English - Audiotranskription.de

User Manual
f5transkript
a compact guide to easy transcription on your Mac
February 2016
Version 3.0.1
What f5transkript can do
f5transkript supports you in the transcription process, i. e. in the manual typing out of interviews
from audio or video recordings on your Apple computer (OSX 10.7 and higher). 1 f5transkript makes
your work easier through features such as flexible adjustment of playback speed, controls via
keyboard or foot pedals (rather than mouse), automatic rewind after each pause, as well as
automatic insertion of timestamps and predefined text components via individual keyboard
shortcuts.
For the new and revised program version 3.0 the user interface has been redesigned and cleaned up,
and the program expanded by a few new features. For example it’s now possible to write down and
save your thoughts while transcribing in a separate area. Also, the video window can now be moved
freely and changed in size. Text components that have been inserted automatically can now be
customized in font, color, etc. as desired.
Our program is available for free in a time-limited version. This version plays back the first ten
minutes of your video or audio files. Some additional features such as offset preferences, navigation
in waveform or changes in timestamp format continue to be available in the fee-based pro-version
only.
This unlimited full version is available for purchase on the Internet in our online shop at
www.audiotranskription.de/shop
Upon purchase you will receive a serial number and will be able to unlock f5transkript right away.
May your transcription work be successful!
Thorsten Dresing, Thorsten Pehl, and the team of audiotranskription.de
Marburg, February 2016
1
If working on a Windows computer, please use our software f4transkript.
Table of contents
1. Quick start – Ready to go in 5 minutes............................................................................................... 1
1.1. Installing f5transkript................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Opening an audio or video file..................................................................................................... 2
1.3. Typing in f5transkript................................................................................................................... 3
1.4. Don’t forget to save!.................................................................................................................... 3
2. Program interface............................................................................................................................... 4
2.1. Toolbar......................................................................................................................................... 4
2.2. Text editor.................................................................................................................................... 5
2.3. Timeline and waveform............................................................................................................... 6
2.4. Playback Preferences................................................................................................................... 7
2.5. Comment field............................................................................................................................. 7
2.6. Text components......................................................................................................................... 8
2.7. Video window.............................................................................................................................. 8
2.8. Menu bar..................................................................................................................................... 8
3. Additional features........................................................................................................................... 10
3.1. Paragraph numbering................................................................................................................ 10
3.2. Automatic speaker change......................................................................................................... 10
3.3. Text and fonts............................................................................................................................ 10
3.4. Program Preferences................................................................................................................. 11
3.4.1. Timestamps and offset........................................................................................................ 11
3.4.2. Shortcuts............................................................................................................................. 12
3.4.3. Backups............................................................................................................................... 12
3.4.4. Foot pedals......................................................................................................................... 12
3.5. Saving, exporting and printing................................................................................................... 12
3.6. Search and Replace.................................................................................................................... 13
3.7. Transcribing in different word processing programs.................................................................. 13
3.8. Licenses and updates................................................................................................................. 14
3.9. USB installation.......................................................................................................................... 14
4. Support and Contact Us.................................................................................................................... 15
4.1. Support...................................................................................................................................... 15
4.2. Methodological support............................................................................................................ 15
4.3. Contact Us................................................................................................................................. 15
1. Quick start – Ready to go in 5 minutes
1.1. Installing f5transkript
Please download the latest version of f5transkript from our website
http://www.audiotranskription.de/english/downloads-en.html Unzip the file and drag it into the
applications folder. In order to start the program you’ll need Mac OS X Version 10.7 or higher.
The free version of f5transkript now enables you to transcribe your recordings. However, only the
first ten minutes of a file are being played.
To turn your demo into a full version, please purchase a serial number in our online shop and enter it
when you start the software. Activation happens automatically over the Internet.
If your computer cannot access the Internet, use a different computer to visit
www.audiotranskription.de/registrierung and follow the instructions there. You can also just give us a
call.
For installation via USB flash drive, please see the instructions under “3.9. USB installation”.
1
1.2. Opening an audio or video file
After having started f5transkript, you have different options for opening an audio or video file. You
can just drag a file from a folder and drop it in the program window of f5transkript. Alternatively, use
the
-icon in the upper toolbar. You can also use the keyboard shortcut CMD+L.2
Please note that WMA and WMV files should be converted first. This can easily be done with the
freeware all2mp3, for instance.
