|
indicates a new or updated question and answer since January 1998. |
|
|
Section 1 - Installation and configuration |
1.1 |
|
Does Simply Speaking support Windows NT? |
1.2 |
|
Can I install Simply Speaking over any of the previous versions of VoiceType? |
1.3 |
|
I have partitioned my harddrive. Can I install the Simply Speaking version of VoiceType on one partition and any other version of VoiceType on my other partition? |
1.4 |
|
I want to uninstall my previous version of VoiceType before I put the new version on my system. How do I delete the previous version? |
1.5 |
|
I deleted the files and program folders through the Windows 95 Explorer, but the product is still on my system. |
1.6 |
|
I have an MWAVE card and have just upgraded my software from 28.8 to 33.6. VoiceType no longer works since I have upgraded my modem software. |
1.7 |
|
Will navigation macros I have created with VoiceType Dictation 3.0.x be migrated when I install Simply Speaking? |
1.8 |
|
I have a sound card that is not advertised as a 100% Sound Blaster compatible. Can I still use it for VoiceType Simply Speaking? |
|
|
Section 2 - Microphone Setup |
2.1 |
|
What is Microphone Setup? |
2.2 |
|
When should I run Microphone Setup? |
2.3 |
|
The microphone in my copy of VoiceType Simply Speaking is different from the one shown on the Microphone Setup. |
2.4 |
|
New inexpensive ThinkPad adapter now available. |
2.5 |
|
I didn't get a power adapter (black) with my microphone. |
2.6 |
|
Do I need to use the microphone adapters included with VoiceType? |
2.7 |
|
Can I use the microphone that shipped with my computer (or the built-in microphone, if there is one)? |
2.8 |
|
Can any other microphones be used? |
2.9 |
|
How often should I change the batteries in the microphone battery adapter? |
2.10 |
|
I have an Ensoniq Sound Card in my PC and I keep failing the test in Microphone Setup "I am Testing...". |
2.11 |
|
I have a Crystal sound card in my PC and when I run Microphone Setup, a "General Error" message is returned. |
2.12 |
|
If you have an FX sound card in your Acer PC... |
2.13 |
|
The Sound Galaxy 534 sound card in my PC appears to constantly be recording background noise. |
|
|
Section 3 - VoicePad |
3.1 |
|
What is isolated-word speech? |
3.2 |
|
How does the system learn as I correct mistakes in VoicePad? |
3.3 |
|
Once I've dictated a document in VoicePad, how do I transfer it to another application? |
3.4 |
|
Is it possible to add an alternate pronunciation for an existing word in the vocabulary? |
3.5 |
|
My recognition was good, but now it has deteriorated. Why? |
3.6 |
|
How do I dictate numbers? |
3.7 |
|
How do I improve my recognition performance with VoiceType? |
|
|
Section 4 - Vocabulary Manager |
4.1 |
|
How do I see my added word list, and when would I want to delete a word? |
|
|
Section 5 - VoiceCenter Properties |
5.1 |
|
How do I change users if more than one user has
enrolled? |
5.2 |
|
What is the Recognition Sensitivity used
for under the VoiceCenter Properties Voice page? |
5.3 |
|
What is the Recognition Performance used
for under the VoiceCenter Properties Voice page? |
|
|
Section 6 - Enrollment |
6.1 |
|
What is enrollment and is it required? |
6.2 |
|
How many sentences should I read for enrollment? |
6.3 |
|
What if I do not speak with a native accent for the language version I have installed? |
|
|
Section 7 - Hardware Requirements |
7.1 |
|
What are the minimum hardware requirements for IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking? |
|
|
Section 8 - Known limitations |
8.1 |
|
Are there any known limitations? |
|
Answers section 1 - Installation and configuration |
1.1
|
Does Simply Speaking support Windows NT ?
No, Simply Speaking Gold however supports Windows NT 4.0.
|
1.2 |
Can I install Simply Speaking over any of the previous versions of VoiceType?
No, as Simply Speaking does not include the navigation component of VoiceType, it is not possible to install over any previous versions.
|
1.3 |
I have partitioned my harddrive. Can I install the Simply Speaking version of VoiceType on one partition and any other version of VoiceType on my other partition?
Simply Speaking cannot coexist with other versions of VoiceType on the same system, because it uses common registry entries, and the same speech engine, directory structure and program files. Unless you have two separate copies of the operating system (for example, two copies of Windows 95 each running in its own primary partition) you will not be able to run two different versions of VoiceType on the same computer.
|
1.4 |
I want to uninstall my previous version of VoiceType before I put the new version on my system. How do I delete the previous version ?
