Member Avatar for sunandoghosh

MOST crucial decision - please please help me...!!!!!!!!!

please please read the whole post....please have patience....

WHAT I WANT:

To be able to record lectures delivered by my professor so that I can later on listen it while commuting and also make notes.

WHY I WANT:

Because our professor delivers lecture at a very very rapid pace and although it is great listening him and understanding his concepts...its so so fast that its impossible to write or make note of anything...

This creates problem because although I am able to understand everything while he teaches BUT later on I forget everything as I am unable to make any notes.

The net result is I am where I was when the classes started.

WHAT I AM THINKING:

I gave a thought to my problem very deeply and discussed with some people and the only solution that appears is TO RECORD THE ENTIRE LECTURE DAILY....so that I can make notes from it later on at my ease...

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS:

After doing a very thorough and deep analysis on net and gathering as much information as was possible for me...I concluded that I am having the following options:

A. To record the lectures using Apple iPod along with either griffin italk or belkin voice recorder.

OR

B. To record the lectures using Nokia mobile handset using its inbuilt microphone (or attaching some external microphone)

OR

C. To record the lectures using dedicated digital voice recorders such as Olympus DM-10 and DM-20, or say Panasonic RR-US006.

OR

D. To record the lectures using a laptop which is having inbuilt microphone or attaching the laptop with external microphone.

OR

E. To record the lectures using flash based MP3 player like those of transcend etc.

OR

F. To use dictaphone (I have never before even heard that term)

WHY I AM CONFUSED:

Because

1. I do not own personally any of the devices in all options referred above and therefore unable to make a choice which one suits my needs best

AND

2. Dont know which one would be MOST suitable for purpose of recording class lectures from a reasonable distance (say 5-10 feets away) for 3-4 hours lectures.

AND

3. Dont know which device would be MOST reliable and durable

AND

4. Dont know which one provides Best Value for Money as there are extra benefits associated with each device and extra costs too.

EXAMPLE:

I have heard that

# Griffin italk or Belkin Voice recorder at times may NOT record properly always (I have just heard NOT at all sure)

# Again Apple Ipod which allows extra voice recording functionality is NOT mini or shuffle so Again I dont know whether its better to have Nokia Mobile which has so many extra features as well and would cost less than Apple ipod.

# Again if Nokia Mobile is to be purchased which particular model suits my needs best.

# Or is it that dedicated digital voice recorders are best as they have one single function of digital voice recording.

And so on........................

BOTTOM LINE:

There are so so many variables involved that I am really unable to decide. This is further complicated by the fact that I have never used such gadgets and NOt sure.

PLEASE HELP ME DECIDE..........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE HELP ME DECIDE..........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE HELP ME DECIDE..........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE HELP ME DECIDE..........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My budget is very very flexible (which means that I am ready to spend upto Indian Rs 50000 which is roughly USD $ 1000, if required).

The single most imporatnt reason I am intending to buy such a gadget is to record the class lectures daily which are normally of 3-4 hours duration and the professor and my sitting distance varies from 1 feet to 10 feets.

If i get extra features Its welcome BUT this digital voice recording feature is something which I do NOT want to be compromised.

Please suggest me out of A, B, C, D OR E what should be my ideal choice and what costs i would incur. If possible please specify the exact product number or detail or specification.

I Know I have written a very very long story and it must have tested your patience and consumed a lot of your valuable time. I genuinely and most sincerely appreciate your time and effort with me from the bottom of my heart and trust me I am really in serious trouble or else would NOT have written such a long story.

I am very anxiously awaiting the words of wisdom and valuable advice from more knowledgebale and experienced (and most importantly helpful) members here.

I am sure that someone here will be able to help me out with his advice and suggestions.

Again I express my deepest sincerest appreciation and gratitude for reading this post and possibly replying.

Please reply in detail and advice to your best as your decision may be very very crucial and infact the whole basis on which I am going to make the purchase. So please be concerned and kind.

Thanks and best of regards

Most sincerely

Sunando Ghosh
Kolkata, India

sunandoghosh (at) rediffmail (dot) com

P.s. If u wish to add anything which i might have missed or suggest differently please feel free to do so.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Catweazle

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for Catweazle

Hiya Sunando Ghosh.

I'm 2 decades past my university days, but I fail to see why your problem can't be overcome in the same way that I overcame it back then. A simple cassette recorder and blank cassette tapes.

You press 'RECORD' when the lecture starts, forget about the device until the lecture ceases, and take such notes as you are able during the course of the lecture.

Later, when revising the lecture you play it back, making liberal use of the PLAY and STOP buttons, and add to your notes making them more comprehensive.

I really can't see why all this digital silliness is necessary. ;)

Member Avatar for jwenting

Well said Catweazle, though there's an even simpler (and decidedly failsafe) method: stenography.

Just learn to write faster ;)

Member Avatar for MartyMcFly

Personnaly I dont think that the phone or I-Pod would work best on there own, they are aimed at personal memos a few inches from your mouth. A laptop whilst may be useful for lectures anyway, might strugle at 3-4 hours conistently, but would work with a external directional mic. If I were you, I would look at some sort of digital recording, that would allow the lessons to be recorded, and then saved to a HDD, CD, DVD (if you have a computer).

The following Olympus WS-100 at first glance would do this, (only looked at the first thing i could find, not a personal recommendation).

http://www.speakit.info/index_graphics.php

This has a mic socket for a directional mic if required, and also 13hour battery life, can use the built in USB to tranfer data in WMA format.

Firstly though I would speak to your lecturer and get him to provide some notes for the lecture, remind him your there to learn not to write an essay, or group with some friends to share notes at the end, so one person writes notes one day, someone else another.... Still at least with the digital records, properly archived, you can review the whole year lectures at any time. Also you could play it whilst you go to sleep, to help you remember it :)

So I think option C, with directional mic attached if required. cost 100 - 200$

Member Avatar for Rashakil Fol

Maybe try writing down only the things you need to remember. It's not like you need to record a transcript of the lecture.

Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

In my day too, we used tape recorders. You could then take the tape recorder, and digitize it, and create an .mp3 file, and burn a disk if you so wished.

You are going to want some sort of external microphone. Put it on your desk, and just be sure to not talk and whisper during the lecture.

I would also argue that it is not necessary to record every little thing. But that is your choice, and beyond the scope of your question.

Christian

Member Avatar for Asif_NSU

Nice topic :). I might want to do it sometime, just for fun though. I usually write down the topics and sub-topics discussed in the lecture and other subtle points, and then I study on my own.
I wonder if the lecturer would be comfortable if he sees your recording device.

Member Avatar for Catweazle

During my entire time at university I did not encounter any lecturer who was uncomfortable with the idea of students using recording devices. But it would be appropriate to request permission to tape before doing so, of course. You'd be unlikely to find that permission would not be granted ;)

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