iTypeFaster Transcriptions

Welcome to iTypeFaster Transcriptions

2009-04-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Transcription. Typing. Documentary Interviews. Reality TV Interviews. Dissertation Interviews. Research. Walk and Talks. Captions. Podcasts. Speeches. Lectures. Focus Groups. Notes. Books. Legalese. Fast. Accurate. Done.

Just added: Why transcription of Podcasts is important.

Rates

2009-04-20T14:17:00.001-07:00

Rates vary by type of work being transcribed. Is the audio clean? Are there multiple speakers talking at the same time? Are the voices heavily accented? How fast do you need the work completed?

Most rates will be between $1.50 and $2.50 per recorded minute, and are determined on a case by case basis. Standard turnaround time is three business days. Faster turnaround available by request.

A rate of $1.25 per recorded minute is possible if the material is a single speaker who talks at a slow pace, and you are in no particular hurry to have the transcript completed (7 to 10 days).

A rate of $1.00 per recorded minute is possible if you are a student and are doing research interviews (thesis, dissertation, project, etc.) and are really in no particular hurry to have the transcripts completed (two weeks or longer).

SAME DAY RATE: If you need something transcribed same day (4 to 8 hour turnaround depending on length), it's $3.00 per minute. This is for a maximum of two speakers and assumes a clean recording.

Every project has a variety of factors that will determine cost. So send me an email with a description of your material and I'll provide a quote. If you have a sample file that you'd like to attach or link to, then please feel free. A more accurate quote can be provided if I take a quick listen to your material.

Contact

2009-04-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

To get a quote or for more information, send an email to:

itypefaster at gmail dot com

Some things to consider before you email:

What is it that you need transcribed?
When do you need it finished by?
What format is your audio/video file (tape, mp3, quicktime, etc)?
How many people are talking on your file?
Do you have a sample snippet that I can listen to?

Formats

2009-04-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

Whatever format you have, I can do it.

My old-school standard cassette machine is still functioning fabulously, so if you're the analog type, then bring on the cassettes. Along the analog lines, if you have video on VHS tape, I can handle the transfer process.

Digital formats? All of them are fair game. Whether it's on hard media like DVD or miniDV or CD, or soft media like mp3, wmv, rm, m4v, etc., etc., it's all good.

Finished product on Word unless otherwise specified.

About Me

2009-04-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

I'm a guy who types fast. Really fast.

Since 1994, I've been transcribing for the legal field, the entertainment industry and every other industry in between. Listening to people talk while typing it all out is how I get down. Fast. Really fast.

While the majority of transcription material is handled by me, I do have a small cadre of typists who are hand-selected by me for their lightning speed and superb accuracy.

Oh yeah, I also build custom furniture and assorted wood products (visit craigwoodworks.blogspot.com) and maintain a huge organic fruit and vegetable garden.

Services

2009-04-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

While the list here summarizes some of the services I provide, it is by no means complete. Anything that requires typing, whether it be written or recorded, is fair game.

As-Broadcast
Your finished TV show/movie/documentary. Audio transcription and video summaries, with timecode. Individual speakers identified.

Books
Your book either in longhand on reams of cocktail napkins or dictated on scores of cassette tapes. I'll type it for you.

Conferences
Group of people having a discussion. Individual speakers identified or not identified. Verbatim, clean verbatim or polished.

Dialogue Lists
Full dialogue of finished TV show/movie/documentary. With timecode at regular intervals or timecode with every speaker.

Dictation
Someone talks into a dictation machine. I type it out. Analog or digital. Verbatim, clean verbatim or polished.

Focus Groups
Multiple speakers in a room with a moderator asking questions about Product X. Individual speakers not identified. Verbatim, clean verbatim or polished.

Interviews
One-on-one or multiple speakers. Documentary interview, reality TV interview, phone interview or any other type of interview. Question paraphrase with verbatim or clean verbatim transcription. With or without timecode. Individual speakers identified or not identified.

Languages
Just added: Translation/Transcription of languages other than English. Current language support includes: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, Hindi, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog, Thai, Indonesian. Other languages available by request. Note that the finished product will be an English translated transcription. Transcription of the actual foreign language material is not available at this time.

Live Recording and Transcription
Your live event audio (or video) recorded, with transcription provided either same day or within 48 hours depending on your level of desire for expedience.

Lectures
Someone talks at a podium. Verbatim, clean verbatim or polished.

Meetings
Same as Conferences.

Legal
Pleadings, briefs, summaries of hearings, summaries of depositions, etc.