All IBM VoiceType Dictation and VoiceType Simply Speaking versions 3.0.x are equipped with an uninstall program. You must run this uninstall program to successfully delete any entries that were made to the Windows 95 Registry. VoiceType Dictation version 1.32, and earlier versions, will have to be removed using the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel of Windows 95.
|
1.5 |
I deleted the files and program folders through the Windows 95 Explorer, but the product is still on my system.
You should use the uninstall program which is part of the VoiceType software. Do not simply delete the files and the program folders.
|
1.6 |
I have an MWAVE adapter and have just upgraded my software from 28.8 to 33.6. VoiceType no longer works since I have upgraded my modem software.
The 33.6 modem software uses a lot of resources and may keep the modem on all of the time. This will prevent VoiceType from being able to use audio and therefore, VoiceType will not be able to run. You should use the 28.8 modem software for MWAVE with VoiceType.
|
1.7 |
Will navigation macros I have created with VoiceType Dictation 3.0.x be migrated when I install Simply Speaking?
Navigation is not supported in VoiceType Simply Speaking. However, VoiceType Simly Speaking Gold does support navigation. Please see our homepage for more information.
|
1.8 |
I have a sound card that is not advertised as a 100% Sound Blaster compatible. Can I still use it for VoiceType Simply Speaking?
VoiceType Simply Speaking uses a powerful technology. If your sound card and PC do not meet the minimum requirements, VoiceType Simply Speaking will not to work adequately on your PC. |
|
Answers section 2 - Microphone Setup |
2.1
|
What is Microphone Setup?
Microphone Setup is a setup wizard, located in the Simply
Speaking program folder, that helps you connect the IBM VoiceType microphone headset to your computer, and helps you configure your audio settings. Microphone Setup does the following:
- shows you how to connect the microphone headset to your computer;
- tests your existing audio setup;
- adjusts the microphone volume;
- performs a speech recognition test.
|
2.2 |
When should I run Microphone Setup?
You should run Microphone Setup:
- BEFORE you begin your first dictation session;
- if your recognition accuracy has deteriorated;
- if you've changed your sound card;
- if you've changed your microphone;
- if you've switched users.
Setting up your microphone correctly is the single most important thing you can do to enhance the use of VoiceType. Proper microphone set up, and correct audio settings are required to achieve the highest recognition accuracy.
|
2.3 |
The microphone in my copy of VoiceType Simply Speaking is different from the one shown on the Microphone Setup.
The microphone shown in the Microphone Setup (the Andrea ANC-500) is one of the many microphones which works with VoiceType. |
2.4 |
New inexpensive ThinkPad adapter now available.
Some IBM Thinkpads can now use an inexpensive adapter to provide power to the microphone which does not require any batteries. This would replace the battery adapter that you are currently using. These adapters can be purchased from Andrea Electronics. Please be aware that these adapters will work on all models of the following families of Thinkpads: 380, 385, 560, 760, 765 and 770. |
2.5 |
I didn't get a power adapter (black) with my microphone.
Not all IBM VoiceType microphones require the power adapter (black). The NC-50u and NC-80u (also called NC-80) have the power adapter built-in to their tips. Therefore they are not supplied with a separate power adapter.
|
2.6 |
Do I need to use the microphone adapters included with VoiceType?
The Microphone Setup program gives you instructions on what microphone adapters to use, depending on the sound card it detects.
- Power adapter (black): if you have one of the VoiceType microphones Andrea NC-50 and ANC-500, you may require power. Most sound cards provide power to the microphone, but not all sound cards provide this power in the same way. This is why the power adapter (black) is necessary for some sound cards. For instance, the Sound Blaster(**) cards usually require the power adapter (black). However, the other VoiceType microphones (Andrea NC-50u and NC-80u) have the power adapter built in to their tips and is therefore not shipped as a separate item in your microphone package.
- Battery adapter: A few sound cards and some laptop computers (including the IBM ThinkPad range) do not provide microphone power. For those, you must use the battery adapter. If you require a battery adapter, please contact Andrea Electronics (information included with the headset). Try the microphone both with and without the black power adapter, following the instructions in the Microphone Setup program, before deciding to use the battery adapter. Don't forget to install two fresh AAA batteries in the correct orientation into the battery adapter before using it. Even if it seems that your sound card needs the battery adapter, you may not, in fact, need it. Some sound cards have the ability to provide microphone power, but this feature is disabled. To enable the feature, carefully read the documentation for your sound card; you might need to set a jumper or run a setup utility. If you do not have documentation for your card, contact your computer or sound card manufacturer and ask if and how your particular sound card can provide power to microphones so that you can avoid using the battery adapter and having to buy batteries.
