Transcription Headsets

If you're a transcriptionist, sitting in front of your computer typing for hours on end, comfort is a very important thing. We talk to transcriptionists nearly every day who are searching for a comfortable and clear-sounding headset to transcribe with. As a result, we have added to our store a large variety of headsets. Here are some of the most common types of headsets used by American Dictation customers.

Under-The-Chin
Most of the time, transcriptionists want a light weight headset that is comfortable and produces clear sound quality. Having a headset that hangs from your hears, under your chin, is one of the most comfortable way to listen to audio. Here are a few headsets that we offer in this style:

• Philips 334 (Includes a 10 foot cord and replacement ear cushion)

• Olympus E-62 (Includes a 10 foot cord and replacement ear cushions of two different sizes.)
  

• NovusGear NSC-FX10 (Very light weight. Comes with 5 foot cord and a 5 foot extension cord. It also has a convenient volume control switch right on the cord.

Ear-bud
Ear-bud style headphones are also popular for transcriptionists because they are comfortable and small.

• NovusGear NSC-FH1 (A mono headset with a 3 foot 9 inch cord.)

Stethoscope
Stethoscope style headsets work very well and are used by transcriptionists to often, however they are not one of our best sellers. Their design tends to lead to poorer sound playback quality because instead of having speakers in the part inserted in your ear, the stethoscope style headset contains only one speaker located at the yolk, or "joint" of the headset. The sound from this speaker then resonates through two tubes that funnel the sound into your ear. Since the sound has to travel a distance before reaching your ears, some quality is likely to be lost in the process.

• NovusGear NSC-SH-50RA (A popular stethoscope headset. This includes a 5 foot cord.)

As you can see, there are a variety of headsets in all different shapes and sizes to choose from. Look at all of their features and find one that you think will be most comfortable and will sound the clearest. It is important to be sure you choose the right one for you because headsets cannot be returned due to manufacturers' health stipulations.

How To Transcribe From A CD

We hear this several times a week from our customers and it's a great question! Sometimes a transcriptionist, working with digital voice files such as DSS or WMA, will get an audio CD to transcribe and not know how to play it back with his/her foot-switch. Here is what we agree is the easiest way to convert audio files from a CD in order to transcribe it. 

• First, download iTunes whether you are on a PC or a Mac. It is FREE! 
  
• Select your operating system on the top left and click "Download Now"
• 'Run' or 'Open' the installer and complete the installer wizard keeping all default settings.
• Once this is complete, open iTunes.
• Go to 'Edit' on the top left of the toolbar and select 'Preferences' at the bottom.
• In this window, in the center, click the button that says "Import Settings"
• Select to import using the MP3 encoder with the "higher quality" setting using the scroll down menus.
• Click OK and OK again to save your preference settings.
• Put in your audio CD
• When the list of track(s) appears in the main window, click "Import CD" on the bottom right.
• After a few minutes the files will be copied to the Library in iTunes. 
• Click Library on the left and find the file name in the list. The search feature at the top right makes it much faster!
• Once you have found the file, highlight it and drag it into your Transcription software window.
• Now that you have an MP3 sound file, you can use your Transcription software to transcribe it and play it back using your foot control.

I hope this information was helpful to you if you were wondering how to transcribe from a CD. In summary, we converted the file to a .MP3 file format allowing you to manipulate the play-back using your foot control. If you have any questions call us at 866-408-1383 to talk to someone. We'd love to help.