Dictation Buddy & Transcription Buddy

• Professional Recording & Transcription Software

• Product Overview

• Key Features & Functionality

• Foot Pedal Support (VEC Infinity USB Foot Pedal)

• Hotkey Support

• Play / Pause / Play Mode

• Additional Transcription Features

• Bookmarks, Notes, and File Notes in Dictation Budd …

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Professional Recording & Transcription Software

Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy are powerful tools designed for professionals who need efficient audio recording and transcription solutions. Whether you're dictating notes, transcribing interviews, or processing legal and medical recordings, these applications provide the essential controls, including support for foot pedals and hotkeys, to enhance productivity.

Product Overview

Dictation Buddy

• Records & Plays Audio
  Capture audio from a PC mic input or USB microphone.
  

• Playback & Transcription Features
  Provides full playback controls, hotkeys, and foot pedal support.
  

• Ideal For: Dictation, meeting recordings, depositions, and legal/medical voice memos.

Transcription Buddy

• Playback-Only for Transcription
  Plays pre-recorded audio files for transcription.
  

• Supports Hotkeys & Foot Pedals
  Control playback without switching applications.
  

• Ideal For: Professional transcriptionists, journalists, and legal/medical transcription.

Both programs support foot pedal control and playback hotkeys, making them excellent tools for individuals and organizations managing dictation and transcription workflows.

Key Features & Functionality

Both Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy provide a comprehensive set of playback controls designed for seamless transcription. These features allow users to listen to recordings while keeping a text editing program (e.g., Microsoft Word) active, enabling transcription without switching between applications.

✅ Foot Pedal & Hotkey Support 
Hands-free playback control or keyboard shortcuts.

✅ Play / Pause / Play Mode
Automatically pauses playback at intervals to help typists keep up.

✅ Variable Speed Playback
Adjust playback speed with automatic pitch correction.

✅ Bookmarks & Notes
Mark specific points in the audio with embedded text.

✅ Auto Stepback on Pause
Automatically rewinds a few seconds when pausing playback.

✅ Thin View Mode
Minimizes screen space for distraction-free transcription.

✅ Always-On-Top Mode
Keeps the software window visible while typing in another program.

Foot Pedal Support (VEC Infinity USB Foot Pedal)

Both Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy support USB foot pedals, allowing hands-free control of playback.

🖥 How to Enable Foot Pedal Support:
1️⃣ Connect the foot pedal to a USB port on your PC.
2️⃣ Open View > Options > Foot Control.
3️⃣ Check the box labeled "Enable Foot Control".
4️⃣ Customize pedal functions as needed.

Default Pedal Functions

• Center Pedal – Play / Pause playback.

• Left Pedal – Rewind or Step Back by a user-defined number of seconds.

• Right Pedal – Fast Forward or Jump Forward by a user-defined number of seconds.

Hotkey Support

For users who prefer keyboard shortcuts, Hotkeys allow full playback control while typing in a word processor.

🖥 How to Enable Hotkeys:
1️⃣ Open View > Options > Hotkeys.
2️⃣ Check the box labeled "Enable Hot Keys".
3️⃣ Click Apply to activate default Hotkeys.

Default Hotkeys & Functions

📌 Jump Back and Jump Forward durations can be adjusted in View > Options > Playback.

How to Use Hotkeys While Transcribing

1️⃣ Open Dictation Buddy or Transcription Buddy and select an audio file.
2️⃣ Minimize the program to keep Microsoft Word or another text editor active.
3️⃣ Press Ctrl + Alt + P to begin playback.
4️⃣ Use Ctrl + Alt + U to pause and resume playback while typing.

Play / Pause / Play Mode

🔄 What is Play / Pause / Play Mode?
This feature automatically pauses playback at set intervals to give transcriptionists time to catch up before resuming.

🖥 How to Enable Play / Pause / Play Mode:
1️⃣ Open View > Options > Playback or Audio > Auto Pause Parameters.
2️⃣ Adjust the following settings:

• Playback Duration – How long playback runs before pausing.

• Pause Duration – The length of each pause.

• Step Back Duration – How far the audio rewinds before resuming.
  3️⃣ Click Apply to enable.
  4️⃣ Start playback and click the Auto Pause button on the toolbar.

📌 Example: If Playback Duration is set to 15 seconds, Pause is 2 seconds, and Step Back is 1 second, the program will play for 15 seconds, pause for 2 seconds, and rewind 1 second before continuing.

Additional Transcription Features

Variable Speed Playback with Automatic Pitch Control

• Adjust playback speed without distorting voice pitch.

• Click the double left/right arrows or use Hotkeys to change speed.

