RFB&D G eorgia A udio B ook R ecorder

RFB&DGeorgia Audio Book Recorder How-to Guide

GABR How-to Guide • Download and installation • Headset • Basic operation • Send audition • Get a book and start recording! • Common problems • What this means to our students…

Download and installation • Go to www.rfbdga.org • Click the Home Recording tab • Click the GABR download link • Click GABR 3.2 Installer button(then run or save and run afterwards) • Read license agreement and check “I accept these conditions”, then click the install button • Close the installation screen

To get the GABR icons on your desktop: • Right click the Start button and select Explore • Go to C:/GABR • Right click GABR Read and select Send to/Desktop • Right click GABR Send and select Send to/Desktop

The Headset • There are two main requirements for the headset: • it must be a USB headset. The headset package will say "USB" somewhere on the front if it is an acceptable one. • the headset needs to have a noise-canceling microphone. Most USB headsets are noise-canceling these days, but be sure it says so on the package before you buy it. • Good headsets that meet our requirements usually cost about $30-$50.

Radio Shack Models: • Logitech Stereo USB Headset (RS# 43-36120) $39.99 • Gigaware Wrap Around USB Stereo Headset (RS# 43-203) $24.99 • Gigaware USB Stereo Headset (RS# 43-122) $29.99 (often on sale) Office Max Models: • Microsoft Lifechat LX-3000 $39.99 (Excellent for our use and often on sale) • Logitech Clear Chat Pro USB $49.99 • Logitech Clear Chat Comfort USB $39.99 (These prices and models were identified 2/27/08 and may vary by store. Many can be ordered online.)

Basic Operation • Double-click on the GABR Read desktop icon. • When you run GABR Read for the first time, a yellow bar often appears at the top of the browser screen that says "To help protect your security..." Click on the yellow bar and select “Allow blocked content”, then Yes and then Yes again to the next prompts.

Basic Operation • Double-click on the GABR Read desktop icon. • When you run GABR Read for the first time, a yellow bar often appears at the top of the browser screen that says "To help protect your security..." Click on the yellow bar and select “Allow blocked content”, then Yes and then Yes again to the next prompts. Check the recording volume by hitting the round red record button and reading a bit. The peaks should be hitting the yellow bars in the volume display If the volume is hitting red often or just in the green, adjust it by clicking the microphone at the bottom of the page

Remember to go back to the beginning to start recording so the volume check does not remain in the recording! This button takes you back to the beginning of the page you are on. • Hit the round red record button to start recording. The red color behind the page number display means you are actively recording. • Hit the black square to stop recording. Note the color behind the page number display changes back to teal when you are not recording. • Hit the slash next page button when you are done with a page and want to continue reading the next page.

Sending an Audition Still with us so far? • If you want to become a home recorder for the Georgia Unit, create a new book project at the bottom of the GABR opening screen that has your initials and three zeroes after it, i.e., John Smith would create a new book project JS000. For the title, type in Audition of [your name]. • Record 2-3 pages of any book you may have as a test recording and upload it to us using GABR Send. • Send an email to ecotton@rfbd.org to let us know your audition should be on its way. • We will contact you with feedback and if everything sounds good and the test recording came through fine, we will offer you one of our books to record at home.

Start Recording! • Once you get a book from us, enter it into the first GABR screen as a new book project, using the shelf number on the spine or inside front cover of the book. • Start recording with the first arabic number in the book (1,2,3…). Ignore any roman numbered pages at the beginning. We will record those at the studio along with the title announcements. • If the first arabic page is page 3, Go To that page in GABR and start recording there. • Hit the Next page//slash button when you finish that page to go to the next page and start recording that one when you are ready.

The page number displayed in the middle of the GABR screen should match the page you are reading at all times! If it is off, “go to” the correct page number and start recording there. • Upload your files to us using GABR Send. A good policy is to upload your files at the end of each chapter. You can check to see which files were successfully uploaded by checking the home recording section of our website: www.rfbdga.org, Home Recording, Uploaded GBR Files. They will appear there until each weekday morning when they are transferred to our production system.

