What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work?

telecomm2005 · 02-09-2006, 08:20 PM

Hello everybody....I need to get some advice and expertise on what i would need to get in order to do a general transcription wahj? What equipment do i need to get and can i get it for a good decent price (not expensive)? Oh, and is there some type of software that I am going to need in order to transcribe audio files that are sent to my email? If so, what is the name of the software and where can I get it for a decent price? PLease help...any advice and expertise from experience will be greatly appreciated. Thanks and God Bless.

Happytxmom · 02-09-2006, 11:23 PM

The basic equipment you need for general transcription is a good set of headphones and a reliable, relatively new computer that you keep free of spyware and such. It's also important when working with audios and such to defrag and scandisc frequently to keep your mahcine running fast and efficient.

Generally you will need an e-mail account to get your work assignments, but audios are too large to e-mail, so each compnay has their own way of getting you the audios.

As far as playing the audio, you need a player that will play several types of audios because you may get Real audios or MP3s, a good FREE player is expresscribe, which you can download here: www.nch.com.au/scribe. It's a good all around, help-you-get-started software because it will let you start, stop and pause the audio and even adjust the playback speed.

A foot pedal is very helpful because it allows you to start, stop, pause and rewind the audio with your foot as you type and still keep your fingers on the keyboard. Fast typists can also get by with just the media player on the computer, but most are able to type faster with a pedal. A good all around pedal is the Startstop, www.startstop.com. Now a foot pedal isn't necessary to get started, but it is well worth the investment if you land a contract or are committed to stick to it regardless. I've heard you can sometimes find a deal on eBay, so you might want to check it out.

I would also recommend brushing up on your Internet searching skills for proper spelling of names and such as well as a grammar refresher, for sentence structure and such. Then just practice and practice. You will feel slow at first, but it will come if you stick to it. Keep in mind you may be able to type 80 wpm, you will most likely not transcribe that fast at first. You may not understand what was said, or the speaker may speak so fast you simply cannot keep up.

Hope that helps! Good luck to you! :happy:

LinK · 02-09-2006, 11:48 PM

I don't have too much to add, that was a great post. For the work that I do, I was provided with all the software, ect from my employer and they came and set it all up for me so it will depend on where you work and what kind of work you do. I couldn't live without my foot pedal, but again, that was given to me by my employer so I didn't have any large purchases to make. I use the Quickscribe Player to play my files. You may also need a fax system installed on your computer as I have to fax the cc's of reports that I do to the doctors. If you become an MT, be sure to have a great medical dictionary and as Mom said, be sure to use your internet sources. Again, if you're an MT, I use a lot of sites regarding medications, medical abbreviations, etc.

I hope this also helps in some way.

telecomm2005 · 02-10-2006, 05:53 AM

Wow!!! Thanks Alot Yall. That Was Alot Of Great Information To Give Me Because I Acutually Feel More Comfortable Now That I Know About What Would Be Best And/or Necessary And What Would't For Me To Get To Start The General Transcription Work That I Am Trying To Do. I Will Be Enrolling In Career Step's Mt Program In March And Am Really Looking Forward To It. I Am Soooo Excited. I Have Set My Mind To Succeed In It No Matter How Hard It May Come Across To Me At First And No Matter What Obstacles May Come My Way. I Can't Wait Till I Start. I Think Im Gonna Have A Blast With It Because The Health Field Interests Me Alot...especially The Different Terms And Such That They Use. Again, Thank You Very Much For The Useful And Helpful Information...i Will Be Sure To Put It All To Use Very Soon.

Happytxmom · 02-10-2006, 07:17 AM

Glad to help! A couple things I forgot to mention, first you do need some type of word processing software like Word or Word Perfect and you need to be somewhat comfortalbe with using it, formatting and making changes. With MT I would think you used a similar template all the time, but with general, the style and format will change with each job so you need to know how to set all that up.

Also, Express scribe and most other players have Hotkeys you can use till you decided if you want a foot pedal. There is even a foot pedal you can but to use with ES. Startstop on the other hand comes with it's own software I think, so just keep that in mind. I hear it can be kinda pricey, but worth it cause it's so versatile.

I have never needed a fax, so I wouldn't go to the expense just getting started, you can always use kinkos until you can afford something like that. Again, I would check eBay for things like that.

And lastly something most people don't mention about transcribiing, but it's really as much or more about 'listening' and hearing what was said almost as much as it is about typing. So I would recommend a relly good pair of headphones (not necessarily expensive, but good fit and comfortable) and again practice! It's much more difficult than it "seems" but it can be a very enjoyable job.

