AUDIO FOR STENO REPORTERS W/ CHRIS CARFAGNO, JEREMY THORNE, & KEITH VINCENT

Audio synchronization for court reporters has come a long way: It is now not only an indispensable benefit when editing a job, but it can also be used as a feature in translation.

Wait, what? How is that possible?

New Eclipse 10 has a feature called AI Boost that sends the audio being captured by your room microphone(s) up to the Cloud where Google translates it and sends it back. Then comes the “boost” as Eclipse’s renowned artificial intelligence takes the speech output and inserts it into the translation when it sees it as the best choice or when you drop.

Turns out Speech-to-Text engines (STT) and steno writers excel in opposite ways when it comes to accuracy. Court reporters are nearly perfect at short words involving one or two syllables, especially those that are comfortable fingerings on the writer; STT is really good at getting long, multisyllabic words. So AI Boost uses the best of each input method, steno, and voice.

If that sounds like a feature you’re interested in trying, then you’re probably also wondering what kind of microphones or audio gear you need to make it work. This is just one of the many things Chris Carfagno, Audio Engineer and well-known owner of Sound Professionals, will cover as he and Jeremy Thorne, the author of Eclipse, present this seminar.

As transcribers of the spoken word, audio is of paramount interest to every professional in our field. Therefore, capturing and synchronizing it is one of the most critical aspects every reporter needs to execute as perfectly and clearly as possible. Unfortunately, there isn't a one-fits-all solution.

Acoustics, spacing, and background noises can all vary. In some courthouses, the reporter is provided an audio feed from the built-in recording system. Some reporters want a separate mic for bench conferences or wish to place multiple mics near counsel, the witness, etc. At least for now, everyone will be wearing masks, so voices are muffled, and reading lips is impossible. Some people are behind Plexiglas and spread around a room. Court proceedings are being held in massive rooms. The variations go on and on.

However you accomplish it, your goal is a solid recording that is clear and reaches all the parties involved, and you don't want the file to pick up background noises or static that can throw things off. In the era of remote depositions, you'll also need the option to record those in the room, over the phone, and even over the internet - all at the same time. Whew!

We’ve got answers. We're going to focus on how to get the best quality audio, how to take advantage of the many features related to Audio Synch Eclipse, and we’ll review some of the best equipment and setups to achieve the best results. Here’s some of what we’ll cover.

• Audio terminology.
• The basic mechanics of audio recording.
• Overview of the different setups for courtrooms and depositions, in-person, via telephone, or the Internet.
•  Best equipment to use for each scenario.
• How to set up multi-channel audio in Eclipse v9 and v10.
• Using new AI Boost to process your audio during realtime.
• How to best use all these features together.

And as much more as time permits!