Olympus Introduces Metadata Import Function (MIF) to their DS-3500 & DS-7000 Digital Voice Recorders

Firmware Version 1.10 introduced a new option for the Olympus DS-3500 and Olympus DS-7000 Digital Voice Recorders.  This new option is called Metadata Import Function (MIF).

What is MIF?

MIF  is  a  new  and  unique  function that allows authors to link selected metadata  with  the  dictation  file.  Metadata  is  the  data that provide information  about one or more aspects of the dictation files. For example, in the case of a medical dictation, the medical record number, patient name, date of birth and gender are considered metadata.

This feature should benefit the user reliability of the final document by providing demographic information together with dictations.  Also, saving time by eliminating the need to manually input demographic information in the dictation files or transcribed documents.

Please note that MIF only work when supported software from integrators is available.  Olympus has introduced MIF to couple of well-known integrators. 

Detailed specifications for integrators can be obtained from the Olympus SDK Community site or by contacting an eDist Account Representative.

Why Digital

 

Voice recording was first introduced in 1877 by Thomas Edison and later perfected in 1887 by Emil Berliner.  Since then, there have been incredible technological advancements made to capturing audio.  Fast forward 136 years, the hot topic is whether to choose an analog or a digital device.  When in the market for a voice recorder, many will ask “why should I buy or switch to digital voice recorders”. This comparative review will explain the advantages of digital voice recorders over analog voice recorders.

Storage Capacity:  These days most digital voice recorders use removable media, which means they use memory cards.  This gives the user the option to choose how much memory they want.  SD cards are the most widely used memory type in digital voice recorders today.  Some digital voice recorders can accept an 8GB memory card, that’s a lot of storage capacity.  The available recording time on a memory card will depend on the quality of the recording.  The higher quality of the recording; the less recording time available.  On an 8GB card, if you record in high-quality, you will have approximately 631 hours 15 minutes of available recording time, whereas you will have 1,293 hours 15 minutes available in a standard play mode.  The standard recording time for a cassette tape is 60 minutes.  Other digital voice recorders will use internal or flash memory, these digital voice recorders have the memory built into the recorder.  The available flash memory varies between manufacturers.  The average is 2GB, which calculates to 157 hours 55 minutes in high-quality mode and 323 hours 35 minutes in standard play mode.  Either way you go, digital far surpasses the capabilities of analog.

Durability:  Durability and reliability are factors we should all consider when making any purchase, especially with electronic devices.  Analog recorders have proven to be durable.  I still have an old Sony M-540V microcassette recorder which has served me well over the years.  Although my M-540V has lasted, it’s more likely to fail at some point due to its design.  Analog recorders are made of several individual moving components.  When you press play or record, a lever activates a motor which tell a particular gear to perform an action based on which button you’ve pressed.  With this many moving parts, the fail rate increases whereas digital voice recorders have no moving parts.  They were designed to last with virtually no “wear and tear” over time.  As an authorized service center for Olympus & Philips, we’ve seen our share of repairs.  The need for analog repairs is far more common than digital repairs. 

  

Convenience: When thinking of the advantages and disadvantages of analog versus digital, convenience came to mind several times.  As a distributor of analog and digital equipment, I have the advantage of knowing what sells and what’s available to sell.  Analog equipment is still available, but not as readily available and digital devices.  Several manufacturers have discontinued production of analog equipment all together, others have simply produced less.  With that said, availability is the first convenience of digital voice recorders; you can find digital recorders and memory cards just about everywhere.    Another convenience of digital voice recorders is PC connectivity.  A majority of DVRs today have a USB port to allow connection to any PC.  Some of the better DVRs also include a docking station to further increase the ease-of-use. 