Keep in mind with the MT you will most likely need several months of formal training, although for general, if you can pass a companies test, you may be able to get going with no formal training just hard work.

Again good luck to you. :happy:

telecomm2005 · 02-13-2006, 04:55 PM

Thanks. Can I pm you?

ydale · 04-24-2006, 07:57 PM

mom and link you both sound like you've been transcribing for a while. I've been wanting to transition from the phone work to just transcribing.Im a medical appeals supervisor and a prior court reporting student so i don't think id have a problem. I do have a couple of questions. 1-how is the pay. 2- is there plenty of work? 3-what are the best companies to apply with?

Your help is appreciate.

pcwork · 07-30-2006, 03:14 AM

A good transcription headphone can help you hear better

vietitali · 09-19-2006, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ydale

mom and link you both sound like you've been transcribing for a while. I've been wanting to transition from the phone work to just transcribing.Im a medical appeals supervisor and a prior court reporting student so i don't think id have a problem. I do have a couple of questions. 1-how is the pay. 2- is there plenty of work? 3-what are the best companies to apply with?

Your help is appreciate.

could s/o provide an answer to this? i'd be interested in knowing .. also .. a few other q's

which companies hire w/ no experience
i only type 52 wpm is that bad
i can't use "foot" pedal .. is this an impossible job for me?

ladybug · 09-20-2006, 07:22 AM

I have always used an Infinity footpedal. It is inexpensive, retails for about $60 new and is considered "universal" so it will work with just about any transcription platform. Sometimes you can find them on eBay as well, you just need to know if you want a USB hookup or 9 or 15 pin.

Also, my company has an audio player/server combo so I just log in, click the job I want, type it in the provided format, save it and send it back....really nice.

I avoid using hot keys because every time you take your hands off the keyboard you lose your concentration. I wouldn't trade in my foot pedal for anything.

02-09-2006, 08:20 PM	#1
telecomm2005 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 106 Thanks: 0 Thanked 7 Times in 5 Posts	What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work? Hello everybody....I need to get some advice and expertise on what i would need to get in order to do a general transcription wahj? What equipment do i need to get and can i get it for a good decent price (not expensive)? Oh, and is there some type of software that I am going to need in order to transcribe audio files that are sent to my email? If so, what is the name of the software and where can I get it for a decent price? PLease help...any advice and expertise from experience will be greatly appreciated. Thanks and God Bless.

02-09-2006, 11:23 PM	#2
Happytxmom Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 19 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Re: What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work? The basic equipment you need for general transcription is a good set of headphones and a reliable, relatively new computer that you keep free of spyware and such. It's also important when working with audios and such to defrag and scandisc frequently to keep your mahcine running fast and efficient. Generally you will need an e-mail account to get your work assignments, but audios are too large to e-mail, so each compnay has their own way of getting you the audios. As far as playing the audio, you need a player that will play several types of audios because you may get Real audios or MP3s, a good FREE player is expresscribe, which you can download here: www.nch.com.au/scribe. It's a good all around, help-you-get-started software because it will let you start, stop and pause the audio and even adjust the playback speed. A foot pedal is very helpful because it allows you to start, stop, pause and rewind the audio with your foot as you type and still keep your fingers on the keyboard. Fast typists can also get by with just the media player on the computer, but most are able to type faster with a pedal. A good all around pedal is the Startstop, www.startstop.com. Now a foot pedal isn't necessary to get started, but it is well worth the investment if you land a contract or are committed to stick to it regardless. I've heard you can sometimes find a deal on eBay, so you might want to check it out. I would also recommend brushing up on your Internet searching skills for proper spelling of names and such as well as a grammar refresher, for sentence structure and such. Then just practice and practice. You will feel slow at first, but it will come if you stick to it. Keep in mind you may be able to type 80 wpm, you will most likely not transcribe that fast at first. You may not understand what was said, or the speaker may speak so fast you simply cannot keep up. Hope that helps! Good luck to you! :happy:

