Keep the Mic Close... Audio Techniques for Oral History

This core workshop in the DC Oral History Collaborative Training Series will take an in-depth look at some of the techniques that oral historians use to get high-quality audio from their recording equipment. While the workshop will focus on the Zoom H4n audio recorder, many of the skills and practices introduced can be used for recording with any technologies. In this workshop, attendees will:

• Learn how to optimize settings on their audio recorders to get the best audio.

• Discover how, at a fundamental level, their narrators' voices are encoded into preservation-quality digital files.

• Understand some of the most common causes of poor audio quality and how to set up their interview space to avoid them.

The DC Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) documents, preserves, and celebrates the lived experiences of all Washington, DC residents and communities through oral history. The Collaborative accomplishes this by providing training, mentorship, resources, programs, and funding to current and aspiring oral historians. The Collaborative is a partnership of HumanitiesDC and the DC Public Library

Katie Davis

Veteran radio journalist and oral historian. Worked for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and was a producer, reporter and host at National Public Radio. Produced a series of stories for NPR called Neighborhood Stories. (can end here) Produced a producing guide for young people, the Shout Out Guide. (https://transom.org/2013/kids-guide-to-recording-stories)

Host or Publisher HumanitiesDC