- Signal adapter (light gray): this adapter reduces the microphone signal. It is used with sound cards that require a weak microphone signal. The Microphone Setup will give you instructions if this adapter is required.
|
2.7 |
Can I use the microphone that shipped with my computer (or the built-in microphone, if there is one)?
We recommend using the microphone supplied with your VoiceType product. This microphone has noise cancelling capabilities and was specifically designed for speech recognition. However, if you have another microphone for your computer, you can use it to make sure that the computer's sound system works before you plug in the microphone for VoiceType. For this pretest, make a test recording of your voice in the Windows 95 Sound Recorder. Again, use this microphone only for testing the sound system -- not for VoiceType speech recognition. When plugging the VoiceType microphone into your computer, do not use the microphone-in jack on the side of the monitor. Instead, make sure that you plug the microphone directly into your sound card's microphone-in jack. This will help avoid getting any interference from your monitor through the microphone.
|
2.8 |
Can any other microphones be used?
You can use many microphones for speech recognition; however, not all microphones will produce satisfactory results. Several microphones have been tested and found to produce dictation accuracy consistent with the microphone included with the product. Please click here to be linked to an up to date list of tested microphones. |
2.9 |
How often should I change the batteries in the microphone battery adapter?
The microphone draws power from the battery adapter even when the microphone is off. To increase the life of the batteries, unplug the microphone from the battery adapter when you are not using it. If you are using VoiceType on a daily basis, you should change the batteries every month or so. |
2.10 |
I have an Ensoniq sound card in my PC and I keep failing the test in Microphone Setup "I am Testing...".
Updating to the latest drivers for the Ensoniq sound card often resolves this problem. However, if you still have problems after downloading the latest drivers, the error may be due to the microphone input being set too high. |
2.11 |
I have a Crystal sound card in my PC and when I run Microphone Setup, a "General Error" message is returned.
Updating to the newest drivers almost always resolves this failure. |
2.12 |
If you have an FX sound card in your Acer PC...
Make sure you disable the wavetable and special effects such as 3D and Reverb.
Note: Removing or disabling components in this manner may affect the functionality or performance of your sound card and other software. |
2.13 |
The Sound Galaxy 534 sound card in my PC appears to constantly be recording background noise.
Removing PB Fast Media and FM Thunk from the Startup Folder and disabling the wavetable usually resolves this problem.
Note: Removing or disabling components in this manner may affect the functionality or performance of your sound card and other software.
|
|
Answers section 3 - VoicePad |
3.1 |
What is isolated-word speech?
Isolated-word speech is speaking with small pauses between your words. This form of speech helps VoiceType detect where one word ends and another begins. The Enrollment program presents a recorded example of isolated-word speech to give you a model of correct dictation. You must use isolated-word speech when you dictate memos, letters, and other text using VoicePad. |
3.2 |
How does the system learn as I correct mistakes in VoicePad?
As soon as you correct a word, the correction is saved in memory and is available to VoicePad. When you close VoicePad, the correction is saved to disk and your speech data is updated with the correct pronunciation of a new word and its usage of the misrecognized word. |
3.3 |
Once I've dictated a document in VoicePad, how do I transfer it to another application?
After you have completed a dictation session in VoicePad and corrected any errors, you can transfer the text to any application that accepts text. With the left mouse button, click the Transfer icon in the smart icon toolbar and drag your mouse pointer to the open application window where you want to transfer the dictated text. The formatting of the document in VoicePad WILL NOTbe preserved in the targeted application. You should format the text after transferring it. |
3.4 |
Is it possible to add an alternate pronunciation for an existing word in the vocabulary?
Yes. If a word is misrecognized and you attempt to correct the word, a pop-up message may appear stating that the word is already in the vocabulary. The pronunciation that you supplied is compared to the known pronunciation. If the new pronunciation is similar to the known pronunciation, your personal language model is updated. If the two
pronunciations are not similar, a pop-up message will be
displayed prompting you for a sounds-like spelling.
VoiceType then maintains both pronunciations for the word. |
3.5 |
My recognition was good, but now it has deteriorated. Why?
Several factors could account for this problem:
- The microphone settings might have been changed either manually or by some other sound application. Please run Microphone Setup. This will readjust your microphone settings so that VoiceType will work correctly.
- You might not be using your own speech data. Make sure you use the correct user name that contains your own personal language model. You can use the IBM VoiceCenter Properties in the Control Panel to check and change users.
