SpeechWare TableMike User manual

USB 3-in-1 TableMike Desktop Microphone
(1) USB interface with Sound Ports, (2) Detachable Boom and (3) Speech Equaliser
for Speech recognition, Voice or Music recording, and Wideband or High Definition VoIP
1. INTRODUCTION
The release of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11® containing the most powerful speech recognition engine ever --
utilising a 22 kHz sampling rate to improve audio quality and recognition accuracy, coincided with the emergence of
Wideband or High Definition (HD) 20 kHz Voice over IP (VoIP) and other 'Unified Communications' accelerating
the transition away from conventional low fidelity telephone technology.
SpeechWare aimed to develop a desktop microphone to exploit fully the challenge posed by these two nascent
developments: harness the full capability of this speech engine; and provide unmatched voice clarity for VoIP
users. Moreover, the performance of this new desktop microphone has to be comparable to that of the best
professional headsets; freeing users from the need to wear a headset or being physically tethered to a
computer, while dictating or talking.
Welcome to the USB 3-in-1 TableMike, the basic award-winning model from this family of desktop microphones
by SpeechWare. Unlike competing products adapted for PC and Mac use; this microphone has been designed and
engineered with the support of an international advisory committee with unparalleled experience in microphone
technology and speech recognition. The team comprised of Mr. Lindsay Adam, Mr. Larry Allen, Mr. Jesus Maria
Boccio, Mr. James Carr, Mr. Peter Maddern, Mr. Lunis Orcutt, Mr. Enrique Padilla, Mr. Chuck Runquist, Mr. Thilo
Voelter, Mr. Jon Wahrenberger and Mr. Rüdiger Wilke. We invite feedback from customers on ways that our
product can still be improved.
Featuring an industry first 'Speech Equaliser', this microphone is ideally suited for: Speech Recognition.
Under 'Normal' or HD VoIP mode, it is ideal for:
Voice and Music recording;
Full duplex (simultaneous Sound in and out) Wideband or High Definition (HD) Internet telephony (VoIP);
Full duplex HD Video conferencing;
HD Podcasting.
The TableMike has been rated Best in Class with a '5 Dragon' award by Nuance, since its inception 5 years ago.
It is full compatible with Windows® 7, Vista®, XP®, 2000, MacOS® 10 and Linux as well as Dragon
NaturallySpeaking® and other Speech recognition engines.
2. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
2.1. Installation procedures for Windows® 7, Vista®, XP®, 2000 & Mac OS®10 or higher
Carefully insert the gooseneck boom into the female mini-XLR connector of the base unit. Cover the microphone
element with the windscreen provided to avoid unwanted speech degradation, and to offer it an additional layer of
protection from dust and saliva. Plug the specially insulated USB cable to the USB ports of the microphone and the
PC. Connect the cable to a DEDICATED USB port on the computer. DO NOT USE any other USB cable or a
multiple USB Splitter or USB Hub device to connect the microphone to the computer. The Indicator Light (LED) of
the base unit will light up in red. If the unit does not initialise - check that the USB connectors are properly inserted
in both ends. Wait a few seconds for Windows® to automatically install the corresponding USB sound drivers:
After completion of the installation, Windows® 7 will select the 'USB TableMike' as both the Recording and the
Playback Driver or Device of choice, and will make it available for all applications. Hence, you will not hear any
sound or playback if a Speaker or Headset is not plugged in the Sound out port (rear of the base unit). To
change this setting, with Windows® 7, click the Speaker Icon in the lower right hand corner of the Windows® bar
and choose 'Playback devices'. Click the 'Mixer'link to open the 'Volume Mixer'. Select 'Speakers' and choose
other available Device to be used (normally the built-in PC Speaker). The procedure is similar under Windows®
Vista®, XP®and 2000:

You can also go to 'Control Panels', 'Sound' and select the 'Playback' tab to achieve the same result. Also, in the
'Sound' window click the 'Recording' tab and check that the 'USB TableMike' is the 'Default Device'. Select and
click-right on it. Click 'Properties', 'Advanced' and choose '1 channel, 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality)':
2.2. Additional instructions for Mac OS®10 or higher
Open up 'Audio MIDI Setup' located in 'Utilities' under 'Applications'. Select now the 'USB TableMike' from the
list of devices, if you have more than one. Select the 'Input' tab and choose '48000.0 Hz' and '1ch –16 bits' from the
pull-down menus under 'Format'. Adjust the Volume slider as needed:
3. Working with NaturallySpeaking® 11 under Windows 7®, Vista® or XP®
Due to the uniqueness of the built-in 'Speech Equaliser' for best performance and recognition accuracy under low
to moderate noise with NaturallySpeaking® we strongly recommend you create a NEW USB User Profile with
the Green LED on.To do this:
a) Check the Push Button microphone switch under the base of the microphone. It has three different
settings: 'Always On', 'Push to Talk' and 'Push to Lock'. The second is selected by default. Press the
'Push' button and the Red colour LED in the base will change and remain Green - recommended Speech
Recognition usage.
b) In this special mode, the microphone will substantially increase both voice pick-up and noise cancelling
levels ('signal to noise ratio'to deliver extremely high transcription accuracy from 10 cm up to an amazing
50 cm (4”-20”) range, depending on your voice and ambient noise, comparable to that of the best headsets.
Ideally, place and keep yourself at about 25 cm (10”) from the microphone element. Note that the
Automatic Gain Control (AGC) will automatically adjust the signal output volume depending upon your
distance from the microphone element. As the distance increases, the volume output increases. However,
this can cause a problem because AGC is an amplification process and amplifying the output also amplifies
any background noise or sounds, which may provoke frequent 'Please say that again'or '???'messages
from NaturallySpeaking® when clicking keys and the like. These messages will not affect accuracy at all.
U
US SB B T Ta ab bl le eM Mi ik ke e
USB TableMike
48000.0 Hz

