When you’re recording courtroom proceedings or a video deposition, the audio incorporated into your video must be of a high quality to ensure accurate playback and understanding. In order to achieve this, you’ll need to start with high-quality audio recording equipment. However, even the highest-quality equipment can fail when your setup is not correct.
For the best audio playback during your video production in Seattle, WA, you’ll want to leverage some sound recording basics. By following these tips, you’ll ensure the most enjoyable playback experience and the most accurate dissemination of information.
Why quality recording is so important
In almost all applications, quality sound recording is crucial, so viewers and listeners have a pleasant and productive experience watching your video. However, high-quality audio recording is even more important in a courtroom or deposition setting, so lawyers and other counsel can clearly hear the statements presented on the video. You want your audio to be crisp and balanced, so statements are presented clearly, and complex legal terminology can be easily understood.
Recording clear audio is also important for creating subtitles for your video, as well as transcribing the audio for the text to be used in other, non-video formats. For these reasons, you’ll want to follow some professional audio recording tips when setting up your courtroom video recording session in Seattle, WA.
Top audio recording tips for courtroom video
Preparing quality audio involves much more than purchasing top-of-the-line recording equipment (although that does play a part, as well). Use these tips to ensure your audio quality is as good as possible:
- Use a dual system: A single system in audio/visual recording means that the sound is recorded using the same device you’re using to record your video. Unfortunately, not all cameras have high-quality audio outputs, so your quality may suffer. A dual system, in which you have separate devices for audio and video recording, allows you to record better-quality audio. If you use a high-quality dictation device to record your audio, you can also leverage the dictation software to automatically create text versions of the recording and save time on subtitles and transcriptions later.
- Place recording devices appropriately: In a courtroom setting, you’ll likely have multiple people speaking at different times and may require multiple recording devices to catch clear audio from each of them. It’s recommended that microphones of any kind not be placed further than three feet from the speaker, so get creative with your recorder placement to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. Also, remember that your recorders are likely to pick up background noise, so ensure that they are not next to a stack of rustling papers or near a door that will be opened repeatedly to limit the extra sounds.
- Test your equipment: Before the court proceedings or deposition begins, test your audio and video equipment to ensure both are working as they should and that your recording will be saved in the location you expect. There’s no going back if the recording fails from the start, so a quick check will help ensure you’re set to begin.
With these audio recording tips and high-quality audio recording solutions from Efficiency, Inc. in Seattle, WA, your video production will be easy and clear. Contact us today to learn more about our audio and video solutions for courtrooms and other professional settings.