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Portable Dictation Device (Recorder) Overview
Are you interested
in being able to dictate into a digital recorder for later transcription by
your NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software?
With portable dictation devices
such as digital recorders,
voice recognition users can dictate into the recorder wherever they
are, even if there is not a PC or a transcriptionist nearby. These
digital recorders record the dictation onto either a removable digital media
or directly into the recorder's recording capacity. The dictation on
digital recorder can be transcribed later using Dragon NaturallySpeaking®
speech recognition software.
Many professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and others
already speak their dictation into hand-held dictation devices. They often
have to wait days for an administrative assistant or transcriptionist to
create the document. Now, they can use an ordinary office PC to quickly,
easily and inexpensively transcribe their dictation...
Read on for a
discussion of recorder user workflow and key features/differentiators of
recorders OR JUMP TO BRANDS AVAILABLE.
Interested in Olympus Digital Dictation Products?
Click here for our Olympus
page!
What is the
workflow for voice recognition users who dictate into recorders?
A dictator’s process for dictating can remain basically unchanged.
THAT IS... If the dictator currently dictates clearly, enunciates
well, says punctuation and holds the recorder at a uniform distance from
their mouth.
What will be
different is what happens after the dictator has performed their dictation.
The dictation on an approved recorder can be copied/moved to a PC and then
transcribed by the NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software.
The dictator
themselves or
the dictator's assistant (called an "Editor" or "Correctionist") will then proofread the already transcribed dictation and make
corrections if there was a recognition error by the software. The
editor/correctionist will continue with any other checks and
corrections and finalize the dictation.
Basic Transcription Process when
using a recorder with NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software
What is the
basic process when using a recorder with NaturallySpeaking speech
recognition software?
The following
comments are written referring to a "DICTATOR" and an "EDITOR" who is the
DICTATOR's "support person". NOTE: The
DICTATOR can be his/her own EDITOR. The separation shows what tasks
can be handled be someone other than the dictator in case
two (or more) separate people are involved.
INITIAL PROCESS/SET-UP for using your digital
recorder with NaturallySpeaking
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Software will, of course, need
to be loaded by the EDITOR.
The NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software will need to be loaded
and the software that came with your recorder will need to be loaded.
You will want to check for and download service packs. (NOTES:
For some recorders, you must load the software BEFORE plugging in the
recorder or the recorder will fail to work. Also, for some
recorders, the software will fail to work properly without the service
pack(s).) |
| The EDITOR will need to get familiar with the
NaturallySpeaking software and the recorder software as well as the
process of memory chip management and/or connecting and uploading the
audio off the recorder. |
| The DICTATOR will need to get familiar with the
recorder's features -- how to record/play/etc. as well as recorder
fidelity settings for maximum accuracy. Depending on the planned
workflow, the DICTATOR may need to learn the process of memory chip
management and/or connecting and uploading the audio off the recorder. |
| The NaturallySpeaking user profile for the dictator
will need to be created.
 | The DICTATOR will read a NaturallySpeaking training
script into the recorder. (The EDITOR either printed or cues up
the training script on the monitor for the dictator.) |
| The EDITOR (who knows the NaturallySpeaking
product) will set up the user's speech file by stepping through the
new user (or new input source) process of the NaturallySpeaking
product. |
| NOTE: If the DICTATOR can/will not read a training
script, there is a way to customize the training script. Someone
would have to hand-type/transcribe at least 20 minutes of the DICTATOR's
work and then go into the NaturallySpeaking product to put that text
in as a training text. Then the user's speech file would be set up by
playing that transcription against the hand-transcribed text. This is
an undocumented, unsupported, advanced tweak that exists in the
NaturallySpeaking product, so it would be best to ask the DICTATOR to
read one of the provided training texts or contact us for consulting. |
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| To make NaturallySpeaking recognize better, the
DICTATOR and/or EDITOR would want to tweak the DICTATOR's vocabulary
using the various NaturallySpeaking vocabulary tools -- adding terms,
acronyms, etc. |
ONGOING PROCESS for using your digital recorder
with NaturallySpeaking
| The DICTATOR will dictate -- remembering to speak
clearly, speak allowed commands, say punctuation (unless it is agreed
that the NaturallySpeaking autopunctuation mode will be used), etc.
