Shorthand Dictation with Audacity

Remember the complicated method, where I typed in the passage, then used text-to-speech (after first putting in codes for pauses)? The un-natural sounding dictation, and random reminders that I was too cheap to buy the licensed version?
It’s history. Honoured history, but still history.
The new method involves reading at a reasonably constant speed (or a variable [...]

Shorthand Milestone: 60 wpm Cold and 80 wpm Drilled, and Better Dictation Method

The first dictation practice today seemed a bit fast, but just within reach, so I checked the math I used for the dictation. It was 10 wpm faster than I had intended. Instead of a cold take at 50, I had just finished 60. So, I added 10 wpm to each step of my usual [...]

Milestone Met! 70wpm for prepared passage.

A successful take at 70 wpm, without needing to overshoot and drop down again!
I worked up to it over four takes. I always do a slower take or two, and check against the text, before working up. When I really want to push the speed, I then do one at target, one at +10wpm, one [...]

Typed Shorthand

Latest obsession: Typed Shorthand
No, I’m not abandoning Gregg, which is a pen version. Not making great progress, but not abandoning it. I like it, and pen and paper are more convenient than a computer.
Meanwhile, Son’s teacher has started him using an AlphaSmart Dana. His handwriting will never be good enough for him to compose with, [...]

Just my luck,…

A very few days after shifting to Simplified, guess what appeared in the mail.
Anni Speed Studies, third edition. It was recommended when I said I was having trouble. It looks like a good book. It has penmanship pointers and lots of practice for each theory point. It also breaks the pre/suffixes and vocab into smaller [...]

Shhhh, Don’t Tell

I’ve switched shorthand methods again. For those not following, last summer I had committed to the most difficult edition of Gregg Shorthand, namely Anniversary. It’s also the one with the highest speed potential, if you use the advanced tricks and really work at it.
(And I bet you didn’t know there were different types of shorthand, [...]

Bits and Pieces

I have discovered I’m just not a blog writer. I know some people who keep interesting online diaries, others who frequently have useful things to say. Me, I’m none of the above.
So, here goes, the last few weeks in a nutshell:
We survived March Break.
Shorthand has stalled again. I read ahead, did a bit of writing, [...]

Shorthand Progress

50wpm!!
60 felt rushed. 70 didn’t work. Yes, it was from a passage I had written out twice already, but I hadn’t worked really hard at it either. Those who have reached high speeds say taking a passage and pushing it like this is good. It’s also only half-way through the book, but that’s still ahead [...]

February is almost over….

So, what have I done?
I’ve discovered there are some really good bloggers out there, with interesting entries, but I’m not one of them. Too bad, so sad.
I finished FlyLady’s 31 Baby Steps and the house is much more comfortable. My parents called on a Friday to say they were getting in the car, and the [...]

New Shorthand Dictation Program

Hubby has added some features. It now slows down even more for punctuation, and you can prepare three speeds at one time. There’s also a way to donate; I see from the Gregg group that several have paid $40 for the text-to-speech program, so I suspect at least a few will pay for our bit [...]