[QA] 美語補習班課程錄音帶

一個美語補習班需要將上課內容錄起來，讓學生回去複習。目前他們是以雙卡座的音響對拷成一卷卷的錄音帶，但效率有限，希望以最少預算改進現況。

An English language after-school consulted me for a low-cost solution to record their classes for students to review at home. They are using a dual-deck cassette recorder but it's too time-consuming.

(English translation below)

您要考慮：

1. 錄音設備/媒體
2. 複製方式
3. 傳播方式

我認為最好的方式還是用數位的方式，長期下來能節省大量成本。您購買幾台 mp3 錄音設備(或是一間教室裝一台PC來錄音)，上課完將錄好的檔案燒錄至光碟(由於mp3檔案小，燒錄速度遠比音樂CD快)，或是用USB隨身碟(這就更快了；一個學生買一支應該不為過；一兩個小時的課內容64MB就很夠了)，或是放到網站上供學生下載(最方便的方法)。學生應該都有電腦或mp3 player來播放mp3檔案。

一卷卷的錄音帶成本，再加上對錄系統(以及對錄的時間與人力成本)，經過幾堂課就會遠遠超過上述設備了。數位的方式能讓你們很容易保存與複製。

如果一定要輸出成錄音帶，又不用錄音室的品質的話(那樣您也需使用較昂貴的帶子)，可以用有監聽輸出的錄音設備(一般現代電腦用的可錄音的音效卡就可以了)，一邊錄入電腦成數位音檔，一邊錄入錄音帶。然後再用 high speed cassette duplicator 大量複製。購買的時候可以選擇速度，基座數(一次可以拷貝幾卷)，以及軌數(單音或立體)。

(以下是英文翻譯)

You need to consider:

1. the recording equiment and media

2. how you duplicate the media

3. how to distribute the media

I would recommend digital means throughout. That would save your cost over time.

You may equipt your classrooms with mp3 recorders or PCs to record the class. Then you can burn the mp3 files, the size of which enables faster burning than audio CDs. You can even use USB thumb drives for even faster file transfer (64MB should be enough for a 2-hour class recording). The easiest way is to provide the files online for students to download themselves. Most students in Taiwan should alreay have an mp3 player or a PC to play the files.

If you go with the cassette solution, you may want to consider the cost in the long run (I think the cost will outrun digital solution after several classes). The cost would include the cassettes themselves, the duplication system, and the time and efforts involved in duplication. Digital means also allows easier archiving and duplication.

If cassette is a must, and you don't go after studio quality, you can use recording devices with monitor out (if you use a PC, most likely its sound card would work). This way, you can record into digital files and analog tapes at the same time. Then, you can use something like "high speed cassette duplicator" to make duplications. When you buy a high speed cassette duplicator, you can opt its copying speed, the number of decks (how many tapes you can copy at one run), and the number of channels (mono or stereo).