Goodbye WS-320M - G'day WS-331M

News of another sudden demise of an old favourite Olympus digital voice recorder, the WS-320M has suddenly been dropped from the Olympus stable here in Australia and New Zealand. The WS-320M was a very popular model with our clients at www.dictate.com.au - I think because of the stunning piano black look it made for a very cool voice recorder and MP3 player.

However, as usual with Olympus they have gone one better. Meet the new WS-331M and is is the trend it has gone big on the the memory. This beauty has a huge 2Gb of internal memory which holds alot of MP3's or WMA's to play on the go. As well as being able to store up to a staggering 555 hours of recording (in LP mode). This really is an awesome little recorder. Powered by a single AAA battery which can power the unit for up to 21 hours.

Here is a summary of the features of the new WS-331M - available in Australia and New Zealand from late June 2007. Get yours from Dictate Australia - www.dictate.com.au Free advice, fast delivery.

- Built-in stereo microphone.
- The unique "USB Direct" design means you can connect it right to the USB port on your computer and download or transfer audio, music, photos and more.
555 hours of recording time in LP mode or 500 songs (4 minutes with 128kbps per song).
- Records in popular Windows Media Audio (WMA) format.
- Backlight Full-Dot LCD.
- 2GB of internal flash memory.
- USB mass storage class means the WS-331M can store documents, images, audio and more.
- Play recordings in Fast and Slow Playback mode - 50 percent faster or 50 percent slower than real time.
- Choose between six recording modes. Three Stereo modes including STXQ, STHQ and STSP, or three monaural modes including HQ, LP and SP for extended recording times.
- Organize up to 200 files in each of five available folders for quick retrieval and storage convenience.
- The Low Cut Filter minimizes air conditioner noise and other similar noises while recording.
- Noise Cancel function and a Voice Filter function cut noise and enable clear audio playback.
- This recorder is compatible with USB 2.0, enabling fast data transfer.
- Use the Voice Activation mode and record sound, via the built-in microphone, without ever lifting a finger.
- Set a portion of an audio file to play on a repeat basis with the Repeat Playback option.
- Lock files to remove any chance of files being accidentally erased.
- Index mark and temp mark features allow you to quickly find desired locations.
- Erase single or multiple files at once.
- Adjust the microphone sensitivity to meet your specific needs.
- Up to 21 hours of continuous operation is achieved with only one AAA battery.
- Supports music files in MP3 and WMA.
- WOW XT (tm) audio technology provides rich bass and 3-dimensional stereo sound during music playback.
- Use the Equalizer Setting to enjoy your favorite types of music with the best possible sound.
- Choose between Random and Repeat playback modes.

Thought About Outsourcing Your Transcription ?

Now that you have a shiny new digital voice recorder what are you going to do with the audio? Will you pass it on to your overworked secretary to type up when she has time or even try and type it yourself?

Why not outsource your transcription work to the experts, The Transcription People.

Located in Australia they have a large team of transcriptionists experienced in all aspects of transcription: legal, medical and general.

The Transcription People service clients from all over the world and provide a fast, accurate and secure transcription service.

Is your audio confidential? Not a problem, their online secure file server encrypts the audio as it is transferred via your web browser to their secure server. All the team have signed and adhere to a strict confidentiality agreement. The Transcription People will even sign an agreement with you to ensure your audio is kept secure.

Having a large team of typists the audio can be turned around very quickly. All transcription is proof read by a second set of eyes which ensures consistency with formatting and accuracy. All transcription is performed onshore within Australia.

So why not give your secretary a break and speak to the The Transcription People for all your outsourced transcription needs.

Conference Kit Launched By Olympus

Excellent audio coverage, clarity and portability. Olympus have engineered and designed their very own 2-channel Professional Microphone Kit the ME-30W. The kit is designed to work with the newly released digital conference recorders – the DS-50, DS-40, and DS-30 digital voice recorders.

The conference kit consists of:

• 2x Omnidirectional microphones (two right and left channel Omnidirectional microphones.)
• 2x Tripods
• Adapter (PA8)
• Cables for each microphone (total length, 16 feet)
• Carrying case

The compatible digital recorders are sold separately. The DS-50, DS-40, and DS-30 are the same stereo conference recorder with different levels of storage capacity.

Now you can relax in the knowledge that your boardroom meeting or town hall meeting audio can be fully recorder using this long awaited kit.

Available in Australia and New Zealand from Dictate Australia - www.dictate.com.au