Microphone setup guide

Learn how to set up your microphone so you can start dictating reports in Rad AI Reporting.

If we've asked you to also test your speech profile, please use the speech setup guide instead.

In this article: 

1. Prerequisites
2. Granting permissions
3. Registering your microphone
4. Verifying your connection
5. Configuring microphone settings
   1. Auto-on when opening a report
   2. Push to Talk (PTT) mode
   3. Microphone on/off sound
   4. Microphone off delay
6. Troubleshooting

Prerequisites

1. Access to Rad AI Reporting through either:
   1. A supported browser (Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome)
   2. The desktop application
2. A microphone connected to your computer

Granting permissions

1. Open a new Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome window. Avoid minimizing the browser window while setting up your microphone. If you have multiple tabs open, make sure Rad AI Reporting is the active tab. 
    
2. Log in to Rad AI Reporting. 
    
3. If it's your first time launching Rad AI Reporting, your browser should prompt you to give Rad AI Reporting permission to access your microphone. Click allow. 
   
   
   
    
4. If using Google Chrome, you may also need to allow the browser to access your microphone. To check this:
    
   1. In your Google Chrome browser window, click the ⠇ icon next to your profile picture to open the customization menu.  
       
   2. Select Settings. 
       
   3. From the left-hand menu, select Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone. Here, make sure 'https://app.radai.com' is listed under Allowed to use your microphone. 
       
   4. If 'https://app.radai.com' is listed under Not allowed to use your microphone, click the site URL. 
       
   5. Under Permissions, click the drop-down menu next to Microphone and change the permission to Allow. 
      
      

Registering your microphone

The first time you open Rad AI Reporting, you'll need to register your microphone with the browser.

1. Open a report from the Worklist. 
    
2. A prompt should appear at the top of the report editor: Click to enable your microphone controls. Click it. This activates the physical buttons on your hardware, allowing them to be used for navigational purposes.
   
   
   
    
3. If the prompt doesn't appear, click the drop-down arrow next to the microphone button. 
   
   
    
    
4. Select Register Device from the menu.
   
   
   
    
5. In the browser prompt, select your microphone then click Connect. 

Verifying your connection

1. Click the drop-down arrow next to the microphone button. 
    
2. Your microphone should appear with a check mark under both the Audio Input and Controllers sections. 
   
   
   
    
3. If the microphone you want to use doesn't have a check mark next to it, click it. 
    
4. Let's now test your microphone. Open a report from the Worklist. 
    
5. Either press the record button on your microphone, or click the microphone button at the top of Rad AI Reporting. Both the microphone button and the status bar at the bottom of the screen should turn green. 
   
   
   
    
6. Dictate a few words to verify your speech is being captured and transcribed. 

Configuring microphone settings

Auto-on when opening a report

If this setting is on, your microphone will be turned on automatically every time you open a report. 

1. Click on your profile icon at the bottom of the main navigation menu on the left-hand side. Then select Personal Settings.

2. Click or scroll down to Speech > Microphone activation.

3. Turn on the toggle: Automatically turn on my microphone when I open a report.
   
   

   💡 Regardless of whether this setting is on or off, your microphone will always turn off when you exit a report.

Push to Talk (PTT) mode

In Push to Talk (PTT) mode, the microphone is only active while the record button or hotkey is being pressed. 

1. Click on your profile icon at the bottom of the main navigation menu on the left-hand side. Then select Personal Settings.
   
   
    
    

2. Click or scroll down to Speech > Microphone activation
    

3. Turn on the Push to Talk toggle. 
   
   

   💡 Push to Talk mode and auto-on settings are mutually exclusive—if one is turned on, the other must be turned off.

Microphone on/off sound

Enabling this setting will play an audio cue whenever your microphone turns on and/or off. You can also set the volume of the audio cue. 

1. Click on your profile icon at the bottom of the main navigation menu on the left-hand side. Then select Personal Settings.
    
2. Click or scroll down to Speech > Microphone On Sound and Microphone Off Sound. 
   
   
   
    
3. Click the toggles to enable or disable sounds whenever your microphone turns on or off.
    
4. Click the drop-down menu under Mic Sound Volume and select an option to set the volume of the microphone on/off audio cues:
   • Quiet
   • Normal 
   • Loud

   • Loudest

     ⚠️ Setting this to a level above "Normal" may interfere with speech-to-text processing.

Microphone off delay

This setting determines the amount of audio capture time added to the end of a recording after your microphone is turned off. It may be useful, for example, to set the delay to high if you notice that your speech is cut off before being dictated completely. 

1. Click on your profile icon at the bottom of the main navigation menu on the left-hand side. Then select Personal Settings.
    
2. Click or scroll down to Speech > Microphone Off Delay.
    
3. Select the amount of time you’d like added to the end of recordings after your microphone is turned off. By default, this is set to Medium (250 milliseconds).

Troubleshooting

I see the message "Microphone access denied", how do I resolve this?

You may see this message in your report workbench or under Personal Settings > Speech > Audio if you denied browser microphone permissions on enabling your microphone for the first time. 

To fix this, open your web browser settings, go to permissions, and set the microphone permission to allow for Rad AI Reporting. 

These steps may differ, depending on the browser you're using. Here's how to do it in Google Chrome:

1. In your Google Chrome browser window, click the ⠇ icon next to your profile picture to open the customization menu.  
    
2. Select Settings. 
    
3. From the left-hand menu, select Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone. Here, make sure 'https://app.radai.com' is listed under Allowed to use your microphone. 
    
4. If 'https://app.radai.com' is listed under Not allowed to use your microphone, click the site URL. 
    
5. Under Permissions, click the drop-down menu next to Microphone and change the permission to Allow. 
   
   

The end of my speech gets cut off when transcribed. What can I do?

Try adjusting the microphone off delay setting to increase the amount of audio capture time added to an end of your recordings. By default, this is set at 250 milliseconds but can be increased to 500 milliseconds.

My microphone keeps dropping in and out. What can I do?

Try one of the following: 

1. Connect your microphone to a rear USB port on your computer. Some evidence suggests they function more effectively than front-facing USB ports. 
    
2. Ask your IT team to consider running a firmware update (also known as a BIOS update) on your machine. This may resolve some hardware compatibility issues.

How does Rad AI ensure my dictation is accurately captured?

Rad AI’s Voice Activity Detection (VAD) technology automatically recognizes when you’re speaking and when you’re pausing (or silent). This means only your intended dictation is transcribed—preventing errors like awkward breaks, missed words, and cut-off sentences. As a result, your report content is more accurate and complete.

In August 2025 we released an enhanced version of our VAD technology after seeing a significant reduction in segmentation errors during testing. Segmentation is the the act of separating continuous audio into meaningful units, so only true speech (not silence or background noises) is sent for transcription.

Can I use two microphones with Rad AI Reporting—one for dictation, one for navigation? 

Yes, here's how to do it: 

1. Follow the steps above to set up your microphone for dictation.
    
2. Connect your second microphone and grant permissions when prompted. 
    
3. Open a report from the Worklist, then Click to enable microphone controls when prompted. 
    
4. Click the drop-down arrow next to the microphone button at the top of the report editor. Under Audio Input, select the microphone you want to use for dictation (if not already selected). 
   
   
   
    
5. Since you connected the second microphone and selected Click to enable microphone controls, you can now use the buttons on that microphone for navigation.