Control your computer and dictate text using nothing more than a microphone and Dragon Naturally Speaking software. Before you can use this program, however, you must create a user profile, set up your microphone and train the software to recognize your voice. Setting up the microphone ensures that Dragon Naturally speaking will achieve the best possible voice recognition rate. The program's setup wizard automates this task and you will be talking to your computer soon after installing the product.
Get the most out of Dragon NaturallySpeaking’s powerful and accurate voice recognition software by buying a Jabra wireless edition package.Package:Dragon Professional Individual 15 (Digital Download)Jabra 65 Evolve Headset Options:Remote Training Simply walk away from your machine and dictate your notes from the filing cabinet. How to install dragon naturallyspeaking on your computer Whether you’re installing NaturallySpeaking for the first time or installing over a previous version, the process is easy. If you have user profiles from NaturallySpeaking version 10 or 11, the Upgrade Wizard finds those user profiles and sets them up in version 12.
Set Up Microphone
Step 1
Plug a microphone into your computer and launch Dragon Naturally Speaking. The Profile Wizard opens
Step 2
Click 'Next' and follow the on-screen instructions as the wizard helps you create your user profile.
Step 3
Click 'Create' when prompted. The wizard builds your profile and displays the 'Position Your Microphone' page.
Step 4
Position the microphone in front of your mouth as instructed by the wizard and click 'Next.' The 'Volume Adjustment' page appears. .
Step 5
Click 'Start Volume Check.' The wizard displays a short text passage.
Step 6
Read the text until you hear a beep, then click 'Next.' The 'Sound Quality Check' page opens
Click 'Start Quality Check' and read the text on that page. The software analyzes your speech and beeps when done. It then displays a message letting you know whether the quality check passed or failed. If the wizard displays a 'Sound Level is Too Low' message, proceed to the next section to correct that problem. Otherwise, click 'Next' to complete the microphone setup task. You can then train Dragon to understand your voice by following the on-screen instructions as the wizard guides you through that task. Alternately, you can elect to perform this task later; the next time you launch the program, it will bypass the microphone setup step and take you to the voice-training task.
Correct Low Volume Problem
Step 1
Right-click the 'Speaker' icon in the system tray at the bottom of your desktop.
Step 2
Click 'Recording Devices' to display the 'Sound' window listing your audio devices. Locate your microphone in the list and click it. Click 'Properties' and then click 'Levels.' A slider labeled 'Microphone' appears. The slider boosts the microphone's volume when you move it to the right and decreases the volume when you slide it to the left.
Step 3
Drag the slider to the right. As you drag, a number appears to the right of the slider. Drag the slider until that number is '30' and then click 'OK.' This increases the microphone's volume level to a value of 30 percent.
Return to the Dragon Naturally Speaking wizard and click 'Start Volume Check' to recheck your volume. If you still get the 'Sound Level is Too Low' message, increase the microphone's volume as described previously and try again. Continue adjusting the volume until the wizard displays a 'Passed' message.
Tips
- When positioning a handheld microphone during setup, hold it to the side of your mouth about one to three inches away. If you use a headset, position the microphone to the side of your mouth about a half-inch away. Do not let the microphone touch your mouth. Place an array microphone 18 to 30 inches away from the mouth and eliminate any background noise within 15 feet of the array microphone during setup. These microphones are sensitive and pick up stray sounds easily.
- Nuance, the maker of Dragon Naturally Speaking, stresses the importance of positioning your microphone consistently after the initial setup. When you use the software, place the microphone in the same position you used when you set up the program. The program's voice recognition will be more accurate when you do that.
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Nuance software powers a lot of speech recognition applications, including Siri and Apple Dictation I believe, and I think they have a pretty solid product. As far as selecting and clicking within a custom application, it might depend on how well that application is designed for accessibility. They have a 30-day money back guarantee if it doesn't work, but it doesn't look like they offer a trial of the product. You might reach out to the company and see if they do offer a trial so you can test it in your use case, first.