The Knowhow
Digital dictaphones come with different settings to suit different recording environments. The recording limits are measured in Kilohertz (kHz) - a measurement of the sound pressure level (how easy it is to hear the sound). The better the device, the higher the kHz measurement will be, and the better the sound clip produced.
8,000 kHz:
- Recording distance: approx 1m/3ft
- A good option for personal dictations and note-taking
- Suitable for situations where the sound being recorded is close by and there is only low-level background noise
- Dictaphones of 8,000kHz are often called 'voice recorders'
- A lower-level dictaphone recording will be lower quality than a more expensive model (one with a higher kHz rating)
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Apple's iPhone app VoiceMemo records at 11,025 kHz. If VoiceMemo isn't powerful enough, you can upgrade to the BlueFire App, which has the same basic functions as VoiceMemo, but with extra features. These extras include audio editing tools (these can pick out loud and quiet aspects of a single recording, so that you never miss a muffled word), as well as maintain a more consistent volume throughout the recording. BlueFire has three different settings: low (11,025 kHz), medium (22,050 kHz), and high (44.1 kHz).
- Improve your recording by:
- Closing windows and doors
- Speaking directly into the mic (without breathing into it)
- Setting the dictaphone up on a table stand
- Assembling papers and files before you begin (to minimize rustling)
- Speaking slowly and clearly - try to enunciate words as clearly as possible
22.050 kHz:
- Recording distance: approx 3m/10ft
- A good option for recording musical instruments and for taping conversations and interviews
- Suitable for situations where the sound is fairly loud and there is little background noise, but the subject is not close by
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Improve your recording by:
- Shutting windows and doors
- Placing the mic closer to your subject
- Adding an external mic as an accessory
- Choosing a quiet recording location (a sound studio is ideal if you can rent one, but if not then a small meeting room will do perfectly well)
44,100 kHz:
- Recording distance: approx 12m/40ft
- A good option for recording professional presentations, lecture theatre recordings, and Q & A sessions involving an audience
- Suitable for situations where the recorded sound is far away and there is a high level of background noise
- For tricky-to-record situations, a more high-powered device is needed. To give you an example of audio clarity - a music CD usually plays at 44.1 kHz
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Improve your recording by:
- Setting up multiple external mics - one for each individual/instrument being recorded
- Using noise-reducing accessories such as noise-reducing lapel mics
