Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

akadmon

Suspended
Original poster
Aug 30, 2006
2,006
2
New England
I've used two different mikes on my Mac Pro (iSight and Yeti), but so far. Is it working for you right now? Perhaps the server is overwhelmed, but if that's the reason for it not working, it's not a good sign, seeing that the load is only going to increase over the coming weeks/months.
 

dailybibliotaph

macrumors member
Jun 23, 2012
60
0
I've used two different mikes on my Mac Pro (iSight and Yeti), but so far. Is it working for you right now? Perhaps the server is overwhelmed, but if that's the reason for it not working, it's not a good sign, seeing that the load is only going to increase over the coming weeks/months.

Nope mine is working quite well. This is being typed via dictation. I would double check and make sure you're not having any network disruptions, as it could interfere with dictation.
 

cocacolakid

macrumors 65816
Dec 18, 2010
1,108
20
Chicago
An obviously dumb question, but did you turn Dictation on in System Preferences?

Turn it on, go to Sound in System Preferences and set which microphone you want to use for Line In. I also increased the volume on my Line In settings, which you can see the Input Level if you talk a little while you are playing with it. Then go click inside any text box and double click on the function key. Dictation will pop up if all is well. Start speaking, click the function key once to stop or click on the Done button.

If you've tried all of that and still have no luck, I don't know what to tell you.
 

akadmon

Suspended
Original poster
Aug 30, 2006
2,006
2
New England
An obviously dumb question, but did you turn Dictation on in System Preferences?

Turn it on, go to Sound in System Preferences and set which microphone you want to use for Line In. I also increased the volume on my Line In settings, which you can see the Input Level if you talk a little while you are playing with it. Then go click inside any text box and double click on the function key. Dictation will pop up if all is well. Start speaking, click the function key once to stop or click on the Done button.

If you've tried all of that and still have no luck, I don't know what to tell you.

It's working fine now. I did have the dictation turned on earlier. Seems it's like Siri, not working 100% of the time.

Disclaimer: this message was "typed" using voice dictation on Mac OS X 10 Mountain lion :)
 

Speedyparker87

Cancelled
Apr 4, 2010
80
0
Chicago
Voice dictation seems to timeout on me though after ~1 minute or 3-5 sentences. Is this how the service is suppose to work? Or happening to anyone else? Btw, I have only tested this in Pages.
 

DrMotownMac

Contributor
Jul 11, 2008
385
216
Michigan
I have found that if I have certain apps OPEN (like Microsoft's Remote Desktop Application, specifically), whether or not I'm actively using that app, the Dictation stops working in ALL other open applications. Once I quite the Remote Desktop Application, then Dictation works perfectly again.

Maybe it would be a good idea to start a thread of apps which screw up Dictation, so people don't think it's something wrong with their microphones or their computers....:confused:

Also, it might be interesting to see if anyone from Apple has any insight into what's causing this, and if there's a way to keep Dictation working in ALL applications, as it's intended to.
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
Voice dictation seems to timeout on me though after ~1 minute or 3-5 sentences. Is this how the service is suppose to work? Or happening to anyone else? Btw, I have only tested this in Pages.

It's only in beta stage, so my guess is they put these limitations there in order to make sure no one sends in a two hour long essay that clogs the system and returns nothing but a mess because the voice recognising system isn't fully calibrated yet.

I wonder if they have people sitting there, analysing what's being sent in and marked with the blue lines...
 

turtle777

macrumors 6502a
Apr 30, 2004
686
30
I have found that if I have certain apps OPEN (like Microsoft's Remote Desktop Application, specifically), whether or not I'm actively using that app, the Dictation stops working in ALL other open applications. Once I quite the Remote Desktop Application, then Dictation works perfectly again.

Maybe it would be a good idea to start a thread of apps which screw up Dictation, so people don't think it's something wrong with their microphones or their computers....:confused:

Interesting. Dictation hasn't been working for me, I tried just about everything short of a clean install of ML.

I guess something running on my Mac is "killing" Dictation.

-t
 

dlbmacfan

macrumors regular
Jul 20, 2011
177
71
No problems here. Dictation is working great on my 2012 MacBook Air. I too am using dictation to type this message.
 

turtle777

macrumors 6502a
Apr 30, 2004
686
30
Quit al my apps, and suddenly, for the first time, Dictation was working.

Stopped working after I had started Mail and 1Password.
Might be something with a Mail plugin (DockStar, MailHub, AttachmentTamer) and 1Password interaction.

