PLEXTALK RECORDING SOFTWARE USER MANUAL

Table of Contents

1 About this Manual
1.1 Legal and Copyright Information
1.2 Information about navigating the manual
1.3 Sample exercises
2 Software Features and Limitations
2.1 Features of the Plextalk Recording Software (PRS)
2.2 Limitations of the PRS Software
3 Introduction to DAISY
3.1 What is DAISY?
3.2 Main features of DAISY
3.3 Types of DAISY book
3.4 Navigating a DAISY book
3.5 Main elements of a DAISY book
3.6 Main processes involved in producing an audio DAISY book
4 Getting Started
4.1 Terminology used in the software
4.2 Recommended system requirements
4.3 Installation and uninstallation of PRS
4.4 Launching and Exiting PRS
5 Accessing the PRS software
5.1 Description of the main screen interface
5.2 Operation from the keyboard
5.3 Information about using speech with PRS
6 Configuring PRS
6.1 Customising the Voice Guidance feature
6.2 Customising the display settings
6.3 Setting the default folder for recordings
6.4 Selecting the default CD writer
6.5 Exercises for configuring PRS
7 Opening and Creating New Projects
7.1 Opening an existing projects
7.2 Creating a new project
7.3 Opening an existing book from CD
7.4 Exercises for opening projects and existing books
8 Navigating and playing projects
8.1 Navigating sections and phrases
8.2 Playing sections or phrases
8.3 Continuous play
8.4 Adjusting playback speed
8.5 Adjusting playback volume
8.6 Getting section and phrase information
8.7 Searching for heading text
8.8 Jumping to Pages
8.9 Jumping to Groups
8.10 Jumping to Marks
8.11 Jumping to Events
8.12 Exercises in playing and moving around a project
9 Recording
9.1 Checking the Volume Control options for the computer
9.2 Selecting the required input device
9.3 Confirmation of the storage information
9.4 Setting up the recording functions
9.5 Selecting the recording mode
9.6 Adjusting the recording volume
9.7 Exercises for practicing recording techniques
10 Editing
10.1 Selecting multiple sections or phrases
10.2 Standard editing commands for phrases and sections
10.3 Editing a section
10.4 Editing phrases
10.5 Undoing editing
10.6 Editing the section properties
10.7 Setting and removing page information
10.8 Setting and removing group information
10.9 Marks
10.10 Setting page, group or mark codes whilst recording
10.11 Comments
10.12 Exercises in editing a project
11 Creating and Editing the Table of Contents
11.1 ToC (Table of Contents)
11.2 CSV (Comma Separated Variables)
11.3 TXT (Text)
11.4 Running the "ToC Import" process
11.5 Exercises in working with Tables of Contents (ToC)
12 Building the book
12.1 How to run the "Build Book" process
12.2 Outline of the alterations involved in the "Build Book" process
13 Creating the CD
13.1 Configuring PRS for your CD writer
13.2 Writing the CD
13.3 Explanation of the CD writing dialogue box
14 Additional Features of PRS
14.1 DAISY import
14.2 Audio Import
14.3 Audio Export
14.4 Text Import
14.5 Detecting the pause time
14.6 Exercises for the additional features of PRS
APPENDICES
Appendix A - Sample Exercises
Appendix B - Menu Details
Appendix C - Short-cut Details
Appendix D - Technical Details

1 About this Manual

1.1 Legal and Copyright Information

SHINANOKENSHI reserves the right to make improvements in the products described in this manual at any time without prior notice.

SHINANOKENSHI makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, SHINANOKENSHI Corp. reserves the right to revise this manual and to make changes in its content without obligation to notify any person or organization of such revision or change.

This manual is copyrighted, all rights reserved. It may not be copied, photocopied, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without SHINANOKENSHI's prior permission.

Manual copyright SHINANOKENSHI Corp. edition July 2004.

MPEG Layer-3 audio compression technology licensed by Fraunhofer IIS and THOMSON multimedia.
http://www.iis.fhg.de/

Licenses and Trademarks - All licenses and trademarks are property of their respective owners.

1.2 Information about navigating the manual

This manual has been written in a logical sequence which should allow new users and advanced users to easily find the information they are looking for. New users should be able to build up their knowledge gradually by working methodically through the chapters whilst advanced users may wish to skip some chapters or sections and go directly to information about the more complex features.

The manual has been written in HTML format to allow you to view it in your web browser. You can navigate through the text from start to finish or you can use the links and headings to find particular items of interest.

The main heading and all chapter headings are at level 1, sections are at level 2 and sub sections are at level 3. All items in the Contents list are linked to the related part of the manual with hyperlinks. At the end of every chapter, there is a link back to the Contents list.

1.3 Sample exercises

Throughout the manual, reference is made to sample exercises available in Appendix A. A copy of these exercises and some sample projects are available on the "PTR1/PTR2 User's Guide" CD(\PRS\Sample Projects), provided with your software. The sample projects should be used in conjunction with the exercises.

Return to Chapter 1 of ToC

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2 Software Features and Limitations

This chapter details some of the main features of the PRS software and some of the physical limitations which apply when used with different operating systems.

2.1 Features of the Plextalk Recording Software (PRS)

The PRS software is a DAISY2.02 production tool which can import DAISY2.0 content for editing or upgrading. Please note that PRS can only produce DAISY books that are structured audio and it does not have the capability of producing full text DAISY books.

The main features of this version of the software are as follows:

2.2 Limitations of the PRS Software

Depending on which operating system you are using, the PRS software is limited as follows:

2.2.1 Limitations when using Windows 2000 or XP

2.2.2 Limitations when using Windows ME or 98 SE

3 Introduction to DAISY

This chapter gives an overview of the DAISY format and some of the terminology used. It also gives information about the structure of a DAISY project and the processes involved in producing a DAISY book. If you are a new DAISY user, you should read this chapter thoroughly. If you are an experienced DAISY user, you may wish to skim read the chapter or bypass it altogether.

3.1 What is DAISY?

DAISY is an acronym which stands for Digital Accessible Information SYstem. It is the information format which is being developed as the international standard for digital talking books. DAISY books can be played on a dedicated hardware player or on a computer equipped with the appropriate software.

3.2 Main features of DAISY

The main features of the DAISY format are as follows:

Compression of information - with high levels of compression available, it is possible to store up to 90 hours of digital audio on a single CD. Imagine storing a similar amount of audio on cassette tapes!
Speed of Navigation - the DAISY format includes a range of features which enable the reader to quickly access parts of the book. These features include 6 levels of navigation, coding of pages and groups and the ability to move backwards or forwards a phrase at a time. These items will be discussed in more detail later in this chapter.
Multi-media capability - in addition to digital audio, the DAISY format is able to incorporate text, graphics and even video to provide the reader with a fully synchronized reading experience.

3.3 Types of DAISY book

The DAISY format allows for 6 types of DAISY book which range from audio books with no navigation structure to books with text and no audio. A brief description of each type is given below:

3.4 Navigating a DAISY book

A DAISY book can have up to 6 levels of navigation. The number of levels in a book will depend on the structure of the original book. The levels are hierarchical with Level 1 the highest level of navigation and Level 6 the lowest.

There are no fixed rules about how the DAISY navigation levels should be used and people's views on how this should be done will vary. For simple books which only have chapters, it is likely that only one level (Level 1 equating to chapters) will be used. For more complex books, which may have chapters, sections and sub sections, there might be 3 levels used (Level 1 for chapters, Level 2 for sections and Level 3 for sub sections). Once the book has been created, the levels of navigation are fixed and cannot be altered by the reader.

When trying to find a specific part of a book, the reader would tend to use a higher level (perhaps Level 1 or Level 2) to find the main area of interest, and would then change to a lower level of navigation to home in more on the information they are looking for. This allows them to bypass large portions of the book that they have no interest in at that time.

DAISY books can allow the reader can go directly to specific pages. To make this possible, the producer of the book must include the page codes at the correct locations when they create the book. Pages cannot be coded by the reader.

Two other DAISY navigation features, namely "Groups" and "Phrases" are available to the producer of the DAISY project. Both of these features give the reader extra navigation options and are explained in the chapter called "Getting Started" later in this manual.

Once the book is complete, the reader can add bookmarks at relevant places to enable them to find the marked locations at a later stage. The number of permitted bookmarks will depend on the player used but generally there will be more capacity than the reader requires. Bookmarks are the only item that the reader can insert and remove.

3.5 Main elements of a DAISY book

A DAISY book consists of a number of items. A brief summary of these is given below:

3.6 Main processes involved in producing an audio DAISY book

When producing an audio DAISY book, there are a number of tasks to complete. In outline, these are as follows:

4 Getting Started

By now, you should have a reasonable overview about the way a DAISY book is structured and produced. This chapter focuses on how you get started with using the PRS software.

4.1 Terminology used in the software

In order to avoid any confusion with terminology, the most commonly used terms used in the PRS software are explained below. It is stressed that the way these terms are defined relates to their use in the PRS software and may not be used in the same context in other publications.

4.1.1 Project

A project is a DAISY book before it is finished. The final process of building the book is the point at which the project is complete. At this stage it would be called a DAISY book.

4.1.2 Book

A "book" is a finished project. At this stage it is ready for distribution. If further editing of the book were required subsequently, the book would have to be imported into the PRS software as a new project.

4.1.3 Title

Throughout this manual the term "title" refers to the title of a book.

