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FAQs for the VTR recorder and Voice It LinkTM software.1. How many Megabytes of memory are on the VTR? 2. How much recording time can be stored on the internal and card memories of the VTR? 3. What is the size of the VTR recorder? 4. What is the weight of the VTR recorder 5. Are messages time/date stamped on the VTR recorder? 6. What kind of editing can be done on the VTR recorder? 7. Can I copy and paste a part of a recording? 8. How do I transfer recordings between my VTR and my PC? 9. How do I name files and folders? 10. Does the VTR recorder and Voice It Link software perform voice-to-text conversion? 11. Does voice-to-text conversion require any special preparation? 12. Can the VTR recorder and Voice It Link software be used for manual transcription? 13. Will the VTR recorder work in a noisy environment? 14. Can I use a USB cable with my VTR recorder? 15. Can I store names and phone numbers on the VTR recorder? 16. How do I organize my VTR recordings on my VTR recorder and PC? 17. How do I send a VTR voice recording to someone via the Internet? 18. What is the cost of VTR memory cards? 19. What type of memory card is used with the VTR recorder? 20. What is the difference between the VR and VTR models? 21. Can I upgrade from a VR recorder to a VTR recorder? 22. How is recording time divided between memories of the VTR recorder? 23. Can the VTR recorder be used by itself without the computer? 24. What is the sample rate and compression rates for the VTR recorder? 25. How are VTR sound files stored on the PC? 26. Are accessories available for the VTR recorder? 27. How do I transfer recordings between my VTR and my PC? 28. Can you upload VTR audio as a wave (.wav) file? 29. Can VTR compressed voice files be accessed and or played with other programs besides Voice It 30. Does the new Voice It Link software work on Windows® 98 and NT? 31. What if I have problems with my Comm port? 32. What do I do if I can't hear sound with my Voice It Link software? 34. What download times can I expect when performing email transfers of VTR compressed voice files? 35. Can I extend the Voice It Link cable? 36. What is the format of the files on the VTR recorder and computer? 37. What kind of computer do I need to use the Voice It Link software? 38. Can I use the Voice It Link software with my VR series recorder? 39. Will the Voice It Link software work with a Mac® OS system? 40. Can I freely distribute Voice It Link software? 41. Can I interface with or integrate Voice It Link software in my application? 42. Are there security features in Voice It Link software?
1. How many Megabytes of memory are on the VTR? The VTR recorder has 4MB of memory on-board and the provision for accepting 2MB, 4MB and 8MB memory cards, which are removable and transferable. 2. How much recording time can be stored on the internal and card memories of the VTR? The following shows recording times for the various memory sizes at the three VTR recording speeds; the internal memory has a fixed 4MB of memory.
3. What is the size of the VTR recorder? The VTR recorder is approximately 4.5" x 2" x 3/4". 4. What is the weight of the VTR recorder The VTR recorder weighs about 4 ounces with batteries and memory card installed. 5. Are messages time/date stamped on the VTR recorder? Yes, all messages carry a Created and Modified (if applicable) time and date stamp, which can be accessed by pressing and releasing the Menu button, then cycling through message information by pressing the Play key, while stationed on the message in question. 6. What kind of editing can be done on the VTR recorder? Any portion of recordings may be added to or deleted from, starting at the beginning or end of a message, or, anywhere within a message. 7. Can I copy and paste a part of a recording? No. Currently, the VTR recorder allows for deleting parts of a recording, or adding parts to a recording, but not moving parts of one recording to another. However, messages may be moved within and between folders and memories, by using the Move File feature found by pressing the Menu button to access such while stationed on a message; after transferring a message, use the VTR editing features to remove or add segments. 8. How do I transfer recordings between my VTR and my PC? Using Voice It Link and the supplied cable, a connection is made between the connector on the VTR recorder and a serial port on your PC. When the Voice It Link software is launched, a view of all the folders and files on the Internal and Card memory are shown, as well as options for transferring recordings from or to the VTR recorder in compressed .sri, and .wav formats. Recordings may be transferred one at a time or in groups, and are decompressed for playback automatically as messages are played. 9. How do I name files and folders? After the VTR is linked to your PC, individual recordings or folder names may be selected and then directly renamed, using common editing procedures. 