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Prayer is the starting point for all of our processes.
We always pray that God would work through our recordings to bring people from all nations to know his Son Jesus.
The first step in producing a recording is identifying the need for one.
The recording process takes a long time and valuable resources, so we have to ensure before we press ‘record’ that the end result will be effective in communicating the Gospel to the people group in need.
There are a number of ways that we can identify this need, including (but not limited to):
Research reveals a language group that needs the Gospel
A ministry partner requests a recording
A ministry partner informs GRN of a language group in need
Research reveals a language group that needs the Gospel
A ministry partner requests a recording
A ministry partner informs GRN of a language group in need
Once we’ve identified the need for a new recording, the next step is vital – research.
GRN delves into research on people groups and their languages to ensure that the recordings we produce will meet the needs of those particular people – to clearly communicate the Gospel in a way that is most meaningful to them. This can be tricky; there is no ‘standard’ approach that will be effective in reaching all different groups.
The peoples’ beliefs, fears, customs and ways of communicating must be understood before appropriate recordings can be made for them.
Some of the questions we ask might be:
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What is the language we are working with? Does it have any alternate names?
What is the relationship of the language with other languages in the same area?
What kinds of beliefs do the people have?
What sorts of tools can we access that’ll help us understand these people better?
GRN uses a number of different tools to conduct research, such as our language database, the SIL Ethnologue, books, research papers, videos, cultural experts, linguists, language tracking tools, and ministry partners.
Ministry partners are missionaries and gospel workers that are out in the field and already know the people, language and culture of those we seek to make recordings for. They are most likely to know what will work and what will not.
Some of our Australian ministry partners include (but are definitely not limited to):
Research of a people group or language is only helpful if it accurately reflects the on-the-ground situation.
GRN Recordists will travel to the location to verify their initial language research, to add to it, and to get a better understanding of what it will be like to record in the area.
They also will get a chance to meet locals, and possibly even find language helpers.
Once on location, a very important step is to find language helpers. Language helpers assist in the translation of the material being recorded, and also speak for the recordings.
Ideal language helpers are men and women (if it’s culturally appropriate) who know and love Jesus, are respected in the community, and are skilled storytellers.
We connect with language helpers mostly through ministry partners and local churches.
After researching, meeting, and experiencing the culture and language of the people, the recordist should have some insight into what the needs of the people group may be. The next step is to procure scripts from which to record.
The best script will be one that addresses the needs of the language group, that is culturally relevant and Biblically accurate.
Ministry partners can give vital input in this step, and along with language helpers can assist in script translation from one of our pre-written scripts.
Click on the button below to find out more about the different scripts we might record
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Now that the GRN recordist knows who and what they will record, they must now decide where they will do the recording.
Recordists look for a quiet place with reasonable acoustics to record. The location must also be in a safe place that’s unlikely to be interrupted.
Here are several factors GRN recordists consider when looking for a location:
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Finding a location that fits everyone is important
Often the acoustics of the location can be improved by placing common objects against the walls to absorb noise (blankets, mattresses, etc.)
Sometimes in remote locations recording outside works well – provided it’s not too windy
Noisy traffic is a common obstacle to a good recording
With a recording location found, the equipment can then be set up.
To produce high-quality recordings in remote locations, GRN recordists are equipped with a robust and professional kit. The equipment must endure the rough trek out to the location and still produce crisp and natural recordings.
Below are some items included in the standard recording kit:
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GRN mostly uses the Sennheiser MD421-II
GRN mostly uses the Sound Devices MixPre3-II
GRN mostly uses Sennheiser HD25-1 II Headphones
Once everything is ready to go, the recording itself can begin.
The recordist must:
Keep the speaker comfortable
Monitor audio levels
Take notes
Listen for mistakes
Listen for background noises
Manage helper expectations
Document important information
Maintain consistent recordings
There is a lot to do at once! Often, recordings can take quite some time.
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Recordists use professional sound editing software to edit the recordings. They remove unnecessary noise, stammers and overly long pauses.
They will do everything they can to get the recording to sound natural without over-editing.
Recordists use professional sound editing software to edit the recordings. They remove unnecessary noise, stammers and overly long pauses.
They will do everything they can to get the recording to sound natural without over-editing.
The recordist will organise all of their recorded tracks into one collection, sometimes adding sound effects, music, and other audio if required.
We call this collection of audio pieces a ‘program’. Each program is assigned a program number to easily identify it amongst the thousands of programs GRN has recorded over the years.
Here is the first track in one of our programs:
‘The Good News’ in the language of Tsumkwe Ju/’hoansi in Namibia
As you might be able to hear, there is a cultural instrument sound effect in the middle of the recording.
Checking our edited programs before making them public is important, because the recordist can’t speak the recorded language!
“That doesn’t
sound right!”
We can’t actually understand what is being said on the recording, so we have to check with the native speakers to see that the content is what we think it is.
“His accent
is difficult…”
The recordist will play the recordings back to speakers of the language and gather feedback. They will attempt to ensure that the recording is correct and its meaning is understood by those hearing it. This may mean going back to editing or recording if required.
“I understand
it!”
They will also ask Ministry partners for feedback on the recordings and try to implement suggestions wherever practicable.
“Could you
change this?”
Once the recording has been checked, it’s uploaded into our audio database along with language data and other related information.
The recording is done! Now it’s time to get it out to the people that need it…
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Now that the recordings are checked and completed, we can follow up with the people group to give them the recordings.
Most commonly this means returning to the location and handing out the recordings alongside other resources, or showing them how they might access the recordings online.
5fish is our app where anyone anywhere can access all of our recordings.
Even in some of the most remote locations in the world, smart phones are becoming more and more common – and so far we’ve found 5fish to be very effective!
At the end of the recording process, GRN always looks to evaluate the effectiveness of it’s work.
Are people using the recordings?
Where are the recordings being used?
Should we do more recording in this language?
GRN tracks the usage of our online resources, as well as how many players or physical media we have sent out.
We also compile feedback from ministry partners and listeners of our recordings.
You can find a selection of these below:
Looking for something on our old website? Try an archival search.