Then the DICTATOR will follow the agreed upon workflow for how to handle
the dictated audio -- whether it involves memory chip management and/or
connecting and uploading the audio off the recorder. |
| The EDITOR will also follow the agreed upon workflow
for how to handle the dictated audio -- whether it involves memory chip
management and/or connecting and uploading the audio off the recorder. |
| The EDITOR will manage launching the
NaturallySpeaking transcription process where the program will listen to and type the
previously dictated audio. The actual process and file type(s) in use varies based on the recorder used. |
| The EDITOR will proofread/correct the transcribed
text. If corrections are made using the NaturallySpeaking product,
NaturallySpeaking's recognition accuracy will get continually better. |
As mentioned above, the above process comments are
written referring to a "DICTATOR" and an "EDITOR" who is the DICTATOR's
"support person". NOTE: The DICTATOR
can be his/her own EDITOR. The separation shows what tasks can be
handled be someone other than the dictator in case
two (or more) separate people are involved.
There are many
digital recorders at a range of price points. So how do you choose?
Think about your own needs and the features of the various recorders.
Not all recorders are created equal. Key recorder
differentiators include:
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Recording
capacity? Recording capacity is usually stated in minutes and is a
function of the amount of memory (either integrated or removable) in the
recorder AND the recorder's recording format. (Regarding recording
format, each manufacturer has their own recording format which uses memory
at a different rate, so 16MB memory may hold a different quantity of minutes
with the various vendors.)
Also, remember, for speech recognition, you will need
to record at the highest quality, lowest capacity setting, so use the lowest
capacity listed.
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Integrated
and/or Removable Media? If you are a high-volume or business
dictator, you will most likely want the option of using removable media.
The integrated media recorders are targeted toward casual users who will not
be adversely affected by running out of recording capacity, while the
removable media recorders are targeted toward business users.
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Built-in or
Integrated Media: Some recorders only have built-in or integrated
media, so when you have dictated to the built-in media's capacity, you must
get back to a PC to download the audio and delete it, so you can continue
dictating.
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Removable
Media: The higher-cost recorders have removable media, so you can
choose the amount of recording capacity you have with you, have spare memory
chips and be able to dictate without concern of running out of space.
Dictators that work with a support person, typically want to keep their
recorders with them and just turn in memory cards containing their dictation
to their support person.
There are many types of removable media, so
make sure you know what type and what capacity (8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB...1GB) your
recorder can use. Current Olympus recorders use xD Cards. Older
Olympus products and other recorders use
"SmartMedia" cards - a type of flash memory more formally called 3.3V SSFDC
memory. Sony recorders typically use the Sony proprietary format
called the "Memory Stick". The big point is to know what format
removable media your
device uses, its capacity, limitations, etc. Also, if you have other products in your
organization that use removable media, it is usually a good idea to
standardize, so you can interchangeably use the media and readers.
(See discussion of readers below.)
More on recording capacity: Most recorders with removable media
will come with one (or more) modestly sized card(s). (For example, the
DS4000 includes one 32MB card that can record approximately 5.5 hours of
dictation at its highest fidelity setting.) With today's high
capacity memory cards, it is possible to have over 100 hours of dictation on
a memory card. Think about whether this is practical for you.
Having a huge amount of dictation on one memory chip might be helpful while
you attend a conference with no chance to upload/transcribe. But, for
your day-to-day work, you probably do NOT want to have dozens of hours of
dictation on a single memory card. Most business dictators will
rotate multiple smaller cards. Should a card ever get
lost/damaged/corrupted, you will lose a huge amount of work.
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Both Integrated
and Removable Media: A few recorders have some built-in media and
allow the user to also use removable media.
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How does the
user get the audio off the recorder and to the PC? You'll want to
think about your process after you've recorded audio and now want to do
something with it. Recorders have various methods of transfer the
audio.
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Directly
Connect the Recorder to the PC: Some recorders literally plug in
to your PC using a USB or some other cable. Some high end recorders
like the Olympus DS-4000 have docking stations that can remain plugged into
the PC.
 |
Most of the time
the cable is provided, but you may want or need additional cables so you
don't have to unplug/re-plug from the many PCs you and/or your support
person use. An extra cable is also good for a dictator who travels so
you can keep a cable in your laptop case to be able to upload on the road.
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Also note that in
the "direct connect" mode, at
least for a short while, you have to use the recorder as a "reader" device.
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You'll also want
to make sure the PC you are going to use has the "jack" the recorder
requires. While most use the commonly available USB port, some older recorders use other ports
such as 9-pin serial... And, even though all computers have USB
ports, you probably have many devices (printers, PDAs, cameras, microphones,
etc.) that also use your handy USB ports.
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Some users
purchase additional recorders just to function as a reader most of the time
and a spare recorder when needed.
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If the recorder
uses removable media, you may still want to invest in a "reader", if
technically allowed by the recorder. If there is no removable media,
then you have to connect the recorder to the PC to download the audio.
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Use a "Reader":
If the recorder uses removable media, then you may choose to or may have to
(depending on brand) use an external memory card reader. Make sure
that the recorder's software can be used from a reader and make sure you get
the correct kind of reader because of the many types of removable media.
(See discussion above of removable media.)
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Plan to use
Speech Recognition Software? If you plan to use speech recognition
software, make sure the brand/model you select is "approved" or "certified"
-- i.e., known to work -- with your speech recognition software.
You don't want to be trying to make something work that will never work well
or perhaps at all. Your time will be wasted and you will not be able
to get support for your setup. We only show recorders that are
"approved"/"certified" by Nuance for use with their NaturallySpeaking
product.
Some recorder work more easily with NaturallySpeaking. Some
recorder vendors have customized their software to have direct links to the
NaturallySpeaking product and convert the dictation to the required audio
format -- basically streamlining the day-to-day process for the EDITOR (see
discussion of workflow above). (Olympus, for example, has placed a red
dragon icon in its software -- allowing the EDITOR to just select an audio
file and click the red dragon to start transcription.) If you
are just transcribing a small amount of dictation occasionally, workflow is
less important, but if transcription of dictation is an important
application for you and your organization, clean, fast, automatic processes
will save a lot of time for the EDITOR.
Pay attention to where your selected recorder fits in with the recorder
vendor's product line. All recorder vendors have full product
lines with inexpensive, low-feature recorders focused at casual users and
higher-end, higher feature recorders focused on business users.
Recorders at the low end of the vendor's product line may not be able to
recorder at a high enough fidelity to be transcribed by NaturallySpeaking
(see below). And, the software included with the low-end recorders
will not be the same software available within the higher-end products of
the vendor's product line and may, therefore, not support transcription into
Naturallyspeaking and/or may not have the ease-of-use features of the
higher-end products.
Also, make sure you understand the quality of the
recorded audio. You will need to ensure that you are using the highest
quality, lowest recording capacity setting of your recorder. (See
discussion of recording capacity above.) And, note that some recorders
are simply NOT capable of recording at the fidelity needed for speech
recognition. Also, some recorders are capable of higher fidelity than others.
Regarding recorder fidelity: Note that recorder positioning is
critical to the fidelity of your recording. The user must follow the
recorder instructions regarding where the recorder needs to be held relative
to the dictator's mouth. Recorders, with external microphone jacks,
allow the use of a microphone to either improve fidelity by blocking
background noise or eliminate the need for holding the recorder in a special
way.
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Features?
Recorders have a variety of hardware features that you will want to
understand and consider including, but not limited to:
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Physical
Specifications: Size, Weight, Ergonomics, Button/Control
placement, Type of
Screen (backlit?), etc.
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Whether
external jacks for external headset/microphone: When the recorder
has an external microphone jack, the dictator can choose to use an external
microphone? Why use an external microphone?
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To improve audio
quality: If the dictator uses their recorder in a noisy environment, a
close-talking microphone can result in improved quality by buffering the
dictator's speech from the background noise.
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To relieve the
dictator from having to hold the recorder at a particular location:
A dictator can plug in a headset microphone, so they do not have to hold the
recorder while dictating.
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Note: A
dictator who uses speech recognition should standardize on either using or
not using the external microphone, because their recorded audio will sound
different to the speech recognition software with the external mic.
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When the recorder
has an external jack, standard speech recognition microphones can be used.
There are also small "lollipop" sized microphones made for the major
recorder brands that allow a small unobtrusive mic to be used for users that
want higher fidelity, but not the fuss of a larger mic.
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Power Source:
Runs on batteries (what type and battery life -- how many hours of
dictation per battery), AC adapter when
desired, etc? Does it have the ability to re-charge its
own batteries when docked like the Olympus DS-5000/DS-4000 or Philips 9600?
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Ways to
organize your dictation? Recorders will have methods to create
folders, add time-stamps, dictator's identification, etc.
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Supporting
software? Recorders will have some method of moving/manipulating
the audio files that your download off the recorder or removable media.
If you are planning to use NaturallySpeaking, see section above
NaturallySpeaking integration topic for things to look for regarding how
well the software works with NaturallySpeaking.
Understand the features of your recorder's software. Supporting
software for a recorder will have a variety of features possibly including
the ability to recognize the recorder when plugged in and upload audio,
ability to convert the audio to appropriate formats, ability to label the
audio, sort the work by a variety of audio file tags (priority, dictator,
size, date, etc.), mark as transcribed, route to an email address or upload
to a network location, synchronization with podcast sites, etc. Know
what features you want/need and whether your recorder software includes
these features.
Note the system requirements. (If your PC is configured to run speech
recognition software, you'll more than exceed the minimum system
requirements for recorder software.
Updates for the recorder software: Also, once you get your recorder,
make sure that you check frequently for updates. See our tech support
web page for a link
to Olympus, Sony & Philips support site.
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Current model
recorder or older model? As you consider using a digital
recorder, take a look at all of the above issues, plus consider whether the
product is a current model or older model.
Already own a recorder? If you already have a digital recorder,
you'll, of course, want to try to make it work with NaturallySpeaking -- and
you may be able to get the older recorder to work. You may also have a
big investment in existing equipment and need/want to keep working with it.
Need to purchase new equipment? If you are purchasing new
equipment, try to stay with current recorders of the manufacturer, so that
the recorder will be compatible with the applications you run. For
example, recorder manufacturers had to adjust their software via service
packs to successfully run with Windows Vista and NaturallySpeaking V9.
Recorder manufacturers will NOT adjust old versions of their software to be
compatible with new PC products. We talk to disappointed users who
have purchased used equipment -- just to find out that it won't work with
current applications they need.
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Keep these
differentiators in mind as you make your choice.
We offer a full range of recorders from recorder vendors
such as Philips, Olympus, Sony, VXi, Norcom, etc. We are working on
getting full write-ups available for all products, but in the meantime,
contact us for a quote for any product you don't see listed.
NOTE: If a detail write-up and order form is available,
the recorder name is underlined. Otherwise, the recorder can be
ordered by writing its name in on our
general order form, by clicking here. Just write in
the product's name, quantity desired and unit price.
| Picture |
Recorder
name-description |
Size/Type of Media |
Connection Method |
MSRP
& Our price |
| Interested in
Olympus Digital Dictation Products? Click here for our
Olympus page! |
 |
Philips DPM 9600 Digital Recorder
with International 4-Position Slide Switch. Includes SpeechExec Pro SW,
USB Docking Station, Rechargeable Batteries, USB Cable, Power Supply and
License Dongle |
Includes 128MB SD Card.
Can use higher capacity cards |
Includes
Multi-function cradle/docking station, AC Adapter, rechargeable battery
pack, & USB Cable for direct attachment |
MSRP
$499Your cost: $499 |
 |
Olympus DS-5000 Digital
Recorder -- Olympus' next-generation
professional recorder -- for serious business dictators needing high
fidelity audio and minimal errors in their NaturallySpeaking-transcribed
dictation. |
Includes one
512MB microSD Card. Accepts higher capacity
SD/SDHC and microSD cards.
|
Includes
Multi-function cradle/docking station, AC Adapter, rechargeable battery
pack, & USB Cable for direct attachment |
MSRP
$599Your cost: $499
See order form |
 |
Olympus DS-4000 Digital
Recorder
No longer being manufactured - factory refurbished
units starting to become available in small quantities.
If you are using these products already, you may want additional units.
Current product in Olympus product line is DS-5000 above. |
Includes one
32MB xD-Picture Card. Can use higher capacity cards |
Includes
Multi-function cradle/docking station, AC Adapter, rechargeable battery
pack, & USB Cable for direct attachment |
MSRP
$549Your cost:
See order form |
|
No longer being manufactured - a few still available |
Olympus
DS-3000 Digital Recorder
No longer being manufactured - factory refurbished
units still available in small quantities.
If you are using these products already, you may want additional units.
