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Concepts
Understand how Whisper, realtime models, and transcription scenarios relate inside Audio Note, without mixing user-facing model choices with internal runtime implementation.
Concepts
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Terms on this page (hover for details):realtime modelsML Engine
What This Page Solves
In Audio Note, the most important distinction is not “which button starts transcription.” It is the difference between scenario and model route:
File Transcription,Realtime Microphone, andRealtime Appare workflow scenarios.Whisperandrealtime modelsare the model routes you interact with most.- Pro users also get advanced ASR models under Settings → Models → ML Engine (e.g. Qwen3-ASR), mainly for offline files.
Mixing scenarios and model groups often leads to false assumptions—for example, “realtime transcription means realtime models only.”
What Whisper and Realtime Models Are Good At
| Route | Better fit | Typical characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Whisper | file workflows, long-form audio, quality-first review | higher quality ceiling, richer size tiers, can also be viable in realtime on strong GPUs |
| realtime models | microphone/app live workflows, captions, lower-latency capture | better RTF, lower latency, usually no GPU dependency, friendlier to lower-power devices |
Realtime models is Audio Note’s umbrella term for models that are better suited for realtime workflows. In practice, they usually have better RTF (Real-Time Factor) and lower latency.
Does Realtime Transcription Mean Realtime Models Only
No.
Realtime is a scenario, not a model family. In realtime scenarios you can choose:
- Realtime models Better defaults for low latency, lower-power devices, and long live sessions.
- Whisper Still a valid option in realtime workflows when GPU performance is strong enough to sustain good RTF.
That is why Audio Note documents realtime transcription as a workflow, not as a synonym for realtime models.
Recommended Decision Order
Choose in this order:
- decide whether the workflow is file-based or realtime
- decide whether the goal is accuracy or lower latency
- then pick Whisper or realtime models based on device constraints
| Scenario | First choice | When to test the other route |
|---|---|---|
| long-form meetings, courses, archive review | Whisper | lower-end hardware or draft-first workflows |
| microphone captions, spoken drafting | Realtime model | strong GPU and quality-sensitive realtime workflows |
| app audio live capture | Realtime model | when GPU headroom is strong and Whisper performs well in sample tests |
| lower-power devices | Realtime or lighter Whisper tiers | only upgrade when sample validation proves it is worth it |
Common Mistakes
- Treating realtime scenarios as realtime-model-only Realtime models are often the better default, but Whisper can absolutely be the better answer on strong GPUs.
- Confusing “realtime models” with the “ML Engine” group Realtime models favor live capture; Pro advanced ASR in ML Engine favors offline files.
- Choosing by model size only Realtime live capture and long-form review optimize for different goals.
Read Next
- Hub: Models & Engines Overview
- Device- and scenario-based model selection: Model Usage Recommendations
- GPU decisions and tradeoffs: GPU Transcription
- File-first workflows: File Transcription
- Realtime live capture workflows: Realtime Microphone Transcription
- Parameter tuning after route selection: Advanced Parameter Transcription
