequent commentator who’s appeared on NPR, PBS’s Newshour, and C-SPAN.
Dr. Joseph became one of our clients when he was an Assistant Professor at SUNY-Stony Brook and was working on what would become his critically acclaimed, award-winning non-fiction book, “Waiting ‘Til the Midnight Hour: A History of Black Power in America.”
He has served on the faculty at Brandeis and is currently a tenured professor at Tufts. His latest book, “Dark Days, Bright Nights: From Black Power to Barack Obama,” hit the shelves this past January.
Currently, Dr. Joseph is in the process of working on a new book focusing specifically on the controversial Civil Rights activist Stokely Carmichael, a.k.a. Kwame Ture.
*Caveat: As excited as we may be about the work we do here, privacy is absolutely essential for many of our clients. Therefore, we will only feature clients whose work is already shared with the public and who have given us express prior permission.
Over and over I read posts on online, and time and again the questions come up, why transcription? You read this and think, well surely you’ll tell me why, you’re a transcription company. Well, yeah we are, (www.ttctranscriptions.com – yes, a shameless plug, but I’ve got 3 kids to feed) but I digress and assure you it’s a lot deeper than that.
In our office, we see a wide range of diverse projects that flow through, and the transcriptions range from: oral history, personal history, archival, legal, academic, market research, financial, and surely the list goes on.
In the legal world, transcripts have been known to be an important resource for all parties, a document to easily read the depositions, examinations, and so on. People on both sides of the courtroom utilize the transcript to make sure no lies are being stated by anyone (there’s a lie)…well, possibly to catch people in those lies.
Why transcription? Well, think about this question. How “searchable” is your audio? Say you’re an Oral Historian, and you’ve just conducted hours of interviews with someone. The last thing you want to do is to go back and listen to all of these hours of audio. Through a transcript, you can easily read specific sections of text, copy and paste, and move on to the next part of text you require.
For more information on transcription, check out some listservs, and see what others are saying. SAA (Society of American Archivists), OHA (Oral History Association), and APH (Association of Personal Historians, though you have to be a paid member of APH to be on the listserv) are some great listservs to check out. As always you may contact us, The Tape Transcription Center, and find out more about how a transcript is able to help you!
The Tape Transcription Center
www.ttctranscriptions.com
617-423-2151
Never a charge for RUSH service, never!
