Personalize TalkTastic
Now it's time to make TalkTastic your own.
Set your Microphone
TalkTastic Tip: Hardware Microphones work the best for TalkTastic.
TalkTastic works best with hardware microphones associated with your computer. Virtual microphones like Zoom or Loom are great in their apps but they don't always capture you in another
We love our AirPods and bluetooth headphones, be aware that bluetooth sometimes takes over the microphone and holds onto it! If you experience problems with TalkTastic missing what you're saying and you use headphones, we recommend switching the microphone back to your computer. You can do this any time from the menu bar.
Set Your Keyboard Shortcut
TalkTastic works best with a quick press of the button. It is enabled through a keyboard shortcut. There are a few possibilities for you to try and see what works best for you.
Tell us about your keyboard
Start by identifying which keyboard you have. How do I know what kind of keyboard I have?
If you have an ANSI keyboard in English, you are in luck! This step is going to be super easy for you. If you don't, no worries we have a plan for that, too
Choose a keyboard shortcut
We recommend the F5 keyboard shortcut above the numbers 5 & 6 on the top row of your Apple Keyboard, however we have tested a few others. Any of the keyboard shortcuts listed here will work to initiate TalkTastic.
Please note: Some users may already have F5 key assigned to Apple Dictation. Learn how to assign a different keyboard shortcut for Apple Dictation. Or, assign another available shortcut.
Test it out!
TalkTastic Tip: TalkTastic works in any macOS app where you can type or paste content.
Start your first voice-note with TalkTastic.
Open any app on your computer where you can type or paste content.
Learn more about the components of TalkTastic Components
Try it in TextEdit
Open TextEdit
either via Applications or search. Any app will do.In TextEdit app on your Mac, choose File > New.
Place your cursor on the page and use your shortcut key to speak. In this example, I show how you can also use your mouse to initiate TalkTastic, but you can use your shortcut. Just press the keyboard shortcut to start a new note and speak! Away we go!
You'll see an essential component of TalkTastic come into focus. We call it the Active Microphone Bubble and it should appear to the lower center of your screen. When it appears, TalkTastic is listening.
This bar will let you know the microphone is engaged and listening. It will give you an option to manually stop or you can use the keyboard shortcut you assigned to stop recording.
As you use TalkTastic in other apps, this element will become your writing companion.
You'll see the Transcript Windows appear in the upper-right of your screen.
From here, you are ready to go! TalkTastic is setup up and ready for you to try it out. Please remember that your feedback is very valuable to us.
Let us know how it is going for you and what we can improve!