WHAT ABOUT TRANSCRIPTION/STENOMASK?

I haven't seen a discussion about rates for transcription. Can anyone help here?

I wish I could offer something that was encouraging for this. But with my own experience, transcription for stenomask or electronic recording has only produced $1 to $1.45 per page. Needless to say, I don't really do too much stenomask anymore. :-) I have also had opportunity to transcribe other recorded material upwards of $2.25 pp. If I'm not doing anything else, tho', somethin' is better than nothin' sometimes.

Stenomask is when they tape everything on audiocassettes and at the same time, the reporter is dictating everything into a "mask" (more or less whispering). You have to have a special transcriber to transcribe the tapes. I would transcribe from what the reporter was dictating, but then if there was a problem, I could hit a switch on the recorder and it would flip to the actual testimony or whatever that was taking place.

Stenomask reporting is a means of reporting by voice instead of steno. They speak into a mask that records everything they "whisper," so they are virtually unheard (if they are good, they are not heard.) The recording device records the stenomask reporter on one track of the tape, and the other track of the tape records the proceedings live. They have the means to monitor the recording device to ensure it is recording. What is different about this than, say, an electronic courtroom, is you do have a reporter there reporting, as we all know that strictly depending on a tape only can be nightmare. If someone coughs, or there is air-conditioners running, etc., you hear that instead of the speaker on just a tape. The mask fits tightly over the reporters mouth, as not only to stifle him/her being heard, but so that the recording hears the reporter.

Actually, it is a very inexpensive way to get into court reporting. Less training, less $ on equipment. Also a viable means for steno reporters to maintain their career if they happen to develop carpal tunnel and/or other stress-related ailments due to their career.

You might be interested in visiting their site at www.nvra.org. Nice group of people.

I never heard of stenomask either, until I moved to the South. :-)

They then need the transcripts typed up, usually hiring a typist whose transcriber has been modified to dual track (usually by Martel) to pick up the live side and the masker side.

...don't stenomaskers have to prepare transcripts, though? Just typing from tapes or how?

Yes. They usually hire typists, since it would be too much to do it all themselves (often at the price we normally would scope by tape for). Stenomaskers are also implementing voice recognition and are getting closer and closer to doing realtime. Reminds me of when CAT first came on the scene. Very bulky and expensive. It's very good news for stenomask, though.

Then they will need scopists instead of typists. :-)