4.1.4 Section

A "section" in the PRS software refers to the segment of audio between one heading and the next. A section is generally made up of a number of phrases but can have as few as one phrase. Each section will have a heading and a heading level associated with it. Do not get confused between sections in the PRS software and sections of this manual!

4.1.5 Heading

A "heading" is the text associated with a section. The default text for all section headings is the word "Heading". A more descriptive heading can be entered by the producer of the project. The heading text forms the basis of the Table of Contents and is used in the NCC file.

4.1.6 Level

The "level" of a section refers to its DAISY navigation level. As mentioned earlier in the manual, the producer of the DAISY book can choose from 6 levels of navigation. These are known as Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and so on. Level 1 is the highest level of navigation and Level 6 the lowest. Every section in a DAISY project/book has an associated level of navigation. The default level for all sections is Level 1. The level can be altered by the producer of the project but cannot be altered by the reader.

4.1.7 Phrase

When the book is being recorded, the audio files are automatically divided into segments called "phrases". The recording software will decide on where a phrase starts and ends based on the amount of silence between one piece of audio and the next. The length of silence permitted before a new phrase is created is called the "pause time" and can be adjusted by the person making the DAISY recording. In order to break the audio up into phrases that are not too long or short, a fast reader might require a short pause time and a slower reader a longer pause time. When the recording is finished, the reader can use the phrases as an additional navigation feature.

4.1.8 Page

A "Page" refers to a code placed into the DAISY project. The page code is attached to a phrase and can be inserted or removed by the project producer before it is completed. It should be noted that page coding in the final DAISY book may not match the pages in the original printed text book depending on the needs of the project. For example, page numbering in the DAISY book may start at the point where the printed book content starts, ignoring the page numbering of items such as the preface, dedication and extraneous information.

4.1.9 Group

The "group" coding is a flexible navigation feature and can be used by the project producer to relate to elements in the book that they wish to reference separately from the other navigation features. For example, the producer may choose to use the group code to identify each paragraph, though this would be very labour intensive. It might also be used to reference other items such as points of note, warnings, diagrams or tables. As with most DAISY elements, the group coding is decided upon by the producer and cannot be altered by the reader.

4.1.10 Mark

A mark is a way in which the producer of the project can identify particular phrases in the project that may need further attention. Marks do not affect the playback of the finished book but would normally be removed by the producer before finalising the project.

4.1.11 Event

An event includes all of the following: the first phrase in every section; phrases coded with the "Page" code and phrases coded with the "Group" code. Phrases marked with the "Mark" code are not considered to be "events".

4.2 Recommended system requirements

SHINANOKENSHI recommends the following system environment for running the PRS software. SHINANOKENSHI does not guarantee proper operation of the software on systems which do not meet this specification.

Recommended Specification:

4.3 Installation and uninstallation of PRS

This section of the manual explains how to install and uninstall the PRS software.

Note: The file name for set-up or the version number appearing on the screen will be different from the one written on the manual after the upgrade has been done.

4.3.1 Installing PRS

To install the PRS software do the following:

4.3.2 Uninstalling PRS

To uninstall the PRS software do the following:

4.4 Launching and Exiting PRS

This section of the manual explains how to launch and exit the PRS software.

4.4.1 Launching PRS

In order to launch the PRS software, do the following:

4.4.2 Exiting PRS

To exit the PRS software, do the following:

5 Accessing the PRS software

This chapter gives details about the software interface, how to access it from the keyboard and the voice guidance feature.

5.1 Description of the main screen interface

The main screen in the PRS software is laid out like a typical Windows application. There is a Title Bar at the top, under which there is a Menu Bar and a Tool Bar. The remaining screen is divided into 3 areas: the Section List, the Phrase List and the Monitoring Display area.

The Section List is immediately under the main toolbar and stretches across the entire width of the application window. The Phrase List and the Monitoring Display areas are both below the Section list, with the Phrase List on the left and the Monitoring Display on the right. Each of the main items on the screen is described in more detail below.



5.1.1 Menu Bar

This has 7 items. From left to right, these are: File, Edit, Move, Control, Tool, Option and Help. Keyboard navigation of the Menu Bar and the associated drop-down menus conforms to normal Windows standards. A full list of the items on each drop down menu is given at Appendix B. A list of the available short cut keystrokes is given at Appendix C.

5.1.2 Main Toolbar

This toolbar contains icons for features that affect the project as a whole and also the Windows editing features that you would expect to find in most Windows applications. It consists of 13 icons immediately under the Menu Bar. From left to right, these are: New project, Open project, Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo, Recording settings, Build book, CD writing, Find heading, Book information, Storage information and HTML Help. If a mouse pointer is positioned over any of these icons, a text tool tip is displayed to tell you what feature the icon represents. All of these features can be accessed through the menus or by keyboard short cuts as well as from the Toolbar.

5.1.3 Section List

The Section List is split into 7 columns with the following headings: Section, Level, Heading, Phrase, Length, Page, and Comment. When the project contains recorded material, this area will list all the sections in the project. Relevant details for each section will be displayed in the columns to the right of the section number.

5.1.4 Centre Toolbar

Between the Section List and the Phrase List, there is a toolbar which has 8 buttons. Most of the features are for editing the properties of sections or phrases. From left to right, they are: Level up, Level down, Section creation, Group, Page, Mark, Recording mode toggle and Play speed. All features can be accessed using keyboard alternatives.

5.1.5 Phrase List

The phrase List is split into 8 columns with the following headings: Phrase, Length, Pause, Group, Page, Mark, Audio file name and Comment. When the project contains recorded material, this area will list all the phrases in the section which is highlighted in the Section List. Relevant details for each phrase will be displayed in the columns to the right of the phrase number.

5.1.6 Lower Toolbar

Under the Phrase List, there is a third toolbar with 7 icons. This toolbar can be used to control the playing and recording of the project. From left to right, the icons are: First phrase, Previous phrase, Play, Next phrase, Last phrase, Stop and Record.

5.1.7 Monitoring Display

Level with the phrase List, at the bottom right corner of the screen, is another box. This lists, vertically, 7 items related to the monitoring of recording and playing levels and the status of the project. From top to bottom, these are: Recording level slider, Playback volume slider, Section information window, Phrase information window, Status window, Recording format and Recorded format.

5.2 Operation from the keyboard

All features of the PRS software can be accessed either by keyboard commands or by using the mouse. Most of the keyboard commands follow the standard Windows pattern, for example, Cut, Copy and Paste use the keystrokes "Control+X", "Control+C" and "Control+V" respectively. This section details some of the most useful keyboard commands. A comprehensive list of keyboard commands is provided at Appendix B & Appendix C.

5.2.1 Tab key

On the main screen, this key will switch the focus from the Section List to the Phrase List and vice versa. If the voice guidance is on, you will hear "Section" or "Phrase" to tell you which list the focus has moved to. Within dialogue boxes, "Tab" or "Shift+Tab" will move you forward or backwards around the dialogue box.

5.2.2 Arrow keys

Within the Section List or the Phrase List, the Arrow keys will move you up or down on the list of sections or phrases. In lists that are in dialogue boxes, they will allow you to change a selection.

5.2.3 F12 or F9 keys

These 2 keys have identical meanings in the PRS software and which one you use is a matter of personal preference. The usage of the keys depends on the situation as follows:

5.2.4 Shift+F1 key

Pressing this key combination when the focus is on the Section List or Phrase List will cause the voice guidance to speak the following items: Input volume (from microphone or other input device), Wave out volume, Section selected, Total number of sections, Phrase selected, Total number of phrases, the Recording format and the Recorded format.

5.2.5 Alt key

This has the standard Windows usage and, when pressed, will take the PC focus to the Menu Bar. If pressed whilst you are on the Menu Bar or in a drop down menu, it will close all drop down menus and return the focus to the Section List or Phrase List.

5.2.6 Control key

This can be used to mute the voice guidance at any time.

5.3 Information about using speech with PRS

The PRS is supplied with a built-in Voice Guidance facility. The text to speech engine used conforms to Microsoft's speech API 4.0. With the speech enabled, it is possible for a totally blind user to use the PRS software independently.

As the built-in speech is likely to clash with other screen reading packages, it is recommended that you turn off other screen readers when launching the PRS software. SHINANOKENSHI is unable to guarantee the proper function of PRS or the built-in voice guidance if you use other screen reading software.

Return to Chapter 5 of ToC

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6 Configuring PRS

This chapter describes how to configure some of the features of the PRS software basic operation. This includes altering the speech and display settings. There is also information on setting up the default folder for recordings and the default CDR/CDRW drive.

6.1 Customising the Voice Guidance feature

After installation of the PRS software, the Voice Guidance will be active with default settings. You may wish to turn off the voice altogether or customise it to your own preferences. This section describes how to make these alterations.

6.1.1 Turning the Voice Guidance "On" or "Off"

The Voice Guidance can be on or off when editing your project. You can also select to have voice guidance turned off during recording so that it is not picked up in the audio. If, however, you turn the voice guidance off during editing, this will also automatically disable it during recording as well. To turn the Voice Guidance on or off, do the following:

6.1.2 Customising the voice options

In order to select a different voice or to adjust the settings such as speed, pitch or volume, do the following:

6.2 Customising the display settings

This section describes how to modify the font size in lists and message boxes.

