Customization / Guide 09

Tune Recording Audio and the Recording Panel

Choose the right microphone, control what happens to other audio, and tune the recording panel so live dictation feels comfortable.

This guide is for TypingVoi users who already record successfully and now want a smoother setup for daily dictation. It shows how to tune microphone input, manage other audio while recording, and adjust the floating recording panel so it appears where you want with the right amount of live preview.

Open the controls you need

Most of the settings in this guide live in Settings > System, inside the Recording Sound and Recording Panel cards.

Screenshot placeholder: System settings page with the Recording Sound card and Recording Panel card visible in the same view

Use these controls when:

you want TypingVoi to listen to a different microphone
you need to confirm the selected mic is actually receiving sound
your music, calls, or videos are too loud while you dictate
the recording panel is distracting, too small, or appearing on the wrong screen

1. Choose the microphone input source

Microphone input source controls which microphone TypingVoi uses for new recordings.

Open Settings > System.
Find Recording Sound.
Open Microphone input source.
Choose System Default or a specific microphone.

Use System Default if you regularly switch between devices in macOS. Choose a specific device if TypingVoi should always use the same USB microphone, headset mic, or audio interface even when macOS changes its default input.

If recordings suddenly sound worse after docking your Mac or connecting a headset, this is the first setting to check.

2. Run the microphone level test before changing models

Test microphone level helps you verify the selected input is receiving a healthy signal before you blame the transcription model.

In Recording Sound, click Test.
Speak at your normal dictation volume.
Watch the level meter respond.
Click Stop when you are done.

If the meter barely moves:

move closer to the microphone
choose a different input source
check the mic hardware in macOS
fix permission issues first if TypingVoi cannot access the mic at all

A clean level test saves time because many "bad transcription" reports are really input-device problems.

3. Lower output volume while recording when background audio competes with you

Output volume while recording reduces your current system output volume only while TypingVoi is recording, then restores it afterward.

This setting is relative to your current volume, not an absolute target. For example, if your Mac is at 60% volume and you set TypingVoi to 35%, TypingVoi temporarily drops playback to 21% during recording and restores 60% when the recording ends.

Use it when:

music or video audio bleeds into your microphone
you dictate while listening to reference material
you want to hear system audio quietly without muting it completely

Practical starting points:

0% if you want TypingVoi to mute output during recording
25% to 40% if you want background audio to stay audible but much quieter
100% if you do not want TypingVoi to reduce output at all

4. Pause media entirely if volume reduction is not enough

Pause media while recording tells TypingVoi to pause media playback when recording starts and resume it when recording finishes.

Turn this on when:

you dictate while watching training videos or long recordings
your browser or music app is easier to pause than to quiet down
you want the cleanest possible recording environment with less manual control

Leave it off if you often record while monitoring audio that should continue playing, or if your media app does not respond the way you expect to pause and resume behavior.

5. Decide whether to show the recording panel at all

Show recording panel controls whether the floating panel appears while you record.

Turn it on if you want live visual feedback for:

recording status
timer or waveform cues
profile context
realtime transcript preview

Turn it off if:

you prefer a cleaner desktop with no overlay
you mostly use push-to-talk and do not need confirmation on screen
you already trust your shortcut and only care about the final result

The panel appears only while recording, so enabling it does not leave a permanent floating window on screen.

6. Pick the panel style that matches how visible you want it to be

Recording panel style gives you two visual modes:

Notch for the more prominent top-edge panel
Mini for a smaller overlay

Choose Notch when:

you want the clearest recording status
you like a more anchored, always-easy-to-find panel
you do not need to fine-tune placement options

Choose Mini when:

you want a subtler overlay
you want the panel closer to where you are working
you want access to placement and fixed-position controls

Screenshot placeholder: Recording panel preview showing both the style selector and the live panel preview area

7. Choose which screen should host the panel

Screen for recording panel decides which display TypingVoi should use for the panel.

The available choices are:

Active Screen
Primary Screen
Built-in Display

Use Active Screen if you move between monitors and want the panel to follow your current working context. Use Primary Screen if you want a predictable home for the panel on your main display. Use Built-in Display if you work with an external monitor but still want the panel tied to the Mac's own screen.

This matters most in multi-display setups where the panel can otherwise feel too far away from the window you are using.

8. Set the mini panel placement

Mini panel placement appears when the panel style is set to Mini.

You can choose:

Near Text Cursor
Fixed Position

Use Near Text Cursor when you want the overlay to stay close to the insertion point and feel connected to the app you are dictating into. Use Fixed Position when cursor-following would be distracting or when your apps move focus around too often.

If you switch the style back to Notch, placement becomes fixed to the notch-style layout and this menu is no longer relevant.

9. Pin a fixed panel position when you want consistency

When Mini panel placement is set to Fixed Position, TypingVoi shows Fixed panel position.

That lets you pin the mini panel to one of these anchors:

Top Right
Bottom Right
Bottom Center
Center

Choose a corner or center based on where your eyes naturally rest while dictating. Bottom Right or Bottom Center often works well if you want the overlay out of the way of menu bars and title bars. Center is more visible, but can feel intrusive in dense apps.

10. Limit realtime preview lines in the mini panel

Realtime chunk lines controls the maximum number of live preview lines TypingVoi shows in the mini panel.

This setting is most useful when you use Mini with Fixed Position, because that is when the panel behaves more like a compact transcript surface.

Use a lower line limit when:

you want the panel to stay visually small
you mostly care about status, not reading every partial phrase
you work in apps where overlays get in the way

Use a higher line limit when:

you want more confidence while speaking long phrases
you actively monitor the live preview for corrections
you place the panel somewhere with enough open space

If the panel feels noisy, reduce the line limit before disabling realtime preview entirely.

A simple tuning order that works for most people

If you do not want to tweak everything at once, use this order:

Choose the right Microphone input source.
Run Test microphone level.
Set Output volume while recording or enable Pause media while recording.
Turn Show recording panel on and choose Mini or Notch.
If using Mini, choose the best screen and placement.
If using Fixed Position, adjust Fixed panel position and Realtime chunk lines.

That sequence separates audio quality problems from overlay comfort problems, which makes troubleshooting much faster.

Related guides

Best next step

Do one short real recording after each panel or audio change so you can tell which adjustment actually improved comfort, visibility, or transcription quality.