SRL Audio Recording Kit

HOW DO I USE THE TAPE RECORDER?
Whether youre using the Sony TCM-359V or the Sony TCM-S66V, these are some basic guidelines that will improve your recording.
RECORDING TIPS_____ HOW DO I USE THE PHONE TAP AND SPLITTER?________
1. Plug the larger of the two plugs into the microphone insert on the tape recorder. The smaller plug is of no use in this instance and should not be employed. 2. Leave the phone tap on Record. 3. Unplug the phone cord from the back of the phone(do not disconnect anything from the wall) and plug it into the gray slot in the splitter. 4. The black irremovable cord should be plugged into the back of the phone. 5. Push the Record and Play buttons on your tape recorder together to begin recording. 1. Try to record in a quiet environment. If possible, turn off or move away from air conditioners, fans, televisions and stereos, clocks that chime or tick loudly, and other people who are not directly participating in the interview. 2. Regardless of the noise level in the environment, try to get the recorder's microphone close to you and the respondent. 3. Make sure that you do not try to record on the first 10-15 seconds on each side of a cassette tape. There is 'leader' tape at the beginning that does not pick up sound, and the ends of a tape tend to stretch and lose quality quickly. 4. Use 90-minute cassettes or shorter. 120 minute cassettes and longer tend to break more easily and have poorer sound quality. 5. High-bias cassettes cost more, but are worth the price in terms of fidelity.
1.Be prepared to purchase audiotapes and batteries.
The lab does not provide these items they are the responsibility of the borrower.
2.VOR should be set to off in the majority of
instances. This feature will jeopardize the quality of your recording by stopping the recorder when speakers pauses or speech is subdued. This muting, caused by the voice-automated feature, will cause you to lose subtleties of the interview by cutting short the beginnings and ends of statements.
3.PAUSE is the sliding button on the top of the
recorder that may be on if the recorder doesnt appear to work. If this feature is operating, it will continue to quietly drain the power of the recorder, so dont use Pause for more than a minute at a time.
4.MIC SENS controls the sensitivity of the
recorders built-in microphone. In most instances, you will want to set this feature to H, or High. To be sure, run and test a listen for evidence of distortion.
5.FLIPPING THE TAPE. Depending on the
model of the recorder, you may not be notified by a clicking stop at the end of side A. Be sure to keep an eye on the tape spool, which is visible through the recorder window, throughout the interview.
Sociology Research Lab 383 Bricker Hall 190 North OvalMall Colsubmus, OH 43210 labsters@lists.sociology.ohio-state.edu Phone (614) 292-1294