Have you ever heard about NCH Swift Sound? I'm afraid many of you haven't. I understand: it's not as big as Microsoft... Meanwhile it's one of my favourite software producers. This Australian company specialise in business audio software. I've tried many of their aps and should say that they all are easy to use, stable, have pleasant and intuitive interface and are quite good at their functions. The only NCH program which I can't recommend is TypeCharge.

Today I'd like to introduce you Express Scribe: with this app I started my familiarity with NCH products a year ago.

► TITLE & VERSION: Express Scribe 3.21

► LICENSE: freeware

► HOMEPAGE: http://www.nch.com.au/scribe/index.html

► Software Publisher's DESCRIPTION: Express Scribe is a transcriber that features variable speed playback, foot pedal operation, speech recognition, file management and more. Ideal for playing dictation. Features include ability to play compressed wav or dct files, variable speed (constant pitch) playback, ability to control playback with foot pedals or system wide hot keys, works with Microsoft Word and all major word-processor applications. Works with speech recognition software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking to automatically convert text to speech. Version 3.21 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, and bug fixes.

 Features:

- Ability to play most audio file formats (including encrypted dictation files).
- Variable speed (constant pitch) playback.
- Supports almost all professional foot pedals which connect to the game or serial port to control playback.
- Uses system wide 'hot' keys so you can control playback when using other software (eg. Microsoft Word).
- Ability to dock portable recorders (both analog and digital portables) to load recordings.
- Works with Microsoft Word and all major word-processor applications.
- Automatically receives and loads files by internet (FTP), email or over a local computer network.
- Automatically sends typing to the person who dictated the work.
- Works with speech recognition software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking to automatically convert speech to text.
- Supports wav, mp3, dct (encrypted dictation), ra and rm (RealAudio), sri (VoiceIt), dss (Olympus, Lanier and Grundig), au, aif, vox, mp2, vox, compressed wav (including PCM, uLaw, ALaw, ADPCM, CELP, SBC, Windows Media, DSP TrueSpeech, GSM 6.10), msv and dvf files (Sony Recorders) Philips Digital Recorder format, Sanyo Digital Recorder format and more.
- Works with Philips, Sanyo, VoiceIt, Olympus, Lanier, Grundig, Sony and many other digital dictation recorders in addition to Windows Dictation Software (Express Dictate), Phone-In Dictation Software (DialDictate) and Pocket PC Dictation Recorder (Pocket Dictate).
- Loads CD audio directly - you can even begin to listen as it loads in the background. 

► NK's RATING & NOTES: Indispensable tool for audio transcription.

NK

Attached file : es.gif (11 KB - 2668 downloads)

Originally written by Angélica Portales My only complaint is maybe the size of the audio files created by Express Dictate: about 8MB for 20 minutes. So I'm currently looking into getting a digital recorder, which I understand creates smaller files. Does anyone have any experience with them or can recommend one brand/model?

Angélica,

I was busy with some unpleasant things but now I've got some time and can return to more pleasant ones.

I can offer a nice solution to your problem: a sound format converter called Switch. Using this app you can in seconds reduce the size of the audio files created by Express Dictate: it will make them about ten times (!) smaller. It means that instead of 8MB you will get a file of approx. 800kb and practically of the same sound quality. You will find the details HERE.

NK

Express Scribe 4.14 has been released:

NK

OT: True, their apps are very useful - I also use FileFort, Express Invoice, HourGuard, MEO... and they all are useful, stable... and for free!  

For these other apps, may I add the general NCH URL: http://www.nchsoftware.com

Laurent

Laurent, the other day I tested HourGuard. It works fine but I still prefer Time Stamp.

What about Express Invoice? Does it work fine? Is it possible to create templates for your invoices? Can you use you logo on the invoice produced with Express Invoice? What other good things can you tell about this program? And what is bad (if anything)?

What's MEO?

NK

Hello Nikita,

sorry for my answering late.

Yes, you can customise Express Invoice as to display your logo (JPG) on each invoice, you can set rates, create clients, payment terms and follow up the payments... As with other NCH software, no problem, no bug!

Best feature, as far as I am concerned: invoices come as PDF files!!!

What is bad about it: you have to create all your settings from scratch and I don't know how much currencies the application supports.

MEO (My Eyes Only) is similar to AxCrypt, but obviously AxCrypt is the better product.

LJK

Express Scribe 4.31 has just been released.

NK