Support for IBM VoiceType
Simply Speaking Gold for Windows 95 and NT
Technical support: frequently
asked questions.
Click on the question number to see the answer.
* |
indicates
a new or updated question and answer since January 1998. |
Section 1
- Installation and configuration |
1.1 |
|
What
releases of Microsoft's Word does Simply Speaking Gold
support? |
1.2 |
|
Does Simply
Speaking Gold support Windows NT? |
1.3 |
|
Can I
install Simply Speaking Gold over any of the previous
versions of VoiceType? |
1.4 |
|
I have
partitioned my harddrive. Can I install the Simply
Speaking Gold version of VoiceType on one partition and
any other version of VoiceType on my other partition? |
1.5 |
|
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? |
1.6 |
|
I deleted
the files and program folders through the Windows 95
Explorer, but the product is still on my system. |
1.7 |
|
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. |
1.8 |
|
Will
navigation macros I have created with VoiceType Dictation
3.0.x be migrated when I install Simply Speaking Gold? |
1.9 |
* |
I have a
sound card that is not advertised as a 100% Sound Blaster
compatible. Can I still use it for VoiceType Simply
Speaking Gold?
|
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 Gold
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
- General dictation |
3.1 |
|
What is
isolated-word speech? |
3.2 |
|
How does the
system learn as I correct mistakes? |
3.3 |
|
Is it
possible to add an alternate pronunciation for an
existing word in the vocabulary? |
3.4 |
|
My
recognition was good, but now it has deteriorated. Why? |
3.5 |
|
How do I
dictate numbers? |
3.6 |
|
How do I
improve my recognition performance with VoiceType? |
3.7 |
* |
Can I save a
voice session to a diskette or other removable cartridge
like device such as an IOMega Zip** or Jazz Drive**? |
3.8 |
* |
A Word Basic
Error 53 appears every time I open Microsoft Word.
|
4.1 |
|
Once I've
dictated a document in VoicePad, how do I transfer it to
another application? |
4.2 |
|
What's the
difference between dictation macros and
navigation/control macros? |
4.3 |
|
Can I have
text in files read to me? |
4.4 |
|
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 ?
|
Section 5
- VoiceType Options |
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 VoiceType
Options Voice page? |
5.3 |
|
What is the
Recognition Performance used for under the VoiceType
Options Voice page? |
5.4 |
|
What is the
difference between Current and Always macros? |
5.5 |
|
What are
Select Lists used for in What Can I Say macros? |
5.6 |
|
When I am in
navigation mode, and issue a command, the command appears
to be recognized in VoiceCenter however, it does not
execute.
|
Section 6
- VoiceType Direct |
6.1 |
|
When should
I use VoiceType Direct?
|
Section 7
- Vocabulary Expander |
7.1 |
|
How can I
quickly add words to my vocabulary and improve
recognition?
|
Section 8
- Vocabulary Manager |
8.1 |
|
How do I see
my added words, and when would I want to delete a word?
|
9.1 |
|
What is
enrollment and is it required? |
9.2 |
|
How many
sentences should I read for enrollment? |
9.3 |
|
What if I do
not speak with a native accent for the language version I
have installed?
|
Section
10 - Hardware and software requirements |
10.1 |
|
What are the
minimum hardware and software requirements?
|
Section
11 - Known limitations |
11.1 |
* |
Are there
any known limitations?
|
Answers
section 1 - Installation and configuration |
1.1
|
What
releases of Microsoft's Word does Simply Speaking Gold
support?
MS Word release 6.0C (US English only), 7 and 8 are
supported if running Windows** 95. MS Word release 6.0C
is not supported under Windows NT**. Releases 7 and 8 are
supported in Windows NT.
|
1.2 |
Does
Simply Speaking Gold support Windows NT ?
Yes. It supports Windows NT 4.0.
|
1.3 |
Can I
install Simply Speaking Gold over any of the previous
versions of VoiceType?
Yes. You will get a message that another version of
VoiceType has been detected on your system. You can
proceed with the installation.
|
1.4 |
I have
partitioned my harddrive. Can I install the Simply
Speaking Gold version of VoiceType on one partition and
any other version of VoiceType on my other partition?
