Monday, 27 December 2010

Olympus DM-5 - Morphing from Digital Voice Recorder to Multi Function Device

The latest digital voice recorder from Olympus, the DM-5, has broken free of its voice recorder only genre and moved into a fully functional digital media device. Sure, like all Olympus recorders you get the best audio recording from the built in high quality stereo mics but with its monster 8Gb of internal memory it opens up the DM-5 to alot more uses.

Music player, file storage, image viewer, audio book player, text files proofreader and DAISY consortium file player the Olympus DM-5 breaks the voice recorder mould. With an emphasis on helping the vision impaired Olympus continue to make their devices as user friendly as possible with features like voice menu prompts.

The zoom mic is also a feature of this digital voice recorder, head over to our main blog for an extreme audio demo of the zoom mic in action recording passengers on a speeding train that could not be physically heard.

Compare Olympus DM-450 vs DM-550

If you can have a favourite digital voice recorder then the Olympus DM-450 or DM-550 would have to be it. Packed full of features, looks good, easy to use, superb audio pickup and recording and Mac and Windows compatible you really can't ask for much more.

Easily one of our best selling units the DM-450 and DM-550 can do it all; record meetings, lectures, conferences and for the journalists if you don't have one of these units you are not serious about your sound bites. For the nature lovers, those who like to record bird song or frog call the DM-550 with its linear PCM recording will appeal to you and the creative musicians amongst us the DM-550 will capture every chord in glorious high quality PCM and with adjustable record levels.

So what are the subtle differences between the Olympus DM-450 and DM-550 other than the colour of the shell? Head over to our latest blog post where we review the recorders and showcase their features.

Wednesday, 22 December 2010

Going Digital - Compare The Olympus Dictaphones

Olympus, the leaders in digital voice in Australia and most other parts of the world, have three digital dictaphones in their Pro and advanced range of digital voice recorders. Typically used by single speakers (people who dictate on their own) to record letters, notes etc these are popular in the medical and legal sectors.

Digital dictaphones differ from digital notetakers in that they can stop and start audio, emulating the old style tape recorders - whereas notetakers are designed to record with a defined start and stop, e.g. when recording interviews, meetings, lectures and focus groups.

In the Olympus range are three digital dictaphones - DS-2400, DS-3400 and DS-5000. In our latest blog post we compare these three in detail and explain the differences between each. We also offer some advice for people looking to upgrade from analogue tape dictaphones to digital.

In Australia these digital dictaphones are only available from authorised Olympus Pro dealers, look for this logo when shopping in Australia. Dictate Australia ( www.dictate.com.au ) is an Olympus Gold Pro Dealer.

Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Changing from analogue tape dictaphones to digital - some things you should know

If you have been using a tape dictaphone recorder for a few years, maybe a micro cassette or even a mini cassette the thought of changing and going digital my worry you. After all, the trusty cassette has been around for years why would you ever need to go digital?

Well in our latest blog we look at the top three digital dictaphones from Olympus and some compelling reasons as to why digital is not just better but is way ahead of your trusty tape dictaphone. The fact that analogue tape is being phased out, not just by Olympus but also the other players in the voice market should be reason enough to go digital. Rather than wait until forced to do so when your analogue dictaphone and its moving parts finally give up and can not be replaced.

We look at the full range of professional digital dictaphones from the DS-2400 to the DS-3400 and up to the top of the range DS-5000 and its more secure partner the DS-5000iD. We look at the differences between the three, most people are interested to read that the recording quality is exactly the same with all three recorders, its the features that beef up the recorders as you move up the chain.

Thursday, 4 November 2010

Quick Look At The Dragon Dictation iPhone iPad app

Looking for a way to tweet, email or sms but just using your voice? Well, speech to text is available for the iPhone and iPad thanks to the Nuance Dictation app.

