Express Scribe is professional audio player software designed to assist the transcription of audio recordings. It is installed on the typist's computer and controlled using the keyboard (with 'hot' keys) and / or can be used with a transcription pedal. This computer transcriber application features variable speed wave playback, foot pedal operation, file management and more. This program is free.
What's New
Version 5.42: Release notes were unavailable when this listing was updated.
Looks good, but severely crippled by its inability to read .wma files. In other words, if you're using an Olympus voice recorder, forget it. A shame, but there it is. (Transcriva, on the other hand, deals with WMA seamlessly and IMO has a cleaner interface. Express Scribe seems more geared to the typing-pool sort of user.
If ES read .wma files, of course it would be brilliant value for (no) money...
It's rather funny how often a complaint arises that is unfounded, however true it may be.
This software is not a commercial software, or included with a voice recorder. It is free, thus the developer does not likely have the means to pay Microsoft to license their proprietary audio format like Olympus and others do. If you need to use WMA files, convert them to MP3, AAC or some other format using iTunes. Or, do not write a poorly rated review on the software when it is not advertised to utilize the WMA format. Or both. Write an unfavorable review, but don't rate it down for what it does not advertise. That's unfair to the developer and to the individuals looking for good free software that does what it says it does
Of course, you could also have looked at the format of audio file that your voice recorder uses before purchasing it. I have to sell those things and I always recommend against the models that use WMA or the proprietary format for Sony's players. The only way to guarantee interoperability is to use open or recognized standards such as MP3 and non-DRM AAC.
I tried the free Express Scribe program, and it basically did what it aims to do. However, in the recording I used to test it, the volume was so low it was hard to hear (it was recorded using the built-in mic on an mp3 player). However, there is no "amplify" function in Express Scribe that I could find, so I had to resort to an external program to amplify the waveform before I was able to transcribe it.
Still, I liked the program, and of course the price is right.
Greg Shenaut
[Version 1.0]
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Express Scribe is professional audio player software designed to assist the transcription of audio recordings. It is installed on the typist's computer and controlled using the keyboard (with 'hot' keys) and / or can be used with a transcription pedal. This computer transcriber application features variable speed wave playback, foot pedal operation, file management and more. This program is free.
-6
+316
lev reviewed on 16 Sep 2008
If ES read .wma files, of course it would be brilliant value for (no) money...
+7
+12
This software is not a commercial software, or included with a voice recorder. It is free, thus the developer does not likely have the means to pay Microsoft to license their proprietary audio format like Olympus and others do. If you need to use WMA files, convert them to MP3, AAC or some other format using iTunes. Or, do not write a poorly rated review on the software when it is not advertised to utilize the WMA format. Or both. Write an unfavorable review, but don't rate it down for what it does not advertise. That's unfair to the developer and to the individuals looking for good free software that does what it says it does
Of course, you could also have looked at the format of audio file that your voice recorder uses before purchasing it. I have to sell those things and I always recommend against the models that use WMA or the proprietary format for Sony's players. The only way to guarantee interoperability is to use open or recognized standards such as MP3 and non-DRM AAC.
+1
Still, I liked the program, and of course the price is right.
Greg Shenaut