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Portable Recorder
PTR 2
User’s Guide
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3
IMPORTANT
FCC NOTICE
Declaration of Conformity
Model Number: PTR2
Trade Name:
Responsible party: PLEXTOR Corporation
Address: 48383 Fremont Blvd., Suite 120 Fremont, CA 94538-6509 U.S.A.
Telephone Number:(510)440-2000
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules, Operation is subject to
the following two conditions :
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device
must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in
a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference
to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
_ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
_ Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
_ Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected.
_ Consult the dealer or an experienced radio / TV technician for help.
CAUTION:
Any changes or modification not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
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Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise
emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference
Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numerique de la classe B est conforme a la norme NMB-003
du Canada.
CAUTION
Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than
those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure.
The laser beam emitted from the optical pickup is invisible. Accordingly:
・ Do not open the optical pickup housing.
LASER INFORMATION
This product has been designed and manufactured according to
IEC60825-1 on the Safety of laser products.
This Laser product comes under “Class 1 Laser Product”.
The below Laser Caution Marking was attached on the top of the internal
drive.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. About this guide............................................................................................9
2. Legal and copyright information. .......................................................... 10
2.1. Copyright information about this guide................................................... 10
2.2. Licenses and trademarks.................................................................................10
2.3. Restrictions on copying or recording with the PLEXTALK PTR2.......10
3. Introduction to DAISY............................................................................... 13
3.1. What is DAISY? ....................................................................................................13
3.2. Main features of DAISY..................................................................................... 13
3.3. Types of DAISY book.........................................................................................14
3.4. DAISY navigation features. .............................................................................14
4. Safety information. .................................................................................... 18
4.1. Safety terminology and symbols used in this guide............................. 18
4.2. General safety information.............................................................................18
4.3. Environmental issues affecting safety........................................................20
4.4. Safe use of the rechargeable battery..........................................................20
5. Overview of the PTR2................................................................................ 22
5.1. Concept of the PTR2..........................................................................................22
5.2. Features of the PTR2. ........................................................................................23
5.3. Main differences between the PTR1 and PTR2. ...................................... 23
6. Getting started............................................................................................ 25
6.1. Terminology and conventions used in this guide.................................25
6.2. What you get in the box. .................................................................................26
6.3. Description of the unit. ....................................................................................27
6.4. Inserting the battery. ........................................................................................35
6.5. Connecting the PLEXTALK to the mains for charging.......................... 36
6.6. Turning PLEXTALK on and off........................................................................37
6.7. Key lock - key describer function. ................................................................39
6.8. Inserting and ejecting a CD............................................................................ 39
6.9. Inserting and ejecting a CF card...................................................................41
6.10. The User's Guide (DAISY) CD. ...................................................................... 43
6.11. About the PLEXTALK Recording Software (PRS)..................................44
7. Maintenance and battery care................................................................ 46
7.1. Unit care.................................................................................................................46
7.2. Battery care...........................................................................................................46
7.3. CD care. ..................................................................................................................47
8. Quick start information............................................................................. 48
8.1. Basic control of the unit...................................................................................48
8.2. Playing DAISY CDs. ............................................................................................50
8.3. Recording a DAISY title. ...................................................................................52
8.4. Editing a DAISY recording............................................................................... 55
8.5. Finalising a DAISY CD. ......................................................................................57
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9. Introduction to the menu system. ......................................................... 58
9.1. Overview of the menu and its operation.................................................. 58
9.2. Accessing and navigating the menu.......................................................... 59
9.3. Getting help when in the menu system.................................................... 60
10. Setting up your PLEXTALK..................................................................... 61
10.1. Setting the date and time. ...........................................................................61
10.2. Selecting the 12 or 24 hour mode for the internal clock..................62
10.3. Selecting a preferred waiting sound........................................................62
11. Playing features common to all formats. ........................................... 64
11.1. Reinserting a CD or CF card. ........................................................................ 64
11.2. Start and stop playback. ............................................................................... 65
11.3. Changing the playback volume................................................................. 65
