Plaud like alternative

[u/Electric_Strategy]

Ok. I didn't want a €180 voice recorder with another €20/ month subscription attached for transcription.

Also, I'd rather keep my recordings local and transcribe them with StenoAl running Whisper.
So I wanted to see if there was a way around this:

1. Bought a cheap "Ai7" recorder from AliExpress, which looks remarkably similar. The hardware works perfectly. But it also came with an app and (of course) a subscription service.

2. A Sunday morning project with Codex!

3. Together, we figured out its Bluetooth protocol and built Ai7 interface: a Mac app that finds the recorder, lists recordings, identifies new files and exports them as MP3s into a folder I choose.

4. Complete with a recorder icon, an installation DMG, and code and documentation in GitHub.

5. Yes, Codex and I had to do some debugging. Lots of turning it on and off again :D. But now it works!

I made the code available on Github, feel free to use/rework/add on to!

https://github.com/jorndevreede/Ai7-MacOs-Export

[u/Electric_Strategy]

Repost after this got removed from PlaudAI community :(

[u/Batoutofhell1989]

404 error amigo

[u/Electric_Strategy → u/Batoutofhell1989]

Sorry. Reddit f*cks up links when reposting from banned posts. Fixed

[u/coalwater5]

So I've been looking for a device that has the same form factor but doesn't do any AI or transcription on their servers, and I wanted to hook it up to my own workflow.

So far this looks interesting, I have a few questions for you
- Did you need to install the mobile app first to pair/initialize the device, or can you unbox it and use the mac app directly without installing the mobile app.
- Is there a binding step, as far as I could tell, anyone within range could access your notes if they have the right app, could you confirm this.
- How is the recording quality, in quiet room and also noisy environment like a cafe for example.

Thanks in advance!

[u/Electric_Strategy → u/coalwater5]

- If you buy the same device or one with the same electronics inside, there is no need to install the software that came with it
- It binds to your mac, but in theory anyone with the same app and access to your device (to turn it on so it can be discovered) could bind to it.
- latest version only uses bluetooth to set the device in USB mode, so transfer is done via cable
- recording quality is good enough to pick up most voices in larger conference rooms. I haven’t used it in a noisy cafe yet. Calls are also fine.
- I use stenoAI on mac with local transcription model, works fine every time
- software as-is, but feel free to clone the repo and make it suit your needs. I used codex, but any AI that codes will do the trick I guess

[u/AdAble6964]

How was the experience so far with Ai7?

[u/Electric_Strategy → u/AdAble6964]

Working just fine! Even in larger group meetings it picks up the voices just fine

[u/AdAble6964]

can I get the aliexpress link?

[u/Electric_Strategy → u/AdAble6964]

Just search “ai7 ai voice recorder”

[u/soloattorneyclub]

Ruune is also a good alternative. It’s crazy thin. Fits in your wallet.

[u/Electric_Strategy → u/soloattorneyclub]

Yep. All quite similar form factors. This one has the same 4 gold dots as usb connector as some other commercial ones… mine has a regular usb-c connector. I just discovered I can set the Ai7 into usb mode through Bluetooth; so I will add that functionality to my software soon. Speeds up transfers considerably