People that work in a profession that requires them to rapidly and efficiently transcribe information know the importance of a transcription foot pedal. Turning spoken word into written words takes time and patience. Luckily, there are machines that make the process of processing the spoken word somewhat easier. When used in conjunction with a transcription machine, a foot pedal allows the person transcribing the information to control the machine in various ways with the use of the feet. Controlling the machine with the feet frees the individual’s hands so that they can continue typing instead of having to use their hands to control the machine. It is a necessary piece of equipment for those in many professions from court reporters to those in the medical transcription field.
In order to effectively transcribe the proper transcription equipment is needed. In most scenarios the transcription set will vary depending on the type of audio that needs to be converted. If the audio is on a mini-cassette tape a transcription machine with a cassette deck will be needed. If the audio is sent to the individual as a digital file this machine may not be necessary as a digital audio file is processed through the use of a media player which can be downloaded or found pre-installed on computers. A pair of quality headphones is needed in order to listen to the audio up close. A software package is usually included with a digital transcription set to be downloaded on the computer. This software will assist the transcriber in managing the data that is typed. Finally, a quality foot pedal is included and is available in different styles to suit the individual that is transcribing.
The foot pedal for transcription can be purchased in different styles and have pedal controls. The majority are made with a three pedal control. This pedal allows the user to control the direction of the audio. One pedal is for fast forward, one pedal is to pause and play and the third pedal to rewind. With the advancements in technology many of these transcription foot pedals can be operated by simply connecting them to a computer’s usb drive and there are also older models that connect to a serial port or into the keyboard interface.
It is important to note that with digital transcribing it necessary to make sure that the foot pedal is compatible with a computer’s operating system. This will ensure that both the foot pedal and the accompanying software will run properly on a computer. This is also important for the overall transcription of different types of audio files such as .wav, .mpeg, and .mov files. If the foot pedal and the accompanying software is not compatible with the operation system on a computer the transcriber will not be able to work. Thus, it is very important to make sure that the foot pedal can be utilized with a computer for digital transcription.
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