6.2.1 Modifying the list font size

The list font size affects the size of text in the Section and Phrase Lists on the main screen. To modify the list font, do the following:

6.2.2 Modifying the message font size

The message font will affect the size of text you see in dialogue boxes. To modify the message font, do the following:

6.3 Setting the default folder for recordings

Before working with the software it is worth taking a few moments to decide where you want your PRS projects to be located. PRS allows you to specify a default folder which can be an existing folder or a new one. This section explains how to set the default folder for your system.

6.3.1 Setting an existing folder as the default folder

To set an existing folder to be your default folder, do the following:

6.3.2 Creating a new folder to be the default folder

To create a new folder and set it as the default folder, do the following:

6.4 Selecting the default CD writer

Although you may not require to use the CD writing facility for some time, it is a good idea to configure the software for this at an early stage to avoid unnecessary errors later on. This section details how to set up the software to work with your selected CD writer.

To configure the software to work with your desired CD writer, do the following:

6.5 Exercises for configuring PRS

You have now covered the basic methods of configuring the PRS software. Before continuing, you may wish to practice some of these skills. Exercise 1 in Appendix A gives you some ideas of things to try.

Return to Chapter 6 of ToC

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7 Opening and Creating New Projects

This chapter details how to open existing projects from the hard disk and how to create new projects. It also describes how to open existing completed DAISY books from CD to prepare them for further editing.

7.1 Opening an existing projects

This section of the manual describes how to open an existing PRS project from the hard disk. This can be done when the software is launched or from within the programme after it is loaded. The dialogue box, which appears in both cases, is identical.

The 2 methods of opening an existing project are detailed below. Following this the dialogue box itself is described.

7.1.1 Method 1 - if you are not already in the PRS software

7.1.2 Method 2 - if you are already using the PRS software

7.1.3 Description of the "Open" dialogue box

Both methods above will cause the "Open" dialogue box to appear. It has 6 elements and can be navigated by pressing the "Tab" key to move forwards or "Shift+Tab" to move backwards. The 6 elements are as follows:



7.2 Creating a new project

This section of the manual describes how to create a new PRS project. This can be done when the software is launched or from within the programme after it is loaded. The series of dialogue boxes, which appear in both cases, are identical.

The 2 methods of creating a new project are detailed below. Following this the 3 dialogue boxes themselves are described in the order that they appear.

7.2.1 Method 1 - if you are not already in the PRS software

7.2.2 Method 2 - if you are already using the PRS software

7.2.3 Description of the "Recording Format" dialogue box

The first dialogue box to appear is the "Recording Format" dialogue. This is used to specify the recording format you wish to use in the new project. It has 3 elements and can be navigated by pressing the "Tab" key to move forwards or "Shift+Tab" to move backwards. The 3 elements are as follows:



7.2.4 Description of the "Folder Name" dialogue box

The second of the 3 dialogue boxes is the "Folder Name" dialogue. It is used to specify the name and location of the new project folder. It has 6 elements and can be navigated by pressing the "Tab" key to move forwards or "Shift+Tab" to move backwards. The 6 elements are as follows:



7.2.5 Description of the "Book Information" dialogue

The last of the 3 dialogue boxes is the "Book Information" dialogue and is used to enter a range of important information about the original printed book and about the people who have created the DAISY version. This information can be completed at any time during the editing of the project up to the point where the book is built. The dialogue has 11 main elements (apart from the "OK" and "Cancel" buttons) and can be navigated by pressing the "Tab" key to move forwards or "Shift+Tab" to move backwards. The 11 elements are nearly all simple edit boxes for entering textual information.



A brief description of these elements follows:

7.3 Opening an existing book from CD

This section describes how to open a finished DAISY book in order to do further editing. The procedure is useful if you wish to use the PRS to edit a recording that you have created on the Plextalk PTR1/PTR2 portable recorder. The "DAISY Import" feature is similar to the procedure described in this section but it is more versatile. The "DAISY Import" feature is described in detail in Section 14.1 of this manual.

In outline, opening an existing DAISY book involves: locating the required NCC file, setting the correct audio format for the new project (if necessary), selecting the folder where you wish to save the new project and running the import process.

To carry out this process, do the following:

7.4 Exercises for opening projects and existing books

You should now have a good idea of how to open existing projects and books. If you would like to practice these procedures, Exercise 2 in Appendix A sets you some simple tasks.

Return to Chapter 7 of ToC

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8 Navigating and playing projects

This chapter explains how to navigate around your project and how to play sections and phrases. It also explains how to use some of the additional navigation features of the PRS software.

8.1 Navigating sections and phrases

To navigate around the Section or Phrase Lists, do the following:

8.2 Playing sections or phrases

To play or stop a section or phrase, do the following:

8.3 Continuous play

To play continuously, do the following:

8.4 Adjusting playback speed

To adjust the playback speed, do the following:

8.5 Adjusting playback volume

To adjust the playback volume (Wave out volume), do the following:

8.6 Getting section and phrase information

This section describes how to obtain section and phrase information.

To acquire section or phrase information, do the following:

8.7 Searching for heading text

A section heading is the text associated with the section. The heading information can be used to search for a section in the project.

To search for heading text, do the following:

8.8 Jumping to Pages

To jump forwards or backwards to the next page, do the following:

8.9 Jumping to Groups

To jump forwards or backwards to the next group, do the following:

8.10 Jumping to Marks

To jump forwards or backwards to the next mark, do the following:

8.11 Jumping to Events

To jump forwards or backwards to the next event, do the following:

8.12 Exercises in playing and moving around a project

You should now have a good knowledge of how to move around a project and play sections and phrases. Exercise 3 in Appendix A gives you an opportunity to try out these skills in a real project.

Return to Chapter 8 of ToC

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9 Recording

This chapter details how to set up your computer and software to make a recording.

9.1 Checking the Volume Control options for the computer

Before trying to record a project, it is worth checking the Volume Control settings within your operating system. You will need to ensure that the devices that you intend to use for recording, such as the microphone or line in sockets on your sound card, have been activated in the Windows Volume Controls. If this has not been done, you will not be able to record in the PRS software. For further information on how to make these checks, refer to your Windows Help system.

9.2 Selecting the required input device

Having ensured that your Windows system is properly configured, you now need to set up the PRS to accept audio input from the correct source. You can choose to record from the microphone socket or from the line in socket on your sound card. If you want to make a live recording you would probably want to use your microphone. If you wished to record from another device such as a cassette player or CD player, you would use the Line in option.

To set up the PRS software for either of these input sources, do the following:

9.3 Confirmation of the storage information

Either before or after recording, you may wish to check the recording capacity of your system. This section details how to acquire information such as the recording format, the recorded time, the disk space used, the available recording time and the available disk capacity.

To acquire the storage information, do the following:

9.4 Setting up the recording functions

Several recording features can be customised by the producer of the DAISY project. These include the phrase pause time, noise level, section pause time, whether to create a new audio file or not, time to stop recording and the recording speed. This section outlines the purposes of each of these settings and how to make changes.

To access the "Recording Function" dialogue box, do the following:

9.4.1 Phrase pause time

The phrase pause time is the amount of silence that the PRS software will accept before automatically creating a new phrase. Pause times can be set in increments of 0.1 seconds, in the range 0.1 seconds to 1.0 seconds. The default setting on installation is 0.4 seconds.

9.4.2 Noise level

The noise level is the level of background noise. If this is high, PRS will find it difficult to split phrases and the recording will be one long phrase. If there is no background noise, you may end up with too many phrases. PRS offers you 10 noise levels, from -20dB to -40dB. The default setting is normal. If the background noise is high, set this option to "High" and if there is no background noise, set the option to "Low". Low noise levels are typically around -40 dB, normal noise level is around -28 dB and High noise level is around -20 dB.

9.4.3 Section pause time

The section pause time is the amount of silence that PRS will allow before automatically creating a new section and continuing to record. This is particularly useful when recording from tape cassettes and other media as it can greatly reduce the editing time required. The Section Pause time can be set in increments of 1 second in the range of 1 second up to 5 seconds. This setting can be ignored if set to "Nothing". The default setting is "Nothing".

Note: The Section Pause time is only valid in "Overwrite" recording mode.

9.4.4 Create a new audio file

This setting allows you to specify if PRS should take a new audio file when a new section is created. The default setting is "Yes". If you are recording in a location where the recording level is low such as in a conference or lecture room, set this setting to "No" and you should be able to record the low levels.

9.4.5 Time to stop recording

This setting would generally be used when recording from cassette or other device. The setting can be used to specify an amount of silence after which the recording will stop automatically. The available settings are 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes and 5 minutes. This setting can be ignored if set to "Nothing". The default setting is "Nothing".

9.4.6 Recording speed

This can be set to "Normal" (1x) or "Double" (2x) speed and is useful if you have a cassette player or other device which can play at double speed. This will half the time to record from that device. For normal use, set this to "Normal" and set it to "Double" if using a device capable of playing at double speed.

9.4.7 Remove DC offset

This option may help to reduce static noise from DC power sources. Noise of this kind can cause problems with phrase detection and it is recommended that, if you have tried changing the "Noise Level" options without success, you should try this option. There are 2 settings, "On" and "Off". The default setting is "Off".

9.4.8 Sound Boost

This option makes recording volume larger as selected decibel. Please enable this option when input volume of the sound device can not achieve the level you want. However, if sound contains certain noise, please turn off sound boost because sound boost amplifies the noise as well.