Not only is this a handy little app, I tend to dictate SMS while driving rather than attempt the illegal and type on the phone while driving, it is also an excellent introduction and demonstration of the power of Dragon speech recognition.

No training required, simply select your language from the current choice of five and start dictating. For more info and screen shots check our main blog.

Tuesday, 2 November 2010

Dragon Dictate for Mac - Volume Site Licence Available for Commercial, Government & Academic use in Australia

For the first time voice recognition for the Mac is available to purchase on a site volume licence in Australia. This is great news, especially for the education/academic organisations looking to get a hold of speech recognition. Since MacSpeech has been transformed by the take over from Nuance the Dragon Dictate software continues to move in the right direction and is definitely a viable alternative for Mac users to Dragon NaturallySpeaking in the Windows space.

The minimum purchase for a site licence is only five installs and can be utilised by education, government and commercial users. There is also an option to buy support and maintenance for Dragon Dictate which although is email only is supported at the first level in Australia and backed up by Nuance in the USA.

Thursday, 28 October 2010

Dragon Dictate for Mac - What Microphone Should I Use?

In Australia there are five microphone options for Dragon Dictate, the latest voice recognition software for the Mac by Nuance. In our latest blog post we look at each of the available mics to give the Aussie consumer a clearer picture on what each microphone looks like to help you decide which is best for you.

The range has something for everyone. If you like on the head mics then there are two to choose from, the Plantronics .Audio 610 and the Parrot VXI. If you like bluetooth in the ear then the Plantronics Calisto is the mic for you. Don't need a headset? Then the MicFlex would appeal and finally if you want wireless but don't like in ear then the Revolabs xTag would be your option.

Please head to our main blog for a picture of each and let the speech recognition begin !

Monday, 4 October 2010

The Best Of The Budget Digital Voice Recorders

Often overlooked are the budget voice recorders from the giants of the digital voice world, Olympus and Philips. This dis-service to the cheap recorders I have decided to address by giving them their own blog post. Over at our main blog I take a quick look at the bottom of the range digital voice recorders from Olympus and Philips;

From Philips the LFH0612 & LFH0632

From Olympus the VN-8500PC & VN-8600PC

Although all are bottom dwellers they are all still very good a recording digital audio. Cheap from Olympus and Philips does not mean nasty, it simply means a lack of features. But for the basic voice recording user an over abundance of features may not be required. The four recorders retail in Australia from $99 to $129, record in mp3 or wma and come with 1Gb or 2Gb of memory depending on the model.

Looking for a cheap digital voice recorder, have a read of this first!

Dragon Dictate For Mac - Simply, Speech To Text

On our main blog I have just posted a short video of Dragon Dictate in action. Nothing flash, just the basic voice to text speech recognition that makes this software so useful.

The video shows me talking to my Mac using a Parrot VXI USB noise canceling headset and what I say is transcribed into a Dragon Pad edit session. In the video I just wanted to show that by talking normally, at your usual pace Dragon Dictate can accurately understand what is being said and can transcribe faster than you can type. Perfect for students writing large essays or anyone who needs to type large documents. Click the header link above and see Dragon Dictate in action.

To get accuracy this good I only had to spend around four minutes doing the basic voice training when I first created my voice profile. So setup time is minimal.

Monday, 27 September 2010

How To Convert Tape To Digital Audio Format

Many people still record dictation or interviews/meetings using older style micro cassette or mini cassette dictaphones. However, most transcription typists now use software to playback audio while transcribing. Mainly because digital audio is becoming more popular and also for the simple fact that getting ahold of a tape transcription unit is almost impossible since most of the major dictation companies have discontinued or are phasing out their tape systems.

So what if you receive a tape in the mail and need to transcribe it using your digital transcription kit. Well there are ways to convert analogue (analog) tape to digital, all you need is the recorder which created the tape (so you can playback the audio), a cable to connect the player to your PC or Mac and some free audio editing software.

In our main blog we look at the tools to do this, have some tips on recording and have some suggestions for software to use whether you are a Mac or a PC.

Friday, 24 September 2010

Express Scribe and .ds2 Files Don't Mix - But There Are Ways Around This

Since the launch of the latest professional Olympus digital dictaphones (Ds-2400, DS-3400 and DS-5000) which all record out of the box in .ds2 (DSS Pro) transcribing the default audio files is an issue for many small and micro transcription companies who use free transcription software.

Digital Speech Standard Pro or .ds2 audio files as they are more commonly known is the latest audio file format employed by the big boys in the digital dictation world, namely Olympus and Philips. The DSS standard was created by them along with other players like Grundig as a way to keep audio quality high and at the same time keep audio file sizes small. And what a great job they have done.

For many transcription businesses the popular free transcription software from NCH SwiftSound called Express Scribe is used. This is excellent software and a real bargain for free, but it currently can not playback .ds2 files and nor is it likely to in the near future. The reason is not because NCH can't be bothered to support the format, the reason is because there is a cost involved. DSS Pro is proprietary software meaning Olympus and Philips own the rights to the codec for the audio.

There are of course ways to convert .ds2 audio files to older and open audio formats to enable files to be loaded into and played by Express Scribe. However if you are serious about your transcription business you should consider investing in software from Olympus or Philips. It does not necessarily have to be their transcription kits either. In our main blog we look at the options available for users from both the Mac and Windows sides of the fence on how to transcribe .ds2 audio files.

Tuesday, 21 September 2010

MacSpeech Dictate becomes Dragon Dictate 2.0

Something we have been hard at work on in the Dictate Australia office over the last few weeks has been testing the beta for the latest product from Nuance, new owners of MacSpeech, Dragon Dictate.

Now we can finally dare to mention the words Dragon Dictate as Nuance officially launch the new name for MacSpeech Dictate and start to ram home the Nuance look and feel on this voice recognition software for Intel Mac.

The Nuance influence is not just seen on the new box design which now makes Dictate look like the Windows Dragon NaturallySpeaking range but also in the flood of features and enhancements built into this latest and greatest version of the software.

Upgrades are available for all owners of MacSpeech Dictate from version 1.0 upto the last release version 1.5.9. If you tried MacSpeech Dictate at version 1.0 and gave up you really should take the plunge again and take up Nuance's generous upgrade offer.

Upgrades from MacSpeech Dictate and the full edition are available in Australia now as a download. Boxed copies will be here in October and pre-orders are being taken now through the MacSpeech Australia website.

For a full run down of upgrade options and some insight into whats new click through to our main blog.

Monday, 13 September 2010

Dictate Australia Become Windows & Mac Voice Recognition Experts

Listen, listen carefully ... in the distance you might be able to catch the sound of trumpets !! That's us, Dictate Australia, blowing our own trumpets as we have proudly just become Certified Dragon NaturallySpeaking Certified Gold Resellers .. not silver or bronze - GOLD resellers.

Apologies for the excitement but we are quite proud. To become a Gold reseller we work closely with Nuance Australia and have to study and sit exams. This study gives us an insight into all aspects of Dragon NaturallySpeaking and gives us the skills to advise our customers of the best Dragon package or setup to suit their needs.

We are also claiming expertise in the Mac side of the voice recognition fence. We claim this title as we have been advocates for MacSpeech Dictate since day one. We were on board with version 1.0 in Australia and have followed the success of MacSPeech Dictate up to where it is today, sitting at version 1.5 with alot more goodies to come in the near future. How do we know that for sure? Well we are beta testers for MacSpeech Dictate so we can see into the future and the future is good.

If you have been considering a voice or speech recognition solution for your Windows or Mac platform please get in touch. There is no hard sell here, we will tell you what we know and will advise you on what we think is best for you.

