Hi everyone,

I have a very specific need and would very much appreciate your help or comments, in fact anything that could help. Do you happen to know about any recording software that will allow me to record a continuous stream of sound (speech to be exact) and automatically chop it up in say 5 minute pieces WHILE still continuing the actual recording?

To be more specific, here's the case: I need to be able to transcribe a 3 hours long, 8 persons wide conversation, LIVE (on the fly).

Now, in order to do a normal transcription job, the company I work for uses a special Australian program, that enables you to load files (saved sound data) and play them back for the person doing the transcribing, aiding them with providing special functions, like permitting the user to rewind 2 seconds back, playback at differnet speeds, speed up slow speech and so on.

My problem is that this special software works only with already saved sound files, like the ones you would hand out to your secretary for transcription.

My need is something that would permit a way of time shift recording for me... like the TIVO does for TV, but for sound...

I want to begin recording the LIVE conversation, and let my transcriber begin work 3 minutes later. If I could find a software that could record the live speech and constantly churn out say 5 minute sound files while still recording, I imagine I would be set.

My idea is that my transcriber (using her preferred aforementioned special playback program) begins work at 0:03:00 (h:mm:ss) conversation time, and by the time she finishes transcribing the first 5 minute chunk, the program has already produced some more 5 minute files, she loads them up, works on them and so on. Her typing is way slower than the panel's speech rate, but while the panel of participants takes a break, or speak in a slow rhythm, or draws charts on a screen, she can use their idle time and continue working at the same speed and "catch up" with them, ultimately being able to produce a full word-for-word transcription, within a 30 minute period after the end of their session. This is our goal.

I searched the net for something that can do this, the only application I read that can do it is a program called Total Recorder. I have had no time to try it yet and need to keep my options open.

I can clarify more if needed, please reply with whatever you think can help.