Practical tests confirm: RecMic II Series with best voice recording accuracy even in noisy environments

Every professional using dictation devices has already experienced this problem: suddenly and unexpectedly occurring background noises which considerably impair the recording and render transcription more difficult. As disturbances can never be excluded, users have always been prone to the risk that the words are falsely transcribed into text by the speech recognition, or that the person who has to manually transcribe the audio file simply has to omit incomprehensible passages. This problem is solved now: The “RecMic” Series by Olympus guarantee best speech recognition accuracy even in in noisy environments and make sure that typists get clearly understandable recordings without disturbing background noises. This has been confirmed in several empirical tests by renowned international providers of dictation and documentation solutions.

Noise Cancellation Technology for Optimum Speech Recognition Results

The new RecMic II Series is characterised by a unique two-microphone system with flexible alignment and an innovative noise cancelling technology. “The tests we conducted in noisy environments show peak speech recognition performance. The tolerance to noise can be adjusted in seconds, just by pressing two buttons on the microphone, which allows to switch from a quiet to a noisy environment without any problem”, explains Romain Koenig, Head of the Technical Team at DICMA, one of the leading providers of dictation and documentation solutions in France. “The technology provides optimum reduction of unwanted background noises and best results for transcription and speech recognition“, adds Jürg Sprecher, systems engineer at Voiceport AG, the market-leading provider of digital dictation systems, voice recognition software and dictation management solutions based in Switzerland.

The voice is precisely identified

Consider this scenario: A clinician is sitting at the desk with an open window and dictating a medical report into the device. The microphone is tuned to a wide range, so all sounds and tones within the room are captured without distinction. Speech recognition software converts the words directly into a text document (Speech-to-Text). Suddenly a rescue helicopter lands in front of his window. The recording is significantly impaired by the rotor noise and should be interrupted. Instead, the doctor can now activate the directional feature and due to the two omni-directional microphones, the RecMic II focuses purely on the speaker the surround sounds are tuned out. In other words: The advanced noise cancelling technology is able to differentiate the sound signals. Thus, the voice of the dictating person is precisely identified, and disturbing noises – no matter whether they come from outside sources like construction sites, traffic etc. or from people in the room talking loudly – are suppressed. “The record quality and the speech recognition of the test device are excellent, thanks to the highly sensitive microphones as well as the effective suppression of ambient noises”, confirms Torsten Hein, Managing Director of DAZ Diktiertechnik, Germany – specialist of digital dictation technology.

Meet the high demands of the users

The combination of two omnidirectional microphones and the innovative noise cancelling technology revolutionises speech recognition accuracy when dictating – even in extremely noisy environments. The new generation of the RecMic Series provides the smartest and most flexible USB microphone and therefore fulfils even the highest user demands. Sebastian Dahlen, EMEA Product Manager of Olympus SDS, continues: “Due to our insights gathered during customer interviews, we know that many users of speech recognition did not rely fully on the technology, because it did not always deliver the expected results. The actual reason – though not directly recognized by the users – was that suddenly occurring background noise can lower the accuracy rates and frustrate the user. Therefore we implemented the two-microphone technology so the user can feel prepared even under the nosiest conditions. You can rest assured that everything runs smoothly no matter where you work.”

Additional features facilitate the speech recognition results

Numerous further functions support the individual working procedure of the users – in particular for doctors, lawyers and businessmen. This includes the triple layered pop-filter, which suppresses the pop-noises especially caused by consonants like “t” and “p” talking closely into the microphone. The extra smooth UV coating and the "silent buttons”, which dampen noises when touching and operating the device also improve the recording quality.

Native support of most spread speech recognition engines

The new Olympus RecMic II can be switched into 4 different button modes. First, the Standard Olympus Mode allows controlling any software application with sophisticated button events like macros, keyboard shortcuts, text input and dragon commands, if the RCT (RecMic Configuration Tool) is running in the background. The other three button modes operate in a standard HID keyboard mode. Olympus provides a predefined button setting both for users of Dragon Speech Recognition and Microsoft’s Windows Speech Recognition. The Custom Mode allows assigning the buttons with individual shortcuts to control any software application via keyboard shortcuts. Organisations that make use of virtual environments also benefit from the HID keyboard mode. “Using HID mode on the new RecMic and the new foot controls allows our technical team to setup our clients without any drivers. No driver means that it works with any operating system, and the system is less likely to crash”, states Romain Koenig from DICMA. And Carsten Schulthes, Managing Director of DAZ Diktiertechnik, Berlin, Germany, points out: “A unique feature is the possibility to individually map the keyboard, resulting in unmatched software compatibility. External software is recognized by the Olympus dictation devices. The buttons can be assigned with specific commands to control any operating system. This is a new and smart approach to gaining new users.”

Antimicrobial – ergonomic – robust: perfect for daily clinic life

An antimicrobial surface complies with hygienic requirements. This is why the RecMic II models are especially suitable for everyday clinic routines. The ergonomic shape and the extraordinary robustness of the products also meet the demands of professional users. “Talking with our target groups in hospitals, we learnt that they not least have specific needs when it comes to the haptic properties and high robustness of the devices. I am convinced that the Olympus RecMic II Series responds to their expectation”, says Sebastian Dahlen, EMEA Product Manager of Olympus SDS. Another plus of the devices: The Microphone Stand with automatic Stand Detection allows hands-free dictation.

For developers

Developers who want to fully integrate the RecMic II in order to have full control of both obvious and hidden features can use the Software Development Kit (SDK), which allows them to integrate Olympus Dictation hardware with minimal effort.

About Olympus

Olympus Europa is the headquarters for the region Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) of the Olympus Corporation, Tokyo. As a worldwide leading manufacturer of optical and digital precision technology, Olympus provides innovative solutions for state-of-the-art medical systems, digital cameras as well as scientific solutions. The company’s award winning products are instrumental in detecting, preventing and healing illness, driving scientific research and documenting life with artistic freedom. In the hands of its customers, Olympus’ high-tech products help to make people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling.
For more information: http://www.olympus-europa.com

About Olympus SDS

Olympus develops and markets intelligent, complete speech documentation solutions, SDS for short. With more than 45 years’ experience, Olympus offers intuitive hardware, workflow-supporting software, and tailored service, for efficient, future-proof Speech-to-Text solutions. The high-tech products for mobile and stationary dictation, as well as for transcription, are the key to professional, secure, and profitable work in all industries. With its comprehensive approach, Olympus is helping to considerably simplify the everyday work routine.
For more information: www.olympus-europa.com/dictated-documented