Wird enough, after quitting Mail and 1Password, and restarting both, Dictation now keeps working.

I have restarted my Mac at least 10 times and it has never worked. Really strange.

-t

----------

Stopped working again.

Quit 1Password, and it started working. I think we have a winner, uhm, loser.

-t
 

M87

macrumors 65816
Jul 18, 2009
1,259
290
It is working fine for me, I used it to post this message. No hands!



Edit: I have 1password running, I don't think that's it.
 

KingArthurVI

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2011
242
23
Penang, Malaysia
I have a very weird problem here. Whenever I pressed fn twice, the small dictation box comes up but instead of showing the mic, it just showed 3 purple dots and it shook, like it's shaking its head saying "no", then disappeared without waiting for me to start dictating. :confused:
 

Matthew Yohe

macrumors 68020
Oct 12, 2006
2,200
142
I have a very weird problem here. Whenever I pressed fn twice, the small dictation box comes up but instead of showing the mic, it just showed 3 purple dots and it shook, like it's shaking its head saying "no", then disappeared without waiting for me to start dictating. :confused:

You need to have internet on when attempting this.
 

willcapellaro

macrumors 6502
Oct 20, 2011
345
6
...Same problem as King Arthur...

You need to have internet on when attempting this.

Me too. We have the internet "on."

Another symptom, for me at least, is that the volume feedback bar in the dictation popup window flatlines after it comes up. I have "Internal Microphone" selected in Sound Input Prefs, I see the levels change in the prefs window as I make noise. But Dictation's little popup is flatsville when it is supposed to be listening.
 

Mautz001

macrumors newbie
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
sorry to ask but who of us is trying to install ML on unsupported mac? :D Maybe thats the issue
 

KingArthurVI

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2011
242
23
Penang, Malaysia
KingArthurVI: I have the same problem :(

...Same problem as King Arthur...



Me too. We have the internet "on."

Another symptom, for me at least, is that the volume feedback bar in the dictation popup window flatlines after it comes up. I have "Internal Microphone" selected in Sound Input Prefs, I see the levels change in the prefs window as I make noise. But Dictation's little popup is flatsville when it is supposed to be listening.

sorry to ask but who of us is trying to install ML on unsupported mac? :D Maybe thats the issue

Guys, try again. I kept on trying then at one point it started to work. I'm typing this post using dictation as we speak. And I'm on a rMBP.
 

Matthew Yohe

macrumors 68020
Oct 12, 2006
2,200
142
...Same problem as King Arthur...



Me too. We have the internet "on."

Another symptom, for me at least, is that the volume feedback bar in the dictation popup window flatlines after it comes up. I have "Internal Microphone" selected in Sound Input Prefs, I see the levels change in the prefs window as I make noise. But Dictation's little popup is flatsville when it is supposed to be listening.

So just to verify here... Open up QuickTime, make a new audio recording to verify your mic works.
 

Mautz001

macrumors newbie
Jul 27, 2012
21
0
works correctly.

I assume Apple has some kind of verification - like with Siri... (theres no com.apple.assistant.plist whatsoever :D )
 

alphacrust

macrumors newbie
Jun 2, 2008
27
0
A simple thing to miss (believe me... I missed it countless times!)...

Have you made sure the little drop down menu under the microphone icon in the Dictation preferences has been set to the same as your Sound Input preferences ?
 

nomadviking

macrumors newbie
Jul 29, 2012
1
0
Dictation "command" feature disappearing after waking from "Sleep"

Anyone else having an issue of having your "Dictation" icon disappearing after you wake from "Sleep" mode...I still have the regular click "fn" twice to do dictation...but unable to due commands till I restart....
 

drking

macrumors newbie
Sep 9, 2009
21
0
USA
I thought it was 1Password too because disabling it made Dictation work for quite awhile. But now Dictation is back to not working again (and I still have 1Password disabled) so I don't think that's it. ugh!
 

reggoboy

macrumors member
Jul 8, 2009
85
28
I have a very weird problem here. Whenever I pressed fn twice, the small dictation box comes up but instead of showing the mic, it just showed 3 purple dots and it shook, like it's shaking its head saying "no", then disappeared without waiting for me to start dictating. :confused:

Was this ever resolved? I'm having the same exact problem. The microphone never appears; instead, it goes right to the 3 purple dots which beep and disappear after about one second, regardless of whether I begin speaking or not. I have an Internet connection, and it's not an account with Parental Controls. The Dictation System Pref mic shows "activity" when I speak, so I know the mic works.

Any tips or suggestions welcome!!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.