c) Note that NaturallySpeaking® may also display the following Error messages if the aforementioned
ranges and conditions are not observed:
Note that you may also use your existing User Profile with the other 'Normal'or HD VoIP mode, available when
pressing the Normal / Sp. Rec. EQ button again (the LED turns Blue). In such a case, you must not only Calibrate
but also Rerun General Training for maximum accuracy. Open the existing User Profile, click in the 'Audio'
menu and then select 'Check microphone…'. Whatever procedure you choose, NaturallySpeaking® will present
you with the following sequence of windows. Proceed like this:
a) First, NaturallySpeaking® will check your soundcards. If you only have one in your PC, you will not get
the first window because you do not need to make a selection. If you have more than one soundcard
installed, it will ask you to choose which one you wish to utilise. Select 'USB TableMike' and click 'Next'
in the first window. Position yourself within the recommended distance from the TableMike microphone
capsule (25 cm or 10”) depending on your voice and ambient noise. Click 'Next' again:
b) Click the 'Start Volume Check' button and read the text until it turns grey. Read at your normal pace
and voice volume, making short pauses (3 to 5 seconds) at each punctuation sign. In this way, both
your voice and pauses (silence) will be properly sampled. DO NOT SHOUT OR YELL if the 'Gain'bar
at the right hand side of the first window does not move or moves very little. After the text turns grey
again, click 'Next'. Repeat the previously outlined process in the second window by clicking 'Start
Quality Check' and then 'Finish':
To be sure that you get the most optimal signal-to-noise ratio, run the Check Microphone process in the environment
in which you will be dictating by dictating 'Check Audio'. That is, if you are going to be dictating into a low or
moderate noise environment, be sure that you run it under those conditions. If your background environment
changes during the course of the day, always rerun it again. Also, it is recommended that you rerun the process
periodically if you are continuously dictating for long periods of time because both your environment and voice
tend to change. This will ensure that your audio setup remains optimal.

If you wish to use the USB TableMike as a high quality voice recorder and instead of a digital one to
automatically transcribe your recordings, download a free recording application such as the Audacity
(http://audacity.sourceforge.net) and save your recording in a standard sound format such as: wav, MP3 or wma
providing at least 16 bits, 11,025 Hz, mono --22,000 Hz will be better with NaturallySpeaking® 11. You may also
want to download and try for 30 days our Transcription Aid to transcribe and edit those recordings with many
more useful options than NaturallySpeaking® from: http://transcriptionaid.net/download/index.php
Download and install SpeechControl for TableMike (SCT) an application to start or restart (if it is locked up)
NaturallySpeaking®, as well as switching on the microphone from the off state (red icon), all by voice for a 15 day
trail from: www.tablemike.com/speechcontrol
4. Optional recommended accessories to complement your working experience with the TableMike
The Fix-to-table or Wall-Mount-Adapter for safety or convenience purposes.
The industry first 40 cm to 60 cm Telescopic and Cardioid microphone boom for more flexibility and range.
A special 25 cm long Hypercardioid shotgun mic for maximum ambient or background noise rejection.
FlexyMike: the lightest and most comfortable headset in the market to connect in the back of the microphone
www.speechware.be/en/hardwareFlexyMike.php
Best in class '5 Dragons' certification of the TableMike (former model) for Dragon NaturallySpeaking® by Nuance Inc.:
Specifications (major innovations highlighted in blue)
Main features:
USB interface (v.1 and 2.0 compliant) with audio output and input Sound ports
Detachable boom with professional hi-fi mini-XLR connectors for easier removal, portability and storage
Speech Equaliser for optimum Speech recognition performance (like a headset!) and Normal or HD VoIP mode
Operating System: Windows® 7 / Vista® / XP® / 2000 / MacOS® 10.0 or higher / Linux without additional USB Sound drivers
Compatible voice applications: Dragon NaturallySpeaking®, Microsoft Speech for Windows®, ViaVoice®, etc.
Capsule type: Back Electret Condenser with Cardioid Polar Pattern
Control Panel: Digital buttons to avoid unwanted noise 'clicks'
Push Button modes: Always On / Press to Lock / Press to Talk
ADC sample resolution and rates: 16 bit mono and up to an exceptional 48 kHz for both Recording and Playback
(maximum of 22 kHz in best competing devices!)
Sensitivity: -37 dB@1kHz, SPL=1Pa
SNR: an exceptional 92 dB, 1kHz at 1 Pa
Frequency response and Output Impedance: 80 - 20,000 Hz and 1700 ohms
Sound ports: Standard 3.5 mm mono mic-in and 3.5 mm stereo out with 2 Watts
Power supply: from the USB port of the PC (no need for batteries!)
Other unique features: Automatic Gain Control (AGC), High and Low Pass filters, Digital Signal Process (DSP)
Dictating distance (in Speech Equaliser mode): from a minimum of 10 cm up to 50 cm (4”-20”) and more, depending on
your voice and ambient noise (NaturallySpeaking® will warn in case of a weak signal). Optimal distance 20 cm or 10”