02-09-2006, 11:48 PM	#3
LinK Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cicero, New York Posts: 208 Thanks: 8 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts	Re: What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work? I don't have too much to add, that was a great post. For the work that I do, I was provided with all the software, ect from my employer and they came and set it all up for me so it will depend on where you work and what kind of work you do. I couldn't live without my foot pedal, but again, that was given to me by my employer so I didn't have any large purchases to make. I use the Quickscribe Player to play my files. You may also need a fax system installed on your computer as I have to fax the cc's of reports that I do to the doctors. If you become an MT, be sure to have a great medical dictionary and as Mom said, be sure to use your internet sources. Again, if you're an MT, I use a lot of sites regarding medications, medical abbreviations, etc. I hope this also helps in some way. __________________ Linda http://www.pajamasurf.com/?ref=3283 http://vivasurf.com/?ref=19727 http://www.e-mailpaysu.com/members/index.cgi?LinK http://hits4pay.com/members/index.cgi?LinK http://www.instantprofitz.com/?ref=LinK

02-10-2006, 05:53 AM	#4
telecomm2005 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 106 Thanks: 0 Thanked 7 Times in 5 Posts	Re: What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work? Wow!!! Thanks Alot Yall. That Was Alot Of Great Information To Give Me Because I Acutually Feel More Comfortable Now That I Know About What Would Be Best And/or Necessary And What Would't For Me To Get To Start The General Transcription Work That I Am Trying To Do. I Will Be Enrolling In Career Step's Mt Program In March And Am Really Looking Forward To It. I Am Soooo Excited. I Have Set My Mind To Succeed In It No Matter How Hard It May Come Across To Me At First And No Matter What Obstacles May Come My Way. I Can't Wait Till I Start. I Think Im Gonna Have A Blast With It Because The Health Field Interests Me Alot...especially The Different Terms And Such That They Use. Again, Thank You Very Much For The Useful And Helpful Information...i Will Be Sure To Put It All To Use Very Soon.

02-10-2006, 07:17 AM	#5
Happytxmom Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 19 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Re: What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work? Glad to help! A couple things I forgot to mention, first you do need some type of word processing software like Word or Word Perfect and you need to be somewhat comfortalbe with using it, formatting and making changes. With MT I would think you used a similar template all the time, but with general, the style and format will change with each job so you need to know how to set all that up. Also, Express scribe and most other players have Hotkeys you can use till you decided if you want a foot pedal. There is even a foot pedal you can but to use with ES. Startstop on the other hand comes with it's own software I think, so just keep that in mind. I hear it can be kinda pricey, but worth it cause it's so versatile. I have never needed a fax, so I wouldn't go to the expense just getting started, you can always use kinkos until you can afford something like that. Again, I would check eBay for things like that. And lastly something most people don't mention about transcribiing, but it's really as much or more about 'listening' and hearing what was said almost as much as it is about typing. So I would recommend a relly good pair of headphones (not necessarily expensive, but good fit and comfortable) and again practice! It's much more difficult than it "seems" but it can be a very enjoyable job. Keep in mind with the MT you will most likely need several months of formal training, although for general, if you can pass a companies test, you may be able to get going with no formal training just hard work. Again good luck to you. :happy:

02-13-2006, 04:55 PM	#6
telecomm2005 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 106 Thanks: 0 Thanked 7 Times in 5 Posts	Re: What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work? Thanks. Can I pm you?

04-24-2006, 07:57 PM	#7
ydale Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: where the sun Shines Posts: 20 Thanks: 6 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work? mom and link you both sound like you've been transcribing for a while. I've been wanting to transition from the phone work to just transcribing.Im a medical appeals supervisor and a prior court reporting student so i don't think id have a problem. I do have a couple of questions. 1-how is the pay. 2- is there plenty of work? 3-what are the best companies to apply with? Your help is appreciate. __________________ Living life to the fullest

07-30-2006, 03:14 AM	#8
pcwork Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 506 Thanks: 1 Thanked 45 Times in 44 Posts	Re: What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work? A good transcription headphone can help you hear better __________________ Data entry, freelance writing, customer service, transcription, software and other computer work at home jobs and companies listed at http://www.pcworkathome.net . 100% free

09-20-2006, 07:22 AM	#10
ladybug Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 182 Thanks: 0 Thanked 36 Times in 25 Posts	Re: What equipment and software is needed for general transcription work? I have always used an Infinity footpedal. It is inexpensive, retails for about $60 new and is considered "universal" so it will work with just about any transcription platform. Sometimes you can find them on eBay as well, you just need to know if you want a USB hookup or 9 or 15 pin. Also, my company has an audio player/server combo so I just log in, click the job I want, type it in the provided format, save it and send it back....really nice. I avoid using hot keys because every time you take your hands off the keyboard you lose your concentration. I wouldn't trade in my foot pedal for anything.