First Use Guide

First Use Guide

Congratulations on installing DeepTalk! This guide will walk you through your first launch and initial setup.

First Launch

When you launch DeepTalk for the first time, here’s what to expect:

1. Welcome Screen

  • DeepTalk will open to the Home page
  • You’ll see a clean interface with navigation tabs at the top
  • The interface includes: Home, Projects, Library, Settings, and About

2. Initial Interface Overview

Navigation Tabs:

  • 🏠 Home: Your dashboard and recent activity
  • 📁 Projects: Organize transcripts into projects
  • 📋 Library: Manage individual transcripts
  • ⚙️ Settings: Configure DeepTalk preferences
  • ℹ️ About: Application information

3. Service Status Check

On the Home page, you’ll see a Service Status indicator:

  • 🟡 Yellow: Services connecting (normal on first launch)
  • 🔴 Red: Service connection errors (expected without external services)
  • 🟢 Green: All services connected

Don’t worry: DeepTalk works great even without external services!

Basic Configuration (Optional)

Quick Settings Check

Let’s do a quick settings review to ensure everything is configured correctly:

  1. Click the ⚙️ Settings tab
  2. Review the main sections:

Transcription Settings

  • Service URL: Default is http://localhost:8000 (for future Speaches setup)
  • Model: Default speech-to-text model (fine for basic use)
  • Audio Chunk Size: Default 60 seconds (good for most files)

Processing Settings

  • AI Analysis URL: Default is http://localhost:11434 (for future Ollama setup)
  • Transcript Correction: Enabled by default (improves accuracy)
  • Speaker Tagging: Disabled by default (can enable later)

General Settings

  • Auto-backup: Enabled by default (recommended)
  • Theme: System default (matches your OS theme)

Recommendation: Keep the default settings for now. You can always adjust them later as you learn more about DeepTalk.

Understanding DeepTalk’s Approach

Privacy-First Design

  • All data stays on your computer - nothing is sent to external servers unless you configure specific services
  • Local storage - your transcripts and analysis are stored in a local database
  • Optional services - external transcription and AI services are entirely optional

How It Works

  1. Upload audio or video files
  2. Transcribe using built-in capabilities or external services
  3. Analyze content for insights (basic analysis works offline)
  4. Organize transcripts into projects for better management
  5. Chat with your transcripts using AI (requires Ollama setup)

Your First Transcript (Basic Mode)

Let’s create your first transcript to get familiar with the interface:

Method 1: From Home Page

  1. Stay on the Home page
  2. Look for upload options or quick actions
  3. Click upload or “Add New” button

Method 2: From Library

  1. Click the 📋 Library tab
  2. Look for an “Upload” or “Add Transcript” button
  3. Click to start the upload process

What to Expect

  1. File Selection: Choose an audio or video file from your computer
  2. Processing: DeepTalk will process the file (may take a few minutes)
  3. Basic Transcription: Even without external services, you’ll get basic processing
  4. Results: View your transcript in the Library

Understanding Service Status

With No External Services (Default)

  • ✅ File Processing: Works perfectly
  • ✅ Basic Transcription: Limited but functional
  • ✅ Organization: Full project and library features
  • ✅ Export: Complete export capabilities
  • ❌ Advanced AI Features: Requires Ollama setup
  • ❌ High-Quality Transcription: Requires Speaches setup

Next Steps for Full Features

If you want the complete DeepTalk experience:

  1. Complete this first-use setup
  2. Try the basic workflow with a test file
  3. Follow the Quick Start Tutorial for service setup

Data Location

Your DeepTalk data is stored locally:

  • Windows: %APPDATA%/deeptalk/
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/deeptalk/
  • Linux: ~/.config/deeptalk/

This includes:

  • Database: All your transcripts and analysis
  • Settings: Your preferences and configurations
  • Cache: Temporary processing files

What’s Next?

Now that you’re familiar with the interface:

Immediate Next Steps

  1. Try uploading a short audio file (2-3 minutes recommended for first test)
  2. Explore the interface while it processes
  3. Review the results in your Library

For the Complete Experience

Follow the Quick Start Tutorial which covers:

  • Setting up Speaches for high-quality transcription
  • Installing Ollama for AI analysis and chat features
  • Complete workflow walkthrough
  • Best practices and tips

Need Help?

Quick Help

Common First-Use Questions

Q: Do I need to set up external services right away? A: No! DeepTalk works great for basic transcription and organization without any external services.

Q: Where are my files stored? A: Everything stays on your computer in the local application data folder.

Q: Can I use DeepTalk offline? A: Yes! Core features work completely offline. Only enhanced AI features require internet services.

Q: What file formats are supported? A: MP3, WAV, MP4, AVI, MOV, M4A, WebM, OGG, and more. See File Formats for the complete list.

Ready for more? Continue to Quick Start Tutorial →