11.4. Changing the guide volume. ...................................................................... 66
11.5. Changing the playback speed.................................................................... 67
11.6. Changing the audio tone. ............................................................................68
11.7. Accessing the Navigation menu................................................................ 68
11.8. Selecting to use the CD or CF card. .......................................................... 69
11.9. Moving to the beginning or end of a title or album. .........................70
11.10. Jump backwards or forwards by 5 seconds........................................ 71
11.11. Fast forward or fast rewind ....................................................................... 72
11.12. Using the time jump feature..................................................................... 72
11.13. Getting information about the item being played. .........................73
11.14. Using bookmarks. ......................................................................................... 74
12. Playing DAISY titles. ................................................................................ 81
12.1. Getting heading and title information.................................................... 81
12.2. Getting page information. ........................................................................... 82
12.3. Title navigation................................................................................................. 82
12.4. Heading navigation. ....................................................................................... 83
12.5. Page navigation. .............................................................................................. 84
12.6. Group navigation. ........................................................................................... 85
12.7. Phrase navigation............................................................................................87
12.8. Selecting a playback mode..........................................................................88
13. Playing Music CDs................................................................................... 89
13.1. Track navigation. ............................................................................................. 89
13.2. Selecting a playback mode..........................................................................90
14. Playing an Audio File CD or CF card.................................................... 92
14.1. About audio files.............................................................................................. 92
14.2. About playing sequences.............................................................................93
14.3. Restrictions on Audio Files...........................................................................94
14.4. Checking the number of files and albums............................................. 95
14.5. File navigation. ................................................................................................. 95
14.6. Album navigation............................................................................................96
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14.7. Selecting a playback mode..........................................................................97
15. Power management features................................................................ 99
15.1. Battery low warning. ......................................................................................99
15.2. Automatic power off function. ................................................................... 99
15.3. Compulsory power off function.............................................................. 100
15.4. Sleep timer function. ................................................................................... 100
15.5. Power On timer function. .......................................................................... 101
16. General information about recording. ............................................. 105
16.1. Recording hardware. ................................................................................... 105
16.2. Recording media........................................................................................... 106
16.3. Inserting a blank CD or CF card. .............................................................. 108
16.4. Getting information about your CD or CF card................................. 110
16.5. General recording tips. ............................................................................... 111
16.6. Muting the guide speech when recording. ........................................ 112
16.7. Connecting and selecting an input source......................................... 113
16.8. Setting the recording level. ...................................................................... 115
16.9. About recording modes and sound quality. ...................................... 117
16.10. Basic technique of recording................................................................. 117
16.11. Turning the recording monitor on and off....................................... 118
17. Creating a DAISY title............................................................................ 120
17.1. Basics of recording in DAISY format. ..................................................... 120
17.2. Technical data about recording modes and sound qualities. ..... 121
17.3. Selecting a recording mode and sound quality setting. ............... 125
17.4. Checking the recording level during recording................................ 128
17.5. Getting recording information................................................................ 128
17.6. Editing heading and page markers during recording.................... 129
17.7. Editing heading and page markers after recording. ....................... 130
17.8. Editing a DAISY recording from the menu.......................................... 133
17.9. Editing preparation...................................................................................... 140
17.10. Creating a new title. .................................................................................. 140
17.11. Erasing a title................................................................................................ 141
17.12. Finalising a DAISY format CD................................................................. 141
18. Creating a Music CD.............................................................................. 143
18.1. General information about Music CDs. ................................................ 143
18.2. Principles for recording in Music CD format. ..................................... 144
18.3. Technical data about recording modes in Music CD format. ...... 144
18.4. Selecting a recording mode. .................................................................... 146
18.5. Getting recording information................................................................ 148
18.6. Editing tracks during recording. ............................................................. 148
18.7. Finalising a Music CD................................................................................... 149
19. Book Creator mode................................................................................ 151
19.1. Switching from Normal mode to Book Creator mode.................... 151
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19.2. Differences between Normal mode and Book Creator mode......152
