Recording

Learn how to record and transcribe your voice using Vox's intuitive recording interface.

Recording Basics

Starting a Recording

There are two ways to start recording:

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut

Press your configured recording shortcut:

• Hold mode (default: ⌘ + Space): Hold the key to record
• Toggle mode (default: ⌘ + ⌥ + Space): Press once to start

See Keyboard Shortcuts for customization options.

Method 2: Tray Icon

Click the Vox icon in your menu bar to access recording options:

Recording Indicators

When recording is active, you'll see visual feedback in multiple places:

Tray Icon

The tray icon changes to show:

• Blue pulse animation indicating active recording
• Different icon state than idle mode

Idle state:

HUD (Heads-Up Display)

The HUD appears on your screen showing:

• Recording status
• Real-time feedback
• Audio level visualization
• Action buttons (when enabled)

Configure HUD appearance and position in Settings → General → HUD.

Visual Feedback

The HUD provides real-time confirmation that Vox is capturing your audio. If you don't see the HUD, check your HUD settings.

Stopping a Recording

The method depends on your recording mode:

Hold Mode:

• Release the keyboard shortcut key
• Recording stops immediately
• Transcription begins automatically

Toggle Mode:

• Press the keyboard shortcut again
• Recording stops
• Transcription begins automatically

Recording Feedback Sounds

Vox plays audio cues during recording:

• Start sound (default: "Tap"): Plays when recording begins
• Stop sound (default: "Ping"): Plays when recording ends
• Alert sound (default: "Error"): Plays if an error occurs

Configure sounds in Settings → General → Recording Feedback.

Recording Workflow

Typical Recording Session

1. Prepare: Position your cursor where you want the text to appear
2. Start: Press your recording shortcut
3. Listen: Wait for the start sound
4. Speak: Say your message clearly
5. Stop: Release (hold mode) or press again (toggle mode)
6. Wait: Processing takes 1-5 seconds depending on your speech model
7. Review: Transcribed text appears in the active application

Best Practices

Before speaking:

• Wait for the start sound before beginning
• Position cursor in the target application
• Minimize background noise

While speaking:

• Speak at a normal pace
• Enunciate clearly
• Pause naturally between sentences
• Keep recording under 60 seconds for best results

After speaking:

• Wait for the stop sound
• Allow a moment for processing
• Check transcription accuracy

Recording Length

For best accuracy, keep recordings under 60 seconds. For longer dictation, break content into multiple recordings or use Toggle mode with natural pauses.

HUD (Heads-Up Display)

HUD Appearance

The HUD is a floating widget that shows recording status. Configure it in Settings → General → HUD.

HUD Options

Always show HUD

• Keep the HUD visible even when not recording
• Useful for confirming Vox is running
• Shows status at a glance

Enlarge on proximity

• HUD grows larger when cursor is nearby
• Makes it easier to see and grab if it's in the way
• Returns to normal size when cursor moves away

Show actions on hover

• Displays action buttons when hovering over the HUD
• Quick access to settings, transcriptions, and hide buttons
• Keeps HUD minimal when not in use

HUD Position

Choose where the HUD appears:

• Custom: Drag the HUD anywhere on screen
• Center: Middle of the screen
• Center Right: Right side, vertically centered
• Bottom Left: Lower left corner
• Bottom Center: Bottom middle (default)
• Bottom Right: Lower right corner

Display Selection:

• If you have multiple monitors, select which display shows the HUD
• Dropdown shows all connected displays

Positioning

Place the HUD where it won't interfere with your work. Bottom Center works well for most users, but adjust based on your workflow.

HUD During Recording

When recording:

• HUD shows recording animation
• Real-time audio level visualization
• Visual confirmation of active recording
• Timer showing recording duration

Tray Icon

Tray Icon States

Idle State:

• Standard Vox icon
• Indicates app is running and ready
• Click to open menu

Recording State:

• Blue pulse animation
• Indicates active recording
• Quick visual confirmation

Tray Menu

Click the tray icon to access:

• Open Settings: Navigate to settings panel
• View Transcriptions: Open transcription history
• About Vox: Version and update information
• Quit Vox: Exit the application

Quick Access

The tray menu provides quick access to all major features without opening the full settings window.

Recording Modes

Hold Mode

Default: ⌘ + Space

How it works:

1. Press and hold the shortcut
2. Recording starts
3. Speak your message
4. Release the key
5. Recording stops and transcribes

Best for:

• Quick, short messages
• Inline comments while coding
• Single-sentence notes
• When you want precise control over start/stop

Advantages:

• Natural start/stop control
• No chance of forgetting to stop
• Immediate feedback

Toggle Mode

Default: ⌘ + ⌥ + Space

How it works:

1. Press the shortcut once
2. Recording starts
3. Speak your message (hands-free)
4. Press the shortcut again
5. Recording stops and transcribes

Best for:

• Longer dictation
• Multi-sentence content
• When you need hands free
• Continuous recording without holding a key

Advantages:

• No hand fatigue from holding keys
• Can use hands while speaking
• Better for longer recordings

Choosing a Mode

Use Hold mode for quick voice commands. Use Toggle mode for longer dictation or when you need your hands free.

Recording Quality Tips

Microphone Setup

Position:

• Keep microphone 6-12 inches from your mouth
• Position slightly off-axis to reduce plosives (p, b, t sounds)
• Use a consistent position for reliable results

Environment:

• Record in a quiet room
• Close windows to reduce outside noise
• Turn off fans or air conditioning if possible
• Use a headset microphone for best results

Test your setup:

1. Navigate to Settings → Permissions
2. Click Record for Test
3. Verify audio quality
4. Adjust microphone position as needed

Speaking Technique

Pace:

• Speak at a natural, conversational pace
• Don't rush - Whisper handles normal speed well
• Pause naturally between thoughts

Clarity:

• Enunciate clearly but naturally
• Avoid mumbling or speaking too quietly
• Project your voice slightly

Content:

• Speak complete thoughts
• Use natural sentence structure
• Punctuation is inferred automatically (with AI Enhancement)

Background Noise

Minimize noise:

• Close doors and windows
• Turn off nearby fans or appliances
• Mute notifications on other devices
• Use a quiet room

If noise is unavoidable:

• Use a directional or noise-canceling microphone
• Speak closer to the microphone
• Use a larger speech model (Accurate or Best)
• Enable AI Enhancement to clean up transcriptions

Transcription Output

Where Text Appears

By default, transcribed text is:

• Pasted directly into the active application (requires Accessibility permission)
• Copied to clipboard (if Copy to clipboard is enabled)
• Saved in Transcription history

Text Formatting

Configure formatting in Settings → General → Transcription Preferences:

Finish with period:

• Automatically adds a period at the end
• Useful for sentence completion

Start with lowercase:

• Begins transcription with lowercase letter
• Good for inline comments or continuing sentences

Hold Shift to capitalize:

• Press Shift while recording to capitalize the first letter
• Overrides lowercase setting

Post-Processing

If AI Enhancement is enabled:

• Text is post-processed by an LLM
• Grammar and filler words are fixed
• Output is polished and professional
• Custom prompts can modify behavior

Recording Shortcuts Comparison

Feature	Hold Mode	Toggle Mode
Default Shortcut	⌘ + Space	⌘ + ⌥ + Space
Start Recording	Press and hold	Press once
Stop Recording	Release key	Press again
Hands Free	❌ No	✅ Yes
Best For	Quick phrases	Longer dictation
Risk of Forgetting to Stop	❌ No	⚠️ Possible
Customizable	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Both shortcuts can be fully customized to your preference.

Troubleshooting

Recording Doesn't Start

Solutions:

1. Check Microphone permission is granted
2. Verify keyboard shortcut isn't conflicting with other apps
3. Test with the tray icon menu instead
4. Restart Vox

No Audio Captured

Solutions:

1. Check System Preferences → Sound → Input for correct microphone
2. Test microphone in another app (Voice Memos)
3. Verify microphone isn't muted
4. Check Vox has microphone permission
5. Try Record for Test in Settings → Permissions

Transcription Doesn't Paste

Solutions:

1. Grant Accessibility permission
2. Ensure cursor is in a text field
3. Try pasting manually with ⌘ + V
4. Enable Copy to clipboard as fallback

HUD Doesn't Appear

Solutions:

1. Check Settings → General → HUD
2. Enable Always show HUD for testing
3. Verify HUD isn't off-screen (reset position)
4. Restart Vox

Recording Stops Immediately (Hold Mode)

Solutions:

1. Ensure you're holding the key, not tapping
2. Check keyboard shortcut isn't bound to other apps
3. Try a different keyboard shortcut
4. Test with Toggle mode instead

Recording Won't Stop (Toggle Mode)

Solutions:

1. Press the toggle shortcut again
2. Click the tray icon → Stop Recording
3. Check HUD for status
4. Restart Vox if it's unresponsive

Poor Audio Quality

Solutions:

1. Move closer to microphone
2. Reduce background noise
3. Use a better microphone (headset recommended)
4. Download a larger speech model
5. Enable AI Enhancement

Advanced Features

Audio Retention

Vox keeps recent audio recordings for review:

• Default: 10 recordings
• Stored locally on your device
• Used for reviewing and debugging

Configure in Settings → Speech → Audio retention.

Keyboard Shortcuts While Recording

While recording is active:

• Esc: Cancel recording (discards audio)
• Shortcuts can be combined with Shift to capitalize

Recording from Different Applications

Vox works with any application that accepts text input:

• Text editors (VS Code, Sublime, Vim)
• Note apps (Obsidian, Notion, Apple Notes)
• Browsers (email, forms, messaging)
• Communication tools (Slack, Discord, Messages)
• IDEs (Xcode, IntelliJ, PyCharm)

Next Steps

• Customize keyboard shortcuts for faster recording
• Configure HUD appearance for better visibility
• Download speech models for better accuracy
• Enable AI Enhancement for polished transcriptions
• View transcription history to review past recordings