Abstract A magnetic tape playing machine is equipped with electronic means for stopping the tape in response to individual stop signals prerecorded on the tape, and for then restarting the tape after an electronically metered, continuously variable pause time. That time may depend alternatively upon a single manually adjustable control, or upon both the manual control and upon the duration of the preceding ''''play'''' time. A manual ''''start'''' control can override the automatic restart mechanism, providing individually controllable pause times when the automatic control mechanism is switched off. The invention thus permits a student of shorthand to play ''''dictation'''' from a single tape at an effective speed that is continuously variable under his own control from the slowest speeds required by a beginner up to full normal dictation speed.
The method of learning to record dictation by shorthand, comprising providing a magnetic tape having dictation prerecorded thereon at normal dictation speed, playing the tape on a magnetic tape player which drives the tape at substantially normal speed to reproduce the dictation in aUdible form, recording the reproduced dictation by shorthand, and varying the effective speed at which the dictation is reproduced while maintaining normal pronunciation and inflection at all effective dictation speeds, said effective speed variation comprising stopping the player intermittently between syllables of the dictation after playing times of the order of five seconds, causing the player to restart automatically after pause times that are continuously variable between approximately said playing time and substantially zero, and progressively shortening the pause times to increase the effective speed at which the dictation is reproduced in accordance with the increasing skill of the learner.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
143 words
The method of learning to record dictation by shorthand, comprising providing a magnetic tape having dictation prerecorded thereon at normal dictation speed, playing the tape on a magnetic tape player which drives the tape at substantially normal speed to reproduce the dictation in aUdible form, recording the reproduced dictation by shorthand, and varying the effective speed at which the dictation is reproduced while maintaining normal pronunciation and inflection at all effective dictation speeds, said effective speed variation comprising stopping the player intermittently between syllables of the dictation after playing times of the order of five seconds, causing the player to restart automatically after pause times that are continuously variable between approximately said playing time and substantially zero, and progressively shortening the pause times to increase the effective speed at which the dictation is reproduced in accordance with the increasing skill of the learner.