19.3. Differences when playing a DAISY title.................................................153
19.4. Differences when recording a DAISY title............................................154
19.5. Differences when editing a DAISY title. ................................................158
20. Media management features.............................................................. 164
20.1. Backing up DAISY titles. ..............................................................................164
20.2. Backing up Music CDs..................................................................................167
20.3. Erasing CD-RW discs.....................................................................................170
20.4. Erasing a CF card............................................................................................171
20.5. Erasing unnecessary audio files in a DAISY title. ...............................172
21. Using PLEXTALK as a CD or memory card drive. ............................ 173
21.1. What can PLEXTALK be used for when connected to a PC? .........173
21.2. PLEXTALK's capabilities when connected as an external CD drive.
..........................................................................................................................................174
21.3. Switching PLEXTALK between CD-R/CD-RW drive and memory
card drive......................................................................................................................174
21.4. Connecting PLEXTALK to a PC as an external drive. ........................175
21.5. Disconnecting PLEXTALK from a PC.......................................................181
22. Using PLEXTALK's notepad and calculator functions. .................. 185
22.1. Using the notepad. .......................................................................................185
22.2. Using the calculator......................................................................................191
23. Other useful features. ........................................................................... 193
23.1. Checking system properties......................................................................193
23.2. Reset PLEXTALK to factory defaults........................................................193
23.3. Managing PTR2 memory. ...........................................................................195
Appendix A - Main specifications. ............................................................. 197
Appendix B - Menu hierarchy..................................................................... 205
Appendix C - Trouble shooting.................................................................. 215
Appendix D - Glossary. ................................................................................. 224
Index ................................................................................................................. 233
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1. About this guide.
Congratulations on the purchase of your new PLEXTALK Portable Recorder
PTR2. This guide contains all the information you will need to get started
with your new PLEXTALK. It has been written in a way which will allow
you to learn progressively, starting with the basic concepts and building
up to the more technical operations that you can try as you gain in
confidence.
The guide is provided in print, on DAISY CD and as electronic files in both
text and Microsoft Word formats. All these versions of the guide should
be in the box along with your PLEXTALK. The DAISY version and the
electronic files are located on the User's Guide CD, with the electronic files
being located in a folder called "Manual".
Once you get to know the structure of the guide, you should find it easy to
locate the particular information you are looking for at any time. If you are
a beginner to the DAISY format and to digital recording, it is
recommended that you read through the guide sequentially, learning as
you go. If you are an advanced user, or have had experience of using the
PLEXTALK PTR1, you may wish to bypass some of the preliminary
information. Chapter 5 details the features of the PTR2 and compares it to
the PTR1. You may find it useful to review this information before
continuing.
For those who wish to get started quickly, you may wish to read Chapter 8
"Quick start instructions". This gives you an introduction to PLEXTALK
features required for using PLEXTALK as a player and recorder. If you
prefer to learn about the features in more detail, you can bypass this
section and work your way more carefully through the main chapters of
the guide.
NOTE: The Quick Start chapter does not cover features in depth so please
be aware that many of the details have been omitted.
NOTE: Whether you wish to get started quickly or more methodically, you
should ensure that you read Chapter 2, Chapter 4 and Chapter 7 before
progressing. These chapters detail the legal and copyright restrictions,
the safety information and issues relating to looking after your PLEXTALK
properly.
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2. Legal and copyright information.
This chapter contains very important information regarding copyright,
licences and trademarks. It also outlines the restrictions which apply
when using the PLEXTALK PTR2 for copying or recording digital sound.
You are strongly advised to read this chapter thoroughly before
continuing.
2.1. Copyright information about this guide.
Shinano Kenshi reserves the right to modify the products described in this
guide at any time without prior notice.
Shinano Kenshi 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, Shinano
Kenshi Co.,Ltd. reserves the right to revise this guide and to make changes
in its content, without obligation to notify any person or organization of
such revision or change.
This guide is copyright. All right reserved. It may not be copied,
photocopied, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine
readable form without Shinano Kenshi's prior permission.
Manual copyright 2006 Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd. Second edition, April
2006.
