Olympus recently revamped their range of direct record or Directrec handheld digital dictation microphones. The Series II Directrec as they are known are comprised of three models in Australia: DR-2100, DR-2200 and the DR-2300 and now replace the Dircterec Series I models: Dr-1000 and DR-2000.The DirectRec are handheld mics which connect via USB to your computer. Used in conduction with the Olympus DSS Player Pro R5 dictation module software can be used as a tethered mic to your computer in place of the more traditional handheld digital dictation recorders like the DS series (DS-2400/DS-3400/DS-5000). For those who only dictate at their desk these are a great option and allow you to dictate and record directly to your computer via the Olympus software. Using the DR series mics you have full digital dictation functionality such as rewind/review insert/over write of your dictation.
This style of dictation had been going out of fashion for want of a better phrase and with the Directrec series I handheld mics they looked like something out of the last century. The new mics however bring a revamp with new ergonomic styling and design but the icing on the cake are the high quality mics. Olympus have been working closely with Nuance and as a result the Directrec Series II mics are certified compatible with Dragon NaturallySpeaking with a very high accuracy rating. So now you not only have a digital dictation mic in your hand for recording you also have a top quality, high accuracy mic for your voice recognition software.
Durability has not been compromised in the new design. Those used to the original Directrec (DR-1000/DR-2000) will know just how strong they were to cope with daily use over the years, the new series are as tough as their predecessors. Continuing their support for various platforms the Directrec Series II are Windows compatible (including 64bit Windows 7) as well as being Mac compatible (Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) and Lion (OS x 10.7)). For the larger organisations they will also function via Citrix and across Windows terminal services. I am still amazed at the lack of Apple support from some of the other large digital dictation manufacturers whose top of the range digital dictaphones and Directrec style recording devices still will not function with Apple’s OS X. Olympus has truly led the way in the Apple space and recognised early on that OS X was an operating system for future digital dictation users.
All three Directrec models DR-2100/DR-2200/DR-2300 come with a slide control for effortless dictation control. Ease of use is key with these devices and the learning curve is almost flat as they have been designed to be easy to use from the outset. On the DR-2200 & DR-2300 a trackball is also included to allow mouse control from the Directrec itself so no need to continuously swap between mic and mouse.
All three Directrec Series II models are now available in Australia and can be purchased from your favourite Olympus Pro Dictation reseller – Dictate Australia Pty Ltd
- Olympus DR-2100 – RRP $349 incl. GST
- Olympus DR-2200 – RRP $449 incl. GST
- Olympus DR-2300 – RRP $449 incl. GST