Begin playing back the file via the key “F5” on your keyboard. If your fingers cannot keep up with the
recording, just pause it by pressing F5 again, or by releasing the foot pedal of the foot switch. When
the recording is started again, it will automatically rewind a bit and repeat the last few words before
the pause. You can customize the length of this rewind interval and other useful settings in the
bottom menu (see chapter “2.4 Playback preferences).
Standardly, the F-keys on your Mac will probably be occupied with controlling volume and brightness.
But if you press FN beforehand, you can use F5 to play and pause. It is more convenient, however, if
you check the option “Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys” in “System Preferences >
Keyboard”. In that case, you’ll be able to use the F-keys in f5transkript without pressing FN.
If you open preferences in f5transkript and select the tab “shortcuts”, the lower button leads you to
your system preferences as well.
Alternatively, you can also work with our foot pedals “Science”, “Science II” and “Office”.
2
If you cannot open or play a particular file it is possible that you haven’t installed the right “Codecs” for the file format. You
can expand the range of supported files through free plugins such as “ Perian” or “Handbrake”, however.
2
1.3. Typing in f5transkript
After you have opened a file, your transcription work can begin. You can decide whether you would
like to type directly in f5transkript or rather use a different word processor of your choice. We
recommend typing in f5transkript, as it automatically inserts spaces between paragraphs as well as
timestamps. And only in f5transkript can you use the F5 key.
It is possible to use f5transkript with other word processors. But you need one of our foot pedals,
“Science”, “Science II” or “Office”, in order to control f5transkript. The program then runs in the
background while you transcribe in your word processor in the foreground and operate the recording
with the foot pedal.
1.4. Don’t forget to save!
Please remember to save your work progress in regular intervals. You can do this by clicking on the
tab “File” in the menu bar and selecting “Save transcript”. Alternatively you can click on the
-icon
in the toolbar or simply use the shortcut CMD+S. f5transkript makes regular backups for you (read
more on this in the chapter “Preferences”). If you would like to save your work in a different format,
click on the tab “File” in the menu bar, select “Save transcript as” or the shortcut SHIFT+CMD+S.
There, you can choose location and format. Files can be saved as RTF, ODT, DOC, DOCX, XML, or TXT,
so that they can be edited in other programs or on other computers.
3
2. Program interface
You can find the most important elements necessary for transcription in the f5transkript program
window. Your text is displayed in the text editor in the center and can be edited there as desired. The
most important playback controls are located below and to the right of the text editor. Additionally,
you find a field for transcript comments on the right, as well as a list of freely configurable text
components. The toolbar and menu bar above the text editor allow for quick access to further
features.
2.1. Toolbar
After starting f5transkript you’ll see the toolbar with the most important commands at the top of the
screen. Each symbol has a short explanatory info, which is displayed when you hover the mouse over
it.
The
-icon on the left takes you directly to Preferences. The next group of
-symbols allows
you to load transcripts, open media files and save your work progress. You can also just drag & drop
files into the f5transkript program window in order to load them, or use the shortcut CMD+L.
4
The arrows
with the
allow you to undo or restore actions and you can zoom in or out of the text display
-symbols. In doing so, the standard font size of 12 is kept; only the display size of the
text in the program changes. Furthermore you can adjust the typeface and also the actual saved font
size of your transcript via the
-bar.
2.2. Text editor
Below the toolbar there is the text window; this is the central area where your transcription takes
place. Your text, including inserted timestamps, is displayed in the center here, with paragraph
numbers in the left margin, shaded in gray.
Above the text field you can access the text-formatting options. You can choose from different styles,
justifications, line spacings and bullets. The ruler directly above the text field allows you to add tab
stops. If necessary, you can deactivate the ruler via the tab “Text” in the menu bar.
In the text editor you can just type away. The spell checker is going to alert you to any orthographic
or grammatical errors. Should you not want this, you can deactivate this feature in the menu bar: tab
“Edit”-“Spell check”-“Check spelling as you type.”
5
2.3. Timeline and waveform
In standard view your audio or video file is depicted as a wave below the transcript. The waveform
provides information on activities and pauses, shows your current position, and serves as a
navigation device in your media file. Also, you can highlight certain areas, e. g. pauses, with your
mouse and insert the exact length with the shortcut ALT+CMD+T at your current position in the
editor. You can zoom in or out of the file section displayed in the waveform via the
-symbols to
the right of the timeline.