2.2. Licenses and trademarks.
All licenses and trademarks are property of their respective owners.
2.3. Restrictions on copying or recording with the
PLEXTALK PTR2.
Before using your PLEXTALK, you should review the following important
information to ensure that you understand the legal restrictions that apply
to its use for certain operations.
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2.3.1. General information.
PLEXTALK is designed to help you record and reproduce sound works, to
which you own the copyright, or where you have gained permission from
the copyright owner or the rightful licenser. Unless you own the
copyright or have gained the appropriate permission from the copyright
owner or the rightful licenser, your unauthorized recording, reproduction
or distribution thereof, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties
under copyright laws and international copyright treaties. If you are
uncertain about your rights, contact your legal advisor.
Under no circumstances will Shinano Kenshi be responsible for the
consequences of any illegal copying performed using PLEXTALK.
2.3.2. Digital sound rules.
The PLEXTALK PTR2 conforms to SCMS (Serial Copy Management System)
standards. This standard regulates the recording and copying of digital
signals between digital audio devices, up to 1 generation from the original.
The main principle of the standard is that commercially sold digital music
software, such as CDs, MDs, analogue records, FM broadcasts and the like,
made into digital recordings, can be copied, but copies cannot be made of
those copies.
During digital recording, PLEXTALK constantly verifies the SCMS status,
track by track. Tracks for which digital recording and copying are
prohibited cannot be copied using PLEXTALK.
2.3.3. Music CDs.
Copies of Music CDs are for individual enjoyment and, under the
Copyright Act, cannot be used otherwise, without the authorization of the
copyright holder. Music CD-R or CD-RWs, which are special CDs for music
format recording, contain special codes to identify that additional money
has been paid, as compensation for private recording, with the objective
of protecting music copyrights, in the same manner as devices such as
MDs.
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PLEXTALK is equipped with a mechanism that checks the identification
code to permit recording on Music CD-Rs alone. Music CD-R or CD-RWs
are sold by several companies. When purchasing them, it is necessary to
check whether it is an audio/music type CD-R or CD-RW or a data type CDR or CD-RW.
2.3.4. Types of copyright information used by PLEXTALK.
PLEXTALK can read the copyright status of files or tracks in CDs or CF cards.
It recognizes 4 different copyright states. These are "MASTER", "COPY",
"DAISY" and "No copyright information".
• "MASTER" means that you can copy only one time. Whenever you
have copied from the master, the copyright status of the copied
file or track changes from "MASTER" to "COPY", which is in
accordance with the SCMS standard.
• "COPY" means that PLEXTALK will not allow you to copy a file or
track again, but you can move the file or track from CF card to CD.
• "DAISY" is the PLEXTALK's original role, you will be able to back up
the DAISY title to the blank CD or CF card without limitation.
• "No copyright information" means that it's your original contents
or there is No copyright information in the media.
NOTE: On Music CDs, each track has its own copyright information,
therefore, in some circumstances, you may have media containing tracks
with a mixture of "MASTER" and "COPY" copyright information.
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3. Introduction to DAISY.
This chapter gives an overview of the DAISY format and some of the
terminology used. If you are new to the DAISY format, 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 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.
• Flexible Navigation - the DAISY format includes a range of features
which enable the reader to quickly access the parts of the book
they wish to read. These features include navigation on 6 levels, by
pages, by groups and phrases. 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, multi-media reading
experience.
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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:
• Type 1 - Audio without structure: The simplest type of book. Direct
navigation to points within the book is not possible.
• Type 2 - Audio and structure: A marked up text file contains the
structure of the book and provides links to features such as
headings and page numbers. This allows the reader to navigate
directly to those points. The marked up file is called the Table of
Contents or ToC.
• Type 3 - Audio with structure and partial text: As well as containing
the structure, the marked up file contains some text from the book,
for example, for a glossary or index. If listening to the book on a pc
the text will appear on screen and the reader will be able to search
for words within the text.
• Type 4 - Audio and full text: This is the most time consuming type
of book to produce but provides the most access. Audio and text
are fully synchronised throughout the book, so that the correct text
appears on screen as the audio is being read.