9.4.9 Open folder when new creation and "Select Folder"

By using these 2 elements, you can specify a default folder for all project recordings. These were described in more detail earlier in the manual.

9.5 Selecting the recording mode

Within the PRS software, there are 2 recording modes that can be used. These are "Overwrite" and "Punch-in" modes. This section explains the meaning of these modes and describes how to select the desired mode for recording.

9.5.1 Changing recording mode

To change from "Overwrite" to "Punch-in" mode or vice versa, do the following:

9.5.2 Recording in "Overwrite" mode

"Overwrite" mode allows the producer to overwrite the whole of a specified section, from the selected phrase onwards, regardless of how long the original section was or how long the new recording is. The new recording will overwrite all phrases in the current section from the selected phrase onwards. It will not overwrite audio in the following sections!

To record in "Overwrite" mode, do the following:

9.5.3 Recording in "Punch-in" mode

"Punch-in" mode enables the producer to insert audio at the selected location, without overwriting any audio. It can also be used to overwrite specified phrases in the selected section.

To record in "Punch-in" mode, do the following:

9.6 Adjusting the recording volume

When making a recording it is important that the recording volume is neither too high nor too low. If it is too high, the recording will be "clipped" and the recording may well be distorted to listen to. If the recording volume is too low, it may be difficult to hear. In both these cases, the phrase detection may not work properly.

You should be aiming to record in a middle range to avoid both situations. This section describes how to adjust the recording volume.

To adjust the recording volume, do the following:

9.7 Exercises for practicing recording techniques

You should now have a good understanding of the main issues involved in making a recording with the PRS software. If you would like to try some practical exercises in recording, see Exercise 4 in Appendix A.

Return to Chapter 9 of ToC

Return to ToC

10 Editing

This chapter focuses on how you can edit your project including manipulating the recorded information and structuring in the DAISY features such as pages and groups. At the end of this part of the manual you should be able to record and edit using most of the facilities in the PRS software.

10.1 Selecting multiple sections or phrases

Selecting multiple phrases or sections in a PRS project, is very similar to selecting multiple items in other Windows list boxes. The process is as follows:

10.2 Standard editing commands for phrases and sections

Now that you know how to select single and multiple phrases and sections, it is simple to action a number of the basic editing features of the PRS software. Many of the commands will be familiar from other Windows based programmes. Below is listed some of the most useful commands:

10.3 Editing a section

This part of the manual deals with some of the basic editing commands for working with sections.

10.3.1 Joining sections

To join 2 or more sections together, do the following:

10.3.2 Splitting a section

On occasions it will be necessary to split a section into smaller parts. The procedure to do this is explained below:

10.3.3 Deleting sections

To delete a section, do the following:

10.3.4 Deleting all sections

If you wish to delete all the sections in a project, do the following:

10.3.5 Inserting a new section

If you wish to insert a new empty section, do the following:

10.4 Editing phrases

This section deals with some of the basic commands used for editing phrases.

10.4.1 Joining phrases

10.4.2 Splitting a phrase

On occasion you may wish to split a phrase to break down a long phrase into smaller pieces. This can be done as follows:

10.4.3 Deleting a phrase

To delete a phrase, do the following:

10.4.4 Deleting all phrases

If you need to, you can delete all the phrases in a selected section. This can be done as follows:

10.5 Undoing editing

Similar to a word processor, PRS allows you to undo previous edits. You can undo the previous 10 edits in reverse order. In the event that you wish to undo editing, do the following:

10.6 Editing the section properties

For every section in the project, there are 2 pieces of information that will always be present. These are the section heading and the section level. Assuming that you have not previously made alterations to a section's properties, the default text for every heading will be "Heading" and the default level will be Level 1. Although you can leave these unaltered, the information in the section properties is much more meaningful if it is customised to suit the particular project. It also makes it possible to search for particular sections by use of the heading text.

The information can be modified either manually, one section at a time, or by using the "ToC Import" feature of the PRS software. This feature will be discussed in the next chapter of this manual.

The section properties contains the information that makes up the Table of Contents for the DAISY project. This section describes how to edit the section properties manually. Manual editing is likely to be used when there are only a small number of sections in the project or when there is only a small amount of editing required.

10.6.1 Editing the section heading

To edit a section's heading, do the following:

10.6.2 Editing the section level

Every section in a PRS project can be assigned a level from 1 to 6. Level 1 is the highest level of navigation and Level 6 is the lowest. The default setting for a new section is Level 1. You may wish to alter the assigned level for a section, in order to make the navigation of your project more specific. This section details how to raise or lower the section levels.

To raise the level for a section, do the following:

10.7 Setting and removing page information

The PRS software allows you to specify phrases in the project that are to be marked as "pages". The page marker adds extra navigation functionality to the DAISY project. This can be particularly useful where the original text does not have many other natural break points, such as novels, which may only have chapters and paragraphs. It is also very useful in reference works as a means to find information quickly.

The PRS software allows you to use 4 types of page coding as follows: Auto page, Manual page, Front page and Special page.

This section explains each of the page codings and how to use them.

10.7.1 Auto page numbering

The auto page numbering feature allows you to place page codes on phrases in your project. Having inserted these page codes, they will automatically number themselves according to their position relative to the other page codes. The first code will become Page 1, the second will be Page 2 and so on. There is no need to enter specific page numbers.

To enter an automatic page code, do the following:

10.7.2 Manual page numbering

You can choose to enter a specified page number rather than using the automatic page numbering. You might want to do this in various situations, for example, if you are creating a DAISY version of only part of the original text and want the page numbers to still match the original.

To enter a manual page number, do the following:

10.7.3 Front page option

In printed books, the pages before the main content of the book are often numbered with Roman style numbering such as "i", "ii", "iii", "iv" and so on. You can use the "Front Page" option in the PRS software to enter this type of page numbering in your DAISY project, in order to match the original text.

To enter a "Front" page code, do the following:

10.7.4 Special page option

The special page option can be used to specify non-standard page numbering such as "1-34" or "1-iv", where the hyphen "-" is used to separate numbers which can be standard numbers or Roman numerals.

To set a "Special" page code, do the following:

10.7.5 Removing page codes from a phrase

If you wish to remove the page coding from a phrase, do the following:

10.7.6 Deleting all page codes from the project

If you wish to delete all the page codes from the project, do the following:

10.8 Setting and removing group information

A group code can be specified for any phrase in a project apart from the first phrase in any section. You may wish to use this code for marking the first phrase in a paragraph, a note, a warning or safety related item or for other items such as tables or pictures. Essentially this code can be used by the project producer as a 'wild card' type of coding.

To set the group code on a phrase, do the following:

10.8.1 Setting the group code in the phrase properties

10.8.2 Setting the group code directly

10.8.3 Removing the group coding

To remove the group coding from a phrase, do the following:

10.9 Marks

Marks are a method by which the producer of the project can easily find a particular phrase in the project. Essentially it is a way of tagging the phrase for future attention.

To set a mark on a phrase, do the following:

10.9.1 Inserting a mark using the phrase properties

10.9.2 Inserting a mark directly

10.9.3 Removing a mark

To remove the mark coding from a phrase, do the following:

10.9.4 Deleting all marks from the project

If you wish to delete all the marks from the project in one operation, do the following:

10.10 Setting page, group or mark codes whilst recording

If you wish to insert the page, group or mark codes whilst you are recording, simply press "P", "G" or "M" respectively at the appropriate place in the recording.

Note: This method is recommended for advanced users only.

10.11 Comments

In order that the producer of the DAISY project can make notes for a section or phrase, this software provides the "Comment" element in the section or phrase properties dialogue box. This may be used to store information about a section or phrase that will be referred to later or further guide the editing of it. The comment text can also be used as an additional way of navigating the project before it is finished. Comment information does not affect the final DAISY book in any way.

10.11.1 Adding a comment to a section's properties

To add or edit a comment for a section, do the following:

10.11.2 Deleting a comment from the section properties

To delete a comment from a section properties, do the following:

10.11.3 Deleting all comments from the project

If you wish to delete all comments from the entire project, do the following:

10.12 Exercises in editing a project

This chapter has covered most of the basic editing commands of the PRS software. If you would like to practice some of these skills, Exercise 5 in Appendix A gives you this opportunity.

Return to Chapter 10 of ToC

Return to ToC

11 Creating and Editing the Table of Contents

The Table of Contents is a collation of the information held in the "Section Properties" dialogue boxes. This information can be created or edited before or after making the recording. The method selected will depend on the way the recording is made. For example, if you are creating a DAISY version of a printed book, you may choose to set up the Table of Contents first and then record the audio directly into your project. If you wish to make a recording on location somewhere and then create a DAISY book with this audio, you would tend to make the recording first, import the audio into your new project and then edit the structure and the Table of Contents.

In the previous chapter you learned how to edit the heading, level and comment information in the "Section Properties" dialogue box. This chapter describes how to create the appropriate files for use with the "ToC Import" feature. It also details how to run the import when the file has been created.

The "ToC Import" feature of the PRS software allows for the import of 3 file formats. The information that can be imported will depend on the file format chosen. Each format is discussed in detail below.

