Playback, keyboard shortcuts and foot pedal: keep the audio under control
You listen to the recording and read the text that memozero recognised, while you correct any errors and pause the recording if needed. The integrated player supports you. This article shows you how to control the audio, adjust the speed, jump to a specific place and operate playback with keys or a foot pedal.
The player
The integrated player sits above the transcript and stays visible even when you scroll far down in the text. It consists of the following parts:
| Element | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Play / Pause | round button on the far left, starts and stops the audio |
| Back | jumps exactly 5 seconds back, fixed |
| Forward | jumps exactly 5 seconds forward, fixed |
| Speed | button with the current playback speed, opens a slider |
| Wave chart | shows the course of the recording. A click in the wave chart or a drag with the mouse changes the playback position. |
| Playback time | current position and total duration of the recording in the format M:SS / M:SS |
The time display names the current position first and then the total duration. From one hour onwards the hours appear as well, so H:MM:SS / H:MM:SS.
The player has no volume control or mute. You change the playback volume through the general volume setting of your operating system.
Adjust the speed
Some speakers talk very slowly, others rush. Both cost time during review. Click the button with the current speed value (preset to 1x). memozero then opens a small window with a slider. You can change the playback speed with it, also while the audio is playing.
- The range runs from 0.5× to 2.0×.
- You set the speed in steps of 0.1.
- The slider shows marks at 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2; those are orientation points only, not fixed steps.
Slow speakers you can review at 1.3× without losing intelligibility. For fast speakers, 0.8× helps more than frequent jumping back, because you already take in the whole sentence on the first pass.
The current word
While the audio runs, memozero highlights the word that is currently spoken. You always see where you are in the transcript.
If you close a transcript, memozero remembers the place in the text where you last worked.
Jump to a specific place
You find a word with low confidence and want to hear exactly that place again. A left-click on a word opens it for editing. You jump to the place in the recording with a right-click.
If you want to jump to a specific word in the recording, proceed as follows:
- Right-click the word that interests you.
- Choose Seek to word.
memozero then jumps automatically two seconds before the selected place in the recording and starts playback. This lead-in of two seconds is intentional. The ear needs a short run-up. Without the lead-in the place in question is over before you can place it. It has proved itself in tests and helps you understand the selected word more clearly.
A jump to a search hit behaves differently. There memozero sets the audio one second before the hit, and the audio does not start on its own. You then only need to start playback, for which several functions are available.
Playback shortcuts
You can play a recording in several ways, including with up to three keyboard shortcuts. You can assign these yourself to match your way of working.
You find them under Account Settings (click your email at the bottom left in memozero) and there under Keyboard shortcuts. The following functions are pre-assigned:
| Action | Binding 1 | Binding 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Play / Pause | F8 | Space |
| Skip back 5 seconds | F7 | free |
| Skip forward 5 seconds | F9 | free |
memozero distinguishes three kinds of input:
- Single tap: You press the key briefly. memozero runs the action once.
- Double tap: You press the key twice within 0.6 seconds.
- Hold: You hold the key down from half a second. The audio runs while the key is down and stops when you release it. This applies only to Play / Pause.
A key that is already in use is rejected. The previous binding stays. The message “Key already in use” informs you and names the action that already uses the key.
The shortcuts work only while the memozero window is in the foreground. They also do not work while the cursor is in a text field, and they do not work in other programs.
Fixed shortcuts in the editor
In the editor some keyboard shortcuts are already assigned to specific functions. You cannot change these shortcuts.
| macOS | Windows | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Tab / Shift+Tab | same | next / previous word |
← → | same | move the highlight |
Shift+←/→ | same | extend the selection |
Enter or Space | same | edit the word |
Enter on a selection | same | edit the whole passage |
Cmd+Enter | Alt+Enter | save and create a new word |
Esc | same | cancel |
Cmd+Z | Ctrl+Z | undo |
Cmd+Shift+Z | Ctrl+Y | redo |
Cmd+B / I / U | Ctrl+B / I / U | bold / italic / underline |
Cmd+F | Ctrl+F | search |
Cmd+A | Ctrl+A | select all |
Cmd+C | Ctrl+C | copy |
Delete or Backspace | same | delete selected words |
C | C | comment on the selected place |
Cmd+B | Ctrl+B | outside the text: collapse or expand the sidebar |
A short overview of the functions is also in the app, under Help, in the footer bar of the editor. Alternatively you can run a large part of the named functions with the mouse. The overview is kept short on purpose and does not list every shortcut.
Set up a foot pedal
You can use a foot pedal with memozero if your computer recognises it as a keyboard and it does not need its own driver. Many transcription pedals send the keys F7, F8 and F9 from the factory; those are also the defaults in memozero.
Pedals that need their own driver or speak their own protocol are not recognised by memozero. The pedal also controls playback only while memozero is in the foreground.
To set up the pedal, proceed as follows:
- Configure the pedal with the manufacturer’s software so that it sends the keys you want.
- Open Settings > Keyboard shortcuts in memozero.
- Assign the same key to the matching action.
- Operate your pedal with the memozero window open. The recording should then start.
If nothing happens, first check whether the pedal sends key presses at all. Open any text field outside memozero and operate the pedal.
What to read next
- Correcting transcripts: the editor at a glance, confidence, changing words and saving.
- Search and replace: find hits and replace them one by one or all at once.
- Settings: keyboard shortcuts, appearance, language and system.