Simply Speaking Gold 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.
|
1.5 |
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.
|
1.6 |
I deleted
the files and program folders through the Windows 95
Explorer, but the product is still on my system.
You should not delete the files and program folders
through the Explorer. Instead, you should use the
uninstall program provided in the product. IBM VoiceType
Dictation, VoiceType Simply Speaking and VoiceType Simply
Speaking Gold versions 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.
|
1.7 |
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.
|
1.8 |
Will
navigation macros I have created with VoiceType Dictation
3.0.x be migrated when I install Simply Speaking Gold?
Navigation macros created for most applications will be
migrated automatically to VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold.
However, navigation macros created for the 97 office
suites, such as Lotus** SmartSuite** 97, or Microsoft
Office 97, will not be migrated.
Note: Because navigation macros are created for a
specific version of an application, they cannot be used
with another version of the application, i.e. navigation
macros created for MS Word 7.0 will not work in MS Word
97.
|
1.9 |
I have a
sound card that is not advertised as a 100% Sound Blaster
compatible. Can I still use it for VoiceType Simply
Speaking Gold?
VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold uses a powerful
technology. If your sound card and PC do not meet the
minimum requirements, VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold will
not to work adequately on your PC.
|
Answers
section 2 - Microphone Setup |
2.1 |
What is
Microphone Setup?
Microphone Setup is a wizard, located in the VoiceType
Tools 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. |
|
|
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.
|
2.2 |
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.
|
2.3 |
The
microphone in my copy of VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold
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.-
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.
- 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.
|
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 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 - General dictation |
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 Read
This First on-line document 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
VoiceType. Isolated speech is not required for command
and navigation control. You should use the Dictation
Trainer, located in the IBM VoiceType Help folder to
learn how to speak when dictating with IBM VoiceType.
|
3.2 |
How does
the system learn as I correct mistakes?
As soon as you correct a word, the correction is saved in
memory and is available during your dictation session.
Whatever dictation method you choose to use, once you
close your dictation session, 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 |
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.
|
3.4 |
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 VoiceType Options, 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 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. |
|
|
- The
batteries in your battery adapter may be dying. If you
are using the battery adapter, try using fresh batteries.
|
3.5 |
How do I
dictate numbers?
There are two ways you can dictate numbers in VoiceType: 1. To dictate large numbers,
like a serial number, you should break them up into two
digits at a time. For instance, to dictate the following
serial number, 521-44-9655, say fifty-two one hyphen
forty-four hyphen ninety-six fifty-five. Initially,
the numbers will have spaces between them, but once
VoiceType understands the context of this number, by
saying another word or ending the sentence, it will glue
the digits back together.
2. To dictate
numbers as digits (0-9) rather than allow VoiceType to
spell out the numbers, say begin numbers. Begin
Numbers mode gives you higher recognition accuracy since
you are restricting the vocabulary to numbers only.
Please note, that this voice command will not be acted
upon until you check the 'Enable "Begin
numbers" box' under Dictation Options in the
Dictation menu of VoicePad. To end numbers mode and
resume dictation, say Resume Dictation. Saying Change
that while in numbers mode after a digit has been
spoken, will delete the digit. You cannot use the correct
error pop-up menu for digits dictated in numbers mode, so
we advise making your corrections before returning to
dictation mode.
|
3.6 |
How do I
improve my recognition performance with VoiceType?
VoiceType is speaker independent, so you can dictate
without first training it to recognize your voice (via
the Enrollment program). If you have set up your
microphone correctly, and if you have a native accent for
the language version of the product you are using, 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. To ensure you
get the best recognition performance, we recommend that
you go through the 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:
|
|
|
- VoiceType
requires you to speak in isolated speech. If you are not
sure what isolated speech is, practice using the
Dictation Trainer in the Help menu of Simply Speaking
Gold. |
|
|
- Use speech
correction to correct a word that VoiceType misrecognizes
and to 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. Use speech correction ONLY to correct misrecognized
words, do NOT use it for text editing! To use speech
correction, just double-click on the misrecognized word
(in Microsoft Word, click once with the right mouse
button and select Correct Error from the menu) 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--but 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. |
|
|
- Make sure
the audio indicator is in the green range when you talk.