11.1 ToC (Table of Contents)

The format for a ToC file to be used in the import process is HTML. Relevant files will have a ".HTML" or ".HTM" file extension. Within the file there will be a list of the headings, each of which has been marked up for the appropriate heading level. For example, the HTML code for a simple Table of Contents might look like the following:

<html>
<head></head>
<body>
<h1>Chapter 1</h1>
<h2>Section 1.1</h2>
<h2>Section 1.2</h2>
<h3>Sub Section 1.2.1</h3>
<h3>Sub Section 1.2.2</h3>
<h1>End of Book</h1>
</body>
</html>

If viewed in a web browser, this would simply look like a list of headings of the correct level. In order to create this file, you can use an HTML editing software, manually code the information into a text editor or you can type the text in a word processor and save the file in HTML format. Either way the file should be saved with a "HTML" or "HTM" file extension.

In addition, if you specify an existing "NCC.HTML" or "NCC.HTM" file as the source file for the import, any book information which is stored in the meta data of the file, will be imported along with the heading and level information.

Note: If you use a word processor, ensure that each heading is on a separate line and that the appropriate style is selected. For example, If a heading is to be Level 1 in the DAISY project, you should use the style "Heading 1" and so on.

11.2 CSV (Comma Separated Variables)

The CSV format allows you to import level, heading and comment information directly into the section properties. You do not have to specify a comment for each section - if no comment is appropriate, simply leave this entry blank. The level and heading information, however, must be included.

One way to create the source file in CSV format would be to use a spread sheet package and then "Save as" "CSV" format. To ensure the correct result after the ToC Import, please note that the first column used should contain the level information and the second column should have the heading text. Once saved in CSV format, the equivalent file for the example above would look like:

1, Chapter 1, Appropriate comment if required
2, Section 1.1, Appropriate comment if required
2, Section 1.2, Appropriate comment if required
3, Sub Section 1.2.1, Appropriate comment if required
3, Sub Section 1.2.2, Appropriate comment if required
1, End of Book, Appropriate comment if required

You could also create the appropriate file for CSV import using a text editor and type the information as above with the information for each section on a new line. Once typed, save the file as a text file ensuring that you give the file a ".CSV" file extension.

11.3 TXT (Text)

This format is the least flexible import format and will only allow the heading information to be imported. Level information cannot be imported using this format.

In order to prepare a text file for use with the "ToC Import" feature, type your heading information on separate lines in a text editor and save the file with an appropriate name and with a ".TXT" file extension. The text file for the example project above would look like:

Chapter 1
Section 1.1
Section 1.2
Sub Section 1.2.1
Sub Section 1.2.2
End of Book

11.4 Running the "ToC Import" process

Having prepared the necessary file, you can import the information, either before or after making the recording, as follows:

11.4.1 Importing the Table of Contents before recording

In order to run the "ToC Import" feature before recording, do the following:

11.4.2 Importing the Table of Contents into an existing project

This procedure is exactly the same as in the previous section except that more care has to be taken. When the recording already exists, you should ensure the following before importing a Table of Contents:

11.5 Exercises in working with Tables of Contents (ToC)

Exercise 6 in Appendix A gives you a chance to try working with a variety of ToC formats and the "ToC Import" feature.

Return to Chapter 11 of ToC

Return to ToC

12 Building the book

Having completed all the recording and editing of the project, there is one final process which must be carried out before CD writing. This is called "Building the Book". This chapter details how to run the "Build Book" process and the changes that this makes to the PRS project.

"Build Book" process has two purposes, one is make project as DAISY2.02 compliant book, and the other one is clean up audio files. Clean up process deleting unnecessary part of audio files, and justifying one audio file corresponding to one smile file.

12.1 How to run the "Build Book" process

To run the "Build Book" process, do the following:

12.2 Outline of the alterations involved in the "Build Book" process

During the "Build Book" process, the PRS software makes a number of alterations to the files that you will find in the project folder. The main alterations are as follows:

13 Creating the CD

The process of creating the new DAISY book is complete but the information must now be saved to CD. You can either choose to save the book as a "Master" copy or as a "Distribution" copy. The master CD will contain all the files which have been used in creating the project whereas the distribution CD will only have the finished audio files, the relevant ".HTML" files and the ".SMIL" files.

This Chapter explains how to create the final CD and how the CD writing options affect the way in which the CD can be used afterwards.

In order to run the CD writing process, there are 2 stages as follows:

13.1 Configuring PRS for your CD writer

If you have not already done so when you first set up PRS , you need to configure the software to know which CD writer you wish to use.

To configure the software to work with your desired CD writer, do the following:

13.2 Writing the CD

To start the CD writing process, do the following:

13.3 Explanation of the CD writing dialogue box

The four main elements in the CD writing dialogue box are detailed below with their functions:

13.3.1 Select writing speed

The range of options offered in this box will depend on the selected CD writer. Use the "Up" and "Down" Arrow keys to make your selection.

13.3.2 Purpose of use

This can be set to "Master Project" or "Distribution Copy". For the master copy, all the project files, including the intermediate files, will be saved onto the CD. The distribution copy CD will only contain the basic set of files required to play the DAISY book. A master project CD will be able to be opened directly by the PRS software. In order to edit a distribution copy CD book, the DAISY Import function would need to be used.

13.3.3 Select last session

This option allows you to select between "Valid" or "Invalid". The "Last session" referred to is the previous CD writing session or sessions on the CD you intend to write to. If this option is set to "Valid" you will be able to view all previous sessions and the current session when viewed on a computer. You will also be able to access all previously written sessions on the Plextalk PTR1/PTR2 and on other DAISY players. If you select "Invalid" you will only be able to see the most recent session on a computer or any other player. Essentially, by setting this option to "Valid" you will be able to create multiple book CDs whereas the "Invalid" option will leave only the current book 'visible' on the CD. The "Discinfo.html" file will be adjusted by the software to suit your selection.

Note: When you select "Valid" to create a multiple book CD, the books will be automatically listed alphabetically.

13.3.4 Post editing by Plextalk portable recorder

This can be set to "On" or "Off". If set to "On", the book will be able to be edited after running the preparation for editing process on the Plextalk PTR1/PTR2. If set to "Off", no further editing will be possible on the Plextalk PTR1/PTR2.

Exercises in finishing the project and writing a CD.

Before looking at any of the more advanced features, you may wish to try completing the process of creating your own DAISY book CD. Exercise 7 in Appendix A sets this challenge.

Return to Chapter 13 of ToC

Return to ToC

14 Additional Features of PRS

The PRS software contains a number of additional functions which enhance the way in which you can work with DAISY projects. This chapter details the features that have not been covered earlier in this manual.

14.1 DAISY import

On occasion you may wish to work on a DAISY book that you prepared earlier or that has been supplied to you by someone else. You may want to edit the content, modify the structure or update the DAISY content from DAISY2.0 to DAISY2.02 format. You may also wish to combine a number of DAISY books into a single book. The first part of the process, for any of these situations, is to know how to import the original book. The "DAISY Import" feature allows you to do this in a simple way.

To import an existing DAISY book into an existing or new PRS project, do the following:

14.2 Audio Import

The PRS software enables you to easily import audio files for use in a DAISY project. As the files are imported, the pause detection process is applied in order to split the audio automatically into phrases. Once imported, the audio can then be edited in the normal way.

In order to import an existing audio file into a PRS project, do the following:

14.3 Audio Export

The "Audio Export" feature allows you to convert the audio format of an existing DAISY project to an audio format you specify. This is done by creating a new DAISY project which has your chosen audio format, whilst the existing project remains unaffected.

"Audio Export" function deleting unnecessary part of audio files including MP3 format.

To run the "Audio Export" process, do the following:

14.4 Text Import

This feature enables you to create a DAISY project from a source text file. The "Text Import" process converts the text into synthesized speech which becomes the audio files for the project.

To run the "Text Import" process, do the following:

14.5 Detecting the pause time

This is a simple feature of the PRS software. It enables you to check what the pause time is for phrases in your project. Sometimes this is not displayed, for example, after a "DAISY Import" no pause time will be displayed in the phrase properties. Running the "Detecting the Pause Time" feature will display the information.

To run the "Detecting the Pause Time" process, do the following:

14.6 Exercises for the additional features of PRS

This chapter has covered a number of the more advanced features of the PRS software. If you wish to practice some of these, see Exercise 8 in Appendix A for some ideas.

Return to Chapter 14 of ToC

Return to ToC

APPENDICES

Appendix A - Sample Exercises

This appendix gives you a series of exercises to try out as you progress through the PRS manual. Detailed instructions for each task are not given here but, at times, some useful hints are given. If you feel you need more detailed information, you can return to the chapter which relates to the exercise and read the relevant sections again.

Copies of the exercises are also available on the "PTR1/PTR2 User's Guide" CD in the folder called "PRS\Sample Projects\Documents".

It is hoped that you will find the exercises to be a useful addition to the manual and that they help you to reinforce your understanding and enjoyment of the product as you learn.