Monday, 6 September 2010

New Olympus DM-5 Digital Voice Recorder Arrives In Australia

Just perfectly timed by Olympus Imaging in Australia, the voice recorder every person who records interviews, meetings, focus groups, conferences or lecture speakers will be placing top of their Christmas list has just arrived in Australia, the new Olympus DM-5.

Why top of the Christmas list? This little recorder screams "features" louder than any other recorder in its class and like most recorders in the Olympus digital notetaker range is faster than ever leaving the competition behind. Have a look at the feature list for the DM-5:
  • Record in .mp3, .wma or PCM .wav
  • 8Gb of in-built memory
  • MicroSD card for explanded memory (how much memory do you need?)
  • Voice activated recording
  • 8Gb of memory, that's massive
  • Mac & Windows compatible
  • Daisy 2 compatible (audio books)
  • Audible.com compatible (audio books)
  • 8Gb of memory, I just can't believe that
  • Voice guidance - talks you through menu options
  • Rechargeable batteries which last for 29 hours
  • Can be powered by USB or mains power
  • Comes with Olympus Sonority sound editing software for Mac & Windows
  • Massive 2.2 inch colour screen
  • And more, and more, and more

You may have noticed that I mentioned 8Gb of memory. That is way way more memory than would be required to record voice alone, even if you went away from civilisation for a month. Your digital voice recorder is now starting to also become your USB backup drive, your memory stick for your documents, notes, photos and movies and your device for audio book or music playback.

Something Olympus has been proud of over the last few years is the work they are doing to help vision impaired people. We have seen recorders for a while from Olympus with clearly defined by touch keys and more recently in the DM-450/DM-550 voice guidance. The DM-5 continues this path with all those features plus now also voice activation and selected voice commands. Daisy support is also included for a wider range of audio books which are Daisy compatible.

Available in Australia this week, the Olympus DM-5 will RRP for $599 incl. GST and as always is available from Dictate Australia - Olympus Gold Partner

Friday, 3 September 2010

New Olympus Voice Recorders For September - WS-650S, WS-750M, WS-760M & DM-5

The Olympus ride continues with yet another spate of new voice recorders about to hit Australia. This time the WS gets another revamp and the DM series adds another friend. Say g'day to the WS-650S, WS-750M, WS-760M and the DM-5.

In the WS series we see these small super high quality recorders just get better and better. Audio recording quality was already stunning, the new recorders sport a new stereo mic location on the unit for even better audio pickup, yet more memory, high quality linear PCM recording and FM radio and FM radio recording. Also being added are micro SD slots for even more storage, if you need it.

As memory gets cheaper we are seeing the continued trend of throwing more into your digital voice recorder. This is not really required for recording voice but starts the transform the recorder into a multi use device by adding music/podcast/audio book playback and of course a USB mass storage device. With the additional space linear PCM recording which produces large size fbut very high quality .wav files is becoming more common.

Briefly:
  • WS-650S - 2Gb, no micro SD, no FM radio, no PCM, .mp3 & .wma recording - replaces WS-450S
  • WS-750M - 4Gb, micro SD, no FM radio, linear PCM recording, .mp3 & .wma recording, music/podcast/audio book playback - replaces WS-550M
  • WS-760M - 8Gb, micro SD, FM radio, linear PCM recording, .mp3 & .wma recording, music/podcast/audio book playback - replaces WS-560M
RRPs:
  • WS-650S - $169 incl. GST
  • WS-750M - $229 incl. GST
  • WS-760M - $269 incl. GST

All recorders should be widely available towards the end of September or early October 2010.

More information on the DM-5 to follow shortly.

Sunday, 8 August 2010

Multiple Match Text Editing & Formatting - New In Dragon Naturally Speaking 11

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 which is due to hit Australia in late August, early September 2010 is bristling with new features, enhancements and tweaks here and there to make us even more warm and fuzzy than we are already. Personally, I still quite can't believe that I am talking to a computer and it knows every word I am saying and I have been doing this for a few years.

