Sonifex D:Scribe Standalone Instruction Manual

D:Scribe Standalone
User Handbook

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
D:Scribe Standalone
b
This handbook is for use with the following software/hardware products:
DS-STS3: D:Scribe Standalone with DS-FPS3 foot-pedal, 3 pedal version with 9 pin serial connector.
DS-STU3: D:Scribe Standalone with DS-FPU3 foot-pedal, 3 pedal version with USB connector.
DS-ST01: D:Scribe Standalone licence - 1 user licence.
DS-ST05: D:Scribe Standalone licence - 5 user licence.
DS-ST25: D:Scribe Standalone licence - 25 user licence.
DS-ST100: D:Scribe Standalone licence - 100 user licence.
This handbook is for use with the following software version:
D:Scribe Standalone V2.0x
Revision 1.00 July, 2006
©Sonifex Ltd, 2000-6
All Rights Reserved
Sonifex Ltd, 61, Station Road, Irthlingborough,
Northants, NN9 5QE, England.
Tel : [phone]
Fax : [phone]
Email : [e-mail] or [e-mail]
Web : http://www.sonifex.co.uk
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of Sonifex Ltd. Sonifex Ltd shall not be
liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising form the use of information or
any error contained in this manual.
No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or
information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose other than the
purchaser’s personal use, without the express written permission of Sonifex Ltd.
Unless otherwise noted, all names of companies, products and persons
contained herein are part of a completely fictitious adaptation and are designed
solely to document the use of Sonifex products.
D:SCRIBE STANDALONE

D:Scribe Standalone i
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Licence Agreement ii
Definitions ii
Software Licence ii
Limited Warranty & Remedies ii
Warranty Disclaimer iii
Object Code iii
Limitation of Liability iv
Copyright iv
D:Scribe Standalone 1
Introduction to D:Scribe Standalone 1
Licencing and Dongles 2
Installation of D:Scribe Standalone and USB Dongle 2
V1.0 to V2.0 Upgrade Features 5
Foot Pedal Control 6
USB Foot Pedals 6
Serial Port Foot Pedals 6
Defining Left and Right Pedals 7
Playback Control 7
Recording Control 7
Playback 8
Play Controls 8
The Playlist 11
The Trackbar 11
Bookmarks, or File Markers 12
Video Media 13
Transcription 14
Compact Player 18
Stay On Top 18
Start Bar Caption 18
Send As E-mail 19
Opening an HTTP or Streaming Source 20
Recorder 21
Recording Formats 21
Recording Sources 22
VOX Automated Recordings 22
Split Recordings 22
Recorder Cut List 22
Making a Recording 23
Pausing a Recording 23
Stopping a Recording 23
Deleting a Recording 23
Playing a Recording 23
Adjusting Recording Levels 23
CD-Ripper 24
Ripping Formats 24
Ripping Sources 24
Selecting Tracks 25
Recording Tracks 25
Aborting Ripping Process 25

D:Scribe Standalone
ii
Licence Agreement
This is a legal agreement between you, the end user, and Sonifex Limited.
BY PROCEEDING WITH THE INSTALLATION OR USE OF THE SOFTWARE, YOU
AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE
TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THIS SOFTWARE.
Sonifex Limited (“Sonifex”) and the individual or entity acquiring the Software
(“Licencee”), agree as follows:
1 Definitions
“Software” means the computer program(s) in machine-readable form furnished
to Licencee by Sonifex or Sonifex’s suppliers, in whatever media and by whatever
method. Software includes any related update or upgrade programs that may be
added from time-to-time.
“Hardware” means the equipment, furnished to Licencee by Sonifex or Sonifex’s
suppliers, to which the Software relates. Hardware is to be used solely in
conjunction with the Software.
2 Software Licence
a Sonifex hereby grants to Licencee a non-exclusive, non-transferable
licence to use the Software for Licencee’s internal purposes only, on any
computer possessed by Licencee on which the Software is designed to
operate, such use to be in accordance with and subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement.
b Licencee shall not distribute, lend, incorporate, modify, or use the Software
for any purpose except as expressly provided herein. Licencee may transfer
rights under this Agreement on a permanent basis, provided all copies of
the Software and all written materials are transferred, and the recipient
agrees to the terms of this Agreement.
c If Licencee fails to comply with the provisions of this Agreement, the
Licence is automatically terminated.
d Except for the rights expressly granted herein to Licencee, the title and
all intellectual property rights in and to the Software and any copy of the
Software which may be made by Licencee hereunder remain the sole and
exclusive property of Sonifex and/or Sonifex’s licensors.
3 Limited Warranty & Remedies
a Sonifex warrants to Licencee that the media containing the Software will
be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and
service for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of delivery.
LICENCE AGREEMENT
D:SCRIBE STANDALONE