- You might be positioning your microphone incorrectly. The microphone boom should be angled toward the corner of your mouth (not up or down) so that the flat part on the microphone element under the foam faces the corner of your mouth.
- The Microphone Setup Wizard diagrams the correct positioning of the microphone.
- Make sure that you are not breathing directly into the microphone mouthpiece when dictating. Also, make sure the foam microphone wind screen is attached and in place.
|
3.6 |
How do I dictate numbers?
To dictate numbers, like a social security number, you should break them up into two digits at a time. For instance,
to dictate the following social security number, 521-44-9655, say fifty-two one hyphen forty-four hyphen ninety-six fifty-five. Initially, the numbers will have spaces in between them, but once VoiceType understands the context of this number, by saying another word, it will glue these digits back together. |
3.7 |
How do I improve my recognition performance with VoiceType?
VoiceType is speaker independent, so you can use VoicePad to dictate without first training it to recognize your voice (enrollment). Let's assume that you are using the US English version of VoiceType Simply Speaking. If you have set up your microphone correctly, and if you have a native US English accent, you should get more than 90% recognition accuracy for words in the VoiceType vocabulary without enrolling. To gauge your true recognition accuracy, dictate a few paragraphs, say, from a business letter, skipping words, such as names, that are not likely to be in the vocabulary. After you finish dictating, you might find that there are a number of misrecognized words in your text. If you find your recognition performance is lower than 90%, then we recommend going through enrollment. Refer to the enrollment section in these frequently asked questions for further information.
Here are some tips on how to improve your recognition performance:
- Use speech correction to correct a word that VoiceType misrecognizes and teach it how to display the word. Speech correction adjusts your personal speech files so that VoiceType remembers the correction each time you say the word. ONLY use speech correction to correct misrecognized words, do not use it for text editing. To use speech correction, just double-click on the misrecognized word and select the correct word from the correct error pop-up menu. If the correct word is not on the list, simply type in the word.
- DO NOT say your words too s-l-o-w-l-y. Pronounce them naturally as you would in conversation--just don't forget to pause briefly after every word! Enunciate the words to further increase your accuracy. As you become more proficient in pausing briefly between words, you can increase your speaking rate. Experienced VoiceType users can dictate at more than 100 words per minute.
- It is important to speak in a normal tone of voice. If the audio level is low (not reaching the green in the microphone input level), move the microphone closer to the side of your mouth, or rerun the Microphone Setup program to readjust your microphone settings.
- The microphone position is very important for good recognition accuracy. Be sure that the microphone boom bends toward your mouth. The microphone should be about 20 mm (3/4 inch) away from your face. It should be a little to the side of your mouth so that you do not breathe into it.
- If you have enrolled, use the same microphone and sound card that you used for enrollment when you dictate. Although you can move your speech data to another computer, your accuracy will never be as good as on the system you used to enroll. So if you switch computers, sound card, or microphone, and you want the highest possible dictation accuracy, rerun Microphone Setup and re-enroll on the new system!
- If your system has at least a Pentium 133MHz processor, then you can increase recognition accuracy by setting recognition performance to "accurate" under VoiceCenter Properties in the Voice page. Refer to the VoiceCenter Properties section in these Frequently Asked Questions for further information.
- Don't forget that you must say dictation commands such as STOP-DICTATION and NEW-PARAGRAPH continuously as a single word, without pausing between the words in the command!
- If you want to interrupt your dictation, for example in order
to answer the phone or talk to someone, first stop your dictation by saying "Stop-Dictation" or by clicking Stop Dictation in the Dictation menu.
|
|
Answers section 4 - Vocabulary Manager |
4.1 |
How do I see my added word list, and when would I want to delete a word?
The Vocabulary Manager utility is used to display words
that were added to your personal added word list. On occasion, a word will be added to your personal added word list that will take the place of an already existing word. For example, if the word comma was inadvertently added during word correction, the word "comma" might appear instead of the punctuation mark ",". In your added word list, you can delete the word "comma" and the punctuation mark should again appear during dictation. You might also want to delete misspelled words and words such as proper names or cities that you know you will not use again.
|
|
Answers section 5 - VoiceCenter Properties |
5.1 |
How do I change users if more than one user has enrolled?
Start IBM VoiceCenter Properties from within the IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking program folder. You must click the User tab and select a new user from the drop down menu. If one user enrolled twice (for example, once in a noisy environment and once in a quieter environment), you can switch enrollments from this menu as well.
Note: If any speech applications are active, you will be prompted to close them.
|
5.2 |
What is the Recognition Sensitivity used for under the VoiceCenter Properties Voice page?