Portability: Being that both analog and digital voice recorders are wireless, they are both portable, however; digital voice recorders are smaller and lighter than analog recorders.  The average digital voice recorder is approximately half the size of cassette recorders.  Overall, technology has advanced to the point where digital devices are smaller and lighter than ever.  We will compare apples-to-apples, a Sony analog recorder versus a Sony digital recorder

Analog:                                                                        Digital
Sony M-540v                                                                Sony ICD-SX700
Weight:  4 3/8 oz                                 VS.                  Weight: 2 oz
Dimensions: 4 ¾ x 2 ½ x 15/16”                                 Dimensions: 1 ¼ x 4 ¾ x 5/8”
(121.5 x 62.2 x 24.3 mm)                                               (30.8 x 119.3 x 14.9 mm)

   

Sound:  It’s not really fair to compare the sound of analog versus that of digital.  We’re talking magnetic tape versus binary code.  For recording voice, digital will win every time.  In the music venue, some instruments (particularly percussion) respond better to analog recording, essentially everything else is better with digital. For the sake of your attention span and fear of boring you to death, I will not go into depth on the specific variations of analog and digital.  I will say that digital offers a higher sampling rate and higher fidelity.   Many digital voice recorders record with CD quality (44.1 kHz) and are able to filter out background noise.

Navigation & Control: A majority of analog recorders have the ability to record, play, rewind & fast forward, just like the cassette players in vehicles.  If you wanted to go back to a particular song, you would press the rewind button until you found the right spot.  For most of us, it would take a few tries before we found the right spot.  It’s the same for analog recorders.  Now, compare that to a CD player; where you have the ability to change songs by the press of a button.  Digital voice recorders offer several advantages in regards to navigating and controlling your recordings.  You have the ability to insert index marks (bookmarks), easily navigate through your recorders and even mark files with priority.

Data Storage:  In these times of technological advances, we’ve come to expect more out of our devices.  Example:  mobile phones nowadays are a hybrid of camera, calendar, computer, phone, music player and gaming system.  Digital voice recorders offer the advantage of being a data storage device in addition to a digital voice recorder.  You can store documents, photos, presentations and music in addition to your audio recordings. 

Features:  Biometric fingerprint reading, barcode scanning, programmable buttons, backlight LCD display, indexing, author IDs, worktypes, MP3 support, conference/dictation modes, USB charging, file encryption, out-touch key assignments, smart buttons…  Need I say more?

Software: Many of today’s digital voice recorders are packaged with software that allows control and management of your audio files.  Overtime, the DVR software has transformed into a workflow management system.  Auto-downloading, auto-converting, emailing, networking, auto FTP-transmission, audio and visual notifications, auto-routing,  customizable panels, auto-firmware and software updates and auto-transcription using speech recognition software are just a few of the available features within the various software available with digital voice recorders.

I hope this helps.  Contact me for a FREE Consultation to see what can be done to customize these devices to fit your specific needs.

If you do not have a dealer, let us be your partner.  We offer affordable, annual support & maintenance packages to insure you get the help you need. To learn more about how eDist Business can help you improve financial performance, raise the quality of care and increase customer satisfaction.

CLICK HERE for complete details about our available services.

Stay classy,

Josh


Joshua Stewart| j@edist.com | 800.962.7566 ext. 2202

 

16 Reasons to choose the Philips Digital Pocket Memo as your primary mobile dictation device.

Philips offers a variety of professional voice processing solutions designed to fit just about every need to capture crystal clear audio.  Recently, I’ve received a number of inquiries from users asking if they should purchase a Philips Digital Pocket Memo or the Philips Dictation Recorder App.  Although both solutions are great, I recommend that professional authors choose the Digital Pocket Memo as their primary dictation device and use the Dictation Recorder App as their secondary or back up device.  Of course, the next logical question everyone wants to know is WHY?  Below is a list of advantages the Philips Digital Pocket Memo has over the Dictation Recorder App for Smartphones.

1. Real-time file encryption.  With the Philips Digital Pocket Memo, recordings can be encrypted in real time using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES or Rijndael Algorithm) with a key length of 128 or 256 bits. AES provides a very high degree of security and has been approved in the USA for the most highly classified government information. The device itself can be assigned a PIN code to protect against unauthorized use or file playback. Moreover, the Pocket Memo can be configured with write-protection so that it cannot be used as a mass storage device, in order to prevent theft of sensitive company data.  Encryption is only an option for transmitting data in the Dictation Recorder App.

