State of the Blog: Going Digital

More state of my writing than state of the blog. Previous State of the Blog posts [list].

The USDF Connection piece on Mr. Meredith [Announcer] was my first with the new digital recorder, pictured. Before this, I had been using cassette tapes. Sure they are Flintstones technology but I interview from home over the phone, so portability is not an issue. Plus, have you priced digital recorder$$$? I finally got to the point were the choice was buy more tapes or join the 21st century.

So far, I like it. I can save the files on my computer as backup. No more growing piles of cassettes. (The one interview I tape over will be the one interview I need. Paranoid? Moi?) No more skipping back and forth to confirm a quote. I can go directly to the exact location. Well, almost directly. Still adapting to the forward and reverse rates. It goes slow, medium, and then really, really fast. Also, I sometimes confuse long press with short press, causing me to turn off the machine or jump to different track, causing me to restart the track I’m on, causing me more opportunities to learn about those speed rates. However, the learning curve is flattening out. I overshot way less in my most recent transcription session.

Fear not. I still fly the old school flag. I still interview on a landline. I HATE cell phones for long calls, whether personal or paying. The delay plays havoc with my conversational rhythm. Getting folks relaxed and talking is what I do. Constantly stepping on someone’s sentences is not conducive to the correct atmosphere.

Public props to my IT dude for debugging the new system, mainly due to the age of the other components.

Bought with much helpful advice from Spy Pro Shop, which was an adventure in itself.
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Speaking of USDF, I have a brag to share. A thank you note from the owner of Harbor Sweets [Other Writing: Sweet on Dressage].

Aw shucks, Ma’am, twern’t nothin.

But seriously folks. Just as it is easier to look good on a nice horse, it is easier to interview someone who is pleasant, chatty, and comes with a great narrative.
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How about you, old school or early adopter?

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott