ViaVoice

Technical Support: ViaVoice Millennium for Macintosh

Frequently Asked Questions.
Click on the question number to see the answer.

 
Section 1 - Installation and configuration
1.1   How do I install IBM* ViaVoice* on my computer?
1.2   After ViaVoice is installed what should I do next?
1.3   How can I uninstall ViaVoice from my system.
1.4   Are additional vocabularies (i.e. medical, legal) available for ViaVoice?
1.5   The installation panel states that I only need 72MB to install the product. I have 100MB free so why does the installation say that there is insufficient space?
1.6   The microphone inserts for my microphone are in the iMac colors. Can I purchase a set of graphite inserts and clips to match my machine?
Section 2 -Audio Setup Assistant
2.1   What is Audio Setup Assistant?
2.2   When should I run the Audio Setup Assistant?
2.3   Can I use the microphone that shipped with my computer (or the built-in microphone, if there is one)?
2.4 Can any other microphones be used?
Section 3 - Analyze My Voice
3.1   What is Analyze My Voice and is it required?
3.2   How many sentences should I read during Analyze My Voice?
3.3    What if I do not speak with a native accent for the language version I have installed?
3.4    Can a backup of my voice model from a PC be restored to ViaVoice on my Macintosh** computer.
3.5    The processing of the story read in Analyze My Voice appears to go on forever.
Section 4 - General dictation and SpeakPad
4.1  How do I start SpeakPad?
4.2 How does the system learn as I correct mistakes in SpeakPad?
4.3  Once I've dictated a document in SpeakPad, how do I transfer it to another application?
4.4 Is it possible to add an alternate pronunciation for an existing word in the vocabulary?
4.5  My recognition was good, but it now has deteriorated. Why?
4.6 How do I dictate numbers?
4.7 How can I improve my recognition performance with ViaVoice?
4.8 Can I save a voice session to a diskette or other removable cartridge like device such as an IOMega Zip or Jazz Drive?
4.9 Can I have text in files read to me?
4.10 When reading the dictated text in VoicePad, the volume is extremely low compared to the volume of correcting dictation error. How can I increase the volume ?
4.11  Is there a limit to the amount of text I can dictate in SpeakPad.
4.12  Should I save my documents with the "Save dictation session information" box checked.
4.13  When I try to open the ViaVoice SpeakPad, I get a message stating that 'SpeechLib could not be found'.
4.14  The IBM ViaVoice Menu does not appear on my computer.
4.15  AppleWorks 6 doesn't seem to be compatible with ViaVoice for Mac. How do I make this work?
Section 5 - ViaVoice Options
5.1   How do I change users if more than one user has been added?
5.2   What is the Recognition Sensitivity used for under the ViaVoice Preferences Voice page?
5.3    What is the Recognition Performance used for under the ViaVoice Preferences Voice page?
5.4    What are the Formatting and Formatting-2 tabs used for in SpeakPad Preferences?
Section 6 - Analyze My Documents
6.1   How can I quickly add words to my vocabulary and improve recognition?
6.2   What file formats are supported in Analyze My Documents?
Section 7 - Vocabulary Manager 
7.1   How do I see my added words, and when would I want to delete a word?
Section 8 - Hardware and software requirements
8.1   What are the minimum hardware and software requirements for IBM ViaVoice?
Section 9 - Known limitations
9.1 Can I use ViaVoice while Apple's Speakable Items is active?
9.2 Are there any known limitations?

 