• Configure speed settings in View > Options > Playback.

Always-On-Top Mode

• Keeps the playback window visible while working in another program.

• Enable by selecting View > Always on Top.

Thin View Mode

• Minimizes the software window to a small, floating toolbar.

• Activate by selecting View > Thin View.

• Drag to reposition the window anywhere on the screen.

• Click the Expand icon to return to full view.

Auto Stepback on Pause

• Automatically rewinds a few seconds when pausing playback, ensuring context isn’t lost.

• Three options available:
  1️⃣ Foot Pedal Mode – Set Step-Back duration in View > Options > Foot Control.
  2️⃣ Play / Pause / Play Mode – Adjust Step-Back in Audio > AutoPause Parameters.
  3️⃣ Manual Pause Mode – Set Step-Back duration in View > Options > Playback.

Bookmarks, Notes, and File Notes in Dictation Buddy & Transcription Buddy

Both Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy support embedded bookmarks, associated text notes, and file notes. These features allow users to mark important sections within an audio file, add descriptive text, and easily navigate through recordings.

What Are Bookmarks and File Notes?

🔖 Bookmarks
Mark specific points or intervals in an audio file for easy reference.

📝 File Notes 
Add text-based notes inside an audio file, similar to metadata.

📂 Audio Integrity 
Bookmarks and notes are saved within the file while keeping it playable in external audio players.

Supported Audio Formats for Bookmarks & Notes

📌 For MP3 files, bookmarks and file notes are not available, but ID3 tags can store descriptive information.

How to Use Bookmarks & Notes

File Notes

File Notes allow users to store general text notes within an audio file.
🖊 How to Add or Edit File Notes:

1. Click on the File Notes icon on the Main Window toolbar.

2. A text edit window will appear where you can add, update, or delete notes.

3. Save the changes, and the notes will remain embedded in the file.

Opening the Bookmark Interface Window

The Bookmark Window is used to manage bookmarks and associated text.
📌 How to Open the Bookmark Window:

• Click the Bookmark icon on the primary toolbar.

• OR press Alt + F2 on your keyboard.

• The Bookmark Window can be resized as needed.

Bookmark Window Features

The Bookmark Window allows users to:
✅ Add bookmarks "on-the-fly" while recording.
✅ Create bookmarks after the recording is complete.
✅ Display all bookmarks with their associated text in a list view.
✅ Scroll through bookmarks automatically or manually select one.

📌 The first line of a bookmark's text appears in the list, while the full text is displayed in the lower portion of the window when selected.

Types of Bookmarks

Positional Bookmarks (Specific Point in File)

A Positional Bookmark is tied to a specific point in an audio file.

How to Create a Positional Bookmark:

1. Click the Create Bookmark icon in the Bookmark Window toolbar.

2. OR press F2 to create a bookmark instantly.

3. Enter a descriptive title and additional notes for the bookmark.

4. The bookmark is now stored at that specific point in the recording.

📌 Positional Bookmarks can be created during recording or after recording is complete.

Interval Bookmarks (Mark a Time Range)

An Interval Bookmark highlights a specific time range rather than a single point.

How to Create an Interval Bookmark:

1. Mark the start and end points of the interval using the Marker icons on the Primary Window.

2. Click the Interval Bookmark icon to create the bookmark.

3. The interval will appear as a double-check mark in the Bookmark Window list.

📌 Interval Bookmarks are useful for marking entire sections of an audio file instead of just single points.

Bookmarks Best Practices

✔️ Use Bookmarks for Efficient Navigation
Quickly locate key points in long recordings.

✔️ Combine Notes & Bookmarks
Add text descriptions to enhance file organization.

✔️ Check File Format Compatibility
Ensure your format supports bookmarks before using them.

✔️ Use Hotkeys for Faster Bookmarking
Press F2 to instantly mark important points.

Technical Details & Audio Codecs

Both Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy support a wide range of audio file formats, ensuring compatibility with various recording and transcription workflows. The software is designed to handle both standard uncompressed audio formats and compressed audio formats optimized for speech clarity and file size efficiency.

Supported Audio Formats

🎧 Standard Audio Formats:

• RIFF-WAV (compressed & uncompressed)

• MP3

• WMA

📂 Specialized Speech & Transcription Formats:

• Olympus DSS (with restrictions)

• Dialogic VOX

• BCB TrueSpeech (also known as "PlayAll" files)

Olympus DSS File Support

📌 Important: To enable playback of DSS (Digital Speech Standard) files, additional software may be required.

• If you have an Olympus recorder, install the Olympus Player Pro software from the original CD.

• Alternatively, copy the DSSCORE.DLL file into the Dictation Buddy or Transcription Buddy installation folder.

