Plaud Note Credit Card Voice Recorder Can Transcribe Phone Calls

As a journalist, I enjoy interviewing people and accurately conveying their opinions and thoughts, whether an industry pioneer or a public member. The one problem with interviewing is getting an accurate record of the conversation. You can record the discussion with a conventional audio recorder and then transcribe it manually into text. However, transcribing recordings is one of the most tedious and soul-destroying tasks imaginable.

But what if you could have a voice recorded that could also accurately transcribe a recording into accurate text? That’s what PLAUD NOTE offers. This wafer-thin recording device can magnetically attach to the back of a MagSafe phone. It can even record a phone interview or conversation by picking up vibrations from the phone’s case. In phone recording mode, you can record any audio your smartphone produces, whether a WhatsApp call or a Skype conversation.

I’ve tried using online transcription services in the past with mixed results. Many services are pretty expensive and often charge by the word. Recently, I had an opportunity to test drive the PLAUD NOTE. I was eager to see how accurately it could turn a voice recording into high-enough quality text that does not need extensive editing. The transcribing tool can instantly summarize meeting notes, create mind maps and to-do lists.

The PLAUD NOTE is about the same size as a credit card and not much thicker. Weighing in at just 30g, the PLAUD NOTE is small enough to fit in the top pocket of a jacket, or it can be snapped magnetically to the back of a phone. There’s even a MagSafe ring supplied with the PLAUD NOTE. The slim device has a power button and a toggle switch to turn on the recorder’s Dual Engine. The Dual Engine mode is for recording phone calls, while the regular position of the control is for recording conversations in a room.

Recordings can be started with a long press of the Plaud Note’s power button and then then the extremely sensitive signal from the MEMs microphones is stored on the 64GB of PLAUD NOTE’s internal memory. To use the PLAUD NOTE, you must download a smartphone app that connects with the PLAUD servers and accesses the ChatGPT transcriber.

When you’ve finished your interview or conversation, press the power button twice and the recording will stop. You need to use the app to access the stored files to listen to the recording. A list of recordings will show up and clicking on the file will start the transcription process. The PLAUD AI transcription service supports an impressive 57 languages.

The astonishing thing about this tiny device is just how sensitive the microphones are. I turned on the recorder while the TV was playing quietly in the room and the Plaud Note caught and transcribed every word. The transcription accuracy is excellent and much better than many other services I have tried. A monthly service charge for the PLAUD AI transcription service is currently $9.99 a month.

Kickstarter backers can get a 67% discount on the PLAUD AI membership, priced only at the cost level of $39 for the first year. You can also use the Plaud Note without a subscription; you won’t get access to the transcribing tool. Recordings can remain on the Plaud Note or offloaded into the cloud to save space on the recorder.

As well as being used to listen to and transcribe recordings, the Plaud app lets you change settings like the microphone gain and voice-activated recording. You can even turn off the small red LED that shows the recording is in process, but that’s probably one for the spies. A full charge of the Plaud Note’s battery should provide up to 30 hours of continuous recording, although real-world figures are lower.

One small criticism is the proprietary magnetic charging cable that clips to the back of the Plaud Note. It would have been much better to have made the recorder a little thicker so a USB Type C connector could be used. Maybe that’s something for the future. Another minor issue is that the device doesn’t automatically stop the Bluetooth connection with the smartphone when the recording is stopped. This can have the effect of draining the battery so that when you want to record something, you find there’s no juice left in the Plaud Note. I mentioned this to the developers and it’s on their list of issues to fix.

Verdict: The Plaud Note is being launched on Kickstarter. Buying with crowdfunding can be risky, so do your due diligence. I’ve seen a finished version of the Plaud Note (albeit with 32GB memory) and it seems well-made and works well. The microphones are incredibly sensitive and the transcription process is one of the best I’ve used and well worth the monthly subscription. The price is attractive too. If you need a voice recorder and want a good transcription service, the Plaud Note is worth a closer look.

Pricing & Availability: The Plaud Note is fundraising on Kickstarter for the next few weeks. It’s already fully subscribed and Plaud Note will cost $99 for early bird pledges. The product will ship in September 2023.

More info: www.kickstarter.com

Features: