Equipment

There are many different types of portable audio recorders on the market, and updated digital technology is emerging on an almost daily basis. When you decide to record your family's history, it is important to choose equipment that provides a good-quality recording and that is affordable, reliable, and comfortable for you to use. When you choose your recording equipment, you should practice using it before you begin your interviews and then listen critically to these practice recordings to hear how you might improve them.

The oral history websites on the Internet are valuable resources for advice about the latest equipment and how to use it, and Oral History NSW is one of the best. Your nearest computer retailer, your local library, or even your local community radio station may also be able to provide helpful advice. Some oral history associations may hold short courses that include demonstrations of different kinds of recording equipment, and those in your local area may even assist with outsourcing the loan or hire of a recorder.

The basic analogue cassette recorder that uses standard or micro audio cassettes has long been replaced by digital technology. However, those old recorders were good workhorses, and many of them are still in existence, so I think they still warrant a mention here.

Whilst it is now preferable to use a high-quality digital recorder, some people may not feel entirely confident about learning how to use one or may not be in a position to outlay the cost of purchasing new equipment. However, they may have a trusty, old, analogue tape recorder, still in perfect working order, stashed away in a cupboard somewhere at home. If this is you, rather than doing nothing at all, I'd encourage you to get that old recorder out right now and start preserving your family stories. Then make sure that the completed recordings are immediately transferred to a digital format. Blank cassette tapes for analogue recorders are still available in Australia at large supermarkets, newsagents, and at specialty electrical or music retailers, so they may still be available at similar kinds of stores in other countries.

If you choose to use an analogue recorder, it is important that you follow a few basic rules to achieve a recording of the highest possible standard.

Using an Analogue Recorder

If your recorder has a power cord, use this rather than relying on batteries, which may suddenly fail. If you decide to use battery power alone, keep a supply of fresh batteries on hand; remove batteries from recording equipment after each interview and insert fresh ones before your next interview. You'll also need to purchase a set of headphones that are compatible with your equipment so that you can monitor the recording levels during the interview.

Use quality-brand sixty-minute cassette tapes (thirty minutes each side). If these aren't available, use tapes of the best quality you can find.

Purchase and use two external microphones or lapel microphones (one for you and one for your interviewee) that are compatible with your equipment. If appropriate, insert a new battery into each microphone before recording and keep spare batteries on hand.

Make sure that each side of every cassette you plan to use is clearly labelled before you start recording. Then double-check the labelling on each recorded cassette after each recording session.

At the interview, keep an eye on the time or set a digital timer and pause the recording at an appropriate place whilst you turn the tape over or insert a fresh one. It can be a bit daunting at first to ask questions, listen to your interviewee's response, watch the time, and decide the most appropriate place to pause the recording. So you could agree with your interviewee beforehand that when the tape is nearing the end of the side you are recording, you will simply raise your hand as a signal for them to finish the sentence. However, you don't have to wait until the tape has nearly ended before pausing the recording. If, for example, you're using a sixty-minute tape (thirty minutes each side), indicate to your interviewee at, say, the twenty- or twenty-five-minute mark, that you are reaching a point where you need to pause the recording. This should leave them plenty of time to finish the sentence before you actually stop the recording. It doesn't matter if you don't use the whole side of each tape in actual interview time because the recordings can be spliced together when transferred to a digital format later.

By the same token, don't worry if you get so caught up in your interviewee's story that you forget to pause the recording and the tape runs its course, cutting them off mid-sentence. Don't get flustered. Just ask your interviewee to "hold that thought," and at the beginning of the next side (or at the start of a new cassette), simply backtrack a little in your questioning and confirm what they were saying previously. This way you will maintain continuity of the conversation and keep the interviewee's train of thought flowing smoothly. When the recording is transferred to a digital format, you can, if you wish, edit the ending of the previous side by deleting the interrupted sentence; however, sometimes a recording that is not quite perfect can add to the personal authenticity of the interview. It's a bit of a juggling act to begin with, but after the first interview you'll discover what works best for you.

After each interview session, break the lugs off the cassettes so that the recordings cannot be erased or recorded over. If you can still purchase the special cassettes for this, de-magnitize your cassette recorder heads after every ten hours recording.

Store your original recorded cassettes vertically in a cool place to prevent the tapes from stretching over time and to protect them from unforeseen damage.

If at all possible, use a backup recorder during your interviews in case the original recordings are somehow lost or damaged. I use my iPhone and delete the files when I have completed the project I'm working on. It is discreet, and you can just set and forget it and then concentrate on the interview. Whilst not necessarily of archival quality, the iPhone provides a clear recording that translates into peace of mind should anything happen to your original.

Immediately after each interview, make another backup copy of the original recording. When you have completed all your interviews, transfer the backup recordings to a more stable digital format. This part of the process is as important as getting the interview itself; if you are unable to do this, you could ask your local library or a tech-savvy friend to help, or you could check out YouTube on the Internet or Google your nearest oral history association for assistance. Also, your local community radio station has the latest technical equipment and will often be willing to transfer your recordings to a digital format for a small fee.

You should also provide your interviewee with copies of the recordings in a...