2. Superior Audio quality – Digital Pocket Memos have a High-quality microphone and DSS Pro file format optimized for speech-recognition. The unique high-quality built-in microphone delivers increased recording sensitivity and enhanced sound quality.  This topic has been the cause of many debates as the DPM offers a 16 kHz sampling rate, while the Philips Dictation Recorder App offers a 22 kHz sampling rate option.  Technically speaking, the App offers better recording quality than the DPM, however; what most people fail to realize is that the App transfers the audio file in .DSS mode, which delivers at 11 kHz.  So, just because it records at a higher quality, doesn’t mean the delivered format and quality is as good.

3. Voice Commands is one of several unique features found in the Philips LFH-9600 Digital Pocket Memo and offers superior efficiency by allowing users to assign job data such as keywords simply by saying them. This increases efficiency and minimizes the probability of errors.

4. Noise Reduction – Philips Digital Pocket Memos are equipped with Noise Reduction Technology which eliminates ambient noise to produce crystal clear playback of recordings.

5. Removable Media – Philips DPMs accept up to a 32GB SD or SDHC cards.  This insures you won’t ever run out of space.  The App limits you to the available memory of your Smartphone, which for many of us is filled with our favorite jams and pictures. 

6. Slide Switch Operation – The Philips LFH-9500 & LFH-9600 Digital Pocket Memos have an ergonomic slide switch for efficient one-thumb operation. With the professional slide switch, you don’t have to change your working habits and can enhance your dictation workflow. It offers a fast response and is designed for single-handed operation and makes the transition from Analog to Digital that much easier.

7. USB Docking Station – Docking stations are used for fast battery charging and easy file transfer. DPMs can be fast charged through the USB connection to your PC.  This gives you the assurance that your recorder will always be ready to work when you are. Furthermore, your files will be transferred to your PC automatically when placed in the cradle.

8. SEP Software – The Philips SpeechExec Professional Dictate software is included for efficient data management.  The SEP software organizes the workflow of dictation files and resulting documents between author and transcriptionist, and allows you to monitor the status of your work.

9. Battery Life time – Record up to 21 hours with the included rechargeable batteries and in the event you do run out of juice, you can use any AA batteries.  I think we’ve all had our phones turn off due to battery.  Using your Smartphone as a Recorder in addition to your calendar, email, alarm, calls, internet, Facebook and Twitter all affect the battery life, whereas, the Philips Digital Pocket Memo was made for one purpose only, Professional Dictation.

10. Increased ROI – The Philips Dictation Recorder App may seem like the more cost effective option, however; with a $99 dollar yearly subscription fee to the Dictation Hub, that can add up for long time users.  As opposed to the LFH-9600 DPM, introduced in 2007 is still the top selling Philips DPM on the market and doesn’t require any recurring fees.

11. Smart Buttons - Two “smart buttons” let you scroll through the menu options and quickly make selections. Navigating through the menu to assign work types and other commands is fast and intuitive.

12. Eco-Friendly - Go Green as The DPM is compliant to 2002/95/EC (RoHS) as well as a lead-free soldered product.

13. Durable – The ergonomically shaped light-weight full metal body and large shock-resistant LCD displays are ideal for working over longer periods of time.  Although built like a tank, If the device does take a turn for the worst, its 2 year warranty will get you back up & running with no additional costs.  Although great devices, our Smartphones can only dream of having a warranty. 

14. Status LED – Multicolor LED’s show the recorders status without having to go into the menu or refreshing your screen.  LEDs eliminate the worry of whether you’re still recording which is especially useful during longer recordings.  As the Philips Dictation Recorder App is being operated on a Smartphone, users constantly have to manually open the app to display the recording settings.  This is by design as all Smartphones have a default sleep mode to preserve battery life.

