Straddling the stupid gibble in transcription hell

© Muhreee at Deviant Art

"The photograph shows me on the very tip of the iceberg facing forward straddling stupid Gibble..."

I recently opted for cheap transcription software, switching to Otter Ai from the Sonix I had been using. Big savings, given the volume of sound files we have to transcribe. But that's only if you count my time as worth nothing, because the new transcription quality is much poorer and it's way more work on my end. Otter seems to have an impoverished vocabulary and not much understanding of how humans actually talk.

Here's a passage from our interview with sailing legend Commodore Tompkins, which I happened to transcribe both ways. 

Sonix: 

The photograph shows me on the very tip of the bowsprit, facing forward, straddling the head of the jibboom. No, it wasn't a jibboom, it was a bowsprit. The jibboom had been carried away in the passage up the coast somewhere south of L.A., and so a new bowsprit was designed and fitted in Long Beach, I think. And that was what she carried. There I was on the bowsprit all the way out, facing forward astride the tip. I was four years old. No. About four years old, I think a little more. And my sister is at the jib stay, which is... The jib topsail stay is just behind me in this picture. My father is sitting astride the rail, on the port side, and my mother is by the bowsprit. It was a staged photograph, no question. And in the background you see the Golden Gate Bridge. And we were the first sailing yacht to enter the Golden Gate Bridge. Do I remember it? I was worried about the rig. I remember that. 

Otter: 

The photograph shows me on the very tip of the iceberg facing forward straddling stupid Gibble No, it wasn't it was about spring being carried away in the passage of the coast. And so a new bounce rate was designed to fit in, in Long Beach. I think that was what she carried there. I was on the bounce all the way out, facing forward. Astride the chip. I was four years old, no. About four years old. And my sister is at jibs de, which is the jib topsole stays just behind me in this picture. My father is seeing astride the rail on the port side, and my mother is by the boughs Britain's a staged photograph, no question. In the background, you see the Golden Gate Bridge. And we were the first sailing yacht to enter the Golden Gate Bridge. Do I remember it? I was worried about the rig. I remember that.

I'm stuck with Stupid Gibble Otter for 10 more months and will have to live with it, but it's slowing me down, no question.

ADDENDUM: Pay-as-you-go Sonix costs $10 per hour. Their business subscription is $5 per hour plus $24 per month. My Otter business subscription is $20 per month for 6,000 minutes, or 100 hours. I upload about 10 hours per month. 

• Sonix pay as you go: $100 per month

• Sonix business: $74 per month

• Otter business: $20 per month

If I ever get down to 3 or 4 transcription hours per month, I can go back to Sonix.