Answers to questions
Answers section 1 - Installation and configuration
1.1 How do I install IBM* ViaVoice* on my computer?
Insert the ViaVoice CD and open the ViaVoice Millennium icon when it appears on the desktop. Open The IBM ViaVoice installer icon and continue with installation.
1.2 After ViaVoice is installed what should I do next?
Select Apple, favorites, then IBM SpeakPad. This will start Analyze My Voice. ViaVoice needs to setup the microphone and Analyze Your Voice before you can start dictating.
1.3 How can I uninstall ViaVoice from my system.
Insert the ViaVoice CD. Open the ViaVoice Millenium icon when it appears on the Desktop. Open the IBM ViaVoice Installer icon, select continue, select accept, select continue and change install to uninstall, then select uninstall.
1.4 Are additional vocabularies (i.e. medical, legal) available for ViaVoice?
No. ViaVoice does not have additional vocabularies for this version of ViaVoice.
1.5 The installation panel states that I only need 72MB to install the product. I have 100MB free so why does the installation say that there is insufficient space?
The installation panel disk space requirements only reflects the size of the installation package. As stated on the ViaVoice box, ViaVoice needs a minimum of 200MB in order to complete the installation successfully.
1.6 The microphone inserts and clips for my microphone are in the iMac colors. I have a graphite colored machine so can I purchase a set of graphite inserts and clips to match my machine?
Yes, just visit the Andrea Electronics web site at http://www.andreaelectronics.com/commerce/details.ihtml?id=NC71 for purchase information.
Answers section 2 - Audio Setup Assistant
2.1 What is Audio Setup Assistant?
Audio Setup Assistant is used to setup the IBM ViaVoice 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.
    Setting up your microphone correctly is the single most important thing you can do to enhance the use of ViaVoice. Proper microphone set up, and correct audio settings are required to achieve the highest recognition accuracy.
2.2 When should I run the Audio Setup Assistant?
You should run the Audio Setup Assistant: 
  - If your recognition accuracy has deteriorated.  
    - If you've changed your microphone. 
2.3 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 ViaVoice product. This microphone has noise cancelling capabilities and was specifically designed for speech recognition.
2.4  Can any other microphones be used?
A list of tested and compatible microphones are available by clicking here. Any other microphones cannot be guaranteed to give you good speech recognition.
Answers section 3 - Analyze My Voice 
3.1 What is Analyze My Voice and is it required?
Analyze My Voice  is the process of teaching ViaVoice your voice so your speech can be recognized with greate accuracy.  ViaVoice will not allow you to use SpeakPad prior to completing at least one script.
3.2 How many sentences should I read during Analyze My Voice?
The minimum varies according to the script you select to read. You may select any one of the 6 scripts or all of them. We recommend starting with one and then check your dictation accuracy. Try another script if you are not satisfied with your accuracy.
3.3 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, it is recommended that you read more than one script for better accuracy.
3.4 Can a backup of my voice model from a PC be restored to ViaVoice on my Macintosh** computer.
For best speech recognition we recommend creating a new voice model using Analyze My Voice on your Macintosh computer. Restoring a voice model created on a PC would not bring predictable results and therefore is not supported. 
3.5 The processing of the story read in Analyze My Voice appears to go on forever
The ViaVoice installation path (including hard drive name) may contain unusual characters such as:
! " £ $ % ^ & * ( ) [ ] { } ; ' # : @ ~ , . / < > ? \ ¦ ` |.
As the core of the ViaVoice software operates on multiple OS platforms, These special characters are interpreted incorrectly. These characters cannot be in any of the folder names used by ViaVoice, including the hard disk name. Please review your folder and hard disk names and rename them if they include any of the characters above. This includes hard disk names such as Mike's Hard Drive or MAC OS9: HDD. . 
Answers section 4 - General dictation and SpeakPad
4.1 How do I start SpeakPad?
On the right side of the Menu Bar you can select the Menu Extension (Init Icon) for ViaVoice and then select Dictate to SpeakPad, on the left side of the Menu Bar, select Apple Menu, Favorites, IBM SpeakPad or open the Macintosh HD folder, IBM ViaVoice folder, open IBM SpeakPad.
4.2 How does the system learn as I correct mistakes in SpeakPad?
When you close your SpeakPad dictation session, the correction is saved to disk and your speech data is updated with the correct pronunciation and usage of the misrecognized word or words. 
4.3 Once I've dictated a document in SpeakPad, how do I transfer it to another application?
After you have completed a dictation session in SpeakPad and corrected any errors, you can transfer the text to any application which allows copy and paste (e.g. a word processor). Once your dictation is complete, just say "Transfer to (name of application)" and the text will be transferred to that application.
4.4 Is it possible to add an alternate pronunciation for an existing word in the vocabulary?
No. Not directly, but ViaVoice Millennium will recognize that you are having misrecognition problems after correcting the same word a few times and will prompt you for a new pronunciation for that word. There are exceptions to this rule for words such as 'a', 'an', 'the' and other very common words. You can also create a macro for this word and train it with an alternate pronunciation.
4.5 My recognition was good, but it now has deteriorated. Why?
Several factors could account for this problem: 
 
