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Project Ripon

Native US English Pair Recording Guide

This project is for native US English speakers who can record high-quality pair conversations in a quiet environment. Complete each section below to unlock the signup form.

10-30h Per pair set
17th March Deadline
$20 Per person/hour
1
Requirements — Who Can Join

Confirm you meet each requirement by checking the boxes below.

  • Native US English speaker — You must have learned English as a young child as your native language in the United States.
  • Recording partner available — Both people must be native US English speakers. (We can match you with a partner if needed.)
  • English only — All recording must be conducted entirely in English.
  • Wired headphones required — Both people must use wired headphones or a wired headset while recording. No wireless devices.
2
Time Commitment & Payment

Deadline

14 days from when you start. Record consistently across the period — don’t leave it to the last few days.

Payment Schedule

Paid every 2nd Thursday. Invoice by Tuesday to be paid that week. Only QA-approved hours are paid.

Payment Breakdown

Rate: $20 per person per hour$40 per pair per hour

Hours Per Person Per Pair
10h$200$400
15h$300$600
20h$400$800
25h$500$1,000
30h$600$1,200
First payout: Tuesday 18th March, for work completed by end of day Sunday 16th March.

Payment methods: ACH / Wire / SWIFT, SEPA, UK transfer, PayPal

3
Choose Your Recording Setup

Select your recording method below. Your personalized setup guide will appear automatically.

Laptop Built-in Mic

Easiest for most · 5–10 min setup

Recommended

Computer + External Mic

Best quality · 5–15 min setup

Computer + Phone as Mic

Good backup · 15–25 min setup

Phone Only

Hardest to get right

Last Resort

Setup Guide: Laptop Built-in Mic

Easiest for most 5–10 min setup

Simplest option if you have a laptop with a good built-in mic (e.g. all M1+ MacBooks).

  • Keep the room fully quiet and sit close enough to the laptop for clear speech
  • Disable any voice isolation, background filtering, or aggressive enhancement if possible
  • Use wired headphones or a wired headset for your partner’s audio
  • Do not use wireless headphones or headsets

Setup Guide: Computer + External Mic

Best quality 5–15 min setup

Best option if you already have a USB microphone. Use a quiet room and wired headphones.

  • Use a good external mic such as a small USB condenser mic
  • Disable all noise cancellation, voice isolation, directed mic modes, and similar processing — record in the most raw/unprocessed mode possible
  • Use wired headphones or a wired headset for your partner’s audio
  • Do not use wireless audio devices while recording

Setup Guide: Computer + Phone as Mic

Good backup 15–25 min setup

Use your phone as the microphone for your computer. Takes more setup but works well once tested.

  • Android + Windows/Mac: use AudioRelay to send your phone mic to your computer
  • Mac + iPhone: use iPhone Continuity Camera mic on newer MacBooks (no extra app needed)
  • Mac users with AudioRelay: also install BlackHole 2ch as virtual mic
  • Windows users do not need a separate virtual mic — AudioRelay includes one
  • Install the Android Caffeine app so the phone doesn’t sleep and disconnect the mic
  • Use wired headphones or a wired headset for your partner’s audio

Setup Guide: Phone Only

Last resort Hardest to get right

Hardest option — phones often force noise cancellation and audio processing. Only use if other options aren’t possible.

  • You still need wired headphones or a wired headset
  • Put the phone in 100% silent mode — no sounds, no vibration, no notifications
  • Place the phone flat on a table and do not touch it during recording
  • Make sure there is zero background noise
  • Do a 1-minute test and get it approved before starting real recordings
4
What & How to Record

What to Record

10-30 hours of free conversation. Talk about everyday topics, stories, opinions, hobbies, news, and more. Each recording should cover a different topic and ideally last 20–60 minutes.

No scripts. You can use topic prompts or bullet points, but speak naturally. Do not read from a script.

Balance: Speaking time should be roughly 50/50. Monologue-style recordings may fail QA.

Recording Conditions

Record in a completely quiet room. No background noise, no other people nearby, no traffic/fans/AC, no animals. If using a phone as mic, put it in 100% silent mode.

Audio Rules

Wired headphones required. No wireless devices. If you hear echo, looped audio, or background voices — stop and fix before continuing.

Metadata Fields

Fill these in each time you start a recording:

CountryUS
RegionWhere you grew up (reflects your accent)
Device“Laptop” for all setups except phone only
LanguageEnglish
EnvironmentQuiet
TopicWhat the recording is about
5
Before You Start Recording

Follow these steps in order after signing up:

  • 1
    Fill out the sign up formComplete the form below so we can review your details and follow up.
  • 2
    Wait for confirmationWe’ll guide you on project assignment, setup, and next steps.
  • 3
    Set up your recording methodFollow the setup guide for your chosen method.
  • 4
    Do a 1-minute testRecord a short test conversation. Send to Spire Light for approval before starting.
Sign Up Form

Complete all sections to unlock

Please read through and confirm each section above before signing up.

Fill out this form to join. We’ll review your info and follow up by email. No partner yet? That’s fine — we can try to match you with one.

Important: If someone gave you a referral code, enter it here. This determines which team manager will guide you through the project.

Select your country code, then enter your phone number.

You can always request more hours later once you get started.

Check your email and spam folder after submitting.
Thank you — we’ve received your sign up! Check your email (and spam/junk) for next steps.
Something went wrong. Please try again, or contact Spire Light on WhatsApp at +45 21987747.