• Note: DSSCORE.DLL files from older Olympus software versions (before v5.1.0.35) work best. Newer versions may not be compatible.

Compressed Audio & Codecs

Both Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy support compressed WAV files, allowing users to reduce file sizes without significant loss of clarity. Supported codecs include:

DSP Group Truespeech

• Designed specifically for dictation and speech recording.

• Removes unnecessary audio spectrum data while maintaining clear speech.

• 8.0 kHz sample rate, 8-bit mono recording.

• Produces high compression with excellent intelligibility (4.5MB per hour).

• Ideal for voice-based applications where emotion and tonal nuances are less critical.

Microsoft ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse-Code Modulation)

• A balanced option between audio quality and compression.

• Retains most of the original vocal tones, making it ideal for meetings and discussions.

• Supports sample rates from 8.0 kHz to 44.1 kHz in mono or stereo.

• Often used for high-quality telephone recordings and talk radio.

MP3 (MPEG Layer-3)

• A widely used compression format suitable for speech and music recordings.

• Supports various quality levels, depending on bitrate settings.

PCM (Pulse Code Modulation)

• Uncompressed, lossless audio format with the highest sound quality.

• Best for applications where file size is not a concern, such as CD-quality recordings.

• 44.1 kHz sample rate, 16-bit stereo recording produces large files (600MB per hour).

Choosing the Right Format for Your Needs

✔️ For Dictation & Voice Notes → DSP Group Truespeech (small file size, clear speech).
✔️ For Meeting Recordings & Discussions → Microsoft ADPCM (good balance of quality & compression).
✔️ For General Audio & Music → MP3 (widely compatible, flexible quality settings).
✔️ For High-Quality Archival Recordings → PCM (best sound fidelity, no compression).

🔊 Recording Codecs:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Playback & Transcription Features

Can I control playback while typing in Microsoft Word?

Yes! Both Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy allow you to use Hotkeys or a foot pedal to control playback while keeping Microsoft Word (or another text editor) as the active application.

If you own a VEC Infinity USB foot pedal, it is fully compatible. If you don’t have one, you can purchase one from us at the link below.

How do I enable a foot pedal?

1. Connect the foot pedal to your USB or game port.

2. Open View > Options > Foot Control.

3. Check "Enable Foot Control" to activate the pedal.

For comprehensive support, see section below.

Infinity USB Foot Pedal Support

Both Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy support the Infinity USB Foot Pedal from VEC Electronics, allowing users to control playback hands-free.

Enabling Foot Pedal Support (Version 4.0 and Above)

To use the Infinity USB Foot Pedal, follow these steps:

1️⃣ Plug the foot pedal into your PC’s USB port.
2️⃣ Open Dictation Buddy or Transcription Buddy.
3️⃣ Navigate to View > Options > Foot Control.
4️⃣ Check the box labeled "Enable Foot Control".
5️⃣ Use the Foot Control Wizard to confirm pedal detection and adjust settings.
6️⃣ Modify pedal functions in the Set Pedal Functions window, if needed.

Using the Foot Pedal with Older Versions of Transcription Buddy

🔹 If you are using Transcription Buddy version 3.x or earlier, additional steps are required:

1. Download the required .DLL file link to file.

2. Save the file in the Transcription Buddy installation folder, usually:
   C:\Program Files\HighCriteria\TranscriptionBuddyRE
C:\Program Files\HighCriteria\TranscriptionBuddyPE
   

3. Restart Transcription Buddy and follow the General USB Support Steps below.

📝 Note: Dictation Buddy only began supporting the Infinity Foot Pedal in version 4.0. Previous versions are not compatible.

General USB Support Steps

✔️ Step 1: Plug the Infinity USB Foot Pedal into your PC’s USB port.
✔️ Step 2: Windows should automatically detect the device as "New Hardware".
✔️ Step 3: The required drivers will be installed automatically (no need to download additional drivers).
✔️ Step 4: Open View > Options > Foot Control and enable foot control in the software.
✔️ Step 5: Use the Foot Control Wizard to test and customize pedal functions.

💡 These steps also apply to other supported foot pedals, including the Olympus R23/24 Foot Switch and VPEDAL.

Customizing Pedal Functions

Once the foot pedal is enabled, you can customize its functionality:

• Center Pedal → Play / Pause playback.

• Left Pedal → Rewind or Step Back a set number of seconds.

• Right Pedal → Fast Forward or Jump Forward a set number of seconds.

To adjust these settings, go to View > Options > Foot Control > Set Pedal Functions.

Can I use an Olympus R23/24 foot pedal with a COM port instead of USB?