10. Does the VTR recorder and Voice It Link software perform voice-to-text conversion? Not directly. The VTR recorder and associated software not only allows for transfer of highly compressed recordings to and from a PC, after which various operations can be performed, such as playing, transcribing, archiving, rearranging, naming and reconfiguring. In addition, recordings can be automatically transcribed using Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred 3.01 or Dragon NaturallyMobile software. Refer to the VTR manual, Voice It Link help system and Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred manual and help system for particulars. 11. Does voice-to-text conversion require any special preparation? Yes. Before making a recording to transcribe, the VTR recorder must be set at VT speed and in Dictation Mode microphone setup, and you must speak close to the VTR microphone (about 2 inches away and slightly to the side). When performing transcription to Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred, be sure that you are using an enrollment that was performed with your voice and with the VTR recorder. 12. Can the VTR recorder and Voice It Link software be used for manual transcription? Yes. Transfer your recordings to your PC and use the Voice It Link Sound Bar to float above a word processing program. By using the function keys to Play/Pause and Rewind/Play, transcribing can be enhanced. Also, the Voice It Link software is compatible with foot pedal controls. Voice It recommends the Bilbo Innovations Step On It! foot pedal system. The current retail price is $99. Contact Bilbo at (408) 736-6086, or Voice It Worldwide Customer Service at 1-800-47VOICE. Of course, a very powerful way to transcribe your recordings is to use Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred/Naturally Mobile in conjunction with your VTR recorder and Voice It Link software. 13. Will the VTR recorder work in a noisy environment? Yes. Due to an automatic gain and noise-canceling design of the VTR recorder, it should perform well in a noisy environment, although best results will occur in quieter situations; be sure to talk closely to the microphone, especially when in noise areas while recording. 14. Can I use a USB cable with my VTR recorder? No. Although the VTR cable does have a USB physical connector at the recorder end, it is designed to work with the serial port of your PC; only use the supplied cable with your VTR recorder. 15. Can I store names and phone numbers on the VTR recorder? The VTR recorder and associated software are not intended to provide Personal Information manager features, such as those on our Voice Manager line of products. Certainly, one could utilize a VTR recorder to record names and phone numbers, but this is not the primary intended usage of this product which is geared more toward replacing standard microcassette tape recorder applications and allowing voice-to-text transcription. 16. How do I organize my VTR recordings on my VTR recorder and PC? The VTR recorder can be configured to have up to 99 folders on each memory, with up to 99 messages per folder, for 4MB memory and above. Therefore, by naming recordings and folders, various organizational configurations can be achieved. Moreover, recordings can be copied to and organized in Windows® directories on your PC in any manner desired, so that they can be archived and accessed from the VTR recorder for various purposes. 17. How do I send a VTR voice recording to someone via the Internet? One or more VTR voice recordings may be sent as an attachment to an email by simply attaching a .sri file to a voice mail sent to one or more persons. After launching the Voice It Link software, simply create new .sri files on your PC via the VTR recorder, after which the files can be named and accessed via your email program. The .sri compressed voice file will be about 1/13th the size of a typical corresponding .wav file. 18. What is the cost of VTR memory cards? Voice It Worldwide is selling 2MB memory cards for $29.95, 4MB memory cards for $49.95 and 8MB memory cards for $79.95, plus tax and shipping; multiple card purchases yield some price reduction. You may order by calling 1-800-47VOICE. 19. What type of memory card is used with the VTR recorder? The VTR recorder uses 3.3 volt SSFDC (Solid State Floppy Disk Card) memory cards, which are formatted in a special way the first time you use them on your VTR recorder (by pressing and holding the Delete button until formatting begins). Any 3.3 volt 2, 4 or 8MB SSFDC memory card may be used with the VTR recorder, but it must first be formatted as previously stated; please note that formatting a SSFDC memory card on a VTR recorder erases all information on the card, so be careful if the card you are planning to use holds pictures or other information thereon. Cards may be available at some camera and electronics stores. The cards must be designated as 3.3V, SSFDC type to work in the recorder. 