EchoPadFirst run
Permissions, the model download and your first save location.
The first time EchoPad opens, a short setup window walks you through four steps.
Welcome
What EchoPad does, in one sentence.
Permissions
- Microphone records your side of the conversation.
- System Audio Recording records what your Mac plays: the other people in a call, a video, a webinar.
Press Allow… next to each one. If you said no by accident, Open Privacy Settings… takes you to the right switch.
Where to save
Pick a folder for transcripts. It becomes your first save location; you can add more later. Choose a folder inside an Obsidian vault and EchoPad notices, embeds audio with wiki links and can open the note in Obsidian.
Ready
The models download in the background while you read this (about 480 MB, once). EchoPad now waits in the menu bar.
Your first recording
- Click the EchoPad icon in the menu bar and press Start Recording, or press ⇧⌘E.
- Talk for a bit. The pill at the bottom of the screen shows the timer and a waveform.
- Press the stop button on the pill, or ⇧⌘E again.
A few seconds later the transcript is in your folder and in the Conversations list.