Instant text

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Instant transcription of audio can be very helpful for studying and working. Here’s why:

1. Improves Note-Taking

Transcription allows you to focus on understanding instead of writing everything down. You can review the text later and highlight key points.

2. Enhances Comprehension & Retention

Reading along while listening can reinforce learning. Helps with subjects that require deep concentration, like lectures on complex topics.

3. Makes Reviewing Easier

You can search for key terms quickly instead of re-listening to entire recordings.

4. Accessibility & Multitasking

Useful for hearing-impaired students or those who prefer reading over listening.

Sensory Scribe

The purpose of Sensory Scribe for Windows is to provide a recording and instant transcription tool, using the Windows 11 Live captions accessibility function, that can be used offline. By storing the original recording of a live meeting, event or lecture, as an audio file is always helpful.

Having access to an instant transcription of the whole event is regarded as very helpful for many students, employees and customers.

Current solutions that provide this service are mostly cloud based services, where the transcription processing is done later once an internet connection is available. Sensory Scribe is an installed software application, not a cloud service, and therefore is secure, instant with high quality transcription provided by Microsoft. Sensory Scribe requires Windows 11 (Version 22/H2 or above).

Sensory Scribe is approved for funding under the UK Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).

Register below to download your evaluation version of Sensory Scribe for Windows.

This is an image of the Microsoft Live Captions window
This is an image of the Microsoft Live Captions window

When might Sensory Scribe provide extra support?

  • Deaf and hearing impairment:

Captions are essential for making audio-visual content accessible to individuals who cannot hear or have difficulty hearing.

  • Specific Learning Disabilities:

Captions may help individuals with learning disabilities who may struggle with  retaining information.

  • Attention Deficit Disorders:

Some individuals find it easier to focus and retain information when they can see the words , especially in noisy environments.

  • Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD):

Individuals with ANSD, who have difficulty discerning speech from background noise, may find captions helpful.

Sensory Scribe can now be recommended by Needs Assessors to be funded via the Disabled Student Allowance. It should be noted that in all instances Student Finance England need to be satisfied that the product fulfils an essential need that the student experiences through their situation. 

Record, Transcribe

Sensory Scribe for Windows, developed by the assistive technology specialists at Sensory App House, integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Windows offline Live Captions.

  • Sensory Scribe captures the live audio recording via the PC microphone, (to mp3). It is also possible to add flags or markers to identify important parts of the audio.
  • Sensory Scribe captures a transcription of the live playback of an existing video or audio file. The playback is fully synchronised with the text, and fully searchable based on words from the transcription.
  • Sensory Scribe mirrors the text from the Live Captions window, allowing a more subtle presentation of the live caption text phrase on a user’s laptop. You can mimimise the Live Captions window if preferred, to focus on the speaker.
  • Sensory Scribe creates a text file containing the transcribed text notes during the live meeting or lecture. This can be quickly summarised using popular available tools if needed.
  • Sensory Scribe creates a subtitle (SRT) file to use for future replay of the audio.
  • Sensory Scribe provides the ability to minimise Live Captions window and Capture window for a user who simply needs to create an audio recording and instant transcription (created on the PC without needing an internet connection)
  • Sensory Scribe can include a PDF file or Powerpoint Presentation to be displayed and annotated during the live meeting, or when reviewing the automatic meeting notes.
  • Sensory Scribe allows typed notes to be entered for additional actions or reminders

Pricing

Sensory Scribe for Windows license is available on a perpetual one off license fee of £195 + VAT per workplace user. Sensory Scribe has recently received Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) product approval, and education pricing is available on request. Network and site licenses pricing available.

Review and Replay

Upon completion of a recording, or loading an older recording for review, you will see the following screen. This screen also includes a PDF Document file that was part of the meeting. Section 1 is the full audio file. The current position in the audio file is shown by the vertical red line. You can play the audio from any point by pressing the play button. You can also speed up the playback, skip forwards and backwards, using the player controls.

Transcribe Live or Existing Recordings

If you prefer to use your phone or iPad in meetings or lectures, you can create the Scribe recording and transcription using the Scribe mobile app. The transcription is created live on the device, and does not require an internet connection to transcribe or record. With the Scribe Mobile app you can also add in “marks” to the recording.

Instant Transcription Notes

Once Sensory Scribe is recording, then you can concentrate your focus on the speakers during the meeting, conference or lecture. You can be sure Scribe will record the audio, and provide the transcribed text, without a web connection.

Scribe File Menu

Scribe has a single File Menu, with keyboard shortcuts. The categories folder can be managed from this menu. All files are stored in Windows Explorer file management system.

Audio Playback

Sensory Scribe has a built in audio player. You can play the audio from any point by pressing the play button. You can also speed up the playback, skip forwards and backwards, using the player controls.

Markers and Page turns

Sensory Scribe includes colour markers, page turner mark as well as the option to hide the live captions window.

Sensory Scribe App

Sensory Scribe companion app for iOS and Mac, developed by the assistive technology specialists at Sensory App House, is an alternative to and extension for Sensory Scribe Windows. Download the free Sensory Scribe app from the Apple app stores.

  • Sensory Scribe captures the live audio recording on the iphone, iPad or Mac. It is also possible to add flags or markers to identify important parts of the audio when the recording is transferred to your Windows PC.
  • Sensory Scribe mobile captures the audio from a meeting or lecture and does an instant text transcription to the device (iPhone, iPad or Mac). No web connection is required for the transcription, accuracy is excellent and the text is available instantly. Once the Scribe session recording is completed, the files can be saved to the device, the iCloud or sent to your PC.
  • Sensory Scribe creates a text file containing the transcribed text notes during the live meeting or lecture. This can be quickly summarised using popular available tools if needed.
  • Sensory Scribe for iOS and Mac is currently available as a free download.

Instant Transcription Notes

Once Sensory Scribe is recording, then you can concentrate your focus on the speakers during the meeting, conference or lecture. You can be sure Scribe will record the audio, and provide the transcribed text, without a web connection.

Markers for Windows app

A colour markers to identify events or speakers. These will transfer to Scribe for Windows via the Scribe .zip file.

Save and Share

Save the Sensory Scribe audio file and text file, as a .zip, and save to a device, cloud drive, or share to another device or user.

Specification

System Requirements – Sensory Scribe for Windows requires Windows 11 22/H2 operating system or later, which itself requires a typical PC specification as below.

  • Processor: 64-bit processor with at least 1 GHz and two or more cores
  • RAM: At least 8 GB
  • Storage: At least 64 GB of available disk space

Sensory Scribe for iOS requires minimum iOS16.6 or above. The app is also verified for use on MacOS with M1 chip or above.

 

Microsoft’s commitment to responsible AI

Live captions is built responsibly keeping your privacy in mind. It keeps the language files and data on the device, keeps the microphone off by default, and provides an optional profanity filter to mask profane speech elements. In addition to this, live captions with translation extends the capabilities of live captions to break language and accent barriers.

Live captions uses Azure AI Speech models, a compact version of the captions language files that are evaluated on the same fairness datasets as the cloud-based Speech to Text API. These models are embedded on the device to provide streamlined local captioning and translation with reasonable and acceptable accuracy in real-time. To get more information about responsible use of Azure AI Speech, see Speech-to-text fairness information and Transparency Note and use cases for speech to text.