15. Barcode Scanner compatible – The optional Barcode Scanner is just one of several accessories available for the Digital Pocket Memo’s.  Authors can scan several types of barcodes, which will automatically be attached to the audio recording.  This is especially useful in the Medical and Legal verticals. 

16. 100% Bug-Proof - In today’s connected world almost all electronic devices can be attacked from outside, be it from mobile networks or Wi-Fi. With the a Philips Digital Pocket Memo, you can be sure that your data is encrypted and safely stored on a memory card for maximum security as it doesn’t communicate with the world wide web, it’s virtually impossible to catch a virus.

Like I said before, both options are great and allow total mobility.  Both are fairly easy to use and have a lot of features.  Like all devices with an impressive list of features; configuration and customization is needed to make the device work the way YOU work.  Contact me for a FREE Consultation to see what can be done to customize these devices to fit your specific needs.

If you do not have a dealer, let us be your partner.  We offer affordable, annual support & maintenance packages to insure you get the help you need. To learn more about how eDist Business can help you improve financial performance, raise the quality of care and increase customer satisfaction.

CLICK HERE for complete details about our available services.

Stay classy,

Josh


Joshua Stewart| j@edist.com | 800.962.7566 ext. 2202

Olympus LS-14 Linear PCM Recorder

Finally, there’s a professional recording device that doesn’t require a degree in engineering to operate.

I’ve been evaluating Olympus recorders for the last decade. I’ve had the pleasure of performing extensive testing on every digital recorder Olympus has ever produced.  It seems like only yesterday when Olympus made their debut in the digital market with the D-1000 digital voice recorder.  Fast forward 15 years to the recently released DS-7000, one can certainly see how Olympus became one of the market leaders in professional voice recording.

In addition to my work as a Product Specialist, I’m also musician and music enthusiast so, needless to say; I was extremely excited in January of 2008 when Olympus introduced their first Linear PCM Recorder, the LS-10.  I quickly fell in the love with the LS-10 due to its superior studio-grade recording quality.  Although a great device, the LS-10 did require an intermediate skill set to truly take advantage of the available features and functionality.

Since the introduction in 2008, Olympus continued to perfect their line-up of Linear PCM Recorders with the releases of the LS-11/3/5/7/20m & 100 models.  All of which, were all designed to capture better than CD quality recording.  Essentially, each model offered unique features, which continued to capture my attention and late night jam sessions in my garage.

With so many models to choose from, my personal favorite was the LS-20m, which I used as my “go-to” device until an LS-14 came across my desk.  The Olympus LS-14 Linear PCM Recorder immediately captured my attention because it had 3 microphones as opposed to its successors, which only had 2.  After a little reading, I discovered that the third microphone was an omnidirectional microphone located between to the two 90-degree directional stereo condenser microphones.  This new “Tresmic” design improved the recording capabilities while increasing the frequency response range.  

Although impressive, adding a third microphone wasn’t even the best thing, in my opinion, about this new model.  The incredibly easy to operate Mode Select Dial feature is what really got me excited.  Having a professional, hand-held Linear PCM Recorder, small enough to fit in my guitar case is great but making that device easy enough for a child to operate is Bad Ass.  The Mode Select Dial, located on the front allows users to automatically adjust the device to the optimum recording levels with the flip of a switch.  The days of going through the menu to set various levels and recording modes are over for this guy. 

My first experience with the LS-14 was great.  I picked up one of my guitars, switched the Mode Select Dial to Turner, the 1 ¾ inch LCD displayed a Chromatic Tuner and allowed me to quickly get in tune.  I thought the Metronome was a cool feature, especially; if you need a little assistance with timing every now & then.  I then attached the recorder to my microphone stand, using the included Clip Stand, switched the dial to Smart Mode, after 30 seconds, the LS-14 automatically adjusted the recording settings and I was recording like a pro.  Now if only my guitar skills could be a good as this recorder.

