When agencies need to record an interview for court-admissible evidence, they know that their setup has to be perfect. You only get one chance to record these videos. If the recording equipment isn’t right, then you might be missing crucial evidence for their case.
Law enforcement agencies, child advocacy groups, SANE facilities, and other professionals all rely on audio video recording equipment to help ensure that justice is upheld. Let’s review the basic features.
Interview Room Recording Basics
The foundation for your interview room record equipment can typically be broken into three parts. It starts with your cameras first. Working with IP cameras is important because they allow you to connect with your site’s computer network and transfer data. Additionally, you should only be looking at cameras with high resolution. Your image quality needs to support high definition.
It’s also important to note that you can incorporate a second camera in your room. Depending on your site, you may want covert camera options, too. This is especially common for child advocacy centers. It can be challenging to get the testimonials you need when your interview subjects are distracted by a camera. Utilizing a covert camera setup can often help make the situation more comfortable to get the video you need.
The second set of recording equipment relates to your audio needs. Your environment should allow you to record clear dialogue. Room echo elimination is key. If you don’t already have a system in place to help with these background noises, it’s a good idea to put this on your to-do list. After that, you’ll need omni-directional microphones. These are the best for capturing voice and tone, which will be invaluable for your interview evidence.
Finally, you’ll need to confirm that your recording equipment is aligned with a protocol for security. You can’t risk having your interviews tampered with or distributed without a predetermined authorization process. Any hardware you choose to use for your cameras and microphones needs to be backed up with a protected system for accessing your interviews, making redactions, and storing the original files with interdepartmental security.
A Custom Onsite Setup
Of course, you also have to make sure your cameras and microphones are in the best positions for your room and interview process. Agencies have to remember that it isn’t enough to have the right hardware. You have to have a custom solution because every room is different. The size of your space, whatever soundproofing you have installed, the furniture, and the location of your door all affect where you can have your cameras set up. That’s why you want to have an experienced team help with installing your recording equipment.
Getting the right angles for your cameras will help you give the court more accurate evidence. Facial expressions add so much to a testimony or interview, and you want to be sure you’re presenting every detail as accurately as possible. It’s the same with your microphones. If the dialogue isn’t clear, then you aren’t presenting reliable evidence to the court. Even with the right microphones for your setup, having them placed too close or too far away from your subject can completely ruin your recording.
Partnering with iRecord
Our team at iRecord is proud to serve the agencies that serve and protect our communities. We have proven best practices for getting interview rooms set up efficiently, and we’re always happy to consult on new projects with our iRecord Universe solution. By creating a custom configuration for your space, we can help you record accurate evidence for every interview.
What concerns do you have with your current setup? Once we learn a little more about your work and site, we can probably recommend a long-term solution. Please send us a message to learn more about our process.