Oral History Interview Equipment
- Batteries make the interview easier to set up and less intrusive, but sometimes fail.
- The extension cord and AC adaptor are more reliable, but awkward to set up.
- We now use a fairly expensive condensor microphone that fits on a lapel or sleeve. We found out that sound quality is much more important for a variety of reasons.
- We use good quality 90 minute cassette tapes. I put two in.
- The bag is crucial. I cruise Walmart and Kmart looking for these things on sale and do not spend much over ten dollars a piece. It should make a fashion statement of some sort. I call it our Young Historian Kit and make a big deal out of it. It is all in fun.
- I also stuff in a permission form, a copy of the questions, and a pencil and a small notebook for taking, well, notes.
- I have found the cassette recorders usually go for around $50. I have used several different kinds. I have found out that a voice actuator is not needed.
- If my supply is good, I will put extra batteries in.
- A small foot pedal that will stop and start the tape player is the next best thing to a dictaphone and costs less than five dollars. I have gotten mine at Radio Shack.
You need to get as many as possible. My students always wait to the end of the six weeks and it can be a problem when the demand is bigger than the supply. I have about ten working kits at any one time. This works most of the time for about 30 to 40 students.