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Paranoid or deaf? - sick and tired

Posted: Jul 15, 2010

OK I am probably getting totally paranoid now, but do you think they manipulate the sound and speed of the dictations? I have been typing for years now for MQ and all of the sudden, the sound is really muffled and I am having to turn the bass down, and I have had to back it up a couple of clicks on the speed. Am I just getting old and deaf (and apparently hearing more slowly)?

Also anybody else besides me noticed the discrepancy between minutes of dictation and lines typed on straight dictation and ASR -- like 700 lines will be 75 minutes of straight dictation, while 800 lines of ASR will be 70 minutes? The line count is better, but it seems to be really condensed on the ASR. Maybe that is why we are so nervous? Less minutes/more lines like chipmunks talking (and transcribing from the looks of some of the ASR garbage)?

I agree with you about the sound issue... - mb

[ In Reply To ..]
Some of the reports I've gotten lately have sounded horribly muffled and on top of it being an ESL dictator, I've had to leave a lot of blanks and am forced to send it to QA because of so many blanks. But yet, when I listen to it after the blanks have been filled in, it's a whole lot easier to understand! I talked to my CCM about it and she said maybe my sound card is going out in my computer and I should contact support and have them send me a new one. Well, I tried that and they shot down that idea in a hurry and said they wouldn't send me a new computer just because my CCM said she wanted me to have one. That, along with NJA every day now, is why I hate this place so much!

Sound card - sick and tired

[ In Reply To ..]
Sound card actually went out in my old computer about 3 weeks ago. I thought maybe new one would be better; actually I think the new one is worse. This is the one I am having to turn down bass to hear dictators more clearly and turn the speed down on most dictators. Just didn't want you to think that a sound card would help you any!!!!

I use a USB sound card with a - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
headphone jack. It works extremely well. It sounds better and also gives your audio a boost to where you can turn it louder.

It's like this, but may be able to find one on ebay:

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Advantage-Micro-Sound-Card/dp/B0002ICGDY

Thanks -- open to any help!! - sick and tired

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

sound issue - nan

[ In Reply To ..]
If your sound card was bad, you wouldn't hear it better on the QA feedback. LOL Sound is sound. I too get back better sound on feedback, when I used to send to QA. I don't send them anything anymore, not even if there are a lot of blanks. That is not my problem. Either stop deducting pay for inaudible dictation, new accounts or fast talking unfamiliar dictators, or I will continue sending blanks, even if there are a lot. I do my best to fill them in. I even go back after finished and relisten several times to each blank and then they get what they get.

Same problem here - I have always complained - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
about sound quality, especially with the worst ESLs. On the recent survey we were given regarding ASR I listed better sound quality 2 times but I doubt that will make a difference. I do leave a QA note for the hospital when the sound quality is horrid but probably just wasting my time.

Poor sound quality - FormerMT

[ In Reply To ..]
If I complained about muffled dictation once, I complained 100 times. It sounded like the dictator was talking into a bottle. It got worse and worse to the point where everything I tried to transcribe was that bad. I was in tears each and every day. I quit last year. There are no words to describe the stress of working under these conditions. I remember the day when I had a beautiful account for 12 years, excellent sound quality, time off when I needed it due to physical conditions, only to see it all go down. I really hope things get better for you.

To: Poor sound quality - Former MT - mlanna

[ In Reply To ..]
Believe me, everyone has complained about the fricking audio. With 2 different CCMs I complained and kept complaining (you'll laugh at this one - I was told to maybe get my hearing tested - the CCMs can't get any further than we can and just throw out anything for an excuse). Finally, in the end it turned out that equipment on one of the client's end was the problem. The client did do some things in regard to their equipment and it did seem somewhat better, but not 100%. For the other account under another CCM a tech from MQ that was in the area went and tried to find a pattern from where the doctors were dictating from, but nothing really came of it. What is frustrating is that the MT ends up sending emails and/or calling and spending unpaid time and nothing gets done. Bottom line is nothing will be done about the audio and we have to be the ones who lose out emotionally and financially. If they really cared about making our job easier, they would research more and could probably do something about it, but we know who wants the money!!

Poor audio - FormerMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I totally agree. To think I stressed over it for the last few years. It just got worse as time went by. I was told by one CCM that "It must be your equipment." I called tech support, who also blew me off. My next supervisor was more understanding and notified the client, but it was literally all of my accounts. It was crackling, wavy, muffled and at many, many places too bad to be understood. Any reasonable employer would know that being able to understand the spoken word and hear it is a huge part of the job. It's like requiring a construction worker to do the job without the necessary equipment. It can't be done. I lost all respect for MQ a long time ago. As you pointed out, I lost so much time and money and put so much effort into solving the problem, until I finally faced the fact that they just didn't care.

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