Quick Start Tutorial

Quick Start Tutorial

This hands-on tutorial will walk you through your first complete DeepTalk workflow, from uploading a file to exploring the results. You’ll learn the essential features and see how everything works together.

What You’ll Accomplish

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have:

  • ✅ Uploaded and processed your first audio file
  • ✅ Explored the transcription results
  • ✅ Understood the main interface elements
  • ✅ Learned basic organization with projects
  • ✅ Explored export options
  • ✅ (Optional) Set up enhanced services

Time needed: 15-30 minutes

Prerequisites

  • DeepTalk installed and launched
  • A short audio or video file (2-5 minutes recommended for first try)
  • Basic familiarity with the interface (covered in First Use Guide)

Step 1: Prepare Your Test File

Choose a Good Test File

For your first experience, pick an audio file that is:

  • Short: 2-5 minutes (faster processing)
  • Clear: Good audio quality
  • Interesting: Content you’d like to analyze
  • Appropriate: Since this is a test, use something simple

Supported Formats

DeepTalk accepts many formats including:

  • Audio: MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG
  • Video: MP4, AVI, MOV, WebM

Step 2: Upload Your First File

From the Library Page

  1. Click the 📋 Library tab in the top navigation
  2. Look for an “Upload” or “Add Transcript” button
  3. Click the upload button

Upload Process

  1. Select your file using the file browser
  2. Add a title (optional, but recommended)
  3. Add a description (optional)
  4. Click “Upload” or “Start Processing”

What Happens Next

  • DeepTalk will begin processing your file
  • You’ll see a progress indicator
  • Processing time depends on file length and your computer’s speed
  • For a 3-minute file, expect 1-5 minutes processing time

Step 3: Explore the Processing

Processing Steps You’ll See

  1. File Upload: Your file is copied into DeepTalk
  2. Audio Extraction: Audio is prepared for transcription
  3. Transcription: Speech is converted to text
  4. Analysis: Basic content analysis is performed
  5. Completion: Results are saved and ready to view

During Processing

  • Stay on the page to watch progress, or
  • Navigate away - processing continues in the background
  • Check the Home page for overall status

Step 4: Review Your Results

Viewing the Transcript

Once processing is complete:

  1. Go to Library if you’re not already there
  2. Find your transcript in the list
  3. Click on it to open the detailed view

What You’ll See

  • Transcript text: The speech converted to text
  • Metadata: File information, duration, processing date
  • Basic analysis: Key topics, word count, etc.
  • Action buttons: Edit, export, delete options

Understanding the Interface

  • Left panel: Transcript list and navigation
  • Main area: Transcript content and details
  • Right panel: Analysis and insights (if available)

Step 5: Basic Organization

Creating Your First Project

Projects help organize related transcripts:

  1. Go to the 📁 Projects tab
  2. Click “Create Project” or “New Project”
  3. Enter a project name (e.g., “My Test Project”)
  4. Add a description (optional)
  5. Save the project

Adding Transcripts to Projects

  1. Open your project
  2. Click “Add Transcript” or similar button
  3. Select your uploaded transcript
  4. Confirm the addition

Benefits of Projects:

  • Group related content together
  • Analyze multiple transcripts as a unit
  • Better organization and navigation
  • Enhanced search across related content

Step 6: Explore Basic Features

Transcript Editing

  • Click the “Edit” button to make corrections
  • Edit the text if you notice transcription errors
  • Save changes when done

Search Functionality

  • Use the search bar to find specific words or phrases
  • Try searching for keywords from your transcript
  • Notice how results are highlighted

Export Options

  1. Click “Export” or look for export buttons
  2. Choose format: Text, PDF, or other available formats
  3. Download your processed transcript

Step 7: Optional - Enhanced Services Setup

For the full DeepTalk experience, you can set up external services:

Continue using DeepTalk as-is with the features you’ve just learned. You can always add services later!

Option B: Enhanced Transcription (Speaches)

For better transcription quality:

  1. Install Speaches (separate application)
  2. Configure in Settings → Transcription
  3. Set URL to your Speaches instance
  4. Test connection

Option C: AI Analysis (Ollama)

For advanced AI features and chat:

  1. Install Ollama (separate application)
  2. Download a model (e.g., llama2)
  3. Configure in Settings → Processing
  4. Test connection

Note: Service setup instructions are detailed in our service-specific guides.

Step 8: Understanding Your Workflow

The Basic DeepTalk Workflow

  1. Upload → Add audio/video files
  2. Process → Transcribe and analyze
  3. Organize → Group into projects
  4. Review → Read and edit transcripts
  5. Export → Share or archive results

Tips for Success

  • Start small: Use shorter files while learning
  • Good audio quality: Better input = better results
  • Organize early: Create projects before you have many transcripts
  • Regular exports: Back up important work
  • Explore gradually: Try new features as you get comfortable

What’s Next?

Immediate Next Steps

  1. Try uploading 2-3 more files to get comfortable with the process
  2. Experiment with projects and organization
  3. Explore the Settings to customize your experience

Learning More

  • User Guide: Comprehensive feature documentation
  • Tutorials: Advanced workflows and use cases
  • Features: Detailed explanations of capabilities

Advanced Features to Explore Later

  • AI Chat: Conversation with your transcripts (requires Ollama)
  • Advanced Search: Vector-based semantic search
  • Bulk Processing: Handle multiple files at once
  • Custom Analysis: Configure analysis parameters

Troubleshooting Your First Session

Common Issues

Processing takes a long time

  • Try a shorter file (under 2 minutes)
  • Check your computer’s available memory
  • Close other applications during processing

Poor transcription quality

  • Ensure good audio quality in source file
  • Consider setting up Speaches for better results
  • Edit transcripts manually for corrections

Can’t find uploaded files

  • Check the Library tab
  • Look in the “Recent” section on Home page
  • Use the search function

Interface feels confusing

  • Review the Interface Overview
  • Take your time exploring each tab
  • Focus on one feature at a time

Getting Help

Congratulations!

You’ve successfully completed your first DeepTalk workflow! You now know:

  • How to upload and process files
  • How to navigate the interface
  • How to organize content with projects
  • How to export your results
  • Where to go for additional help

Keep exploring - DeepTalk has many more powerful features to discover as you become more comfortable with the basics.

Continue learning: User Guide → Tutorials →