• Type 5 - Full text and partial audio: the book has structure and
complete text but only limited audio. The marked up file contains
the structure and the text of the book, but there is only audio for
part of the text.
• Type 6 - Full text and no audio: This is electronic text with structure,
there are no audio files.
NOTE: As the PTR2 has no text processing facilities, it can only produce
audio only DAISY books i.e. Type 1 or Type 2.
3.4. DAISY navigation features.
The DAISY format gives the reader a number of options about how to
navigate a DAISY book. This section gives brief details about the most
common navigation features.
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3.4.1. Navigation levels.
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 and Level 6 the lowest. This can be
thought of as being similar to the hierarchy of a contents listing in a book,
in the sense that there are major items and then sub items within them
and so on. Every heading that has been coded into a DAISY book will have
an associated navigation level between 1 and 6.
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 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 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.
3.4.2. Headings.
In order to use the navigation levels mentioned above, the location of all
relevant navigation points have to be marked in the recording. In the
context of this guide, these markers are called headings. Once a heading
has been inserted into the DAISY recording, it can then be assigned a
navigation level depending on the structure of the original book. When
headings are inserted, they are numbered automatically from 1 upwards,
in the physical order that they appear in the recording.
3.4.3. Pages.
If a DAISY book has been marked for page navigation, the reader can go
direct to specific pages or can skip backwards or forward a page at a time.
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To make this possible, the producer of the book must include the page
markers when they create the book. The pages will be automatically
numbered from 1 upwards starting from the beginning of the recording.
Pages cannot be added by the reader.
NOTE: Page markers in a DAISY book should always be placed at the start
of the text on the relevant print page and not at the bottom, where the
page number often appears. This means that, when you go to a page in
the finished DAISY book, you will always be at the start of that page when
it starts to play.
3.4.4. Groups.
The group marker can be used to identify items in the book that the
reader might wish to go to independent of the other navigation structures.
For example, diagrams, tables, points of note, safety information and so
on. Carefully used, these can be extremely useful. Groups can not be
specified by the reader and must be inserted by the DAISY book producer.
3.4.5. Phrases.
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.
3.4.6. Sections.
A Section 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 an associated
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navigation level. Do not get confused between sections in a DAISY
recording and sections of this guide.
3.4.7. Bookmarks.
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 DAISY player used
but generally there will be more capacity than the reader requires.
Bookmarks are the only navigation item that the reader can insert and
remove themselves.
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4. Safety information.
This chapter gives you information about how to operate your PTR2 safely,
including information about the operating environment and about safe
handling of the rechargeable battery. It is essential that you read this
information carefully as failure to take note of it may invalidate your
guarantee and could cause serious injury to yourself or others.
4.1. Safety terminology and symbols used in this guide.
The following terminology and associated symbols, relating to safety and
points of note, has been used throughout the guide:
DANGER: The danger notice warns you of a hazard that could
cause serious personal injury to you or persons around you. Failure
to follow the precautions highlighted in this way, could result in
serious injury or death due to fire, electrical shock or explosion.
WARNING: A warning notice denotes a hazard that could result in
personal injury.
CAUTION: A caution notice denotes a hazard that could damage or
destroy the PLEXTALK product, destroy the recording media,
destroy or affect your data or computer configuration.
4.2. General safety information.
Please take careful note of all the following points regarding general safe
use of your PLEXTALK:
DANGER: If you hear any strange noises, smell smoke or an odour
coming from PLEXTALK, turn off all power immediately.
DANGER: Do not insert or remove the power plug with wet hands.
WARNING: If PLEXTALK appears damaged or its operation seems
impaired in any way, please contact local agent.
WARNING: If liquids or metal fragments should enter your player,
remove the power plug immediately.
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WARNING: Never disassemble, attempt to repair, or modify your
player yourself.
WARNING: Do not listen at high volumes for extended periods as
this can lead to impaired hearing, especially when using
headphones.
WARNING: Always remove the power cord from the player's outlet
when cleaning your PLEXTALK.
