VoiceboxMD

Dictation Microphones

VoiceboxMD recommends using high quality uni-directional microphones for better speech recognition and real-time transcription. Professional microphone is highly recommended for noisy offices.

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Works with Dragon? Works with VoiceboxMDBuilt-in mics supported out of the boxUni-directional recommended for noisy officesYour iPhone can be the microphone

Best microphone for speech recognition software

While most microphones will do the job, a high quality uni-directional or cardioid microphone will provide clear audio with set decibels necessary for the purpose of dictation. Not all microphones are created equal and therefore not all fit in well with your practice. The most common type of microphone is a USB headset. Doctors usually prefer to buy microphones that comes intact with headsets. Some physicians find headsets a bit annoying to wear; considering they could mess up your hair, and if you wear glasses, headsets pushes them against your head.

Each doctor will have different needs and it is important, that you consider all factors carefully before investing in an expensive microphone. A little improvement in your voice dictation can elevate productivity in medical field to a larger extent.

Best microphones for dictation

The four type of microphones used for dictating notes by doctors.

  • Wired headset microphones

    The most common choice. The mic element stays at a constant distance from your mouth, so accuracy stays stable all day.

  • Wireless microphones

    Move freely between rooms. A high-quality wireless performs equally as well as wired.

  • Handheld microphones

    The hospital classic, and what most clinicians mean by a medical dictaphone. Push-to-talk control, built for shared and virtualized workstations. Nuance PowerMic and PowerMic Mobile sit in this category.

  • Your phone as the microphone

    A phone replaces the handheld entirely: the same push-to-talk workflow without buying hardware. This is what Nuance PowerMic Mobile does, and what VoiceboxMD vMic does on iPhone, syncing the dictation straight to your desktop.

  • Table-mounted microphones

    Keeps your head free. A cardioid pattern on the desk picks you up and leaves the room out.

There are hundreds of microphones that you can use for speech recognition. Almost all can be categorized under the four microphones shown above. It is on you to do your due diligence and buy a microphone that fits your work.

Recommended microphones for VoiceboxMD Medical Dictation

While most microphones work well with VoiceboxMD including the built-in mic on laptops, it is worth the investment of a more reliable and professional dictation microphone. Rule of thumb, if it works well with Dragon then it works well with VoiceboxMD.

There are lot of concerns from the users on adopting wireless technology for speech recognition. The intuition that wireless microphones does not perform to the level of wired microphone is false. Wireless technology has certainly advanced, and a high-quality wireless performs equally as well as wired.

Top pick

Phillips Speech Mike 3700

This microphone is considered the best to use. If you have money to spare then it is worth the investment. The Speech Mike uses a small touch pad instead of the traditional trackball. It is designed with a ‘floating’ microphone element that makes sure other background noises are not recorded. Combine it with a powerful speech recognition software, like VoiceboxMD and you get the experience like having your own AI transcriptionist for practice.

Features

  • Floating microphone element keeps background noise out of the recording
  • Touch pad control instead of the traditional trackball
  • Wired USB handheld, dependable at shared and virtualized workstations

Runner-up

Phillips Speech Mike 3500

The Philips Speech Mike 3500 is tuned for clarity, designed for detail and crafted for comfort. It carries with it a free-floating, high-quality Precision Microphone, an improved microphone grille, and an integrated noise-reduction pop filter for crystal clear recordings. VoiceboxMD customers have experienced an outstanding speech recognition results with this product.

Features

  • Free-floating Precision Microphone with improved grille
  • Integrated noise-reduction pop filter
  • Outstanding recognition results reported by VoiceboxMD customers

Budget pick

Samson Go Mic

Samson Go Mic provides best value on a tighter budget. It can work as a uni-directional Cardioid mic, providing good quality audio in a low noise environment. This is a great starter option and provides improvement over computer’s built-in microphone. It uses a USB port and it is plug and play.

When using this microphone set its pattern switcher to Cardioid (top most) mode to keep microphone close to your mouth while speaking or -10 db (middle) mode to keep it at about 2 feet distance while reducing most of noise outside the range. We recommend -10 db mode.

Features

  • USB plug and play, clips to a laptop screen or sits on the desk
  • Cardioid and -10 db pattern switch for close or 2-feet dictation
  • A clear step up from the built-in microphone

Wireless pick

TaoTronics Trucker Bluetooth Headset 41

Easy to install and smooth performance with VoiceboxMD. Conveniently capture speech audio with excellent accuracy. This wireless entry-level microphone happens to be an excellent bang for a buck. We highly recommend it to all budget conscious users.

Features

  • Bluetooth wireless with easy setup
  • Excellent accuracy for an entry-level headset
  • Hands-free dictation while you move around the office

Dictation microphone comparison chart

Every option below works with VoiceboxMD. Pick by where and how you dictate.