Exercise 1 - Configuring PRS

This exercise will give you practice at configuring the PRS software including the Voice Guidance, the display settings, Default folder for recording and selecting a CDR or CDRW drive.

a. First of all you need to launch your PRS software. Go ahead and do this now. Remember that you can either use the "Plextalk Recording Software" icon on the Desktop or by selecting it from the Windows Start Menu

When you get to the first dialogue box, select "New" from the list and then press "Enter" to accept the suggested recording format. At the next dialogue, just enter a simple folder name and press "Enter". Press "enter" again to accept the creation of the temporary folder. One final press of the "Enter" key will allow you to bypass the book information for now, leaving you in a new empty project.

b. Once in the software, try turning off and on the Voice Guidance feature. (Hint: "Voice Guidance" on the "Option" menu). Double check that you have succeeded by trying to navigate the menu system or main screen. If you have turned off the Voice Guidance, also note that the "F12" and "F9" keys have no effect.

c. Before trying the next task, you will have to make sure that you have turned on the Voice Guidance following the previous one. Set the voice to be "Mary" with a pitch of 200, speed of 150 and volume of 100. (Hint: try selecting the "Selection of the TTS engine" option on the "Option" menu). Once you have successfully managed to alter these settings, reset the voice back to its original settings by using the "Default" button.

Finally, go back to the same dialogue box and select a voice that you wish to keep as your default voice. Set the pitch, speed and volume to suit your preferences and save the settings.

d. Now try adjusting the list and message fonts. Have a go at changing both of these settings. (Hint: Try the "Option" menu and look for "List font size" and "Message font size"). Try setting these to the largest and smallest option offered and see how this affects the on screen information.

e. The next task is to set up a default folder for all your PRS projects. By using the "Select folder" button in the "Recording Function" dialogue box, now go ahead and try to set up a completely new folder in your "My Documents" folder which is called "PRSProjects". (Hint: You can access the "Recording Function" dialogue box from the "Recording" option on the "Option" menu. Remember to select the parent folder and then press the "Add New Folder" button before typing in the new folder name).

f. The last task in Exercise 1 is to select a valid CDR or CDRW drive for writing to later on. Go ahead now and try to set up your preferred drive as the default drive for the PRS software. (Hint: Try selecting the "CDR Drive" option from the "Option" menu).

If you had difficulty with any of the tasks, try reading Chapter 6 again.

Exercise 2 - Opening projects and CD books

This exercise aims to give you practice in opening existing projects or books and creating new blank projects. Before starting this exercise, place the "PTR1/PTR2 User's Guide" CD in your CD drive.

On the CD there is a folder called "PRS\Sample Projects\Samples" which contains 5 versions of the same project in different stages of production. The folders are called "AfterBuild", "BeforeBuild", "DistributionCD", "MasterCD" and "Synthesized". Before starting this exercise, you may find it useful to browse this folder and familiarise yourself with the files in the various locations. You will probably note that many of the folders have similar files but there are important differences. These will be highlighted during this exercise.

a. Opening an existing project. Try to open the project in the "Samples\BeforeBuild" folder. You can either do this as you launch the PRS software by choosing "Open" from the initial dialogue box or by using "Open" from the "File" menu. (Hint: You are looking for a file called "NCC.IMDN" because you are looking for a project file not a finished book file).

You can confirm that you have successfully opened the project by pressing the "Left Arrow" key. You should hear the words "Bogmoor Amateur Athletics Club" spoken.

b. Creating a new project. Having successfully opened the existing project, you now decide to create a new project altogether. Without exiting from the PRS software, try to create a new project and call it "TestProject1". Remember that, if you have created a default folder earlier, your new project will be saved into this folder unless you specify a different location. (Hint: Select "New" from the "File" menu or press "Control+N").

Set the audio format to be "MP3 64 kbps Mono" and complete the "Book Information" with fictional information of your choice. Leave the "Identifier" element empty for now.

Now exit the PRS software and re-launch it. At the opening dialogue box, select to open a project and select the project that you just created. You should see that this project has been selected automatically. PRS always assumes that you want to continue working on the last used project.

c. Opening a finished book from CD. If you feel happy opening existing projects, try opening a finished DAISY book from CD. This is very similar to opening an existing project except that you have to locate a file called "NCC.HTML" or "NCC.HTM". You will also be required to specify a new project name because the only way to edit an existing DAISY book is to copy the information onto the hard drive and create a new project. Information on a finalised CDR cannot be modified.

Try to open the finished book which is located in the "PRS\Sample Projects\Samples\DistributionCD\AfterBuild" folder on your sample CD. When prompted to give this a new project name, give it the name "TestProject2". Remember to set the "Files of Type" setting in the "Open" dialogue box to the correct type of file).

If you had difficulty with any of the tasks, try reading Chapter 7 again.

Exercise 3 - Playing and navigating in projects

This exercise is all about navigating around a PRS project. First of all, open the project called "TestProject2" which you created in the previous exercise. This should be located in your default folder. Once you have opened this project, try the following tasks:

a. Try switching from the Section List to the Phrase List. Examine how the Phrase List changes according to which section is highlighted. (Hint: Try using the "Tab" key).

b. Use your arrow keys to navigate up and down on the Section List and the Phrase List, listening to what is spoken as you move. Try to locate the section that begins with the words "4.1 Competitions". Count how many phrases are in this section of the project (the answer should be 8).

c. Try moving to the start of the project and start listening to the project in continuous play mode. Periodically stop the playback and then re-start it. (Hint: "F5" to start and "Spacebar" to stop).

d. Adjust the playback speed and volume using the relevant function keys. (Hint: "F3" for volume and "F6" for speed. Remember that "Shift" with these keys reduces the volume or speed).

e. Use the heading search facility to find the heading containing the word "Competent". This should take you to the "Any Other Competent Business" section. Remember to press "Escape" to exit from the search facility after finding the section.

f. This project has been coded with page, group and mark codes. Use the relevant navigation keys to move around the document to find these codes. Try to find out how many pages are in this project. The group code has been used to indicate the items on the Treasurer's summary of the income and expenditure. Use the group codes to find how much money is still due in membership fees. How many marks has the producer of the project left in this title? (Hint: If you can't remember the keyboard commands for these navigation items, look on the "Move" drop down menu).

You should find 3 page codes and the outstanding membership fees come to 150 pounds. There are 4 marks coded into this project.

Also note that the phrase which mentioned the outstanding membership fees is coded with both the page and group codes.

g. Try using the event jump command to navigate backwards and forwards through the project. Remember that an event can be any of the following: the first phrase in a section, a phrase marked with a page code and a page marked with a group code. Phrases coded with the mark code do not count as events.

If you had difficulty with any of the tasks, try reading Chapter 8 again.

Exercise 4 - Recording

In this exercise you will try out some of the basic recording features to create your own first project. However, before you start recording, there are a few checks to carry out.

a. Ensure that you have connected a microphone to the correct socket on your sound card. Also check that the Windows Volume Controls are set correctly for accepting audio input from the microphone. If you are not sure of how to do this, you should seek help from the Windows Help system.

b. Open the project you created earlier called "TestProject1". This should still be an empty project with no recorded audio.

c. Now set PRS to accept input from the microphone. (Hint: Try the "Selection of the Recording Volume Control" option on the "Control" menu). This should be set to "Microphone".

d. Before recording it is usually sensible to check out the available resources. Check what available resources you currently have on your system. (Hint: Use the "Storage Information" option on the "Tool" menu). Remember to OK the dialogue box when you have reviewed the data.

e. Now set up the "Recording Function" dialogue box with the following settings: Phrase pause time=0.3 seconds, Noise level=Normal, Section pause time=Nothing, Create a new audio file=Yes, Time to stop recording=Nothing, Record speed=Normal speed and Remove DC Offset=Off . (Hint: Use the "Recording" option on the "Option" drop down menu).

f. Set your PRS software to be in "Overwrite" mode. (Hint: Try using the "F7" key).

g. Ensure that your microphone is turned on and set the software into "Test Recording" mode. Check that your recording level is in an acceptable range and then start recording. (Hint: Use "F8" to start the process and "F4" key to adjust the recording volume). Try to record about 3 or 4 minutes of audio. You may wish to read from a document or book. As you record new audio, you should see the phrase splitting working. This will be clear from the lower section of the main screen as the Phrase List starts to grow. When you have recorded a reasonable section of audio, stop recording (Hint: Use "Spacebar").

h. Check through your new project and observe how the phrase detection process has worked. If the phrases are very short, you probably need to increase the phrase pause time. If the phrases are very long, you may need to reduce it.

i. Make any adjustments that you think might be necessary to the pause time in the "Recording Function" dialogue box. Move your highlight to a phrase somewhere in the middle of your recording. Choose a new piece of text to record and select "Punch in" recording mode. Press "F8" to bring up the Punch in dialogue box. Leave this set to "Nothing" and press "Enter". You should now be in "Test Recording" mode - adjust the recording level to suit. Press "F8" again to start recording and read some of your new piece of text. Again the phrases in the new recording should start to appear on the Phrase List. Stop recording after a minute or two.

j. Try navigating through your project. You should observe that the new audio has been entered into the middle of the original recording.

If you had difficulty with any of the tasks, try reading Chapter 9 again.