It's acceptable if sometimes it is yellow, but it should
never get into red. Follow the instructions in the
Microphone Setup program carefully to set up your
microphone so that the audio level indicator is green
when you talk. The microphone adapters provided should
enable you to adjust the microphone properly for almost
any sound card using the Microphone Setup program. |
|
|
- It is
important to speak in a normal tone of voice. If the
audio level is low, 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 the Voice page
in VoiceType Options. Refer to the VoiceType Options
section in these Frequently Asked Questions for further
information. |
|
|
- Don't
forget that you must say dictation commands and macros
such as STOP-DICTATION, BEGIN-DICTATION and NEW-PARAGRAPH
continuously as one 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, or simply
turn off your microphone. |
|
|
- Use the
Vocabulary Expander to introduce text to VoiceType which
is similar to what you dictate. Vocabulary Expander is
not only useful for adding new words to your dictation
vocabulary, but is also used to teach VoiceType the way
you compose your dictation sentences. For example, if you
have a set of letters or papers that are similar to the
way you compose your dictation, run them through the
Vocabulary Expander and answer "Yes" to the
"Words in Context" dialog. This teaches
VoiceType the way you compose your dictated sentences and
helps improve your dictation accuracy.
|
3.7 |
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 VoiceType Simply Speaking 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, especially if you are using
a parallel drive. We recommend that you save the file to
your harddrive and then use a file copy command to copy
them to your removable drive.
|
3.8 |
A Word
Basic Error 53 appears every time I open Microsoft Word.
If this error occurs, copy the NORMALB.DOT file into the
MSOFFICE\TEMPLATES folder (Word 7.0 & Word 8.0) and
rename the file to NORMAL.DOT. After that you will need
to update the Microsoft Office Registry entry to point to
the current templates drive and folder for Microsoft
Office. Refer to the online reference for more help on
how to correct this error and other problems you may
encounter with Microsoft Word.
|
Answers
section 4 - VoicePad |
4.1 |
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 which accepts text input (e.g. a word
processor). With the left mouse button, click the
Transfer icon in the icon toolbar (this will transfer the
text automatically to the last application that you used)
or click and drag the icon with your mouse pointer to the
opened application window where you want to transfer the
dictated text. The formatting of the document in VoicePad
MAY NOT be preserved in the other application. You should
format the text after transferring it.
|
4.2 |
What's
the difference between dictation macros and
navigation/control macros?
Dictation macros are used to substitute frequently used
text for a short expression, e.g. "business
address" could print off the details of your office
address. Navigation/control macros are voice-command
shortcuts for working with applications and objects on
your Windows desktop, e.g. "show calendar" to
open the Lotus Organizer diary.Note: The on-line help gives further
information and tips on creating dictation macros as well
as navigation/control macros.
|
|
|
- The
Dictation Macro Editor allows you to create dictation
macros and voice templates which are only active during
dictation sessions. Note that although dictation macros
are active in all methods of dictation, voice templates
are only active in VoicePad. |
|
|
- The
navigation and control macros, shown in the "What
Can I Say?" window, are not available during
dictation. The IBM VoiceCenter must be running to
activate the "What Can I Say?" command and
control macros.VoiceType comes with pre-defined macros
for commonly used applications, as well as the
mini-applications and accessories provided by Windows.
You can create additional command and control macros. For
example, you could create a macro in which you select the
style, font and type size for a document in a word
processor.
|
4.3 |
Can I
have text in files read to me?
Yes, Simply Speaking Gold (US English version only) has a
text to speech option. Dictate some text or open a file
using VoicePad, then select "Dictation" on the
toolbar, and finally select "Begin Reading".
All of the text in the file will be read back. To have
portions of text read instead of the complete file,
highlight the portion you want read and then select
"Begin Reading". The first time you do this,
the IBM Text to Speech icon will appear on the right of
the Taskbar. Right mouse click on the IBM Text to Speech
icon and select Help to find out how you can use IBM Text
to Speech.
|
4.4 |
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 ?
Select Dictation and then Dictation Options from the
VoicePad menu and click on the audio tab. Move the slider
to change the output volume level. Or you can use the
Audio Mixer (by running the Volume Control applet in the
Accessories/Multimedia folder) to increase the playback
volume.
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Answers
section 5 - VoiceType Options |
5.1 |
How do I
change users if more than one user has enrolled?