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
D:Scribe Standalone iii
b Sonifex further warrants that (a) the Software will perform substantially
in accordance with the accompanying Product Manual(s) for a period of
ninety (90) days from the date of delivery; and (b) any Sonifex supplied
Hardware accompanying the Software will be free from defects in
materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of
one year from the date of receipt. Any implied warranties on the Software
and Hardware are limited to ninety (90) days and one (1) year, respectively,
or the shortest period permitted by applicable law, whichever is greater.
c Any products which are not returned to Sonifex within the warranty period
or which have been subject to accident, abuse, misuse, alteration, neglect,
or unauthorised repair or installation are not covered by warranty.
4 Warranty Disclaimer
EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE EXPRESSED LIMITED WARRANTIES, SONIFEX MAKES
NO WARRANTIES ON THE SOFTWARE, WHETHER EXPRESSED, IMPLIED,
STATUTORY, OR IN ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT OR
COMMUNICATION WITH LicenceE, AND SONIFEX SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS
ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. SONIFEX DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE OPERATION
OF THE SOFTWARE BY LicenceE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE.
LicenceE ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION OF THE SOFTWARE
AND HARDWARE TO ACHIEVE ITS INTENDED RESULTS, AND FOR THE PROPER
INSTALLATION, USE, AND RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE SOFTWARE. EXCEPT
FOR THE ABOVE EXPRESSED LIMITED WARRANTIES, LicenceE ASSUMES
THE ENTIRE RISK OF THE SOFTWARE PROVING DEFECTIVE OR FAILING TO
PERFORM PROPERLY AND IN SUCH EVENT, LicenceE SHALL ASSUME THE
ENTIRE COST AND RISK OF ANY REPAIR, SERVICE, CORRECTION, OR ANY
OTHER LIABILITIES OR DAMAGES CAUSED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH THE
SOFTWARE.
SONIFEXS’ SOLE LIABILITY, AND LicenceE’S SOLE REMEDY, IS SET
FORTH ABOVE.
5 Object Code
Licencee shall not attempt to reverse translate, de-compile or otherwise attempt
to derive the source code of the Software. In the event any source code is
explicitly licenced to Licencee as part of the Software, such limitation will not
apply to such source code. Licencee shall not alter or remove from the Software
any copyright, trademark or other proprietary notices of Sonifex and/or Sonifex’s
licensors. Any use or attempted use of the Software in violation of the foregoing
restrictions is a breach of the Agreement which will cause irreparable harm to
Sonifex, entitling Sonifex to injunctive relief in addition to all
legal remedies.
LICENCE AGREEMENT

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
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iv
6 Limitation of Liability
a Licencee agrees that Sonifex’s entire liability to Licencee and Licencee’s
sole remedy hereunder for any cause whatsoever, regardless of the form
of the action, and at Sonifex’s option, shall be limited to either (a) the price
paid to Sonifex for the Software and Hardware or (b) repair or replacement
of the Software or Hardware that does not meet Sonifex’s Limited Warranty
and which is returned to Sonifex with a copy of Licencee’s receipt or
invoice. Any replacement Software or Hardware will be warranted for the
remainder of the original warranty period or 30 days, whichever is longer.
b TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SONIFEX
AND ITS SUPPLIERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY OTHER DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS
OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS
INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE
OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SONIFEX PRODUCT, EVEN IF SONIFEX
HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN ANY
CASE, SONIFEXS’ ENTIRE LIABILITY UNDER ANY PROVISION OF THIS
AGREEMENT SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID FOR
THE SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE.
7 Copyright
The Software is owned by Sonifex and is protected by United Kingdom copyright
laws, international treaty provisions and all other applicable national laws.
This Agreement is governed by the laws of England.
LICENCE AGREEMENT

