Posted by Pierces Notary Services on 3/15/12 2:10pm
Msg #415024

Dictation equipment

I know this is not exactly a notary question but looking for recommendations on a dictation system. I work for an attorney and we have been using tapes but I think he is ready to go to digital. Any suggestions? We would need two transcription players with the system.

Reply by FlaNotary2 on 3/15/12 2:54pm
Msg #415035

I work for an attorney and we still use the tapes with

dictaphones. He bought a digital recorder once but it doesn't do any good because there is no way to slow it down, start and stop it without doing so manually. I'm too comfortable with my under-desk pedal to start and stop the dictaphone. I too would like to know how "modern" attorneys are doing this. I wish they would do away with dictation all together and just trust us to do our jobs! It takes more time for him to dictate a letter to me than for him to just tell me the gist of it and let me type it up the way I want.

Reply by Pierces Notary Services on 3/15/12 2:58pm
Msg #415037

Re: I work for an attorney and we still use the tapes with

You mean you can't slow the transcriber down, start or stop? Does the transcriber have a backspace? My transcriber is always on slowwww because my fingers over the years are getting tired and it is easier for me to type that way now.

Reply by FlaNotary2 on 3/15/12 3:01pm
Msg #415039

My dictaphone can slow down, start, stop, etc., with the

pedal... but I don't know how you do that with a digital recorder. If the attorney records dictation on a digital recorder... what do they do, just give you the recorder to listen to? And then how do you start/stop it without actually pushing stop, rewind, etc. My dictaphone petal is set so that when I lift up my foot it rewinds it back 5 seconds so I can hear what he just said a second time. Here in Florida we speak reeeeallll slooooowwww so I actually have my speed control on +2, or else the dictation takes twice as long to listen to. But, I also type about 100 WPM.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 3/15/12 3:17pm
Msg #415041

I think it works via the "F" keys...the one we have here

does - I think...We have Express Scribe

Does he use it? No...do I wish he would? Yes - because he makes no file notes whatsoever - everything is in his head - which he, conveniently, takes home every night with him - I never know what's going on with files - there's no paper trails.

Reply by FlaNotary2 on 3/15/12 3:26pm
Msg #415044

My problem is he goes to court and never tells me the result

of the hearing... and then wonders 2 weeks later why a proposed order wasn't sent in. But, he does take lots of notes - LOTS of notes. However, he sometimes forgets what I'm capable of doing and will dictate something to me that I've done a hundred times before from my own head. We had a break in about a year ago, and they stole my dictaphone. I was thrilled. But, my dictaphone was also the first thing he replaced. UGH!

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 3/15/12 3:33pm
Msg #415047

Me too me too!!

"he goes to court and never tells me the result of the hearing... and then wonders 2 weeks later why a proposed order wasn't sent in "

Mine does that...or meets with new clients - no notes...if he had that little recorder in his hot little hands maybe he could talk into it briefly and I'd get SOMETHING!

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 3/15/12 3:35pm
Msg #415048

My apologies to all - didn't mean to hijack - will continue

in Leisure if required...

Reply by Carolyn Bodley on 3/15/12 9:35pm
Msg #415076

Re: That's not true

Good quality digital transcribers come with foot pedals that operate the same as stand-alone standard/micros. You plug the recorder into the USB port of the computer and the audio is downloaded to your computer. The sound quality of the audio is wonderful. You start, stop, backup, forward. IMO, Olympus transcribers are superior to any that I've used.

Reply by rengel/CA on 3/15/12 3:01pm
Msg #415038

Pretty soon

we won't be able to find the cassette tapes! I'm already having problems with finding the microcassettes. OfficeDepot, OfficeMax and Staples do not carry them anymore........

Reply by FlaNotary2 on 3/15/12 3:03pm
Msg #415040

We order ours online, but we also reuse them until they

go bad... and usually they go bad because the attorney tapes the tape on the top of the file and brings it to me, and when I remove it sometimes the tape strips off part of the magnetic tape inside the microcassette. But, I have a microcasette eraser which is like really strong magnet thing that I stick the cassette inside and it erases it so it can be reused.

Reply by Pierces Notary Services on 3/15/12 3:26pm
Msg #415043

Re: Pretty soon

That's what we use - microcassettes but now his dictator is acting up and the tapes have had it and it's hard to find microcassettes so now he is biting the bullet. We both use Sanyo Memo-Scribers to transcribe.

Reply by FlaNotary2 on 3/15/12 3:29pm
Msg #415045

My boss has several dictation recorders... he used to have

one with each paralegal's name on it, but now it seems like they all have my name on them! I have the only working dictaphone and so guess who gets stuck doing all the dictation? My machine is a "Sony Microcassette Transcriber M-2000". It gets the job done.

Reply by ikando on 3/15/12 6:57pm
Msg #415062

Re: My boss has several dictation recorders... he used to have

I am a virtual legal assistant and love transcription. There are many ways to create and transcribe digitally.

I use Express Scribe which is available from nch.com/au. They offer a variety of software that covers all kinds of needs, and the programs are very inexpensive. Depending upon your office setup, you can get programs for single dictation, call-in of multiples, just about any combination, including encrypting.

For transcription equipment, I use a foot pedal and headset that plugs into USB ports on the computer. There are multiple places you can get those. Try Transcription Gear. They have hardware for dictating and transcribing.

And recently I've see apps for i-Phone and Android that allow dictation. All the digital files can be emailed, or some offices use a port which connects via USB to download from whatever equipment.

Good luck, all, with the transition to the modern age. If I can be of further help, just ask.