Getting a good recording
Scribe hears everyone through one phone, then works out which voice is which. Where you hold the discussion, where you put the phone and how you begin make more difference to the transcript than anything else. A few minutes spent on this article will make every recording better.
Choose a private, quiet room
This matters for two reasons.
- Privacy. Consultations often cover health, injuries and other personal matters. Nobody should be recorded who isn’t taking part, and your gym’s terms for Scribe ask you to hold recorded discussions somewhere private.
- Accuracy. In a quiet room, Scribe gave the right speaker to almost every word in our testing. On a busy gym floor, other people’s conversations can be picked up and written into the transcript as if someone in your discussion had said them. Music and machines make words harder to hear.
Before you start, the Scribe page listens to the room for a few seconds, without recording anything, and tells you how it sounds:
| What the page says | What to do |
|---|---|
| Quiet – good. | Go ahead. |
| Some background noise. | Keep the phone away from speakers and machines. |
| Noisy. | Move somewhere quieter if you can, or put the phone close between the people talking. |
You can still record in a noisy room. If you do, the discussion is marked as recorded in a noisy room, so whoever reads it knows that some words may have been misheard.
Put the phone between you
- Lay it flat on the table between the people talking, not at the edge of the desk or in your hand. It makes a real difference to how well Scribe tells voices apart.
- Don’t cover the microphone. A case, a notebook or a hand over the bottom of the phone muffles everyone. If Scribe hears nothing for 30 seconds, it asks No sound – is the microphone covered?
- Headsets are not used. Scribe always records through the phone’s own microphone and plays the announcement through its own loudspeaker, even if a Bluetooth or wired headset is connected, because it needs to hear the whole room.
Choose the right people
- Tick everyone who is in the room, and nobody who isn’t. Scribe uses the number of people to tell the voices apart, and names them from the list. If you start from a booking, everyone booked is ticked for you: untick anyone who hasn’t come.
- Add a colleague who is taking part. If another member of staff joins the discussion, add them as a colleague. They are counted as a voice and named in the transcript, but nothing is added to their record.
- At least one member or lead, and up to six people. Every discussion must include a member or a lead, and can include up to six people, you included. Scribe works best with two people, and that is what it has been predominantly designed for.
- Someone new. If the person you are meeting is not on GymOS yet, add them as a lead in the administration portal first.
- Do not record anyone under 18.
Tell people, and ask
Scribe makes sure everyone in the room knows they are being recorded:
- Ask first. Before you start, tell the people with you that you would like to record the discussion, and why. When everyone has agreed, tick Everyone here has agreed to be recorded. Scribe will not start without it.
- The announcement. When you press Start, the phone plays a short announcement out loud: “This conversation is about to be recorded, transcribed and summarised by AI. If you’d rather it wasn’t, please say so now.” Recording begins when it finishes, and the transcript notes that it was played. This announcement is a legal requirement and cannot be skipped.
- If anyone objects, tap Cancel while the announcement plays. Nothing is recorded, kept or charged.
- If someone changes their mind later, choose Stop and discard. The recording is deleted, and nothing is transcribed, charged or added to anyone’s record.
Turn the volume up. The room needs to hear the announcement, so Scribe will not start with the phone’s volume off, and warns you if it is low. This announcement is for your legal protection. Gyms in Ireland have the same announcement in an Irish voice.
Start by introducing the meeting
For the first few seconds of a recording, the page reminds you: Start by introducing the meeting. Say who you are and what the discussion is about, for example “Hi Sam, this is your three-month review.” It helps Scribe work out which voice is yours and which is the member’s, and gives the summary a clear beginning.
While you talk
- Speak normally, one at a time where you can. Short overlaps are fine.
- Pause for interruptions. If someone takes a phone call or a colleague puts their head round the door, press Pause, and Resume when you carry on. Paused time is not recorded or charged.
- Summarise what you agreed before you finish, for example “So we’ve agreed two sessions a week, and I’ll send you the plan.” Scribe picks up the action points from what was said.
Common questions
Can I record on the gym floor?
You can, but we don’t recommend it. Other people’s conversations can be picked up and written into the transcript, and it is rarely private enough for a consultation. It is also a naturally noisy environment, and the transcription quality will be degraded as a result.
Do I need to tell people even though the phone plays an announcement?
Yes. Ask before you start, and tick Everyone here has agreed to be recorded. The announcement makes sure nobody in the room is unaware, and gives anyone the chance to object.
The member said no. What do I do?
Tap Cancel during the announcement, or Stop and discard if recording has begun, and hold the discussion without Scribe. Nothing is kept or charged.
Someone has come along with the member. Can I include them?
Only people on GymOS can be chosen, as members, leads or colleagues. If a partner or friend who is not on GymOS joins in, Scribe does not know to expect their voice, so the transcript may give their words to someone else. Add them as a lead first if they will be part of the discussion. If the member is under 18, do not use Scribe at all.
Can I use my headphones?
No. Scribe always uses the phone’s own microphone and loudspeaker, so that it hears everyone and everyone hears the announcement.