Record

Equipment

“The most important equipment an oral historian can bring to an interview is intelligence, sensitivity, and thorough preparation.” – Ann M. Campbell[i]

All that is needed is a recorder of some kind with quality audio. A cassette will do if converted to a digital file afterwards. It isn’t necessary to have professional equipment as long as you use high definition or quality sound. You can use smart phones/iphones with a Smart Voice Recorder app to increase the sound quality, digital recorder, video recorder (if converted to digital), or camcorder, You can also record phone calls with your interviewee or Skype conversations. What about gathering recordings using sites like voicequilt.com, savingmemoriesforever.com, legacystories.org. External microphones are always a plus: boom microphones, lavaliere microphones, a snowball microphone, Sure microphones and more. Be creative.  Then when you have gathered your audio, transcribe the recordings and then follow through with the rest of the stages of Project: Oral History.

A helpful webinar about equipment for recording oral history is found at Legacy Family Tree: http://www.familytreewebinars.com/ titled, “Captured for All Time: Recording Family Voices to Preserve and Pass Down” by Marian Pierre-Louis.

Websites: TechSoup DigitalStorytelling (learning resources in right hand column)

Brigham Young University Multi-media Lab on the 2nd floor in the Harold B. Library has the equipment, computers, and workers to help you convert cassettes, VHS, and reel to reel to a digital recording.

Oral History Rooms

Innovative, new, with the latest technology: Riverton FamilySearch Library at 3740 West Market Center Dr. (13175 So.)  has high end video equipment in a room and 8 microphones designed for oral history interviews or recording oneself. There is an $8 charge for a new flash drive each time you record an hour interview. What a deal for this opportunity. Must reserve at least a week in advance. LoganFamilySearch Library has the same thing:

BYU Harold B. Lee Library has a multi-media center with all sorts of recording equipment available to check out to those with a library card. Community people wishing to use this equipment must pay the yearly fee to become a “Friend.” What a plus, a library card for an immense collection of books, multi-media equipment, and inter-library loan for genealogical purposes.

[i] Ann M. Campbell, “Trappings Of The Trade: Oral History Equipment,” A Guide For Oral History Programs, Richard D. Curtiss, Gary L. Shumway, Shirley E. Stephenson (Fullerton: California State University, 1973), 38. Used by Permission 16 August 2013.