Please note, however, that the waveform and its functions are only available in the pro-version of
f5transkript.
The timeline is located below the waveform. It is available in all versions and also facilitates
navigation in your media file. Unlike the waveform it shows the entire length of the file, however. A
click on a point in the timeline takes you to the respective position in the recording. The exact
position is displayed underneath the timeline. On the left, you can see the start time, and the total
length of your media file on the bottom right. Any changes made to the offset settings would be
considered here as well (see “3.4.1. Timestamps and offset for more information on offset). The gray
bar within the timeline shows the current section of the waveform and changes according to the
zoom level. Other than with the F4 or F5 keys you can start and stop the recording with the
-buttons on the left hand side, or wind according to the programmed interval.
6
2.4. Playback Preferences
There are different ways of controlling playback in f5transkript – use your mouse, shortcuts or a foot
pedal. The program also offers the possibility of customizing playback settings according to your
needs.
It usually makes sense to slow down playback speed during transcription. That way, it’s easier to keep
up with typing and you have to pause the recording less frequently. A speed of 75
percent of the original has proven a good working basis. You can also change
playback speed down to a single percent via the slider on the left margin of the
screen, or use the shortcuts CMD+↑/CMD+↓ to adjust speed in 10% steps. You can speed up the
recording again as well. This can be useful when listening to a file again to proofread, for instance. It
is nice that the pitch of the voice isn’t distorted here (at least for most types of audio and video files)!
To adjust volume, move the corresponding sliders or use the keys ALT+CMD+↑ and
ALT+CMD+↓, respectively.
A short automatic rewind when you pause the recording is essential for fluent
transcription. When the recording starts again, you’ll hear the previous two or three
seconds, which makes the writing process much smoother. You can adjust the length
of the interval via the slider “rewind interval”.
2.5. Comment field
The comment field is available to you on the top right of the screen.
It offers plenty of space for additional information you would like to
add to your transcript, such as spontaneous ideas and notes,
conspicuous details, or summaries, for example. Your comments
are saved in a separate area at the beginning of your file so that the
program can match them automatically when a transcript is
reopened.
7
2.6. Text components
On the low right of your screen, f5transkript enables you to create individual text components that
can be inserted into your transcript via keyboard shortcuts. There
are a few predefined phrases, which you can edit as desired in
order to have quick access to recurring phrases, transcription
symbols, aspects of non-verbal communication, for instance. In
order to delete an existing component or add a new one, click on
the dropdown menu on the top right and select “Delete
component” or “Add component”. In the pro-version you can also
import or export a set of text components. Thus, you can create, save and load the text components
matching your needs as necessary.
When you double click on the left table column you can enter the key combination you want –“ir”, for
instance. Double click on the right column to enter the text you want to have inserted by the
shortcut, e. g. “(interruption)”. If you then type the letters ir in the editor and then press space, ir is
automatically replaced with the component (interruption). Please note that capitalization matters
with shortcuts! LP is different from Lp, and so on.
2.7. Video window
If you have loaded a video file, the video is
displayed in a separate window, which always
remains in the foreground. You can change the size
and position of the video window by dragging or
moving it with your mouse.
2.8. Menu bar
While the menu bar offers you the usual Mac features, it also contains features specific to
f5transkript. The tab “F5” takes you to “Preferences”, for instance, and you can look for updates, look
up your license information or close the program.
8
The tab “File” gives you different options for creating new transcripts, to open them, to save them in
different formats, or specify metadata.
Alternatively, you can activate it via the shortcut CMD+l. There, you can specify author name,
company, copyright, title, subject, as well as keywords. The full functionality depends on the file
format used, however. If you intend to use this feature it’s best to save your transcripts in RTF, DOC,
or XML formats. If you select a transcript with metadata in your “Finder” and press CMD+l, the data is
displayed. You can also use the tab “File” and click on “Information” in your Finder to access the data.
The tabs “Text” and “Fonts” in the menu bar offer further possibilities of adjusting text view. You can
hide the ruler there, for instance, and change font size and color.
Under the tab “Media” in the menu bar you can look up and/or activate all features relevant to media
control and playback presented in this guide.
The “Speaker” tab allows you to specify settings regarding automatic speaker change (for further
information please go to section “3.2 Automatic Speaker Change””).
You can look for connected foot pedals or activate the settings for USB-pedals under the tab
“Footpedal”. f5transkript is compatible with the following foot pedals: “Science”, “Science II”, or
“Office”.