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
D:Scribe Standalone 1
INTRODUCTION
D:Scribe Standalone
Introduction to D:Scribe Standalone
D:Scribe Standalone (DS-STS3 or DS-STU3) is a package of PC transcription
software together with a 3 pedal foot-controller, for simple, fast and effective
transcription of pre-recorded audio files. The software was designed for third-
party transcription services and anyone using D:Scribe Client and Server who
needs to transcribe audio files off-site. For use without the foot-pedal, D:Scribe
Standalone licences can be ordered (DS-ST01, DS-ST05, DS-ST25, DS-ST100).
D:Scribe Standalone is the perfect transcription package to use for quick, simple
voice-to-text conversion which can be used either with it’s own text editor, or
which can “float” on top of another application, such as MS Word™.
D:Scribe Standalone has all the transcription features of the full Client & Server
version, but doesn’t have the management database structure for multiple
clients.
Standard audio controls for transcription include Play, Pause, (Fast) Forward and
Rewind by defined amounts. Holding the Rewind and Fast-Forward buttons
makes them decrement and increment faster depending on your settings.
Previous and Next buttons allow you to go to the previous and next recordings
respectively, which is useful where a long session has been captured over a
number of recordings. There are also volume & playback speed controls. A foot-
pedal is supplied as standard with this package which controls the Play/Pause,
Forward & Rewind buttons.
Bookmarks allow you to define new start and end playback points and the
recorded time and date can be altered on screen to create a time-start reference
point. A playlist can be compiled to play through multiple files and the playback
speed can be altered between slow, normal and fast at a constant pitch.
The software includes options to change the functionality of the foot-pedal: To
allow one touch start/stop of the play pedal, of ‘hold down to play’ operation;
playback can skip back a number of seconds on pausing; fast forward and
rewind pedals can be reversed and recordings can optionally be controlled by
the foot-pedal.
A spell-checker is available and 12 user defined function keys can be used
to enter repetitive material such as names, places and recurring events. The
recorded time & date (if transcribing Net-Log audio files) and the current time &
date are also available.
Finished transcripts can be simply emailed by clicking the on-screen email
button, which runs your standard email client to send the text file.

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
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2
INSTALLATION & USB DONGLE
D:Scribe Standalone operates with all MS Windows Media Player™ standard file
types: broadcast .wav, .wav, .aif, .aifc, .aiff, .asf, .asx, .wax, .wma, .wmv, .wvx, .wmp,
.wmx, .avi, .mpeg, .mpg, .m1v, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .mpe, .mpv2 and .m3u.
V2.0 D:Scribe Standalone adds a number of additional features including
support for video playback from DVD. See page 5 for further information.
Licencing and Dongles
D:Scribe Standalone uses a USB dongle to unlock the full features and
functionality of the software.
The software can be used for demonstration and evaluation purposes without a
dongle, but with limited functionality.
When using D:Scribe Standalone without a dongle, a screen reminding you of
the limited functionality will be shown periodically.
Limited functionality precludes saving transcripts and copying typed text to the
clipboard, also recordings made in the Record Screen are limited to 30 seconds
in length.
Fig 1-1: The D:Scribe Standalone Dongle.
Installation of D:Scribe Standalone and USB Dongle
D:Scribe Standalone should be installed on a Microsoft Windows based desktop
PC equipped with a sound card capable of playing the required audio and video
material. Install D:Scribe Standalone from the Sonifex Software Installation CD-
ROM by selecting
‘D:Scribe Standalone Installation’ and follow the on-screen instructions.
- You must have Administrator Rights to install this product successfully.
Step 1. Run Setup.exe.

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
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INSTALLATION & USB DONGLE
Fig 1-2: The Welcome Screen.
Fig 1-3: The Licence Screen.
Fig 1-4: The Install Screen.

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
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4
INSTALLATION & USB DONGLE
Step 2. Insert dongle into a USB port.
Step 3. Windows will start ‘Found New Hardware Wizard’.
Fig 1-5: The Windows Found New
Hardware Wizard Screen.
This screen will ask ‘Can
Windows connect to
Windows Update to search
for software?’ - select ‘No, not
this time’ and click ‘Next’
Fig 1-6: The Windows Wizard
Install Screen.
This screen will ask ‘What
do you want the wizard
to do?’ - Select ‘Install the
software automatically
(Recommended)’ and click
‘Next’. Windows may then
create a Restore Point.
Fig 1-7: The Windows Installation
Completed Screen.
Choose on ‘Finish’ to
complete the dongle
installation.