The Recognition sensitivity slider does not affect the recognition for dictation, but is used to relax or tighten the acceptance of the pronunciation of words read during enrollment. If the pronunciation doesn't match the expected pronunciation of the word read during enrollment, VoiceType will reject the word by hi-lighting this word in red. VoiceType will be more likely to reject words when this slider is moved closer towards "Exact Match". If during enrollment you get a lot of red words, you can move the slider closer to "Best Guess". This will help reduce the number of red words, by relaxing VoiceType's expected pronunciation of words read during enrollment. This is particularly important for people with heavy accents. This setting is the same as the Match Word to Sound setting under Options in enrollment.
|
5.3 |
What is the Recognition Performance used for under the VoiceCenter Properties Voice page?
The Recognition Performance setting is used to increase performance or accuracy depending upon your system. In general, if your system has a lower speed Pentium processor (90MHz, for example), we recommend that you set the recognition performance to "fast". This will speed up recognition processing at the slight expense of accuracy. If your system has a higher speed Pentium processor (166MHz, for example), you should set the recognition performance to "accurate". This will improve recognition accuracy with a minimum degradation of speed. The optimal setting is "balanced".
|
|
Answers section 6 - Enrollment |
6.1 |
What is enrollment and is it required?
Enrollment is the process of teaching VoiceType your voice so your dictated words can be recognized with greater accuracy. Although enrollment is not required (you can simply start using VoiceType right out of the box), doing either the short or full enrollment will help improve your recognition accuracy.
|
6.2 |
How many sentences should I read for enrollment?
Although you can start using IBM VoiceType right out of the box, we recommend that you do the short enrollment to improve recognition accuracy. The short enrollment requires that you read 50 sentences. After reading the 50 sentences, you will be prompted to select Train. Unless you have a heavy accent, the short 50 sentence enrollment should suffice. If you decide not to train and continue reading beyond the 50 sentences, you must then complete the full enrollment of 283 sentences before you can process this enrollment. For this reason, we suggest that you choose to train after reading 50 sentences. You still have the option to do the full enrollment by going back and reading the remaining sentences. Even after you have processed your enrollment, IBM VoiceType continues to update your personal language model helping to improve your recognition performance. Whenever you use the Correct Error function to correct recognition mistakes, IBM VoiceType will learn the usage of the corrected word in reference to its language context and will give this word higher rank next time this word is spoken. Essentially, doing word correction allows VoiceType to learn from its mistakes and recognize the corrected word next time you speak it. |
6.3 |
What if I do not speak with a native accent for the language version I have installed?
If you do not have a native accent for that language, or if you have a strong regional accent, and are frequently getting "red" words while reading the enrollment sentences, decrease the recognition sensitivity as follows:
- Click "Options" in the Enrollment panel.
- Move the slider to the left in the "Match word to sound" section by clicking the "Approximate" arrow 3 to 5 times. Click "OK", then click "Yes".
|
|
Answers section 7 - Hardware Requirements |
7.1 |
What are the minimum hardware requirements for IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking?
To run IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking, you must be running Windows(**) 95 and have at least the following hardware:
- Pentium(**) 100MHz, or equivalent AMD-K5(**) or Cyrix 6x86(**) processor.
- 16MB of memory.
- 30+MB of available (non-compressed) hard file space. Roughly, an additional 30MB of space is required for enrollment.
- Creative Labs(**) Sound Blaster 16 (or 100% compatible) or Mwave(*) sound card.
Refer to our list of systems tested with VoiceType for additional information.
|
|
Answers section 8 - Known limitations |
8.1 |
Are there any known limitations?
Following is a known limitation:
|
|
Problems with VoiceType Simply Speaking and Anti-Virus Software. If you receive errros such as SMAPI RC = 215, SMAPI = -4 in Microphone Setup Wizard, general error in Dictation Trainer, no playback in VoicePad, or errors using VoiceType Simply Speaking options, make sure that you are not running any antivirus software (e.g. IBM Antivirus for Windows 95 or NT, or Norton Antivirus) during the installation of VoiceType Simply Speaking.
If you run IBM Antivirus for Windows 95, make sure you disable the "Check files when accessed" field in System Shield setup before installing VoiceType Simply Speaking. |
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS TECHNICAL SUPPORT WEB SITE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. You assume the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of the information contained herein. |
(*) IBM ®, Mwave ®, Aptiva ®, ThinkPad ® and VoiceType ® are IBM registered trademarks. (**) Microsoft ®, Windows ®, and NT ®, are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. (**) All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Back
|