The Joys of Digital Recording

NMB, Florida December 15, 2001 A.H. Schectman

THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.
THE JOYS OF DIGITAL RECORDING
I think that most of my readers know that Carol and I record textbooks for
the blind and dyslexic at the RF&B studio in South Miami. We usually drive
down there on Thursday morning and put in three hours. We were originally
trained to use reel to reel tape recorders. These represent a half-century
old technology and the machines are all superannuated. The RF&B Directors
made the decision some time ago to change to digital recording involving
computers. These are, but for one old reel to reel tape machine still
hanging on, all now using the new digital technology. I have had two
sessions where I have participated in fascinating recording sessions made on
a computer hard disk that later, when finished, will be burned on a compact
disk.

I said fascinating and this is true. You can stop anywhere, go back anytime
and insert corrections or clean up burps, sudden hoarseness or belly
rumbles. It goes much faster than when taping. The problem is a bit
confusing with the way the designers colored buttons and the trick is
remembering the steps in how the thing works.

I usually associate stop with red. However, the start recording button is
red. The stop button is blue. And, you must remember that a computer is
literal and will not proceed unless you say go. There are several steps to
this, but I think I have the hang of it.

Unfortunately, there still are a lot of people out there who are
intimidated by computers. Most of us old-timers were able to use a
typewriter before this new technology and thus the computer keyboard is old
stuff. Seeing what you type on the screen as I am doing right this minute
is great. But we don't use the keyboard. That is a bit confusing, too.

We use headphones to connect with the reader in the sound-proof booth,
microphones to talk to each other, buttons to make your 'phone heard by the
reader in the booth, and then literal procedures that are seen one at a time
on the screen. If you follow the steps carefully, the work is done in
"record" time. I can hardly wait until Carol learns and she learns much more
quickly than I. Carol's Evaluation: 10 out of 10.