Common Problems • Volume problems.The microphone part of your headset should be off to the side of your mouth (not in front of your mouth) so we don’t get spikes in volume level on plosive consonants like P and T. Please make sure your volume still peaks in the yellow, however. • I'm hitting the record button but nothing is recording! What do I do?There are two common sources of this problem. First of all, check your headset to see of your mute button is on. There often is a small set of controls on the headphone cord that may have a mute button.

Secondly, check your recording input by double clicking the volume control in your taskbar or going to Start/ All Programs/ Accessories/ Entertainment/ Volume Control. Make sure nothing is muted, then go to Options/ Properties, select recording and make sure microphone is selected. • What should I do if I forgot to announce the page number?Please make sure to read the page number at the beginning of each page. If the page starts at the end of the previous page, remember to announce the page number correctly, i.e., if page 4 starts at the bottom of page 3, announce page 4 even though it starts on page 3.

If you missed announcing the page number, go to the beginning of the page, hit the Insert button at the bottom of the GABR screen, then hit record and announce the page number. Hit Stop. • Where should I "break" and start reading the next page?Most books should be marked as to where the page breaks occur with a slash. However, if your page breaks were not marked, and the page does not end in a period, break it at the last period on the page. Thus, you will stop recording the page at the last period and start the next page at the beginning of the next sentence, even if it starts at the bottom of the previous page.

Why doesn't the page number in GABR match the page I'm reading?The page number on the GABR screen should always match the page you are reading in the book! If it doesn't, you should be able to "go to" the correct page number and start recording on that page. Remember to hit the Next Page slash button in GABR every time you go to the next page. • What should I do about blank pages?Simply announce "page # is blank" and go on to the next page.

What are these funny pencil markings and circled Ss and Ms in the book?These are bookmarking notes for studio recording. Please ignore the circled Ms and Ss as they do not apply to home recording. • Do I need to read the notes, bibliography, or index?We do read footnotes, notes sections, bibliography, glossaries, and reference sections, but not indexes or picture credits. We know these can be very boring, but they gotta be read. =)

Where do I read the footnotes?Footnotes are read at the bottom of the page on which they appear. As the reference in the text occurs, just read "note #" and go on. At the end of the page, read the footnote in its entirety.If the notes are in a section at the end of the chapter, article or book, read the endnotes where they appear in the book and only mention the note number while reading the text. • How and where do I describe figures, tables, etc.?Describe figures and tables at the bottom of the page on which they appear even if the figure is at the top or middle of the page.

See our Reading Conventions for some excellent material on how to describe figures and tables. They are on our website at http://rfbdga.org/index.php/conventions.html.

What This Means to Our Students From your mouth to a student’s ears! In a matter of weeks, your voice may be heard by a student who desperately needs an audio version of their textbook. You are literally “unlocking” the book for them so they can understand and retain the information from that book. “Listening to RFB&D books helps me feel like I’m not left out and I’m always included in everything. RFB&D makes me feel better and it makes me feel like I can achieve more in my life.”- William McRee, Georgia RFB&D member "Because my disabilities are not the focus of my day, I am excited and empowered by my education." -Rebekah (Phred) Swain-Sugarman, Oakland, CA

"RFB&D opened a door for me into a new world; the world of knowledge, adventures, life and imagination." -Yelena Chepurina, Westfield, MA

Our Mission Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, a nonprofit volunteer organization, is the nation's educational library serving people who cannot effectively read standard print because of visual impairment, dyslexia, or other physical disability. Our mission is to create opportunities for individual success by providing, and promoting the effective use of, accessible educational materials. Our Vision Our vision is for all people to have equal access to the printed word.

RFB&D G eorgia A udio B ook R ecorder