Forensic Audio Transcription A Powerful Exhibit in Court
Through forensic audio enhancement services, the quality of a call recording can be enhanced manifold. The process eliminates unwanted sound and preserves the voice of the speaker crisply. The aim is to reduce or eliminate unwanted background sounds such as static, HVAC fans, or other disturbing noises to make the conversation crystal clear while recording. This process cannot be performed by laymen as it requires the expertise of forensic personnel. The audio enhancement exhibits the conversation as it occurred, sometimes without clarifying the dialogue. The only procedure is to analyze the recording in a forensic lab.
Analog recording
A voice recording could be analogue or digital, in previous the voice was recorded in a device such as a tape recorder which could be old and has lost audio clarity. Many types of unwanted noises could be present in the recording, like the hissing sound of the tape and another background sound; the typical shelf life of such a recording is twenty-five years. After that, the sound quality becomes poor and muffled. When forensic audio enhancement experts analyze analogue voice recording primary objective is to restore the muffled or lost required soundtrack of the conversation. The second step is to convert the analogue setting into digital format without tampering with the evidence in a scientific manner that would be accepted in a court.
Digital recordings
Digital recordings are encrypted in digital devices captured in hard disks or removable storage devices like SD cards. In this situation, theaudio enhancement service eliminates any redundant noises from the track and creates precise copies of the recording for their own analysis and another for the court that would be submitted as maintainable evidence. The experts can successfully enhance the audio quality of poor recordings that can be used as evidence in court proceedings. Audio enhancement has two aspects one recreational other is for legal purposes. When it is done for legal application, the process is known as a forensic audio enhancement. The process is performed in a sanitary environment to keep it as acceptable evidence in the court.
Forensic transcript
State-of-the-art software is used to enhance the quality of the recorded conversation; extreme caution is required to maintain a chain of custody. The process requires specific expertise where audio enhancement and chain of custody are both established. A forensic transcript is also created when necessary and signed and certified by a legitimate forensic expert. The forensic transcript, along with the enhanced audio tape, is more impactful as evidence than a sole audio recording. In the forensic audio transcript, detailed scientific observation of the speech under clinical surroundings is articulated. In the transcript, the expert analyzes the words in layers incorporating various filters and processes. Often syllables and formats of words are analyzed in a spectrogram that displays the visual format of words.
The Testimony
The court may not comprehend what kind of enhancement technique was applied to improve the audio exhibit. The testimony of the forensic expert, along with the audio/video exhibits, transcript and other opinions of the experts, establish the authenticity of the exhibit. The exhibits become more acceptable in court when coupled with transcription and testimony of forensic experts.