Need Info on Express Scribe/Olympus Foot Pedal

Since I just went trough a lot of frustration and headaches trying to use an Olympus RS23 foot pedal with Express Scribe on my laptop - I thought, if I just save one person some frustration, maybe it was worth it. This is my experience. I know some of you have gotten it to work, but I believe my problem is because I am on a laptop, and don't have a true game port, which usually is attached to the sound card ona PC tower. That is all I can figure...

When I go to use the Foot Pedal Set up Wizard on Express Scribe, and choose the Game Port/USB option, it keeps saying that it can't detect hardware or drivers are not installed. I called Olympus Digital Product Support (888-553-4448) and they emailed me the correct drivers and walked me through installing them, had me run some checks to make sure, and assured me everything was in order.

On a hunch, I downloaded a free trial version of an Express Scribe competitor, Transcript Buddy ($40). It immediately saw the Olympus Foot Pedal, and works like a charm.

Olympus claims it is Express Scribe - but like I said, some of you use this pedal with Express Scribe, so I suspect it is because I am on a laptop. Express Scribe has the USB Port shared with the Game Port option, and I beleive this is the culprit.

I posted this info in case someone, sometime is having the same problems I just had and is searching the archives for an explantion.

Just another bit of info I am passing along. I emailed Express Scribe regarding my situation with the Olympus foot pedal, and this is what I received:

The Olympus pedals do not work with Express Scribe because we have been unable to get any technical information from Olympus. If you have any contact at Olympus USA, ask them if they could send the technical software specifications or SDK and we will get Express Scribe to work with them.

So - those of you that have got it to work - consider yourselves lucky!

Information on the WAVpedal5: http://www.theprogrammers.com/wavp.html