20. What is the difference between the VR and VTR models? The VR series recorder are not enabled for voice-to-text compatibility, but do offer even higher compression and all the recording and editing features needed to work with compressed voice files. The VTR series recorder have slightly reduced compression, but are optimized for voice-to-text compatibility, and have additional features such as more folders, file and folders notes, higher capacity memory cards, and a more advanced PC program. 21. Can I upgrade from a VR recorder to a VTR recorder? Yes. For $99, we will exchange a VR recorder for a VTR recorder; please call our Customer Service number at 1-800-47VOICE for particulars. Since our VR and VTR series recorders use different hardware and firmware, there is no way to upgrade a VR unit by modifications, which necessitates the foregoing exchange procedure. If you want to use automatic voice to text transcription, you will also need to purchase a copy of Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 3.01. 22. How is recording time divided between memories of the VTR recorder? The internal and card memories of the VTR recorder are identical configurations of memory, each holding up to 99 folders and up to 99 recordings per folder (4MB card and greater). When a memory card is added to the VTR recorder, it is accessible as a complete memory with its own folder and file naming potential for organizing recordings. 23. Can the VTR recorder be used by itself without the computer? Yes. The VTR recorder is a stand-alone unit that allows for recording on the internal memory or as many memory cards as are desired. These recordings may be transferred to a PC at any time in the future after the Voice It Link software and cable are purchased, or, may be utilized and archived on memory cards without the need for computer interface. of course, cards may be given to someone who owns a VTR recorder and/or software, so that the recordings can be utilized by them on their VTR recorder and/or on their PC. 24. What is the sample rate and compression rates for the VTR recorder? The VTR recorder samples digitally at a rate of 6, 8 and 11 KHz (depending on whether VT, ST or LP speeds are chosen), utilizing a sophisticated compression algorithm. the compression at each speed was covered earlier, where the recording times for each memory size were given. 25. How are VTR sound files stored on the PC? The compressed sound files from the VTR are stored as .sri files which can only be opened with the Voice It Link software; when played via this software, .sri files are automatically decompressed and played via our Sound Bar within the Voice It Link software. Moreover, the Sound Bar may be "floated" with any other application to play VTR voice files while using other applications. Sound files may also be converted as .wav files and stored on your PC, but it is more efficient to store files in compressed .sri format. 26. Are accessories available for the VTR recorder? Yes; these include Voice It Link software, memory cards, external microphone, foot pedals, leather case, cable and others, as they become available; please call our 1-800-47VOICE customer Service number for more information. 27. How do I transfer recordings between my VTR and my PC? Using Voice It Link software and the supplied cable, a connection is made between the connector on the VTR recorder and a serial port on your PC. When the Voice It Link software is launched, a view of all the folders and files on the Internal and Card memory are shown, as well as options for transferring recordings from or to the VTR recorder in compressed .sri and .wav formats. Recordings may be transferred one at a time or in groups, and are decompressed for playback automatically as messages are played. 28. Can you upload VTR audio as a wave (.wav) file? The VTR audio files are highly compressed, but can be copied to the PC as standard .wav files using the features of Voice It Link software; the .wav files are 16 bit files of 6, 8 and 11.025KHz sampling of LP, SP and VT speeds, respectively. 29. Can VTR compressed voice files be accessed and or played with other programs besides Voice It Link? No. The VTR compressed voice files are a proprietary compressed format. You may license additional copies of the Voice it Link Software for your associates for $10 per copy by calling Voice It Worldwide Customer Service at 1-800-47VOICE. VTR compressed voice files may be converted into .wav files using Voice It Link software, but these files, even when compressed with other compression programs, are much larger than compressed VTR .sri files. 30. Does the new Voice It Link software work on Windows® 98 and NT? The Voice It Link software is designed to run on Windows® 95 and 98, but our initial testing shows that it also runs on Windows® NT; we plan to do an official release for Windows® NT in the near future via our web site at www.voiceit.com. 31. What if I have problems with my Comm port? There could be problems if the VTR is plugged into a Comm port that shares an IRQ (interrupt request) with another device. If each device closes the port properly after it uses it, things will be OK, but if you have a fax modem and it tries to receive a fax while VR-LINK is busy, there may be problems. Be sure to turn off software like a serial mouse or HotSync® for Palm Pilot®, before running Voice It Link software. 