9
3. Additional features
Besides the elements introduced thus far, f5transkript offers you a number of additional features,
which are described in the following.
3.1. Paragraph numbering
f5transkript automatically inserts paragraph numbers in the left margin. Line numbers are not
available, as they would lead to different results on different screens. Blank
lines or blank paragraphs, respectively, are not being counted. The paragraph
numbers are not saved with the transcript and are thus not visible in other
word processors.3 In qualitative data analysis software such as f4analyse,
MAXQDA or Atlas.ti the paragraph numbers are automatically displayed again, however.
3.2. Automatic speaker change
With the automatic speaker change feature alternating speakers can be filled in automatically for
each new paragraph. This is ideal and truly timesaving for two-person interviews. To activate, click on
“Speaker” in the menu bar and then on the item “Settings”. Check the box “Insert automatically” and
fill in speaker abbreviations in the given fields.
3.3. Text and fonts
f5transkript offers different options of customizing the appearance
of your text. Above the text editor you can for instance choose
between left, right, centered, or full justification, change the spacing
or bullets. You can emphasize certain words or passages in the text in
bold, Italics or by underlining, as well as change their font and size.
You also have the option of customizing the format of automatically inserted elements such as text
components or speakers as you wish. Just click on the tab “Font” in the menu
bar and then “Show fonts”. A window with all available fonts will appear, and
you can apply them freely on different text components, speakers, or the
comment field. With a click on the dropdown menu of the text components you
can also choose if the preset text format is to be used or ignored.
3
If you would like to see paragraph numbers in Word, for instance, highlight your complete transcript and click on the icon
for automatic numbering.
10
3.4. Program Preferences
The tab “F5” in the menu bar takes you to the menu item “Preferences”. Here, you can look up
different shortcuts or reallocate them. You can also edit the folder for your backups as well as define
your preferences for USB foot pedals, timestamps and offset.
3.4.1. Timestamps and offset
Time stamps provide important orientation in a transcript and allow for quick reference to the
original source. In f5transkript, they are inserted automatically or via the shortcut CTRL+T, and they
are clickable. The transcript including timestamps can later easily be imported into data analysis
software like f4analyse, MAXQDA or Atlas.ti. In these programs, like in f5transkript, clicking on a
timestamp causes the relevant audio track to be played back – if the media file is linked accordingly.
In Preferences, the tab “Timestamps” allows you to choose whether automatic timestamps will be
inserted at the end or the beginning of a paragraph. You can also deactivate this feature completely
and choose if the transcript will be saved with or without timestamps.
At the end of each paragraph, f5transkript automatically inserts a timestamp after the ENTER key is
pressed. The timestamp shows the current position in the media file. Additional time- stamps can be
inserted manually via the shortcut CTRL+T at any other position, too.
If you click on a time stamp, the video or audio file is played back at exactly that position.
Furthermore, the QDA programs f4analyse, MAXQDA and Atlas.ti recognize the time- stamps and
also allow you to play the original source in order to review the transcript or verify your
interpretation directly on the material.
With the offset feature you are able to move the time code for the timestamps according to your
needs. The set value is added to the timestamps so that the stamps don’t start at 0, but at the value
you have set.
A click on “Timestamp format” lets you adjust it. Use the available characters “HH” for hours, “MM”
for minutes, “SS” for seconds and “s” for tenth of a second, or choose among the different templates.
These two features (Offset and Timestamp format) are only available in the pro-version, however.
11
3.4.2. Shortcuts
This menu item shows the shortcuts that can be configured in f5transkript. You can adjust them
anytime according to your needs. You can also find a shortcut to changing the “System function key
preferences”. This can be useful if you want to change the functionality of the F-keys, for example to
be able to use “F5” to start and stop a recording.
3.4.3. Backups
As a standard feature, f5transkript automatically creates a backup copy of your transcript in a safety
folder every ten minutes. This way, your data cannot get lost, even in the case of an error. You can
edit where (location) and how often (interval) your transcripts are saved or have that information
displayed in Finder. Simply go to Preferences and choose the tab “Backups”. 4
3.4.4. Foot pedals
Controlling the program and performing the transcription with a foot pedal holds several advantages
compared to a purely “manual” execution. With a bit of practice it is possible to transcribe up to 20%
faster, as the feet control the playback and the hands thus stay free for typing. Look for connected
foot pedals under the Preferences tab “Foot pedal”, configure them or get to our online shop to
choose and order a suitable model. f5transkript support the following models: “Science”, “Science II”
or “Office”.
