Local-first voice dictation for your Obsidian vault
You use Obsidian because your knowledge belongs on your own computer. Valcy shares that principle: private, offline voice transcription with zero cloud dependencies.
Why manual typing in Obsidian slows you down
Capturing thoughts during a morning reflection or jotting down notes while reading a book feels slow on a physical keyboard. Typing friction often interrupts deep thinking and causes ideas to be forgotten.
Speak naturally at your normal conversational pace
Speaking out loud is natural and unconstrained. You can dictate a detailed journal entry or summary in under two minutes. Valcy organizes your spoken thoughts into structured paragraphs while keeping your markdown formatting intact.
Compare spoken input to final text in Obsidian
Valcy automatically filters out verbal hesitations, corrects punctuation, and formats sentences clearly.
“morning reflection today my primary focus is shipping the billing dashboard update after that check in with Sarah regarding onboarding metrics and block two hours for deep reading”
### Morning Reflection Today my primary focus is shipping the billing dashboard update. After that, check in with Sarah regarding onboarding metrics, and block out two hours for deep reading.
“quote from chapter four clear thinking leads to concise writing when ideas are fuzzy sentences become convoluted key takeaway refine arguments before drafting”
> "Clear thinking leads to concise writing. When ideas are fuzzy, sentences become convoluted." **Key Takeaway:** Refine arguments before drafting.
“met with the product team we agreed to simplify the navigation bar into three primary tabs action items Alex creates high fidelity figma mockups by Thursday”
Met with the product team. We agreed to simplify the navigation bar into three primary tabs. - [ ] **Action Item:** Alex creates high-fidelity Figma mockups by Thursday.
Key Advantages for Obsidian Users
Complete Local Privacy
Zero cloud dependencies. Valcy runs offline Whisper models directly on Apple Silicon Metal GPU, keeping your vault completely private.
No Community Plugins Required
Operates at the macOS system level without third-party plugins that might break after Obsidian updates.
Mobile Capture on iPhone
Use Valcy on iOS to dictate quick thoughts on the go, syncing straight to your Obsidian vault via iCloud or Obsidian Sync.
Quick Setup (Under 1 Minute)
Valcy runs as a native macOS utility and requires no custom Obsidian extensions.
Open Your Obsidian Note
Navigate to your daily note, project file, or literature log.
Press Your Hotkey
Trigger Valcy using your preferred shortcut without taking your hands off the keyboard.
Speak Naturally
Talk through your thoughts. Valcy filters out filler words and writes punctuated sentences directly into your note.
Common Questions About Using Valcy with Obsidian
Does Valcy send my notes or voice data to cloud servers?
Not in Local Mode. In Local Mode, all audio processing and Whisper transcription happen entirely on your Mac's Apple Silicon GPU. Nothing leaves your machine.
Can I use Valcy offline while traveling?
Yes. Local Mode requires no internet connection. You can dictate notes on airplanes, trains, or anywhere offline.
Does Valcy handle Markdown formatting?
Yes. Valcy structures your sentences with clean line breaks and punctuation. You can dictate bullet points or section headers naturally.
How does Valcy compare to macOS built-in dictation?
Native macOS dictation often stops after 30 seconds and requires speaking punctuation commands manually. Valcy supports continuous speaking, removes filler words, and delivers significantly higher accuracy.
Explore Other Supported Apps
Experience Faster Dictation in Obsidian
Download Valcy for macOS and test private, local-first voice typing across your daily workflow.