Recording

Remember that there is information the Screen section that describes the parts of the Recording Screen. You may want to refer to this information while learning how to make a recording.

There are two main purposes for making a recording:

  • Audio recording - when a recording is created by reading a written translation of the Bible.

  • Oral translation - when a new translation of the Bible is created in an oral Heart Language.

Definition of Audio Recordings and Oral Translations

Audio Recordings

Audio recordings are when a recording is created by reading a written translation of the Bible.

There are reasons to choose to do an audio recording:

  1. A translator translates from a written text that they can read into their Heart Language that is not a written language.

  2. A language group would like to have an audio recording of their written Bible to be used by those that cannot read the language.

  3. Create a Source Audio recording for another language to use in their translation work. Source Audio recordings are done by someone that can read and record a source text.

Although it is tempting to read an entire chapter at once, BTT Recorder requires that you read a verse or chunk at a time so that you can have proper verse markers. Because of this, you must follow the same process as that for recording oral translations as explained below except that you do not need to include the source audio steps.

Oral Translations

Oral Translation recordings are when a new translation of the Bible is created in an oral (unwritten) Heart Language.

NOTE These instructions will describe how to create an oral translation using Source Audio.

Please disregard references to Source Audio in the instructions, if the Source Audio has not been included in the Project setup.

After you have defined one or more projects, you can start recording.

Open the Recording Screen

There are multiple ways to reach the recording screen:

From the New Project creation screen:

  • Tap CONTINUE in the lower right of the window.

From the Home Screen and the name of the project on which you want to work is displayed:

  • Tap in the blue recording area.

NOTE: If the project that you want to work on is NOT written under the microphone icon, then click on the green area to access the Project Management screen.

From the Project Management screens, there are 2 different ways to get to the recording screen. Tap on the microphone icon or tap on the bar to open that Project Management screen. See the steps below.

  1. Tap the Microphone icon on the project bar on which you want to work. This takes you to Chapter 1 Verse 1.

  2. Tap elsewhere on the project bar to open the Chapter Project Management screen with the list of chapters.

On the Chapter Project Management screen, you can open the recording screen 2 different ways:

  1. Tap the Microphone icon on the chapter bar on which you want to work. The recording screen will open to verse 1 of the chapter.

  2. Tap on the Chapter bar to open the Verse/Chunk Project Management screen with the list of verses or chunks.

NOTE: Chapters that have recordings are dark black. Chapters that have no recordings are gray.

On the Verse/Chunk Project Management screen, you can open the recording at a specific verse or chunk by tapping its Microphone icon.

NOTE: Verses or Chunks that have recordings are dark black. Verses or Chunks that have no recordings are gray.

HINT: Opening the recording screen from the verse/chunk listing is an easy way to keep track of which verses/chunks have recordings already so that you don’t unnecessarily record the same item over and over. It is also an easy way to navigate to the specific item you want to record.

Confirm the information in the top Bar

When the recording screen opens, it is good practice to check the information on the top gray bar.

Check the information on the top gray bar:

  • Target Language

  • Project Type

  • Book

  • Chapter

  • Verse or Chunk

Use the + and – signs to correct the chapter or verse/chunk number.

Listen to the Source Audio

NOTE: Skip this step if you do not have a source audio available.

Source Audio playback is located just above the blue bar at the bottom of the Recording screen.

If there is source audio, you can listen to it as needed to consume the ideas. You may need to replay the source audio more than once before you are ready to record the translation.

  1. Tap the Play icon to listen to the source audio.

  2. Tap the Pause icon to pause the source audio.

Optional - Tap and hold the green dot and drag it to move to a different position in the source audio.

Create a Recording

Volume Check

NOTE: You may want to do a volume check before recording.

Notice that there is a box on the far right side of the horizontal line across the black area. This box changes size and color depending on the level of volume.

Test the volume level by speaking.

  • Does the box become large and green? This is a good volume.

The goal is to make recordings with the volume in the green range.

  • Does the box stay small and stay blue? This volume is too low.

  • Does the box become very large and turns red? This volume is too loud.

Record

  1. When ready to record the translation, tap the Microphone icon in the middle of the blue bar at the bottom of the Recording screen.

  2. As you begin to speak you will see white vertical lines appear on the screen, which is the result of the sound of your voice. These lines are known as waves.

  3. Tap the Pause icon when done saying the verse/chunk.

NOTE: You can pause the recording and then tap the Microphone icon to continue recording.

  1. Tap the Check icon at the far right of the bottom blue bar when you are finished recording the verse/chunk.

Save the Recording

Skip step 1 if you do not have Source Audio available.

  1. If you want to listen to the source audio again before saving the recording, you can switch from displaying the recording you just made by tapping the Ear icon to display the source audio, and then tapping Play on the source audio bar.

  2. At this point, you can edit the recording if you wish. (See Chapter 7 for instructions on editing the recording.)

  3. Tap the Save icon when you are ready to save your recording.

The recording window closes, and the program returns to the screen from which you opened the recording window. For example:

  • Opening the recording from the Home screen will return to Home Screen.

  • Opening the recording from the Project Management screen (list of books) will return to the Project Management screen.

  • Opening from a Book Project Management screen (list of chapters) will return to the Book Project screen.

  • Opening from a Chapter Project Management screen (list of verses/chunks) will return to the Chapter Project screen.

HINT: If you are going to record all the verses/chunks in a chapter, you may find it easier to open the recording screen from the Chapter Project Management screen.