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
D:Scribe Standalone 5
V1.0 TO V2.0 UPGRADE FEATURES
Step 4. Run D:Scribe Standalone by selecting ‘Start->All Programs->Sonifex->
D:Scribe Standalone’ from the start menu.
Note: you will need to have the dongle inserted into a USB port each time you
use D:Scribe Standalone.
Note: Best practice is to use the same USB port each time for the dongle.
Using another port may require you to reinstall the drivers (Step 3).
V1.0 to V2.0 Upgrade Features
 Screen layout changes, including support for XP themes using the manifest.
 New trackbar allows start and stop marks (also can stop on end-mark).
 Mute control added.
 ‘Stay On Top’ is now optional for compact and normal window size.
 Start Bar caption can optionally display Play Position, Recorded Time or Time
Remaining.
 Insert List on right of transcript space instead of a status bar:
 Ctrl+shift+I for show/hide (also from menu).
 Video Panel to left of transcript space:
 Ctrl+shift+v for show/hide (also from menu).
 CD Ripper can optionally rip in WMA format.
 Play Speed – fast, normal, slow with constant pitch:
 Depends on soundcard, drivers, sample rate/format of files.
 Tested with MP3, WMA audio, WMV video.
 Play directly from audio CDs.
 MPEG4 video and audio playback (mp4, m4a files):
 Requires third-party driver in WinXP.
 Support for USB footpedal:
 Auto detected when starting application.
 No USB footpedal detected, allows serial footpedal selection.
 Dongle Protected:
 Without dongle – no save, no copy, recordings limited to 30secs, popup
message every 2 minutes.
 DVD / VOB playback.
 Option to control start/stop of recording process via footpedal.
 Option to swap FWD/REW pedals to suit user.
 Able to open audio/video files from http://source
 eg http://www.sonifex.co.uk/test/a.wmv
 Able to playback and record http:// streams
 Ctrl+U (also from menu).
 ASX and WVX streaming audio from Internet radio stations, e.g.
- TalkSport http://194.46.8.124/talksport-live.asx
 Record via ‘Stereo Mix’ source into MP3/WAV.

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
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6
FOOT PEDAL CONTROL
Foot Pedal Control
D:Scribe Standalone can be used with a USB (DS-STU3 and DS-FPU3) or serial
(DS-STS3 and DS-FPS3) footpedal for convenient use of the playback controls.
USB Foot Pedals
The USB foot pedal is detected automatically by D:Scribe, and so no user-
intervention is required. If you attached the foot pedal after starting D:Scribe,
you may need to restart D:Scribe to use your foot pedal. Once the USB foot-
pedal is connected, the option to select the COM port for a serial foot-pedal is
disabled in the Control menu.
Fig 1-8: The D:Scribe USB Footpedal.
Serial Port Foot Pedals
If your footpedal came supplied with a USB to serial converter cable, please read
the instructions and install the software supplied as required.
To select the port for the footpedal, select ‘Control->Footpedal’ from the menu.
Then select ‘Enable’ from the ‘Control->Footpedal’ menu.

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
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FOOT PEDAL CONTROL
Fig 1-9: The Control Menu.
Defining Left and Right Pedals
Should you feel uncomfortable using the left pedal for forwarding and the right
pedal for rewinding media, the operation of these pedals can be swapped by
selecting ‘Control->Footpedal->Left-Right Pedal Action’ from the menu.
Playback Control
To use the foot pedal to control playback functions, select ‘Control->Footpedal-
>Playback Screen Enable’ from the menu.
Recording Control
To use the foot pedal to start/stop the recording process in the Recorder Screen,
select ‘Control->Footpedal->Recorder Screen Enable’ from the menu.

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8
PLAYBACK
Playback
The Playback screen is used to view the text for transcription and to control the
audio selected for playback. D:Scribe uses an embedded MS Media Player™, so
can open any compatible media player audio file.
Fig 1-10: The D:Scribe Playback Screen with a single media file loaded.
Play Controls
The media playback controls are located at the bottom of the Playback screen.
Fig 1-11: The D:Scribe Media Playback Controls.

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PLAYBACK
Volume Control and Mute
The audio volume of the currently playing media clip
can be adjusted using the on-screen volume and mute
controls.
For further adjustment of the playback volume you may
need to use your soundcard’s mixer. A shortcut for this
usually resides in the desktop’s system tray.
Playback Speed
Playback speed can be adjusted using the ‘Control->Play
Speed’ menu selections. Alternatively use Shift+Ctrl+G
(fast), Shift+Ctrl+S (slow), Shift+Ctrl+N (normal). The
ability to alter playback speeds depends upon the media
type, sound/video drivers and
codecs being used in your system.
Timer Display
The timer display shows the recorded date and time of
the current position in the media clip. If the currently
selected/playing file does not have an associated recorded
time (i.e. not a broadcast wave file) the creation date and
time of the file is used.
Altering the Recorded Date/Time
To alter the date and time that a recording was made (for
example of an audio CD track), click on the ‘Recorded Date/
Time’ heading on the Timer Display. Use the displayed
calendar to set the required date/time, then click ‘OK’.
Note: The selected
date/time is stored
locally for use by
D:Scribe, and does
not alter the audio
file in any way.
Fig 1-12: The D:Scribe
Recorded Date/Time
Display.