3.5. Saving, exporting and printing
You can save your transcripts either via the menu item “File”-“Save Transcript”, via the
-symbol or,
most conveniently, with the shortcut CMD+S. However, f5transkript independently makes backup
copies of your transcription work in regular intervals, so that even in case of an error current work
progress can be restored (see “3.4.3 Backups”).
Under the item “File”-“Save transcripts as” you can export your transcripts as ODT, RTS, DOC, DOCX,
TXT or XML files in order to be able to edit them in other programs. While f5transkript is able to open
all these formats, it can process them only to a limited extent. Exporting your text as an XML-file is
convenient if your transcript is not yet complete and you would like to continue transcription on a
different platform (e.g. from Mac to Linux). RTF is a universal format for formatted content and can
be opened by all relevant word processors or qualitative data analysis software, such as our program
f4analyse. This RFT-file contains the written transcript including all inserted timestamps. In order to
4
Remember to empty this folder on a regular basis, so that it doesn’t take up too much hard drive space.
12
be able to later use transcripts in f5transkript, save them in this format. Should you not need
timestamps, deactivate them in Options (see “3.4.1. Timestamps and offset”).
The texts written in f5transkript can be printed or exported as PDFs. The menu item “File”-“Print” or
the shortcut CMD+P leads you to the print preview window. Here you can check whether the printing
preferences are correct before printing, or you can perform different kinds of PDF-exports under the
item “PDF”.
3.6. Search and Replace
f5transkript allows you to search your transcripts. You can activate this via the shortcut CMD+F in
order to search for terms and have them replaced automatically (useful in anonymization, for
instance). In addition, you can have all references for a term highlighted in color. Via checks you can
specify if the search is to be case-sensitive or not (A doesn’t equal a) or if only “complete words” are
to be searched. You can go back and forth between references with the arrows. If you would like to
replace one or all references with a different word or a phrase, just fill in the desired word or phrase
in the lower field “Replacement text” and click “Replace with” to replace only the currently selected
reference, or on “Replace all” to replace all references.
3.7. Transcribing in different word processing programs
If you would like to write into a different word processor directly, that’s no problem: f5transkript will
just stay open in the background. For this, you’ll need one of our foot pedals (“Science”, “Science II”,
or “Office”) to control f5transkript, however. The program then runs in the background; in the
foreground you can transcribe and control the recording via foot pedal. When working with a video
file the video window will always stay in the foreground and is thus visible when you are writing in a
different word processor. Unfortunately, there are no timestamps, alternating speaker changes and
other features of the f5transkript editor.
Please never open the same transcript in f5transkript and another word processor at the same time.
This could lead to changes made in the word processor to be overwritten by f5transkript!
13
3.8. Licenses and updates
If you would like to purchase a license, have purchased one already
or would like to see your current license information, go to the tab
“F5” in the menu bar und click on “F5 license”. Here, you can
activate your license or get directly to our online shop. Also, you
can “Look for updates” in the menu bar in order to keep your
program up to date.
3.9. USB installation
Download the latest version of our program f5transkript from our website, unzip the file and drag
the application onto the desired USB flash drive. Now start f5transkript from your flash drive to
activate it. After you have entered the serial number and registered successfully, a license file is
created and it is ready to use.5
5
With some Mac OS X versions it’s possible that you’ll get an error message stating f5transkript was broken. To fix this, start
f5transkript before dragging it onto the flash drive and close it again. If you then move the program onto your flash drive,
it’ll work.
14
4. Support and Contact Us
4.1. Support
Our website has a few helpful tutorials (in german language), which further explain our programs,
among other things. More free support is available via email at [email protected]
4.2. Methodological support
If you are preparing your transcripts for a research project, you will need transparent and quotable
rules on how to translate what your hear into writing. We have written a compact methodological
guide on the most important considerations regarding academic transcription. You can download the
PDF version of our “Manual (on) Transcription” for free on our website:
http://www.audiotranskription.de/english/transcription-practicalguide.htm
4.3. Contact Us
audiotranskription.de
dr. dresing & pehl GmbH
Deutschhausstraße 22a
35037 Marburg (Germany)
Phone: +49 (0)6421 - 590 979 0
Fax: +49 (0)6421 - 590 979 20
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.audiotranskription.de/english
15