The internal 4GB of memory allowed me to record for a few hours.  If I needed more time, no worries, the LS-14 also has an SD card slot, which will accommodate up to a 32GB SD/HC card.  Another feature, I absolutely love is overdubbing, which gave me the ability to record over a previous recording while simultaneously monitoring it through the Playback Synchro Recording feature.  And don’t even get me started on the fact that that I was able to control recording using the RS-30W remote, man, I LOVE remotes. 

The Olympus LS-14 Linear PCM Recorder is now available to the public. I recommend you contact your Certified Olympus dealer for pricing & availability.  Your ears will thank you.

Need Support, Training or Customization?  Let us be your partner. We offer affordable, annual support & maintenance packages to ensure you get the help you need. To learn more about how eDist can help you improve financial performance, raise the quality of care and increase customer satisfaction.

 

CLICK HERE for complete details about our available services

I hope this helps.

Stay classy,

JOSHUA STEWART Branch Manager j@edist.com | 800.962.7566 x 2202 | 877.488.8281 fax
business.edist.com

 

Top 15 Enhancements Made to the Philips SpeechMike Premium

With a decade of experience testing, evaluating and working with all types of digital dictation, transcription, speech recognition and various audio headsets, I’m proud to say that the New Philips SpeechMike Premium is hands-down the best handheld, programmable microphone that I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.

As the SpeechMike Premium has reached ELECTRIC status in my book, I’ve compiled a list of the Top 15 reasons to upgrade.  Essentially, this is a list of enhancements the SpeechMike Premium microphone has over its predecessor, the Philips SpeechMike III.

1. Enhanced Barcode Scanner - Increased distance barcode scanning offering up to 60cm/23inch barcode scanning.

2. New Ergonomics – New pearl-metal colored polished casing and buttons along with doubled-wall thickness in vulnerable areas, ensures durability while preventing unwanted operational noises.

3. Wing Shaped Buttons – Now with separating ribs, the new button design will assist with blind operation.

4. Scroll Wheel Functions – Configurable scroll wheel function

5. New Professional Microphone – Designed around professional studio technical standards, the new precision unidirectional studio-quality microphone offers crystal clear audio recording.

6. New Microphone Suspension - Free floating and decoupled from housing microphone helps eliminate touch and click noises for improved clarity.

7. Optimized Metal Microphone Grille – The new hexagonal grille design offers 10% more open space than round holes.

8. Integrated Noise & Pop Filters – Reduces disturbing background noise to a minimum.

9. Additional Function Buttons – Now with 4 Programmable Function buttons for personalized working.

10. Instruction Key – New programmable button offers more flexibility for speech recognition commands.

11. Integrated Motion Sensor – Can be used to avoid unintended recordings and offers additional flexibility when used with speech recognition.

12. Antimicrobial buttons – In addition to the casing, the buttons are now also antimicrobial.

13. Wear-free slide switch position detection – Metallized slider with convenient soft ribs offers a Million fold proven solution for an extra-long lifetime.

14. Larger speaker area – Provides clear and crisp audio playback.

15. Self-cleaning Stainless Steel trackball – This laser scanned, self-cleaning trackball design with dust and dirt skimmer guarantees a smooth operation over the entire lifetime.

Need Support, Training or Customization?  Let us be your partner. We offer affordable, annual support & maintenance packages to ensure you get the help you need. To learn more about how eDist can help you improve financial performance, raise the quality of care and increase customer satisfaction.

 

CLICK HERE for complete details about our available services

I hope this helps.

Stay classy,

JOSHUA STEWART Branch Manager
j@edist.com | 800.962.7566 x 2202 | 877.488.8281 fax
business.edist.com

 

Philips LFH-9399 Digital Dictation & Transcription Starter Kit

Thinking about exploring the wonderful world of digital dictation and transcription?  Look no further as I am pleased to introduce to you the New & Improved Philips LFH-9399 Digital Dictation & Transcription Set, successor to the Philips LFH-9397 Starter Kit, this All-in-One solution contains everything you need to super charge your digital dictation and transcription needs.