Start VoiceType Options from the Control Panel folder or
from the VoiceType Tools folder. Click the User tab and
select a new user from the drop down menu. If you have
multiple enrollments for the same user (for example, one
for a noisy environment and one for a quieter
environment), or multiple languages installed, you can
switch enrollments and languages from this menu as well.
You can make these changes by clicking on "OK".
Note: If any speech applications are active, you
will be prompted to close them.
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5.2 |
What is
the Recognition Sensitivity used for under the VoiceType
Options 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 and of commands used for navigation. If
the pronunciation doesn't match the expected
pronunciation of the word read during enrollment, or the
command given for navigation, VoiceType will reject this
word or command. When this slider is moved closer towards
"Exact Match", VoiceType will be more likely to
reject words read during enrollment or commands given for
navigation. If your navigation commands are not being
recognized, try moving this slider closer to "Best
Guess". If during enrollment you get a lot of red
words, you should also try moving the slider closer to
"Best Guess" (but you must first try to correct
the problem by running Microphone Setup!). 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 accents.
This setting is the same as the Match Word to Sound
setting under Options in Enrollment.
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5.3 |
What is
the Recognition Performance used for under the VoiceType
Options 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" or
"balanced". 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 small degradation of speed.
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5.4 |
What is
the difference between Current and Always macros?
- Always macros are always available when IBM
VoiceCenter is running independently of the active
application. These macros are commands that send a series
of keystrokes to the active application or highlighted
object. You specify these keystrokes by recording
(capturing) them. The Always macros you create are added
to the Always page in the "What Can I Say?"
Window.
- Current macros are commands that carry out a
series of actions in a single application program. These
macros are named "current" because they apply
only to the application window that was active when the
macro was created. You specify these actions by recording
(capturing) the actual keystrokes and mouse
clicks within the application's windows. Current macros
you create are added to the Current page in the
"What Can I Say?" window whenever the
application has focus. When you say a macro command,
Voice Center sends the keystrokes and mouse clicks in the
captured sequence to the application.
|
5.5 |
What are
Select Lists used for in What Can I Say macros?
Macro select lists add useful function to command and
control macros. For example, you can use macro lists in
the "What Can I Say?" window to create a macro
for typing telephone numbers or even currency into a
document. To create an always macro for typing currency: |
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- Say or
click Macro and the Macro window appears. |
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- Say or
click Capture. |
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- Say or
click Lists. |
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- Select $
and cents and then click on OK. |
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- Say or
click Done. |
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- Insert the
word value before the macro list, <$ and
cents> in the voice command field then click on OK. |
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- Train
the macro named value and click on Done. |
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The macro
named value <$ and cents> just created
should now appear under Customized Always Macros in the
What Can I Always Say window. Now, if you open an application like Wordpad
and say in a continuous phrase (without pausing between
the words), value two hundred three dollars and forty
two cents, 203.42 should display in your active
application.
The $ and cents list is
identical to the Amounts list, except that it also
includes the words dollars and cents. The
digits list provides numeric values with high recognition
accuracy where the values are spoken as separate digits.
For example: for 17.32, say one seven point three two.
If you click on the + sign
before the macro list name, it will show you an example
and list the available words for this macro.
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5.6 |
When I am
in navigation mode, and issue a command, the command
appears to be recognized in VoiceCenter however, it does
not execute.
Some commands are not available for use at all times with
all applications. For example, if you are in VoicePad and
you have not dictated any text yet and you issue the
command "Begin Correction", the command is
recognized in the Voice Center, however, no action will
take place as there is no text to correct.
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Answers
section 6 - VoiceType Direct |
6.1 |
When
should I use VoiceType Direct?
If you choose not to dictate directly into IBM VoicePad
or into Microsoft Word, then you may want to use
VoiceType Direct to dictate into your favorite
application. Once you target your application, you can
dictate directly into it. Just say "Dictate
Directly" while the window into which you want to
dictate is in focus.
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Note:
You must correct your dictation after you say Stop
Dictation, but before starting another dictation
session. After starting another dictation session, you
cannot go back and make changes to previously dictated
text.
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Answers
section 7 - Vocabulary Expander |
7.1 |
How can I
quickly add words to my vocabulary and improve
recognition?