32. What do I do if I can't hear sound with my Voice It Link software? If you can play wave files on your computer, but can't hear anything in Voice It Link, then your PC may not be Sound Blaster® compatible. Some systems have sound capability but do not conform with the MPC standard. Get a Sound Blaster® or compatible card. 33. What transfer and decompression times can I expect for transferring voice files to and from my PC? Transferring voice files between the VTR recorder and a PC is done via a cable to the serial port of the PC; transfer times are dependent on the length of recordings being transferred and the serial port speed. For Windows® 95, a serial port speed of 115,200 baud is the maximum. Based on the above, transfer times for Windows® 95 machines will be less than 2 minutes to transfer 10 minutes of recordings (at the highest quality VT speed); the entire contents of a 4MB card or internal 4MB VTR memory can be transferred to the PC in under 7 minutes at a baud rate of 115,200. Decompression of .sri files for playback occurs automatically in the background, so, unlike our VR series recorders, VTR recorders require no extra decompression time for playback. 34. What download times can I expect when performing email transfers of VTR compressed voice files? 40 minutes of recording on your VTR recorder is compressed to 4MB of compressed digital data. therefore, about 100K bytes per minute of recording are used, which, at an average 33,600 baud transfer rate, takes about 24 seconds, equating to about 2.5 minutes of recording being transferred per minute of modem time (it would take about 13 minutes to transfer the same 2.5 minute typical .wav file). Of course, if a faster or slower modem is utilized, the transfer times will be proportionally different. 35. Can I extend the Voice It Link cable? VR-Link is designed to work with the supplied cable. If you add extensions, this could result in electrical noise on the cable and communications errors. Use the cable as supplied. 36. What is the format of the files on the VTR recorder and computer? Voice files are stored in the VTR recorder, on either the internal or card memory, as highly compressed digital information, using advanced voice compression programs running on a fast Digital Signal Processor. These files are directly accessed from your PC for playback and remain in such form unless they are converted to .wav files using the Copy to PC feature of the Voice It Link software. Compressed VTR voice files can be saved on your PC as .sri or .wav files, and can be transferred in such forms; .sri files can be played by anyone having Voice It Link software, even if they don't have a VTR recorder. Voice It Link software can import 16 bit .wav files sampled at 6KHz, 8KHz and 11.025KHz, and can convert compressed files to .wav files as 6, 8 or 11.025KHz, 16 bit .wav files, depending on the speed at which the VTR recording was made. 37. What kind of computer do I need to use the Voice It Link software? To run the Voice It Link software, a computer running Windows® 95 is needed, with a minimum of 10 MB hard drive space available for storage of files, 16 MB of memory and a 100MHz or greater Pentium® processor; slower processors will work, but response times for opening recordings will be slower. Extra hard disk space is needed to store .sri or .wav files that are created. If you are installing Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred/ Naturally Mobile, you will need at least a 166MHz Pentium® processor, 32MB of RAM and 100 MB of free hard disk space. 38. Can I use the Voice It Link software with my VR series recorder? No. The new Voice It Link software can only work with the new VTR series recorders, and is also designed to run on Windows® 95. 39. Will the Voice It Link software work with a Mac® OS system? No, our software is not yet compatible with Apple®-based systems, except via Windows® emulation approaches; we do plan to offer Macintosh-compatible software in the future. Of course, .wav files generated with Voice It Link software may be listened to on Mac® OS systems. 40. Can I freely distribute Voice It Link software? If additional copies are desired, please call Voice It Worldwide Customer Service at 1-800-47VOICE to acquire additional copies at $10 each. By obtaining copies of Voice It Link software to your family and associates, you may send highly compressed .sri files to them for playback, even if they don't own a VTR recorder. 41. Can I interface with or integrate Voice It Link software in my application? Voice It Worldwide is open to licensing our software; please call Voice It Worldwide Customer Service at 1-800-47VOICE to acquire more information. 42. Are there security features in Voice It Link software? You can assign your user ID via the Voice It Link software, so that all recordings carry your ID. Behind the scenes, we support third party security codes, but these are available only to developers.
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