 

The LFH-9399 is an affordable, entry level solution, packaged with the tools needed for an author and typist to create, share and review documents or audio files. 

 

For my Authors:  This solution includes the Philips LFH-9375 Digital Pocket Memo, a convenient, hand-held, push-button device with a few professional editing features, making it the perfect solution for those needing to create simple business correspondences.  

 

For my Typist:  This solution includes an ergonomic foot pedal along with a high-quality stereo headset for convenience playback control during transcription.

 

The Philips SpeechExec version 7 software is essentially, the icing on the cake. This workflow management software makes sending, receiving and monitoring status a piece of cake. 

 

 

LFH-9399 Key Features

 

 

• User Friendly Operation – Push buttons for single handed operation.

• Rechargeable Batteries - USB Fast charging through makes this an ideal economical choice.

• Large LCD – a backlit screen for an at-a-glance overview of file information including author name, file length, and position in file.

• Workflow Management Software– Includes the New & Improved SpeechExec Dictate and Transcribe v7, the easy to use software program allows you to manage dictation files directly through the PC.

• Smart Buttons’- two smart buttons let you scroll through Menu options and make selections.

• Multiple Recording Format - Record in DSS (Digital Speech Standard), DS2 (High Quality) or MP3 (MPEG1 Layer 3) file format.

• Hands-Free - Ergonomic foot control allows for easy, efficient use. Combination of one-button recording and foot pedal allows for hands-free operation and editing.

 
 
LFH-9399 Additional Features

 

 

• Smart Buttons: Two smart buttons let you scroll through menu options and quickly make selections.

• New level of simplicity: Voice files are recorded onto an exchangeable SD card and emailed or downloaded via USB to a PC for transcription.

• Recording functions are controlled with a professional push-button system, and "smart buttons" facilitate intuitive on-screen menu selections.

• Insert, overwrite and delete functions allow full editing and continuity of dictation.

• Digital Speech Standard (.DSS) The DSS file format is the international standard for professional speech processing. Offering outstanding audio quality for recorded voice, DSS files allow a high compression rate, reduce file size, network traffic and required storage capacity.

• Large Display: A large graphical display lets you view all file information, such as the client name, keywords, length of dictation, position within the file, and other vital information at a glance. A backlit display lets you view all information, even in poor lighting conditions.

• Exchangeable SD Card: offering flexibility and unlimited storage capacity.

• Choose between four recording modes SP (DSS), QP (DS2), HQ (MP3) and XHQ (MP3)

• End-of-letter index marks a dictation file as complete and automatically generates a new file (this button can also be disabled)

• SpeechExec Dictate and Transcribe software ensures easy installation and efficient handling of voice files. Completed files can be quickly transferred to a PC via a USB cable for storage or professional transcription.

• Five dictation folders allow easy organization and archiving of files. You can also transfer files directly to your PC via a USB cable for further editing and professional transcription.

• Compatible with industry-standards such as SD card, mini-USB socket, AAA batteries, 3.5 mm headphone and microphone sockets.

• Robust metal casing for extra durability

• Easy Editing: Insert, Overwrite and delete functions allow full editing and continuity of dictations.

• Transfer Files Easily: The solution ensure easy installation and efficient handing of voice files.  Completed files can be quickly transferred to a PC via a USB cable or via email.

 
 
Package Contents

 

 

• Philips LFH-9399 Digital Pocket Memo

• (2) Philips LFH-9154 Nickel Metal Hydride Rechargeable Batteries

• Leather Carrying Case

• Philips SpeechExec Dictate v7 Software

• Philips SpeechExec Transcribe v7 Software

• Quick Start guides for Dictate and Transcribe

• 2GB Philips SD Card

• USB Cable

• Philips LFH-2330 Foot Pedal

• Philips LFH-334 Stereo Headset

I hope this helps.
 
Stay classy,

   

JOSHUA STEWART Branch Manager
j@edist.com | 800.962.7566 x 2202 | 877.488.8281 fax
business.edist.com