Exercise 5 - Editing projects

This exercise is to get you used to manipulating sections and phrases in a PRS project. Remember that much of the editing is very similar to word processing in terms of selecting and some of the basic commands like cut, copy, paste and undo. Initially we will use the project that you created in Exercise 4 so do not worry about making mistakes, as the project is not important and was created to be used for experimentation.

a. First, spend some time moving around the project and observe how the phrase detection has worked. It is always useful to get an idea of how well this has worked in a project because, particularly for short documents, it is sometimes easier to re-record the project rather than spend a relatively long time editing it. For the purposes of this exercise, we will assume that it has worked reasonably well.

b. Try to select individual phrases and use the cut, copy and paste commands to move phrases around the project or delete them entirely. Try repeating these commands for multiple phrases. (Hint: Select multiple phrases by holding down "Shift" whilst pressing "Up" or "Down" Arrow keys).

c. Work your way through the Phrase List and create new sections at parts of the recording where you think it might be appropriate to have a new section start. This might be the start of a new paragraph or heading in the original document. If you do not think that there are any obvious splitting positions, just choose some phrases and create a new section at that location. (Hint: Use the "Control+Q" command and remember that you cannot create a new section if you are on the first phrase in the current section). Try to create around 5 sections in your project.

d. Now use the cut, copy and paste commands on the newly created sections. Observe how similar this process is to working with phrases.

e. Having made a few edits, try undoing some of these. (Hint: Use "Control+Z" and remember you can undo the last 10 edits).

f. Select a number of phrases or sections and try to join them together. (Hint: Use "Control+J" in both cases). Check that the sections or phrases have joined correctly by playing them.

g. Try to find a phrase which appears to be longer than you would like. Split this phrase into 2 phrases at a sensible location. (Hint: Use "Control+P" followed by your "Left" and "Right" Arrow keys). Try to observe how the position in the phrase can be moved backwards or forwards through the phrase and how the phrase will play from that point onwards. Remember to press "Enter" when you think you have selected the correct location for the split.

h. Insert a new blank section into the Section List at a position of your choice. (Hint: Use "Shift+Insert"). Record some new audio into this section using "Overwrite" mode.

i. For the next part of this exercise, re-load the "TestProject2" project that you saved earlier. On the Section List, select the section called "3. Reports from the Committee". Press "Enter" to view the section properties dialogue box. Tab around this box to see what the level and heading text is for this section. In this case, you should see that the level is Level 2 and the heading text is "Reports from the Committee". Move to the next section by pressing "Alt+Right Arrow" and observe the same information for this section. This time the level is Level 3 and the heading text is "President's Report". Move to other sections and check the properties. Remember that you can press "F12" or "F9" to hear the section properties spoken by the Voice Guidance system.

j. Use the page or group jump command to move to he phrase "Memberships still due 150 pounds". Examine the phrase properties of this phrase. You should observe that both the "Page" and "Group" options are selected. Try unchecking these 2 check boxes and press "Enter". Move to the top of the recording and try to navigate back to this phrase using the page or group jump commands. Neither of these should now work because the codings have been removed.

k. To reset these 2 codes, navigate to the "Treasurer's Report" on the Section List and then switch to the Phrase List. Move down the list until you find the phrase called "Memberships still due 150 pounds". Re-apply the page and group codes by pressing "P" and "G" respectively. You should now be able to use the page and group jump commands once again. Also try pressing "F12" or "F9" to hear the Voice Guidance read the properties for the phrase.

l. In order to demonstrate the simplicity of removing all page and group codes from the entire project, go ahead and do this now. (Hint: Use the "Delete all pages" and "Delete all groups" options from the "Edit" menu). Verify that this has worked after carrying out both commands.

m. If you are happy that this worked properly, undo both of these commands to return the page and group codes to the project.

n. Add comments to 3 sections of your choice. Do not worry about the relevance of the comment text as long as it is recognisable. (Hint: Do this in the section properties dialogue box for each section). Check that you have added the text correctly by reviewing the section properties after entering the text.

o. Remove all the comment text from the project using a single command. (Hint: Use the "Delete all comments" option from the "Edit" drop down menu.

If you had difficulty with any of the tasks, try reading Chapter 10 again.

Exercise 6 - Working with Tables of Contents

This exercise is to give you the chance to see the advantages of importing a Table of Contents into a PRS project rather than editing the section properties manually. A number of sample Tables of Contents have been supplied in the folder called "PRS\Sample Projects\TablesOfContents" on the "PTR1/PTR2 User's Guide" CD. The 3 files are all called "CommitteeMinutes" but have different file name extensions according to the formats of the files.

a. Load the project called "BeforeBuild" from the "PTR1/PTR2 User's Guide" CD. Observe that this project has only the default section properties for all sections. All sections are set to Level 1 and the heading text for all sections is "Heading". This is not particularly useful information. Editing a larger project manually would take some time.

b. Move to the top of the project and highlight the first section. Now use the "ToC Import" feature to import the "CSV" format file from the "PRS\Sample Projects\TablesOfContents" folder on the "PTR1/PTR2 User's Guide" CD. (Hint: Use the "ToC Import" option on the "Tool" menu). Observe the change in the section property information and how quickly the import process worked.

c. Use Windows Explorer to browse to the "TablesOfContents" folder and examine the contents of the 3 different files. You should observe that they all have the heading text information but the ".HTML" and ".CSV" format files are able to store other information as well.

d. Create a brand new project and call it "TestProject3". Do not enter any book information when the dialogue box appears, simply press the "Enter" key to bypass it at this time. Before any audio is included in the project, try using the "ToC Import" feature to import the ".HTML" version of the Table of Contents. You should observe that this process automatically creates empty sections ready to record the audio into. In addition to creating the required number of sections, the level and heading text information is also created. At this stage you would then have to record and edit the audio and modify the book information. Remember that, if the ".HTML" file is an "NCC.HTML" file, some or all of the book information will have been imported at the same time. Observe the book information that now exists and you will see that the project title and most of the other book information items have been entered automatically.

These short exercises will have shown you the benefits of using the "ToC Import" feature of the software. As mentioned in the manual, which method used will depend on the circumstances of the project.

If you had difficulty with any of the tasks, try reading Chapter 11 again.

Exercise 7 - Building the book and CD writing

This exercise will briefly look at the finishing of the book and writing the project to CD. If you wish to do all these exercises, you will require to have some blank CDR or CDRW disks available.

a. Use Windows Explorer to examine the files in the project folder for the "TestProject2". You should observe that there is no "NCC.HTML" file and probably no smile (.SMIL) files.

b. Load the "TestProject2" project, and run the "Build Book" routine from the "Tool" menu. Re-examine the project folder and several extra files will have appeared. Essentially this means that the folder now contains files that are required for the finished project and the files that were necessary during the creation process.

c. Place a blank disk in the drive you selected as your default drive in Exercise 1. You need to do this before continuing with the CD writing process. If a CD is not found in the designated drive, an "Unknown error" error message will appear. Select the "CD Write" option from the "Tool" drop down menu. Use the dialogue box which appears to set the following: Writing speed=4 times, Project purpose=Master project, Last session=Valid and Post editing by PLEXTALK Portable Recorder=Off.

d. Having set the correct values, press the "OK" button to accept the CD writing options. When the writing process is complete, observe the files that are on the disk. You should note 1 file and one folder. The folder should contain all your normal project files, including both the temporary files and the final book files. This is because the CD was set to be a Master Project CD. This will allow future editing of the project by the PRS software. The second item will be a file called "DISCINFO.HTML". This file is used to give information to DAISY players about the structure of the books in the folder. When there is more than one book, this file stores information on all the books thus acting as a kind of catalogue file.

e. Before writing another copy of the same project to the CD, use the Book Information dialogue to change the title of the project. Perhaps call it "Second attempt" or something similar, but certainly different than the existing title. e. Run the "Build Book" process again.

f. Now call up the CD Write dialogue again and set the options as follows: Writing speed=4 times, Project purpose= Distribution CD, Last session=Valid and Post editing by PLEXTALK Portable Recorder=Off. Go ahead and run the CD writing routine. By choosing to create a Distribution CD, the intention is that end users do not have access to all the files that would be required to immediately edit the file with the PRS software. It could still be edited but would have to be imported using the "DAISY Import" feature before this could happen. When the CD writing is complete, again examine the contents of the newly created folder and the "DISCINFO.HTML" file. This time the project folder should have no intermediate files as there were in the Master project folder. The "DISCINFO.HTML" file should now show a listing for the project with the old name and the new name. The 2 books will be listed alphabetically so do not be too concerned if the second book is listed before the first one.

This exercise should have given you a chance to experiment with some of the processes required to create your final CD.

If you had difficulty with any of the tasks, try reading Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 again.

Exercise 8 - Some advanced features

For the more advanced features of the PRS software, detailed exercises have not been supplied. However, some ideas of things to try are given below:

a. DAISY Import - Try importing several copies of the finished books into a single new project. Call this project "TestProject4". Use the "DAISY Import" feature to achieve this. Use either the "PRS\Sample Projects\Samples\DistributionCD" folder or the "PRS\Sample Projects\Samples\MasterCD" folder for your source books.

When setting up the project initially, set the recording format to be MP3 32 kbps Mono. When running the import, set the audio conversion to be "On".

b. Audio Import - Try importing a small quantity of audio files using the "Audio Import" feature. Create a new project called "TestProject5" for this purpose. You could also try importing more than one file at a time by selecting multiple files prior to running the import.

c. Audio Export - Run the "Audio Export" process to change the recorded format to a different one. You will be asked to specify a new folder name during this process. Call the new project "TestProject6".

d. Text Import - In the "PRS\Sample Projects\Documents" folder on the "PTR1/PTR2 User's Guide" CD there are a number of documents in ".TXT" format. Try using one of these files to run the "Text Import" function of the software. You may need to experiment with the settings for the "Pause time" and the speed of the chosen TTS engine to try to get the phrase detection working well. Because a synthesizer is very regimented in the way it speaks, the results can be excellent. When prompted to do so, name the new project "TestProject7".