One really neat feature in Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 is the multi match text. In this version when you select a word for editing or formatting, if multiple words match your selection they are each given a number. You can then select the text you want to edit or format by its number. Single entries can be changed this way or all entries. This is a much quicker way of selecting text for editing and formatting than older versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

Follow the main link for a screen shoot of the multiple text numbering from Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 and a video demo from Nuance.

Monday, 2 August 2010

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 - The Latest & Greatest From Nuance

In a press conference out of Nuance in Burlington Mass. a couple of days ago Nuance announced the arrival of NaturallySpeaking version 11. With speed and accuracy improvements comes a revamped UI with an emphasis on ease of use and compatibility with Microsoft Office 2010.

The product family names have also been changed slightly to protect the innocent. Gone is the Standard edition, now called Home. Gone is the Preferred edition, now called Premium. The Professional edition retains its name.

The Premium edition will come in three types; standard, wireless and mobile. The wireless edition includes a nice Plantronics Bluetooth headset for those who like to walk around while dictating. The mobile edition will include a Philips voice recorder for those who like to record themselves while out and about.

DNS11 is expected in Australia towards the end of August or early September.

Bargain Price Digital Voice Recorders And Dictaphones At The Dictate Australia eBay Store

Some news for all Australian bargain hunters. We have just created an eBay store to fill with bargains. These will be ex-demo recorders which we have used, tested and evaluated in the office. Also listed will be recorders which are brand new but have been discontinued or superseded by newer models and the occasional new current range recorders at bargain prices.

This is a way for us to clear our desks of demo recorders and bring a smile to the Australian public who crave a digital voice recorder bargain ;-)

Monday, 21 June 2010

Olympus WS-550M Discontinued In Australia

This month Olympus Imaging in Australia, the distributor for Olympus Voice products, discontinued the WS-550M digital notetaker. Also on the list to be removed from service are the two remaining PC connectable VN series recorders, the VN-5500PC and the VN-6800PC.

Sad to see the WS-550M go, it was a popular recorder sitting nicely between the 1Gb WS-450S and the 4GB WS-560M recorders.

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Olympus To Discontinue Analogue Microcassette Recorders In Australia

In an announcement from Olympus Australia today the old style analogue microcassette recorders are being given the flick and have been declared end of life and will be discontinued when all remaining stock has gone. Also scrapped from the product lists are the packs of 60 minute microcassettes themselves. So those rare people still using analogue dictaphones will soon have to hunt high and low for replacement tapes or they can just do the right thing and move to a digital voice recorder.

Sunday, 14 February 2010

How To: Convert .ds2 .dss Files Using DSS Player Pro Version 7 Plus To AIF For MacSpeech Scribe

Now that MacSpeech Scribe is available, a select few will have the luxury of owning a Professional digital dictaphone like the Olympus DS-3400 or DS-5000. Both these digital voice recorders are certified to be used with MacSpeech Scribe. Both recorders are supplied with DSS Player Version 7 Plus for Mac.

The software can be used to convert audio recorded in .ds2 (DSS Pro) audio format to AIFF ready to load into MacSpeech Scribe. Click here for our main blog site explaining how to do the file conversion.

MacSpeech Scribe - The Missing Link For Voice Recognition On Intel Mac

For any Apple fan the annual MacWorld expo is always an interesting time of year with new gadgets and gizmos shown to the world to make our Mac, iPhone, iPod (and next year iPad) experience better than it already is.

This year the 2010 expo has significance for the digital voice world with MacSpeech launching their new software product MacSpeech Scribe, which for the first time, lets Mac users (with Snow Leopard) record their voice into a certified digital voice recorder for later playback into MacSpeech Scribe which will then transcribe the audio for you.

Using the Dragon voice recognition technology already in action in their MacSpeech Dictate product, MacSpeech Scribe accurately and very quickly transcribes single speaker audio.

More on our main blog site : idictate.com.au