Comments for AudioFile Solutions' Blog

Comment on Old Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorders — Do You Have One? by Andy R

Andy R — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:59:20 +0000

George, lucky you!! Why not keep it and hand it down to your kids/grandkids? If you have to sell it, compare it to other reel-to-reels on Ebay that are similar. You may even find someone else selling the same thing. That should give you a good idea of an asking price.

Comment on Old Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorders — Do You Have One? by George

George — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:41:24 +0000

Hi, I have a Sony TC-558 reel to reel in almost mint condition with lots of tapes. I wonder if i can send you pictures of it and also wonder what it would sell for today.

Thanks george

Comment on Editing a WebEx Conference Recording by Andy R

Andy R — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:33:46 +0000

Tom – WebEx does a great job keeping the file size low on their proprietary files. We usually see under 50MB for an average 60 minute webinar. But after editing, creating a new WebEx file is not an option since WebEx doesn’t allow this. So, we commonly use MP4, WMV, FLV and other delivery formats. File size will be different for each of these formats and will depend on the settings used to encode them. The content of the slides also makes a difference since busy/detailed slides take more data to reproduce accurately. So all I can do it give you a wide range of numbers that we’ve encountered in the past. Of course, these numbers will change as time passes and video codecs improve, but it might be useful to you.

For a 60 minute web conference at a resolution of 960×720, we’ve seen delivery file sizes as low as 25MB and as high as 250MB. FLV and WMV are usually pretty compact since the codecs we use do a great job with text and static information. But if the program is a screen share, or some other presentation that has lots of movement and detail, these files can also get rather large since we will increase the data rate to accurately reproduce the content. MP4/AVC, on the other hand, tends to yield the largest file sizes from the get-go. I think this is because the codec was originally designed for motion video (anyone want to set me straight on this?). In our experience, it doesn’t do a very good job with static text. To get around this weakness, we have to raise the data rate quite a bit (no pun intended) to keep text from distorting. I’ve seen QuickTime .MOV files that rival the smallest WMV and FLVs, but at risk of giving MAC users a heart attack, I have not experimented enough with MOV to find the best codec for the job. If anybody has any suggestions, I am all ears.

Comment on Editing a WebEx Conference Recording by Tom@Transcription Services

Tom@Transcription Services — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:48:51 +0000

What is the size of these files compared to other video files?

Comment on 3 Keys to Providing the Best Transcription Services — For Transcribers by Tom@Transcription Services

Tom@Transcription Services — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 02:30:15 +0000

Learning new information has another effect related to the client. Once you do enough work for a client and understand the work they do, you can easily be their supporter, which may eventually result into a long lasting partnership.

Comment on Old Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorders — Do You Have One? by Chris Lewis

Chris Lewis — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 20:58:50 +0000

I have three reel to reel tape recorders. A Philips, and Two Sony machines, a TC 399 and a TC 440. I got the Sony machines from a popular online auction site. I like the machines purely for the fact that they are robust and they sound great. I use them on a regular basis, as I am not a fan pf digital media. I like to cling onto the more traditional media, I just love it

Comment on 3 Podcast Production Styles — Which is Right for You? by Podcast Production: Corporate Podcasting Made Simple

Podcast Production: Corporate Podcasting Made Simple — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:13:44 +0000

[...] The production can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. You can go crazy and produce a full fledged video talk show, or you can re-purpose existing content—like a conference call or webinar—and call it a day. [...]

Comment on 3 Keys to Providing the Best Transcription Services — For Transcribers by General Transcription Job Opening: Work at Home Transcriptionist

General Transcription Job Opening: Work at Home Transcriptionist — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:05:56 +0000

[...] 3 Keys to Providing the Best Transcription Services The Best Transcription Companies — How to Find One [...]

Comment on Podcast Production Tip: Condenser vs. Dynamic Microphones by Andy R

Andy R — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 05:30:42 +0000

I think you can always make a case for a new piece of gear. You don’t have to twist my arm very hard. But how about starting with a quiet environment to begin with, instead of trying to fix it with a processor. Auralex makes some real inexpensive foam products. Primacoustic has this $99 portable absorber called the VoxGuard. Heck, for most podcasters on a budget, this should be a no brainer.

Here is a recipe that will make your podcast recording better than the majority out there now:
1. Record in a quiet environment.
2. Use one of the mics in this article–USB Blue ICICLE into PC.
3. Primacoustic VoxGuard.
4. Speak on axis @ about 2-6″ distance. Don’t move your head!
5. Record without going over 0dbfs and normalize to just under 100%.

Voila, no processor and you sound better than most who are running 2 or three processors.

Good luck!

Comment on Old Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorders — Do You Have One? by Andy R

Andy R — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 05:06:04 +0000

The coolness factor of threading tape is definitely there for me too. But I still remember going to listen to my first high end cassette deck with Dolby C. The shop had the most of any in town–I think 3 or 4–the rest were Dolby B. I plugged in and out of each one with my best headphones, AB-ing them intensely. I never had the money to get one, but I’ll always have an emotional attachment to those 4 cassette decks.