On the "PTR1/PTR2 User's Guide" CD, in the folder called "PRS\Sample Projects\Samples\Synthesized", there is an example of a project which was created using the "Text Import" feature. Very little editing was required to this project so compare your results with this one.

If you had difficulty with any of the tasks, try reading Chapter 14 again.

Appendix B - Menu Details

This appendix details all the items which appear on the PRS main menu and sub menus. The information is displayed in a table with 3 columns. Column 1 lists the main menu item with its highlighted letter in parentheses. Column 2 lists the sub menu items and their highlighted letters in parentheses. Column 3 details the short cut keys (if one exists) for the associated sub menu item.

Main Menu

 Sub Menu Short Cut Keys

File (F)

 New (N) Control + N
File (F) Open (O) Control + O
File (F) Exit (X) Alt + F4
Edit (E) Undo (U) Control + Z
Edit (E) Cut (T) Control + X
Edit (E) Copy (C) Control + C
Edit (E) Paste (P) Control + V
Edit (E) Delete (D) Delete
Edit (E) All delete (E) None
Edit (E) All select (L) Control + A
Edit (E) Join (J) Control + M
Edit (E) Split section (O) Control + Q
Edit (E) Split phrase (H) Control + P
Edit (E) Insert section (I) Shift + Insert
Edit (E) Level up (V) F11
Edit (E) Level down (W) Shift + F11
Edit (E) Group (G) G
Edit (E) Page (A) P
Edit (E) Mark (M) M
Edit (E) Delete all pages (S) None
Edit (E) Delete all marks (K) None
Edit (E) Delete all comments (N) None
Edit (E) Property (R) Enter
Move (M) Move top (T) Home
Move (M) Move bottom (B) End
Move (M) Previous group (V) Shift + Left Arrow
Move (M) Next group (X) Shift + Right Arrow
Move (M) Previous page (P) Control + Up Arrow
Move (M) Next page (N) Control + Down Arrow
Move (M) Previous mark (R) Control + Left Arrow
Move (M) Next mark (E) Control + Right Arrow
Move (M) Previous event (I) Shift + F
Move (M) Next event (T) Shift + J
Move (M) Find heading (F) Control + F
Control (C) Play continuously (P) F5
Control (C) Stop (S) Spacebar
Control (C) Record (R) F8
Control (C) Record mode (M) F7
Control (C) Selection of the recording volume control (V)
 None
Control (C) Line (L), Microphone (M) None
Control (C) Play volume mute of selected rec. control (T) None
Control (C) Off (F), On (O) None
Control (C) Speed up (E) F6
Control (C) Speed down (O) Shift + F6
Control (C) Input volume up (U) F4
Control (C) Input volume down (D) Shift + F4
Control (C) Wave out volume up (W) F3
Control (C) Wave out volume down (A) Shift + F3
Control (C) Refresh (F) F10 or Control + L
Tool (T) Build book (B) Control + B
Tool (T) DAISY import (D) None
Tool (T) Audio import (A) None
Tool (T) Text import (T) None
Tool (T) ToC import (O) None
Tool (T) Audio export (E) None
Tool (T) Detecting the pause time (P) None
Tool (T) CD write (W) Control + W
Tool (T) Storage information (S) Control + S
Option (O) Book information (B) Control + I
Option (O) Recording (R) Control + R
Option (O) CD-R drive (D) Control + D
Option (O) Voice guidance (G) None
Option (O) Selection of the TTS engine (S) None
Option (O) List font size (F) None
Option (O) Largest (G), Larger (L), Smaller (S), Smallest (A) None
Option (O) Message font size (M) None
Option (O) Largest (G), Larger (L), Smaller (S), Smallest (A)
 None
Help (H) About (A) F1

Appendix C - Short-cut Details

This appendix details the short cut keys available in the PRS software. These are grouped in 4 tables. The tables relate to different processes as follows:

Commands for Selecting Phrases & Sections

Function
 Shortcut Key
Select top position Home
Select last position End
Select previous Up Arrow
Select next Down Arrow
Page up the list Page UP
Page down the list Page Down
Select first phrase Shift + B
Select last phrase Shift + N
Select first section Shift + T
Select last section Shift + Y
Select previous phrase B
Select next phrase N
Select previous section T
Select next section Y
Select previous page Ctrl + Up Arrow
Select next page Ctrl + Down Arrow
Select previous group Shift + Left Arrow or Shift + G
Select next group Shift + Right Arrow or Shift + H
Select previous mark Ctrl + Left Arrow
Select next mark Ctrl + Right Arrow
Select previous event Shift + F
Select next event Shift + J
Select all list Ctrl + A
Select multi lists Shift + Up Arrow or Shift + Down Arrow
Change list Tab

Commands for Recording & Playback

Function Shortcut Key
Play continuously F5
Play selected phrase (focus phrase list ) Left Arrow or Right Arrow
Play first phrase of selected section (focus section list) Left Arrow or Right Arrow
Recording start F8
Recording start (skip test recording) Shift + F8
Stop Recording/Playback Spacebar
Increase playback speed F6
Decrease playback speed Shift + F6
Change recording mode F7
Increase input volume level F4
Decrease input volume level Shift + F4
Increase wave-out volume level F3
Decrease wave-out volume level Shift + F3
Create Section during recording Insert
Set/cancel group during recording G
Set/cancel auto page during recording P
Set/cancel mark during recording M

Commands for Editing

Function Shortcut Key
Section/Phrase property window Enter
Hierarchical level up F11 or L
Hierarchical level down Shift + F11 or O
Set/cancel group G
Set/cancel page P
Set/cancel mark M
Cut section/phrase Ctrl + X
Copy section/phrase Ctrl + C
Paste section/phrase Ctrl + V
Undo Ctrl + Z
Insert the section Shift + Insert
Delete the sections and phrases Delete
Delete phrase \ (back slash)
Delete section ' (grave accent)
Join sections/phrases Ctrl + M or C
Split section Ctrl + Q or S
Split phrase Ctrl + P or H
Create new project Ctrl + N
Open project
 Ctrl + O

Miscellaneous Commands

Function Shortcut Key
Recording setting Ctrl + R or [ (open bracket)
Find heading Ctrl + F or Ctrl + E
Refresh Ctrl + L or F10
Build book Ctrl + B
Setting of the CD-R drive Ctrl + D
CD writing Ctrl + W
Storage information Ctrl + S
Book information Ctrl + I
About version information F1
Voice guidance for volume levels, position of section/phrase, sound format Shift + F1
Voice guidance for current status F12 or F9
Mute voice guidance Ctrl

Appendix D - Technical Details

Table D1 - List of recommended CDR/CDRW drives

Whilst there are many CDR and CDRW drives which will work with the PRS , SHINANOKENSHI recommends the following drives:\

PLEXTALK Portable Recorder (PTR1 or PTR2)
PX-W1210TA
PX-W1610TA
PX-W2410TA
PX-W4012TA
PX-W4824TA
PX-5224TA
PX-5232TA
PX-320A
PX-504A (*)
PX-S88TU
PX-208U
PX-W2410TU
PX-W4012TU
PX-708A/UF (*)
PX-712A (*)
PX-716A (*)

*Note 1: You cannot write to DVD media on this drive, only to CDR or CDRW media.
Note 2: This list is correct as at July 2004.

Table D2 - List of sample rates and equivalent recording times

SOUND FORMAT

 74 MINUTE MEDIA 80 MINUTE MEDIA
PCM 44.1 kHz Stereo 60 minutes 65 minutes
PCM 44.1 kHz Mono 120 minutes 130 minutes
PCM 22.05 kHz Mono 240 minutes 260 minutes
MP3 256 kbps Stereo, Sampling frequency: 44.1 kHz 5 hours 6 hours
MP3 128 kbps Stereo, Sampling frequency: 44.1 kHz 10 hours 11 hours
MP3 64 kbps Mono, Sampling frequency: 44.1 kHz 20 hours 22 hours
MP3 48 kbps Mono, Sampling frequency: 22.05 kHz 30 hours 32 hours
MP3 32 kbps Mono, Sampling frequency: 22.05 kHz 40 hours 45 hours
MP3 24 kbps Mono, Sampling frequency: 16 kHz 60 hours 64 hours
MP3 16 kbps Mono, Sampling frequency: 16 kHz
 80 hours 90 hours

Table D3 - Audio formats which can be imported by the "DAISY Import" feature

AUDIO FORMAT EXTENSION NAME DETAILS
MPEG1 Layer II mp2, mpg Bitrate: 32 kbps to 384 kbps
Channel: Mono/Stereo/Joint Stereo
MPEG1 Layer III mp3, wav Bitrate: 32 kbps to 320 kbps
Channel: Mono/Stereo/Joint Stereo
MPEG2 Layer II mp2, mpg Bitrate: 8 kbps to 160 kbps
Channel: Mono/Stereo/Joint Stereo
MPEG2 Layer III mp3, wav Bitrate: 8 kbps to 160 kbps
Channel: Mono/Stereo/Joint Stereo
DAISY ADPCM2 wav Quantifying bit number: 4 bits
Channel: Mono
PCM wav Quantifying bit number: 8 bits/16 bits
Channel: Mono/Stereo

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