Podcasts
Your video or audio podcast as text. Verbatim, clean verbatim or polished. Read why your Podcast must be transcribed.

Speeches
Same as Lectures. Verbatim, clean verbatim or polished.

Telephone
Conference calls, Skype meetings, phone interviews, etc. Verbatim, clean verbatim or polished.

Etcetera
Do you have an enormous pile of handwritten notes? Or an equally gigantic pile of photocopied typewritten text that you need digitized for editing? Or a stack of takeout menus that you'd like typed up for your restaurant blog? Or any other typing/transcription task? Let me know what you have and I'll let you know how much it'll cost to type.

The MacTypewriterMachine

2009-04-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Introducing the MacTypewriterMachine 3000, the first and only super heavy duty transcription thingamajig that has the soul of a SmithCorona with the stylishness of a Mac and the sonics of Sennheiser.

Not available for sale. But if you call now, you may or may not be entered in a drawing for a newer custom model soon to be released before 2015.

The $10 Foot Pedal (or $5)

2009-04-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

But wait! There's more! Brand new Version 4.0 of the foot pedal!
If you want to read about the older versions, scroll down further.

I'm renaming it back to the $10 foot pedal instead of the $5 foot pedal. There's more involved here, with a svelter body and the addition of a microswitch, so the price went up.

The dimensions are 2" wide x 5.5" long x 1" tall. No longer is it just a gamepad stuck to a piece of wood, but rather it's just the guts of the gamepad (the circuit board inside the gamepad) inside a small wood box with a microswitch attached to act as the button.

Taking a cue from Apple's Magic Trackpad, the switch is mounted on the bottom of the device. This way it's a flat surface on top, your big toe hugs just one corner of the box, and the switch underneath depresses onto the floor (currently only for use on hard surfaces -- carpet doesn't work) when your big toe applies just the slightest bit of weight.

This version 4.0 is the working prototype which is in testing mode now. I'll keep this page updated regarding modifications, and also when it will be available for sale.

OLDER VERSIONS:

Version 3.3, the $5 foot pedal:

It's $5 because I found a source for $5 game pads. Hinged foot bed. Beefier plywood. Solid wood guide for the plunger so it always hits the go button and doesn't stray.

And now here's the original post with the old pedal:

Yup, $10. No need to go out and spend a ridiculous amount on a so-called Professional Transcription Pedal.

Ingredients:

Fry's $10 generic USB game pad. Various colors. I chose blue.
A couple pieces of cardboard-like wooden things. I think it's called hardboard? Don't know where I got them or what they were originally used for, but I'm just fortunate to have a garage woodshop with lots of odds and ends.
Some blue painter's tape.
A few pieces of double stick adhesive strips.
A small block of wood about 1" x 1" x 1".

Step 1: Make a sandwich out of the wood pieces and tape up one end.

Step 2: Insert game pad inside the sandwich.

Step 3: Secure game pad with double stick strips.

Step 4: Pick a button on the game pad, any button will do.

Step 5: Position small block of wood so that the upper sandwich hits the button and secure with tape.

Step 6: Use more tape to secure cable so it doesn't flop around.

Step 7: Plug it into a USB port and test with your software.

I don't bother with reverse or fastforward during transcription, so a three-button contraption is not necessary. This foot pedal does one thing and one thing only: Play until released (with 1.5 second backspace).

Although the top of the pedal is long enough to accomodate a shoe, I only use the very bottom of the pedal and the tip of my toes. It seems to work better if the bulk of the weight of my foot is on the ground and the only thing contacting the pedal is my toes.

It's not pretty, but it works.

Why does your Podcast need transcription?

2009-04-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

The answer: so Google can find it, index it, and therefore boost your searchability.

Sure you've got a weekly (or daily) audio or video Podcast. And you spend oodles of hours preparing and researching and recording and editing. The end result is still just an audio file or still just a video file. The problem is that a Google crawler looks for text and it can't see (or hear?) what's recorded on that audio or video file.

The solution: get a transcription of the contents of that Podcast and post the entire thing on the same page as the embedded audio or video file. Now the Google crawler can crawl and run amok and do its little indexing dance across all of the text of your spoken words.

Need a quote for your Podcast? Email me at itypefaster at gmail dot com. Want to set up a weekly Podcasting transcript and have the text available right away so you can post both the Podcast and the accompanying text simultaneously? Email me at itypefaster at gmail dot com and we'll set up a weekly appointment and file transfer session.