D
Doug
I was really looking forward to the audio feature in Word 2004. I frequently
record interviews while taking notes. I had been recording with the free-ware
app Audio Recorder and jotting down the time code in Word as a way to
manually link my notes with corresponding passages in the audio. I thought if
Word 2004 automated that process... great.
But, in my first real world use of notebook recording, the markers weren't
placed very reliably. I later discovered that every bullet did not have a
marker.
That meant that I couldn't go to the audio associated with the unmarked
bullet. I could go to the next previous marker which might be a line or two
earlier in the document, but I then had to take the extra time to let the
audio track play to the point I was trying to find.
For now, I've gone back to Audio Recorder. Playback of the resulting MP3 file
in Quicktime Player offers much much speedier and precise control over
locating specific passages. And playback in iTunes using the equalizer allows
filtering out environmental noise that makes the voices hard to hear.
Aside from unreliable marker placement, I find that the audio search tool in
Notebook view is inadequate as well. It's OK for moving big distances within
the recording, but not for fine control. With Quicktime Player, I can expand
the window to the full width of my screen, thus making the timeline longer,
and increasing the ability to jump forward of back by small increments. Also,
if I'm recalling correctly, once you use the search tool and find yourself
careening too far forward or backwards in the audio timeline, you are
returned to the top of the notebook page, not the original point you were
searching around. I probably don't have that exactly right, but there was
some action that loses you place in the audi timeline that shouldn't have.
I do like the easy to use outliner in notebook view, and the clean, simple
visual appearance of the bullets. Allows the text and the organizational
structure to grab your eye, rathe than the bullets themselves (which is my
complain with OmniOutliner).
I'd be interested in any suggestions about how to work with the audio
feature, and hear other people's experiences with it.
Thanks,
Doug
record interviews while taking notes. I had been recording with the free-ware
app Audio Recorder and jotting down the time code in Word as a way to
manually link my notes with corresponding passages in the audio. I thought if
Word 2004 automated that process... great.
But, in my first real world use of notebook recording, the markers weren't
placed very reliably. I later discovered that every bullet did not have a
marker.
That meant that I couldn't go to the audio associated with the unmarked
bullet. I could go to the next previous marker which might be a line or two
earlier in the document, but I then had to take the extra time to let the
audio track play to the point I was trying to find.
For now, I've gone back to Audio Recorder. Playback of the resulting MP3 file
in Quicktime Player offers much much speedier and precise control over
locating specific passages. And playback in iTunes using the equalizer allows
filtering out environmental noise that makes the voices hard to hear.
Aside from unreliable marker placement, I find that the audio search tool in
Notebook view is inadequate as well. It's OK for moving big distances within
the recording, but not for fine control. With Quicktime Player, I can expand
the window to the full width of my screen, thus making the timeline longer,
and increasing the ability to jump forward of back by small increments. Also,
if I'm recalling correctly, once you use the search tool and find yourself
careening too far forward or backwards in the audio timeline, you are
returned to the top of the notebook page, not the original point you were
searching around. I probably don't have that exactly right, but there was
some action that loses you place in the audi timeline that shouldn't have.
I do like the easy to use outliner in notebook view, and the clean, simple
visual appearance of the bullets. Allows the text and the organizational
structure to grab your eye, rathe than the bullets themselves (which is my
complain with OmniOutliner).
I'd be interested in any suggestions about how to work with the audio
feature, and hear other people's experiences with it.
Thanks,
Doug