By using Vocabulary Expander you can analyze text and add
words to your current Added Words List. Vocabulary
Expander also helps VoiceType learn your dictation
patterns, and updates your personal language model via
the "Words in Context" dialog. This helps
improve dictation accuracy. To analyze text you can open
a file which has previously been created, copy text from
the clipboard, or create text in the Vocabulary Expander
by using your keyboard. Vocabulary Expander will be able
to analyze the text, allow you to select words you wish
to add, and train the words you added.
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Answers
section 8 - Vocabulary Manager |
8.1 |
How do I
see my added words, 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.
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Answers
section 9 - Enrollment |
9.1 |
What is
enrollment and is it required?
Enrollment is the process of teaching VoiceType your
voice so your speech 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.
|
9.2 |
How many
sentences should I read for enrollment?
There are two levels of enrollment you can choose.
Although you can start using IBM VoiceType Simply
Speaking Gold right out of the box, we recommend you do
the short enrollment for dictation to improve recognition
accuracy. The short enrollment for dictation requires
that you read a minimun 50 sentences. You can go to the
training phase anytime after the 50 sentences. After
training, if you decide that you want to continue the
enrollment process, you must complete the full enrollment
of 283 sentences before you can train it a second time.
Unless you have a heavy accent, the short 50 sentence
enrollment should suffice. Even after you have processed your
enrollment, IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold 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 it is spoken. Essentially, doing
word correction allows VoiceType to learn from its
mistakes and recognize the corrected word next time you
speak it.
To help improve command
and control recognition accuracy, we suggest you do the
enrollment for commands. You will also be prompted to
select Train after reading 50 command phrases.
Doing the full enrollment for commands, 190 phrases, will
help if you're having recognition problems for commands
and control, or have an accent.
|
9.3 |
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: |
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- Click
"Options" in the Enrollment panel. |
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- Move the
slider to the left in the "Match word to sound"
section by clicking the "Approximate" arrow 3
to 5 times. |
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|
- Click
"OK", then click "Yes". |
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However, do
not forget that most times problems with "red"
words occur because of incorrect positioning of the
microphone. Make sure that your microphone is positioned
and adjusted properly by running Microphone Setup before
you start the Enrollment.
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Answers
section 10 - Hardware and software requirements |
10.1 |
What are
the minimum hardware and software requirements?
To run VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold you must be running
Windows 95 or NT 4.0 and have at least the following
hardware: |
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|
- Processor
performance equivalent to Intel Pentium(**) 100MHz or
faster. This includes Intel Pentium 90MHz with 256K L2
Cache, IBM 6X86-P120, AMD-K5 PR120(**) and Cyrix
6x86-P120(**) processors. |
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- 16MB of
memory for Windows 95 / 32MB of memory for NT 4.0. |
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- 75MB of
available (non-compressed) hard file space. |
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- Creative
Labs(**) Sound Blaster 16 (or 100% compatible) or
Mwave(*) sound card. Refer
to our list of systems tested with VoiceType for additional information.
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Answers
section 11 - Known limitations |
11.1 |
Are there
any known limitations?
Following are known limitations: |
11.1 |
Are there
any known limitations?
Following are known limitations: |
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|
- In the US
English version, after using the "Text to
Speech" function, the microphone icon will be active
(green) regardless of the state of the microphone before
using "Text to Speech". |
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- A user
must use the same application for retrieving deferred or
delegated dictation as was used for saving it. For
example, if VoicePad was used to save a dictation, then
you must use VoicePad to retrieve and make corrections to
that dictation. |
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- In the US
version, when using the "Text to Speech"
function, the volume is lower compared to the volume when
correcting dictation errors. Please note that the text to
speech function is found under SpeakPad as 'Begin
Reading' as specified in the online help. If you have
VoiceCenter up, you can also say 'Begin Reading' to read
any text from any active window. Also note that you must
have administrator privileges to use text to speech when
running VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold on NT4.0. |
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- Problems
with VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold 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 SpeakPad, or errors
using VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold 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
Gold. If you run IBM
Antivirus for Windows 95 or NT, make sure you disable the
"Check files when accessed" field in System
Shield setup before installing VoiceType Simply Speaking
Gold.
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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.
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