Express Scribe Transcription Free for Mac review
Express Scribe Transcription Free for Mac is a transcription aid application that makes it much easier to transcribe text from audio recordings. It includes a number of different features that allows you to make the audio as easy to transcribe as possible. Anyone doing transcription on a regular basis could benefit from this free program.
Pros
Clarity under slowdown: One of the most important features of transcription software is the ability to slow down audio without making it unintelligible. There is some slight pitch-shifting that takes place with the slow-down feature in this program, but the speech is still perfectly comprehensible, even when the speed is lowered significantly.
Powerful audio controls: You can also implement a number of audio parameters in the settings menu that can make the audio easier to hear. You can apply compression to avoid the unpleasantness of large dynamics in a recording. You can also apply bass filters to clean out the low frequency rumble that is present in so many low-quality recordings.
Customization options: You can customize almost every aspect of how this software works. You can set up your own hotkeys to control it using whatever workflow you find most effective. You can specify the distance you want the skip forward and backward controls to travel. You can specify all the default settings that should be applied to new audio.
Cons
Error with FLAC files: When we tried to edit a FLAC file with the program, it could not open it natively. It tried to download a codec, failed, and then was unable to access the file. It would be ideal if FLAC support was included in the program, as this is a lower size yet higher quality audio format.
Bottom Line
If you're doing a lot of transcription work, this program is a great find. The level of control and the power of its audio tools should be enough to meet almost anyone's needs. Customization allows you to essentially bend this program to fit the model of however you like to work best.
