Dictaphone Machine

The Martel Dictaphone Machine combines the author's recorder with the secretary's listening equipment in one package. It is designed for a shared-unit routine: the lawyer finishes an assignment, hands the recorder to the secretary, and receives the unit back after the recording has been transcribed or reviewed.

No-PC playback means that a computer player is not required to listen to and control the recording. A person still listens and types the document. The secretary may use a computer for word processing; this package does not promise automatic speech-to-text or an automatically prepared legal document.

Is this the right Dictaphone for your office?

• A good fit: one author and one secretary who can share the recorder at different times.
• A useful tape replacement: a physical handoff and dedicated listening controls without using a cassette as the working recording medium.
• Plan before buying: whether the author needs to record new work while the secretary is using the same unit for playback.
• Choose another arrangement when needed: a separate recorder/transcriber system or a computer-based file workflow can suit simultaneous recording and typing. Compare the two-unit NO PC Law Office Pro set and the lawyer recorder and secretary transcriber package.

What is included

How the shared-recorder handoff works

1. Identify the assignment. Begin the recording with an office-approved job reference and the type of document required.
2. Record and review. Use the handheld recorder's controls, then listen to the beginning and end of the assignment before handing it over.
3. Deliver the recorder. The secretary receives the same physical unit used by the author. This is not a package containing a second independent recorder.
4. Listen and type. Seat the recorder in the matching cradle, connect the supplied playback accessories as instructed, and use the foot control while preparing the document.
5. Review and return. Resolve unclear wording with the author, identify completed work, and return the recorder according to your office's retention and deletion procedure.

Before the first real assignment, use a short fictional recording to confirm charging, playback, headset level, pedal operation and the handoff routine. Do not erase the only recording merely because a draft has been typed.

Technical details to consider

The catalog lists an internal stereo microphone, a 2-inch LCD, a built-in speaker, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, SD-card recording, and 1/8-inch microphone and headphone connections. Listed dimensions are 2.0 × 4.5 × 0.67 inches. The published battery-life specification is 26 hours; actual runtime depends on use and conditions and is not a Martel test result reported here.

If a particular file format, insert/overwrite editing mode, external microphone, computer transfer method or software combination is essential, confirm it for the exact supplied configuration before ordering. A matching connector shape alone does not establish compatibility. See our dictation file-format guide for the checks that matter at the receiving end.

Recording and privacy

The normal playback arrangement described here does not require uploading audio to an online service. Your office still needs an appropriate procedure for physical access to the recorder and card, storage, backups, document handling and deletion. Offline operation by itself does not guarantee confidentiality or compliance.

Questions before you buy

Does the Dictaphone Machine type the words automatically?

No automatic speech-to-text capability is specified in this package. The secretary listens and types. The pedal controls playback.

Can the lawyer and secretary use the same recorder at the same time?

Plan this as a shared-unit workflow. When the secretary is using the recorder in the cradle, the author does not have that recorder available for a new handheld assignment. Our one-recorder versus two-recorder guide explains the decision.

Will this play my old tapes?

This is a digital recording package, not a cassette or microcassette player. Keep a working player for recordings that still exist only on tape. Read the tape-to-digital transition guide before retiring older equipment.

Can I connect any foot pedal?

Use the supplied matching arrangement. Confirm the controller, connection and supported functions with Martel before substituting another pedal.