Current product in Olympus product line is DS-5000 above. |
Includes two 16MB (155
minutes each) Removable SmartMedia Cards. Can use higher capacity
cards |
Includes USB cable for
direct attachment |
MSRP
$449
Your cost:
See order form |
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Olympus
AS-5000 Transcription Kit |
Works with
Olympus recorders |
Jump to
the
AS-5000 page for more info. |
MSRP
$449Your cost:
See order form |
|
 |
Olympus
AS-4000 & AS-3000
Transcription Kits are also available, as well as other products |
Works with
Olympus recorders |
Jump to
the
AS-4000 page for more info. |
MSRP
$429Your cost:
See order form |
|
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Olympus DS-2000 Digital Recorder |
Includes one 16MB (155
minutes) Removable SmartMedia Card. Can use higher capacity
cards |
Includes USB cable for
direct attachment |
MSRP
$249Your cost:
$249
|
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Olympus DS-330 Digital Recorder |
Integrated 16MB (155
minutes) recording capacity |
Includes USB cable for
direct attachment |
MSRP
$149Your cost:
$139 |
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Olympus DM-1 Digital Recorder & MP3
Player |
Removable 64MB (610
minutes) SmartMedia Card. Can use higher capacity cards. |
Includes USB cable for
direct attachment |
MSRP $249
Your cost:
$229 |
|
No longer being manufactured. |
Dragon
NaturallyMobile Digital Recorder -- An older
architecture recorder that can be used
for general dictation but is not the optimal recorder for
NaturallySpeaking. |
Has 4MB (40 minutes)
integrated memory plus can use 2MB, 4MB or 8MB SmartMedia cards,
purchased separately. |
Includes 9-pin serial
cable for direct attachment.
If no 9-pin serial port, can purchase 9-pin serial to USB converter |
$199
Your cost:
Special! |
 |
Sony ICD-MS1 Portable Digital Dictation
Machine
| MSAC-FD2M Floppy Disk Memory Stick
Adapter MSRP = $79.95 |
$59.95 |
| MSAC-PC2 PC Card Reader - MSRP =
$69.95 |
$49.95 |
| MSAC-PC3 PC Card Reader- MSRP =
$69.95 |
$69.95 |
| Other Readers Available |
CONTACT US |
|
Includes one 16MB (63
minutes) Removable Sony Memory Stick Card. Can use higher capacity
cards. |
Requires some type of
Memory Stick Reader -- see accessories at left. (Sony PCs all have
built-in Memory Stick Readers.) |
MSRP
$299Your cost: $199
Special! |
|
 |
Sony ICD-MS515
Portable Digital Dictation Machine |
Includes one 8MB (64
minutes) Removable Sony Memory Stick Card. Can use higher capacity
cards. |
Includes USB cable for
direct attachment |
MSRP
$249Your cost: $239 |
|
 |
Sony ICD-BM1 Portable Digital Dictation
Machine |
Includes one 16MB (42
minutes at ST quality) Removable Memory Stick Card. Can use higher
capacity cards. |
Includes USB cable for
direct attachment |
MSRP
$299Your cost: $279
Special! |
 |
Philips DPM (Digital Pocket Memo) 9350 |
Includes one 16MB (156
minutes) Removable Multimedia/SC Card. Can use higher capacity cards. |
Includes USB cable for
direct attachment |
MSRP
$299Your cost: $279
Special! |
|
 |
Norcom Model 2500 Tape-based
Dictation Solution = Will Work with
NaturallySpeaking No longer being manufactured -
supplies (tapes, couplers still available.) Also available: Norcom 2700
and Norcom 2550 (Contact
us for pricing) |
Uses tape - see write-up |
Coupler - see write-up |
2500 no longer
avail. |
|
 |
Sony Memory
Stick Media
Memory Stick -
32MB
Memory Stick -
64MB
Memory Stick -
128MB |
|
|
$29
$39
$59 |
|
 |
SmartMedia Cards
SmartMedia Card - 16MB
SmartMedia Card - 32MB
SmartMedia Card - 64MB
SmartMedia Card - 128MB |
|
|
$26
$34
$38
$80 |
|
 |
xD Picture Cards -
Used in Olympus DS-4000 and other newer Olympus recorders |
Visit our
DS-4000 page for
prices and to order |
|
See order form |
NOTE: If a detail write-up and order form is available,
the recorder name is underlined. Otherwise, the recorder can be
ordered by writing its name, description, and price in on our
general order form, by clicking here.
Contact us for a quote for any product you don't see listed.
Services Info
IMAGE Management, LLC has been selling and supporting
speech recognition since 1993! We are a Nuance Gold Certified Partner and Nuance Certified Dragon
NaturallySpeaking® Instructors (SCDI) representing the Dragon
NaturallySpeaking® product line and related
products.
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