You are also paying for a stunning level of accuracy. The price reflects the insanely light weight and miniaturisation, the likes of which I haven’t really seen in a headset before. This includes a titanium “memory frame” with three points of contact in the earlobe, all contributing to high comfort and impressive stability despite the feather-light feel. Firstly, they claim the unidirectional microphone element is more sensitive than ever before secondly, that there are significant improvements to the actual construction. SpeechWare cite a number of improvements in this version of the FlexyMike over their previous model. When you first unpack the FlexyMike, you might feel your heart skip a beat at what €149 buys you – but what initially appears flimsy is actually made of a very strong metal alloy (more on this below). I’m not a huge fan of wearing headsets, but even I didn’t have a problem with this one – it’s about as comfortable a device of this type can possibly be. Weighing in at just 5g/2oz, it really is barely there once you manoeuvre it into place. As headsets go, this is as thin and light as it gets. SpeechWare have once again come up with the goods in the latter department with two very different microphones that aren’t cheap but deliver superb accuracy.įirst up is the FlexyMike Single Ear Cardioid (SEC). It’s a costly experiment for those unsure whether they can easily transition from typing to talking you need a decent computer, a copy of Dragon itself and – the final piece of the jigsaw – an excellent microphone. I’ve always had the opinion that dictation is an investment in your writing business. For freelancers on a deadline, time is money even if you don’t measure your productivity in dollars per hour, your time is equally precious. Budget plays a part, of course, but you can’t put a price on accuracy – after all, the more words Dragon gets right first time, the more time you save proofreading and editing. Some people are happy to sit at a desk others crave the freedom of using a transcription device to dictate anywhere. From the staggering value of the Blue Yeti to the eternal quest for anywhere approaching decent accuracy from a wireless setup, everyone’s needs are different. What’s in a microphone? That’s a tricky one. For Apple use, look for microphones (or headsets) that have a single FOUR CONDUCTOR TRRS plug for full compatiblity with iPads, iPhones, and recent Macintosh systems made since 2010.SpeechWare’s TwistMike (left) and FlexyMike SEC (right) here I am perfecting my “dead behind the eyes” look Historically, Analog 1/8" 3.5mm PC microphones or headsets with separate speaker and mic plugs have been problematic for Mac users because of different voltage levels and jack configurations. But newer premium-brand headsets with 'Wideband Audio' work admirably for Nuance Communication's Dictate and Naturally Speaking software as well as Apple Siri and OSX's Dictation services.įor some environments, a 4-Pole analog lapel or desktop microphone may be preferable for accurate speech to text translation needs. Not all Bluetooth mic headsets are optimal for speech recognition. That wasn't always the case as lesser, older hardware tended to be noisy and over-compress the voice patterns otherwise suitible for cell phone conversations. With the advent of Bluetooth 4.0 and enhanced HD audio codecs, Bluetooth speech recognition headsets with microphones are now capable of delivering accurate voice pattern recognition for speech to text needs. Many USB mic headset options are available in the $20-$40 USD price range. The close proximity of the mic to the mouth insures higher accuracy and doesn't necessarily require an expensive, premium solution. The updated v6 version is a bit pricier: Indeed, it may be cheaper to purchase v5, then update to v6 at a discounted upgrade price.įor a quick and reliable connection, a USB microphone headset is the way to go for Dragon's speech recognition. The consumer version of Dragon for Mac is highly affordable for even casual users who want personalized and customized speech recognition capabilities that are significantly enhanced over what Apple's Dictation Services provides. It a situation where misinterpretation isn't acceptable and flawed transcription might put a patient at risk. For Doctors, the rather expensive Medical version of Dragon Professional for Mac (around $1000 USD) includes a huge dictionary of health, anatomical and medical terminology. Custom dictionaries can be built to target the specific vocabulary of terms unique to your profession. Software like Nuance's Dragon for Mac can be trained for a particlular users voice patterns and deliver far higher accuracy. For optimal speech to text translation, professionals may want more than Apple's voice recognition engine can provide.
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