  • The microphone settings might have been changed. Please run Audio Setup Assistant. This will readjust your microphone settings so that ViaVoice will work correctly. 
  • You might not be using your own voice model. Make sure you use the correct user name that contains your own personal language model. You can use the ViaVoice Preferences to 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. Audio Setup Assistant illustrates the correct positioning of the microphone.
  • Make sure that you are not breathing directly into the microphone mouthpiece or speaking too loudly when dictating. Also, make sure the foam microphone wind screen is attached and in place.
4.6 How do I dictate numbers?
In ViaVoice Millennium, you have several options that you can choose from which allows you to select how you want  your numbers to be displayed. In addition, it allows you to speak your numbers more naturally as you would in a normal conversation. See the ViaVoice Millennium User Guide for instructions and examples of number dictation.
4.7

How can I improve my recognition performance with ViaVoice?

Use the Audio Setup Assistant everytime you put on your headset. 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.

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 Audio Setup program to readjust your microphone settings.

If you have enrolled or analyzed your voice, 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 might not 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 Audio Setup and re-enroll on the new system!

IBM ViaVoice Millennium gathers information from your audio as you dictate documents. A determination is made by ViaVoice's speech engine as to when enough audio sample has been obtained. We recommend training your audio sample when prompted. This information is then added to your acoustic voice model.

Use speech correction to correct a word that ViaVoice Millennium misrecognizes and teach it how to display the word. Speech correction adjusts your personal speech files so that ViaVoice Millennium remembers the correction each time you say the word. There are several methods for error correction using ViaVoice Millennium. Please refer to the on-line help for further information on error correction.

While ViaVoice Millennium is a continuous speech program, you will still need to ensure that you dictate at a moderate rate of speed and pronounce your words clearly. Do not slur your words together. If you want to interrupt your dictation, for example in order to answer the phone or talk to someone, first stop your dictation and turn off the microphone. . There are several ways to turn off the microphone. You can say "Microphone Off" or "Go to Sleep"

