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The basic analogue cassette recorder that uses standard or micro audio cassettes has long been replaced by digital technology.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 generally accessible format, such as CD, and always use discs of the best quality you can afford. I present my clients with their CDs in a beautifully wrapped package together with a note of thanks.

Using a Digital Recorder

If you choose to invest in one of the latest digital recording devices, choose a recorder with a power cable 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. 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.

I currently use a small, portable, Zoom H4N recorder that provides capacity for two independent external microphones (one for each person). It also has excellent inbuilt microphones that, on odd occasions in my experience, have proved perfectly adequate on their own. For best results, purchase and use two compatible external, condenser-type microphones that can be plugged into the recorder you are using.

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 (but remember to first turn your phone onto silent mode). Whilst not necessarily of archival quality, the iPhone provides a clear recording that translates into peace of mind should anything happen to your original.

During the interview you will need to glance at the recorder to monitor the recording levels, so you will need a flexible tripod stand for your recorder to hold it securely at an angle that will allow you to easily view the screen even when you have microphone cables attached to the base. Tripod microphone stands are also preferable. If you can, it's best to use the tall type of stand that you can place on the floor alongside yourself and your interviewee, rather than smaller ones that sit on the table, as the recorder will pick up any sound of your interviewee fidgeting with the equipment during recording. I purchased my recorder and microphone tripods from a camera store, but they may also be available at computer or music retailers.

Record your interviews in an uncompressed 24-bit/48-kHz WAV format, the level recommended for archival-quality recordings. I use an 8-GB secure digital (SD) memory card, also recommended for recording at archival-quality standard. This will give you 440 minutes of recording time on one card, but check your recorder's instructions regarding options for maximum file size.

When you've finished recording, transfer the sound files from the card to a clearly labeled file on your computer using a card reader or the USB ports in your recorder and computer. Always keep at least one copy of the original, unedited recordings in the 24/48 uncompressed WAV format either on your computer, or on an external hard drive, or on both, for safekeeping. I also store an extra copy on Dropbox, which provides an option to share your folders. CDs are no longer considered a viable alternative for archival storage, but they are still very useful for providing your interviewee with copies of the completed interviews.

Again, if you need help in transferring your sound files, ask your local library or a tech-savvy friend to help, or you could check out YouTube or Google your nearest oral history association for assistance. Also, your local community radio station has the latest technical equipment and will often, for a small fee, be willing to show you how to transfer your recordings and make copies, or they might do it for you.

Before transferring your recordings to their final playback format, you might like to edit out any unpredictable background noise interference or speech idiosyncrasies such as multiple "ums" or loud coughs. You can also reduce very long passages of silence (although it's best to leave these in). I use Audacity, which is a specialized editing software application, but if pressed for time I sometimes also outsource the transfer of sound files to CD to my local community radio station. For a small fee they will produce a clean recording (sometimes including basic speech editing) without losing any authenticity of the original recording.

As previously mentioned, you should also provide your interviewee with copies of the recordings in a generally accessible format, such as CD, and always use discs of the best quality you can afford. Again, I present my clients with a beautifully wrapped package of their recorded CDs together with a note of thanks.

Before the Interview

About a week before you begin your first recording session, arrange a brief, preliminary meeting with your interviewee, in person or by telephone. Tell them about yourself and why you are interested in the family history. Confirm that they agree to the interviews being recorded and let them know how you are going to conduct them. This is your chance to put your interviewee at ease by talking in terms of having a "chat about the past" or "telling me the story of your life" rather than an "interview," which can sound a little frightening.

At the first session, request permission to take a photograph of your interviewee. Explain that this photograph will be included with the recordings or transcript.

Discuss where the interview material will be stored and what other materials you intend to produce from the recordings, such as a transcript or a book, and whether it will be uploaded to a website. Confirm that you will provide your interviewee with a copy of the recordings and any other materials produced from those recordings.

If the preliminary meeting is in person, show your interviewee a blank copy of the release form and explain its purpose. If the preliminary meeting is conducted by phone, confirm that you will mail a copy of this form to your interviewee. Explain that you will ask them to sign the form at the first interview. This gives them time to think about whether to place any restrictions on the use of the completed recordings.

Setup and Location

Discuss with your interviewee, where the interviews will take place. Let your interviewee know that the recordings can be done in the comfort of their own home or any other place in which they feel comfortable and relaxed. Explain that you will get the best recording if the interview space is made as quiet as possible. If you can, choose a quiet room with carpet on the floor—not the kitchen or a room with tiled floors as the sound tends to reverberate in these kinds of spaces. Arrange for ticking clocks and pets to be removed from the room before the interview, and make sure that there are no humming fridges or computers nearby to interfere with the quality of the recording.

Ask your interviewee not to schedule personal appointments close to the time of the interviews and ask them to be available for several hours on each day of recording. This way the interviews can be conducted in a leisurely manner, and interruptions are minimized. Also ask the interviewee not to schedule cleaners and gardeners to work on the days you will be interviewing. I know from personal experience that lawnmowers, hedge cutters, and vacuum cleaners are not ideal background noise in a recording!

Despite all your careful planning, interruptions and noises beyond your control will inevitably occur. So don't worry unduly if, during the interview, a dog barks, a bird chirps outside the window, or a car goes by, as these occasional sounds of life can often add texture to the recording.

Prepare Your Subject

Reassure your interviewee that, unless they specifically request differently, it will be just the two of you involved in the interview process.

On the one hand, I find it preferable not to interview two or more people at the same time because each person, by virtue of their different life experiences, holds different perceptions of events. In an interview involving two or more people, either quite heated discussions can occur when each person believes that his or her memory of an event is correct, or the interview simply becomes a conversation between the interviewees and the interview structure is lost. I also find that it's not a good idea for other family members to be present when you are interviewing a person about his or her life experiences, as the interviewee may not feel comfortable about opening up or may be reluctant to give a candid response to your questions; here again, the family members may be tempted to correct the interviewee with their own perceptions or memories of the events being discussed.

On the other hand, interviews between two or more people can be interesting because each interviewee may reinforce the other by remembering the same events from a different perspective, one having had a positive experience of the event and the other a negative one.

So you will need to assess for yourself the merits of including another person in your interviews. If you do decide to interview two people at the same time, place the microphone between them and sit them close together so that both their voices are clearly heard in the recording.