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Tech tips on recording oral histories

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Almost any computer or laptop should have a microphone input and some sort of recording software nowadays -- Apple's Garageband, for instance. You can also hook up microphones to iPods and use them as recording devices.

Once you've got your equipment set up:

- Find a quiet room (no fans, furnaces, TVs or screaming kids).

- Get the mic as close to the speaker as possible, without invading his or her private space and making him or her uncomfortable. About one hand-span away is perfect. It is best if you hold the mic, as opposed to letting your subject hold it. If the microphone is on a stand, it is usually too far away and prone to "table thumps."