4.8 Can I save a voice session to a diskette or other removable cartridge like device such as an IOMega Zip or Jazz Drive?
One minute of dictation equals approximately 1MB of disk space, because ViaVoice saves your original dictation audio. A two page document could be as large as 30 - 40 MB of disk space. Therefore, you will be limited not only on the size of the document you want to save but also how many documents you could save as a result of the size. Since these files are so large, they can take a long time to save. We recommend that you save the file to your harddrive and then copy them to your removable drive.
4.9 Can I have text in files read to me?
Yes, with SpeakPad open, ViaVoice can read text to you when say "Begin Reading" or select "Begin Reading" from the Dictation drop down menu.
4.10 When reading the dictated text in SpeakPad, the volume is extremely low compared to the volume of correcting dictation error. How can I increase the volume ?
You can change the playback sound settings by opening the Monitors & Sound control panel, then select Sound and increase the Computer System Sound.
4.11 Is there a limit to the amount of text I can dictate in SpeakPad.
Depending on the amount of available memory, the maximum amount of pages you can dictate is ten. 
4.12 Should I save my documents with the "Save dictation session information" box checked. 
Saving a document with the dictation session information uses large amounts of disk space and is not recommended for saving completed documents.
4.13 When I try to open the ViaVoice SpeakPad, I get a message stating that 'SpeechLib could not be found'.
This error is caused when a prerequisite extension is not installed or has been disabled. To correct the problem:
  1. Open the Control Panel 'Extensions Manager'.
  2. Scroll down to the Extensions area.
  3. If the disclosure triangle next to 'Extensions' is pointing to the right, click it once to open the Extensions list (make the triangle point 'down').
  4. Look for an extension named 'Speech Manager'. If you do not find 'Speech Manager', then you need to locate your Mac OS system CD, and reinstall 'Text-to-Speech' following the instructions that came from Apple, then go back to step 1.
  5. Make sure that the box next to the extension 'Speech Manager' is checked, and restart your computer.
4.14 The IBM ViaVoice Menu does not appear on my computer. 
The ViaVoice Menu requires the extension 'ViaVoice Menu Extension', which needs to be installed and enabled.
  1. Open the Control Panel 'Extensions Manager'.
  2. Scroll down to the Extensions area.
  3. If the disclosure triangle next to 'Extensions' is pointing to the right, click it once to open the Extensions list (make the triangle point 'down').
  4. Look for an extension named 'ViaVoice Menu Extension'. If you do not find'ViaVoice Menu Extension', then you need to locate your IBM ViaVoice Install CD, and reinstall the software, then go back to step 1.
  5. Make sure that the box next to the extension 'ViaVoice Menu Extension' is checked, and restart your computer.
4.15 AppleWorks 6 doesn't seem to be compatible with ViaVoice for Mac. How do I make this work? 
First, you must upgrade to Version 1.0.2 if you have not already done so. Next, change the name of the application icon from "AppleWorks 6" to "AppleWorks". This should enable AppleWorks 6 for use with ViaVoice for Mac.
Answers section 5 - ViaVoice Options
5.1 How do I change users if more than one user has been added?
Select the Menu Extension (Init Icon) for ViaVoice, select ViaVoice Preferences from the dropdown menu, click on the User Name arrows and select the desired user. The Menu Extension is located on the Menu Bar to the left of Help Viewer.
5.2 What is the Recognition Sensitivity used for under the ViaVoice Preferences Voice page?
The recognition sensitivity slider does not affect the recognition for dictation. However, it is used to relax or tighten the acceptance of the pronunciation of words read when creating your voice model. If the pronunciation doesn't match the expected pronunciation of the word read while creating your voice model, ViaVoice will reject the word by highlighting and underscoring the word that it did not understand in blue. ViaVoice will be more likely to reject words when this slider is moved closer towards "Exact Match". This slider is adjusted automatically when creating your voice model.
5.3 What is the Recognition Performance used for under the ViaVoice Preferences Voice page?
The Recognition Performance setting is used to increase performance or accuracy depending upon your system configuration. In general, if your system has a lower speed processor (233MHz, for example), ViaVoice Millennium will AUTOMATICALLY adjust the recognition performance to "fast" or "balanced". This will speed up recognition processing at the slight expense of accuracy. If your system has a higher speed processor (300MHz, for example), ViaVoice Millennium will again AUTOMATICALLY adjust recognition performance to "accurate". This will improve recognition accuracy with a small degradation of speed. The ViaVoice recognition engine monitors its performance and dynamically makes adjustments to this setting. In a few cases, it may be necessary to make these adjustments manually, however, it is highly recommended that this option remain automatic.
5.4 What are the Formatting and Formatting-2 tabs used for in SpeakPad Preferences?
The Formatting tab is used for selecting the way you want dictated numbers to be displayed. For example, if you dictate the number three, you can choose to have it displayed as the number 3 as opposed to the word three. Formatting-2 tab is used for selecting the way you want dates and times displayed. For example, if you dictate the date "May 1st", you can choose to have it displayed as May 1st or May first or 5/1. If you   dictate 10:00 o'clock, you can choose to have it displayed as 10:00, 10:00 o'clock or ten o'clock.
Answers section 6 - Analyze My Documents
6.1 How can I quickly add words to my vocabulary and improve recognition?
By using Analyze My Documents, you can analyze simple text documents and add words to your current Added Words List. Analyze My Documents also helps ViaVoice Millennium learn your dictation patterns, and updates your personal language model via the "Words in Context" dialog. This helps improve dictation accuracy. Analyze My Documents will be able to analyze the text, allow you to select words you wish to add, and train the words you added. Most of the words you will add will be in the ViaVoice 260,000 word pronunciation/spelling dictionary and therefore, you will not be prompted to provide a pronunciation for them.
6.2 What file formats are supported in Analyze My Documents?
The only document format currently supported in Analyze My Documents is simple text. If you have documents that are in other formats such as Microsoft Word or Apple Works, you must save a copy of this document in text format and use the copy in Analyze My Documents. Type style and font size are not an issue.
Answers section 7 - Manage My Vocabulary
7.1 How do I see my added words, and when would I want to delete a word?
The Manage My Vocabulary is a utility 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 appear during dictation. You might also want to delete misspelled words and words such as proper names that you know you will not use again.
Answers section 8 - Hardware and software requirements
8.1 What are the minimum hardware and software requirements?
To run IBM ViaVoice, you must be running MAC OS version 8.5.1, 8.6 or 9.0 and have at least the following hardware:
    -  iMac**, Power Mac** G3 or G4,  PowerBook** G3 with a 233 MHZ PowerPC* processor or higher.
    - 48MB of memory. Increasing the processor and/or the memory will improve the speed of decoding, but will not improve the recognition performance.
    - 200+MB of available (non-compressed) hard file space. 
    -CD-ROM Drive.
Answers section 9 - Known limitations
9.1 Can I use ViaVoice while Apple's Speakable Items is active?
The Apple Technical Information Library has additional information on this subject. Click on the following to be transferred to the Apple Tech Info Library: http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n31155
9.2 Are there any known limitations?
Following are known limitations:
    The information below is a copy of the ViaVoice for Mac README:

1. INSTALLATION NOTES
*After installing, start IBM SpeakPad from the "IBM ViaVoice" folder to start the ViaVoice setup assistant and create a user and voice model.

*You must boot from the same volume you booted from when you installed ViaVoice millennium for Macintosh, whenever you want to run ViaVoice.

*When you installed the Adobe Acrobat Reader from the ViaVoice CD, you must run the reader and accept a license agreement prior to viewing a PDF file for the first time.

*The following documents are included in the "IBM ViaVoice" folder and can be printed or viewed at your convenience: User's Guide PDF file and Command Reference Card PDF file for a (found in the "Product", "Help", "E n _ U.S." folder. )

*After uninstall has completed, a false busy cursor may appear. Select "Quit" to complete. It is not necessary to wait.

2. GENERAL LIMITATIONS

*When using ViaVoice, you should enable Virtual Memory and increase the setting to be at least 10 MB above the amount of "Available built-in memory". From the Apple menu, point to control panels, then select memory, and make the appropriate changes for your virtual memory. Close all applications and restart your computer.

*You should turn off virtual memory when using the begin reading function only if you experience short and/or irregular output quality.

*The following are processing intensive functions of ViaVoice: Analyze My Voice (processing a voice model), Analyze My Documents (adding the words), transferring text to other applications, and saving large documents. You should expect your system to run very slowly, and at times appear unresponsive while performing these functions. When any of these functions are running, do not attempt to run SpeakPad, other ViaVoice components, or other applications until these functions have been completed.

*You may experience performance problems when using ViaVoice if both "Show Balloons" and "File sharing" are enabled on your computer. Therefore, disable these settings for best performance.

*You should set up your account information and other preferences for Microsoft Outlook Express before transferring text using the voice command.

*You should set up your user information for Microsoft Word before transferring text using the voice command.

*If the Begin Reading and Voices menu items are unavailable, you need to install the Text-to-Speech software on your computer. Install the English Text-to-Speech software using the custom install option from the Mac OS Installer, located on your Mac OS CD or the Software Install CD that came with your computer. For installation instructions refer to the "Adding or removing system software components" topic in the Mac OS help. Also, make sure the speech Control Panel is turned on in the Extensions Manager.

*When analyzing your documents, words that contain accented characters cannot be analyzed and these characters will be displayed without the accent. For example, the word José will be displayed as Jose.

*After correcting one or more words to more than one word, you will not be able to play back the voice recording for those words. For example, after you correct in this misrecognized word "Isolate" with the words "I'm so late", you will not be able to hear the playback for those words.

*Using the voice command to select numbers (i.e., 585), times (i.e., 4:30 p.m.), or currencies (i.e., $45.00) are not supported. You must select them with the cursor using the mouse or keyboard.

*The on-line help uses the Mac OS help viewer. But, the home button and search function can only be used to access Mac OS help information.


 
   

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(*) IBM®, PowerPC® and VoiceType® are IBM registered trademarks.
(**) Macintosh®, Apple®, iMac®, are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Corporation.
(**) All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.