MicrophoneTypeConnectionBest forBudget
Phillips Speech Mike 3700HandheldUSB wiredHospital and Epic workstations, noisy offices$$$
Phillips Speech Mike 3500HandheldUSB wiredEveryday clinic dictation$$
Samson Go MicTable-mountedUSB wiredQuiet private offices, first upgrade$
TaoTronics Trucker Headset 41Wireless headsetBluetoothBudget wireless, hands-free dictation$
Your iPhone + VoiceboxMD appMobile relayWirelessDictating between exam roomsIncluded
Built-in laptop microphoneBuilt-inNone neededTrying VoiceboxMD today, quiet roomsFree

Matched to where you dictate

Epic dictation microphone: what works at a hospital workstation

Physicians dictating into Epic Hyperspace or Hyperdrive usually work at shared or virtualized workstations, so the microphone has to behave over USB and inside Citrix, VMware, or Remote Desktop sessions. A wired USB handheld like the Philips SpeechMike range is the dependable choice for an Epic dictation microphone: it enumerates as a standard USB audio device, works in VDI environments, and the floating microphone element keeps ward noise out of the recording. Pair it with VoiceboxMD for Epic and dictation lands directly in progress notes, H&Ps, and In Basket replies with no middleware.

For clinicians who move between rooms, the VoiceboxMD iOS app turns your iPhone into the microphone: dictate between encounters and the note is waiting at the Epic workstation when you sit down.

Radiology dictation microphone and headsets

Reading rooms reward a different setup. Radiologists dictate for long stretches while keeping both hands on the workstation, so a radiology dictation headset or a table-mounted microphone beats a handheld. A quality wired USB headset keeps the mic element at a constant distance from your mouth across a full worklist, which keeps accuracy stable; a table or boom-mounted cardioid microphone does the same while leaving your head free. In a shared reading room, choose a uni-directional (cardioid) pattern so a colleague’s dictation two seats over stays out of your report.

Whichever you choose, VoiceboxMD radiology dictation software applies the same rule of thumb as everywhere else: if the microphone works well with Dragon, it works well with VoiceboxMD.

Dictation microphone FAQs

Check if VoiceboxMD will work on your computer: Test Compatibility. Still deciding? Talk to us.

What is the best microphone for medical dictation?

The Phillips Speech Mike range gives the best results in our experience. The Speech Mike 3700 is considered the best to use: its floating microphone element makes sure other background noises are not recorded. On a tighter budget, the Samson Go Mic and the TaoTronics Trucker Bluetooth Headset 41 both deliver strong recognition for far less.

Do I need a special microphone to use VoiceboxMD?

No. Most microphones work well with VoiceboxMD, including the built-in mic on laptops. A high quality uni-directional or cardioid microphone is worth the investment for noisy offices, where it keeps other voices and room noise out of your dictation.

Do wireless dictation microphones work as well as wired ones?

Yes. The intuition that wireless microphones do not perform to the level of wired microphones is false. Wireless technology has certainly advanced, and a high-quality wireless performs equally as well as wired.

Is there a VoiceboxMD alternative to Nuance PowerMic Mobile?

Yes. PowerMic Mobile turns a phone into a dictation microphone for the desktop; VoiceboxMD vMic does the same on iPhone, and the dictation syncs to your workstation rather than living on the handset. Because VoiceboxMD types at the cursor, it works in any EHR without the integration PowerMic Mobile expects, and it is included rather than licensed separately.

What is a medical dictaphone, and do I still need one?

A medical dictaphone is a handheld recorder or push-to-talk microphone used to narrate clinical notes. The handheld form factor still suits shared and virtualized workstations, but the recorder function is now redundant: VoiceboxMD transcribes in real time at the cursor, so there is no file to hand off. A wired headset or your own iPhone will match a dedicated dictaphone for accuracy.

Will a Dragon-compatible microphone work with VoiceboxMD?

Yes. VoiceboxMD is an affordable alternative to Dragon naturally speaking, and the rule of thumb is if it works on Dragon then it works on VoiceboxMD. Any microphone built for speech recognition carries over directly.

Which microphone works best for Epic dictation?

A wired USB handheld like the Phillips Speech Mike range is the dependable choice at Epic workstations. It enumerates as a standard USB audio device, works inside Citrix, VMware, and Remote Desktop sessions, and its floating microphone element keeps ward noise out of the recording.

Can I use my iPhone as a dictation microphone?

Yes. The VoiceboxMD iOS app turns your iPhone into the microphone: dictate between encounters and the note is waiting at your desktop workstation when you sit down.

Disclosure: We do not receive affiliate compensation in connection with your purchase of products via links on this page. The recommendation is based on our customer opinions, findings, or usage feedback on each microphone.

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