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
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10
PLAYBACK
Move to the Previous File
To move to the previous media clip in the playlist, press the
‘Previous’ button.
Move to the Next File
To move to the next media clip in the playlist, press the ‘Next’
button.
Rewinding a File
To rewind the current media clip, press and hold the ‘Rewind’
button until the timer display has reached the required point,
then release.
Forwarding a File
To move forward through the current media clip, press and hold
the ‘Forward’ button until the timer display has reached the
required point, then release.
Playing a File
To begin playback of the currently selected media clip, press the
‘Play’ button.
Pausing a File
To pause the currently playing media clip, press the ‘Pause’
button. To resume playback, press the ‘Play’ button.
Skip Back on Pause
Media files can be forced to skip back a number of seconds after
pressing the ‘Pause’ button. This can be a useful feature when
transcribing audio that often requires pausing. To enable the
‘skip back on pause’ feature select ‘Control->Skip Back on Pause-
>Enable’ from the menu. The skip backwards can be set to two,
three, four or five seconds.
Stopping a File
To stop playback of the current media clip and return to the
beginning, press the ‘Stop’ button.

D:SCRIBE STANDALONE
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PLAYBACK
The Playlist
The playlist is situated above the play controls when in ‘Normal’Full Player mode
(see page 18). The media files that are opened are appended to this list, and
can be played through from beginning-to-end allowing you to create a single
transcription file from multiple media files.
Fig 1-13: The D:Scribe Playlist.
Re-ordering Playlist Files
To re-order the media files in the playlist, select the file you wish to move, then
right-click to choose ‘Move Up’ or ‘Move Down’.
Removing Playlist Files
To remove a media file from the playlist (but not delete the
media file from your computer) select the required media file,
then right-click and choose ‘Remove’.
The Trackbar
The media trackbar can be used to quickly move backwards or forwards through
the media by selecting it and dragging it to the required position. The timer
display shows the recorded time at the current position in the media.
The trackbar is highlighted between the start and end marks – this indicates the
selected portion of the media.

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12
PLAYBACK
Bookmarks, or File Markers
Start and end markers can be added to an audio clip as reference points. The
marks for the most recent 50 media files are stored for later use by D:Scribe
Standalone, and are recalled upon loading the media file for playback.
Start Mark
The start mark can be added to the current position of a playing audio or video
media file by pressing ‘Ctrl+M’.
Jump to Mark
To jump back to the start mark at any moment during playback, press ‘Ctrl+G’.
End Mark
The end mark can be added at the current position by pressing ‘Ctrl+E’.
Stop on End Mark
To automatically stop playback of a media clip upon reaching the end mark,
select ‘Control->Bookmark->Stop on end mark’ from the menu.
Clearing Marks
To clear the start and end marks (reset back to beginning of the file), press
‘Ctrl+N’.
Recalling Marks
The marks that you use with an individual media file do not have any destructive
effects upon the file.

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VIDEO MEDIA
Video Media
Fig 1-14: The D:Scribe Video Panel.
The Video Panel
Video media can be opened for playback and transcription using D:Scribe
Standalone, with the same features available as for audio media. Select ‘View-
>Video Panel’ from the menu to show/hide the video panel. The video panel is
displayed to the left of the transcript space.
Supported Video Media
The ability to playback AVI, MPEG and VOB/DVD video files depends upon the
version of WindowsTM Media PlayerTM and codecs installed on your computer.
Also, DVDs must be finalised in order to ensure playback. Non-finalised DVDs can
give spurious playback results.
MPEG4 video and audio playback (mp4, m4a) is also supported, but this does
require a third-party driver in WindowsTM.

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14
TRANSCRIPTION
Transcription
Opening a File for Transcription
To locate and open a file for playback and transcription, press
the ‘Open’ button on the toolbar.
Fig 1-15: The D:Scribe Open Media File Screen.
Use the ‘Open Media File’ screen to locate the required audio or video file, then
press ‘Open’.
Audio CDs (cda) can also be used for playback without the need for recording/
ripping to the hard disk.
D:Scribe Standalone will try to select a transcript text file with the same name as
the selected audio or video file.
If this file has not yet been created, press ‘Edit’ to create this as a new file to
associate with the selected media file (see page 17).
Transcript files created with the same name as the selected media file will be
automatically opened next time the media file is selected.