C H A P T E R 1 5
Using a Handheld Recorder
Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide
205
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Like using a handheld microphone, using a handheld recorder
keeps the microphone in a less consistent position in relation to your
mouth than does a headset microphone.
■
Minicassette recorders and other analog models lose sound
information in both recording and playback. They record only part
of your voice, then play back only part of what they record to be
processed by the sound card. Digital recorders that digitally transfer
sound do not have this limitation. They also record only part of your
voice, but they bypass the sound card, sending the digital recording
file directly to Dragon NaturallySpeaking
®
for transcription.
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Using a recorder, people more often mumble and slur their words.
They forget that they are talking for a computer to transcribe.
To get the best accuracy from a handheld recorder, use an external
microphone if you are not achieving your desired accuracy with a built-in
microphone. Most recorders allow you to plug in an external microphone
to replace the unit’s built-in one. A headset microphone is best, since it
keeps the microphone at a constant distance from your mouth. Try using
the headset microphone included with Dragon NaturallySpeaking
®
.
If you’re using the recorder’s built-in microphone, keep it at a consistent
distance from your mouth. It should be at the corner of your mouth,
about an inch or two away. See the instructions included with your
recorder or experiment to find the best distance.
Speaking clearly will improve transcription accuracy no matter what
recorder you have. Remember that you’re talking for transcription to a
computer, not to a person. Speak clearly and pronounce each word.
