[Hidden-tech] Opinions: Voice Recognition Software and Jott

Tom Gajda Tom at EngineeringWriter.com
Fri Jan 23 13:43:57 EST 2009


Hi Richard and Others,
 
Yes, there is much debate on the web of how good your audio setup needs to
be for acceptable performance with voice recognition. 
 
Before making an investment in microphones and sound cards, let me relay my
experience.
 
Last year, I put a significant effort into attempting voice recognition,
including testing three microphone setups. (I am a bit of a recordist, audio
nut, and musician, so this was of particular interest to me.)
 
I tried an ear-mounted headset (the $2 kind that is usually supplied with
software like Dragon) plugged directly into an old Sound Blaster Audigy
audio card (better than integrated sound, but low end in the world of
professional sound cards). I also tried the built-in stereo microphones in
my fairly-new Dell desktop monitor (and which I believe uses the computer's
integrated sound), and I tried my $350 AT-822 Audio Technical stereo
microphone, shock mounted, plugged into my sound card, and with levels and
EQ tweaked as only a sound guy would do.
 
I found absolutely no difference in performance between the setups. 
 
So for the convenience of having no equipment on my desk or head, I would
just lean back in my chair, two or three feet from my monitor's microphones
and speak away. From that perspective, it was wonderful, freeing, almost
miracle-like in being able to direct my computer without touching it. When
this technology is perfected, it will be great.
 
However, as Dan suspected, there is: a learning curve, voice training of the
software, buggy software, and slower speeds in getting a document completed.
 
When using computer monitor microphones, your office must dead quiet. Even
then, plan on lower efficiency.
 
So if you are going to venture into this technology, you may be able to get
quite far without an investment in sound gear, unless your equipment is
archaic or of substandard quality. 
 
Regards,
 
Tom       
 
 
Tom Gajda
Engineering Writer
Thomas Paul Communications, LLC
413-297-2246 |  <http://www.engineeringwriter.com/>
www.engineeringwriter.com
 
 
 
 
 
From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
[mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of Richard
Resnick
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 8:53 AM
To: Dan Kirsch
Cc: hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] Opinions: Voice Recognition Software and Jott
 
Dan,

My girlfriend is a longtime (6+ years) user of Dragon due to a repetitive
strain injury. While it does recognize about 95% of what you say, the 5%
error rate is actually quite crippling. That, in addition to the speed of
recognition, has the typical user performing at a rate anywhere between 5
and 50% the rate of a user using a keyboard and mouse. Dictation works
better than "control commands" like switching between apps, selecting text
boxes, clicking buttons, etc. But even though you can dictate more quickly
than you can type, you will inevitably have misrecognitions that need fixing
- and using your voice to make those changes... imagine the syntax you need
to learn to say "select the word 'frustrated' and the space after it and
replace it with the word 'absolutely flustered.'" Imagine how you would feel
when it doesn't understand THAT command. Unfortunately, it's dictionary does
not have some key swear words.

You will also need to make serious investments in microphone technology on
the order of a few hundred dollars, plus sound cards suddenly become a very
important consideration. There is - at best - fragmented knowledge on the
Internet about what is best here.

There are a very small number of people in the world who have amazing
success with this software. But if you depend on a computer for your
livelihood and think you can move between keyboard/mouse and voice
recognition, we have a long way to go.

When Jott came out we had immediate and high hopes for it. Unfortunately,
the usability is really lacking - some obvious use cases are not supported
by voice, forcing you to go back to your computer to add new people to Jott
to, for instance. It's promising, but not there yet. When Jott makes a
fully-integrated Jott phone (or Apple just buys them) it might be better.

If you'd like to get an intro to my girlfriend I'm sure she'd be happy to
give you a demo of Dragon, it's pros, cons. She's led user group demos and
sessions in Boston with the Boston Voice Users Group and I bet she'd be
willing to run a similar session if there were enough interest out here. 

Richard
On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Dan Kirsch <dan at kirschleuchs.com> wrote:
  ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
  ** If you did, we all thank you.



Friends -
 
I just got a promo for Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 and it got me seriously
thinking about making the investment.  So I'm interested in hearing list
members' opinions and experiences with the variety and quality of voice
recognition software options out there today.  I've never used one, but my
image of them is slow and buggy with a long learning curve to get to a
decent level of functionality vs my pitiful typing.
 
Also, I'm curious if anyone is using Jott http://jott.com <http://jott.com/>
and what that experience has been like.
 
Thanks
 
Dan
-- 
Dan Kirsch
KirschLeuchs Consulting
Florence, MA
413.221.9521 
dan at kirschleuchs.com

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