Yes. The Olympus foot pedal includes an adapter for USB or COM port connections.

To use it with a COM port:

1. Download and execute this driver link to file.

2. Shut down your PC and connect the pedal to the COM port.

3. Restart your PC and have your Windows installation CD available if prompted.

Hotkey Support & Customization

How do I enable hotkeys?

1. Open View > Options > Hotkeys.

2. Check "Enable Hot Keys".

3. Click Apply to activate the default Hotkeys.

Can I change the default hotkeys?

Yes! To customize hotkeys:

1. Open View > Options > Hotkeys.

2. Select the function you want to change.

3. Click "Clear", then press the new key combination you want to use.

Can I adjust playback speed?

Yes! You can speed up or slow down playback using:

• Hotkeys (Ctrl + Alt + I to increase speed, Ctrl + Alt + D to decrease).

• Playback speed buttons (double arrows in the playback window).

To adjust speed settings, go to View > Options > Playback.

Software Features & File Support

What is the difference between Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy?

• Dictation Buddy allows both recording and playback.

• Transcription Buddy is for playback-only transcription (no recording capability).

What audio formats are supported?

Both programs support:

• RIFF-WAV (compressed & uncompressed)

• MP3, WMA, Olympus DSS (with restrictions)

• Dialogic VOX, BCB TrueSpeech

Why can’t I play DSS files?

To play Olympus DSS files, install Olympus Player Pro from your Olympus recorder’s CD.

If you don’t have the CD, try copying DSSCORE.DLL into the software installation folder. (Note: DSSCORE.DLL versions above 5.1.0.35 may not be compatible).

How large are Dictation Buddy recordings?

File size depends on recording length and compression type.

• MS-ADPCM compression (default): Good quality with moderate file size.

• Truespeech compression: Ideal for dictation, offering excellent compression.

To change compression settings, go to View > Options > Recording > Sound Quality > Change.

File Transfer & Recording Setup

How can I share my recordings?

WAV files are often too large to email. Instead, you can:

• Use a cloud storage service (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive).

• Set up a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site.

Can I transfer recordings from a tape device to my PC?

Yes! Connect your cassette recorder or dictaphone to your PC using an audio cable.

• Plug one end into the headphone/earphone jack of the tape device.

• Plug the other end into the mic or line-in port of your PC.

• Select the correct input source in Dictation Buddy under View > Options > Recording > Input Line.

Installation & Compatibility

What versions of Windows are supported?

Both programs run on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10 (32-bit & 64-bit). A sound card is required.

Should I uninstall an old version before installing a new one?

No, previous versions do not need to be uninstalled.

I lost my software due to a hard drive crash. How do I get another copy?

You can download the latest version from www.transcriptionbuddy.com.

If you lost your registration key, or if your email address has changed, contact [email protected] with your old and new email addresses to update our records.

Purchasing & Licensing

The trial version works fine. Why do I need to buy a license?

The evaluation version expires after 30 days. A paid license is required for continued use.

What happens after I purchase online?

1. Your credit card is processed through Internet Secure or ShareIt.

2. You’ll receive two emails:

   • A receipt for your purchase.

   • A registration key with activation instructions.

3. If you ordered a foot pedal, it will be shipped within 4 business days.

How long does it take to receive my registration key?

If you pay by credit card, your registration key is emailed within minutes after the transaction is approved.

I made a purchase, but I didn’t receive my registration key. What should I do?

1. Check your spam/junk folder.

2. Ensure your email address was entered correctly during checkout.

3. If you still don’t see it, email [email protected].

What does “Voided” mean when I try to register?

A "Voided" transaction means the billing address does not match your credit card address.

✔️ Solution: Double-check your billing address.

My credit card is valid, but your website keeps declining it. What should I do?

This is likely a bank verification issue.

✔️ Solution: Call your bank’s customer service to verify the transaction.

Download Free Trial

You may download, install, and evaluate Dictation Buddy or Transcription Buddy at no cost for one month. Evaluation copies are fully functional but expire after 30 days. If you already have an Infinity USB foot pedal, it will work with the trial version.

After the free trial, you must purchase a software license for continued use.

Dictation Buddy Evaluation Download

✅ [Download Dictation Buddy V4.0 Build 50 (Self-Extracting)]
✅ [Download Dictation Buddy V4.0 Build 50 (ZIP)]

Transcription Buddy Evaluation Download

✅ [Download Transcription Buddy V4.0 Build 50 (Self-Extracting)]
✅ [Download Transcription Buddy V4.0 Build 50 (ZIP)]

📌 System Requirements:

• Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11 (32-bit or 64-bit)

• Sound card required