WARNING: When operating from the mains supply, always make
sure that PLEXTALK, main wall adaptor, power cord and plug are
securely connected.
CAUTION: Only use the power cable and transformer which was
supplied with your PLEXTALK.
CAUTION: Do not use an "electronic transformer" designed for
overseas travellers.
CAUTION: Do not pull the plug out by its cord when removing the
power plug from PLEXTALK.
CAUTION: Do not allow sand or dust to come in contact with
PLEXTALK as this may lead to a malfunction and could make repair
impossible.
CAUTION: Use PLEXTALK in a horizontal position only.
CAUTION: As the CD rotates at a high speed, do not stick any thick
items, like Braille labels, onto the surface of the disc.
CAUTION: PLEXTALK is only compatible with round 12 cm CDs. 8
cm CDs and irregularly shaped CDs, such as the business card type,
will cause a malfunction and should not be used.
CAUTION: Please make sure the inserting direction of CF card is
correct. Do not squeeze into the slot.
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CAUTION: Do not touch the bottom of the PLEXTALK for an
extended period of time. It may become hot, and could cause a
low–temperature burn.
4.3. Environmental issues affecting safety.
The following points should be noted regarding the environment in which
PLEXTALK is used:
DANGER: Do not use your player near water, such as in a bathroom
or kitchen.
DANGER: Do not use your player during thunderstorms.
CAUTION: Do not use your PLEXTALK in locations where strong
radio waves are emitted or where there is radiation.
CAUTION: Do not use PLEXTALK near electrical equipment such as
TVs, radios, or tuners as it may pick up additional noise from these
devices.
CAUTION: Do not use or store your PLEXTALK in locations subject
to strong magnetism such as near speakers.
CAUTION: Do not use or store your PLEXTALK inside cars with the
windows closed in the hot sun, in direct sunlight or close to heaters,
radiators, etc.
CAUTION: Do not use or store your PLEXTALK in locations subject
to severe vibration such as on top of a washing machine.
4.4. Safe use of the rechargeable battery.
Please take note of the following points regarding safe use of the
rechargeable battery supplied with your PLEXTALK:
DANGER: Never disassemble the battery.
DANGER: Do not heat the battery in a microwave oven, on a
cooker, or anything similar.
DANGER: Do not expose the battery to fire.
DANGER: Do not put the battery with metal objects such as coins,
hairpins, or necklaces - these can cause a dangerous short circuit in
the battery.
DANGER: Do not leave the battery in hot locations such as direct
sunlight, or in a hot car.
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DANGER: Do not use the battery if the battery becomes wet.
DANGER: In the event of a fluid leak from the battery, remove it
immediately and keep away from any source of fire. There is a
danger of the leaked fluid or vapour igniting, causing a fire or
explosion.
WARNING: If battery fluid gets into your eyes, bathe them with
water and consult a doctor immediately.
WARNING: If the fluid gets onto your body or clothing, wash the
area well with water.
CAUTION: Only use the specified battery that was included with
PLEXTALK. Replacements are only available from Plextor and their
agents.
CAUTION: Install the battery as instructed, with the terminals
placed in the correct orientation.
CAUTION: Do not subject the battery to shocks, such as dropping
or stepping on it.
CAUTION: Risk of explosion if battery is replaced by an incorrect
type. Dispose of used batteries according to the instructions.
CAUTION: Do not touch inside of battery slot.
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5. Overview of the PTR2.
This chapter gives you an overview of the PLEXTALK PTR2 and its main
features. It also details the main differences between the PTR1 and the
PTR2.
5.1. Concept of the PTR2.
The PTR2 is designed to be a high quality recorder with the ability to
create DAISY 2.02, audio only, books and Music CDs. It can play DAISY
titles, Music CDs and Audio File CDs and CF cards. It can be used as a CDRW or memory card drive when connected to a computer. For quicker
and easier editing of your DAISY content, the PTR2 is supplied with the
PLEXTALK Recording Software (PRS). This package gives you all the
necessary tools to record, edit and finalise your own audio only DAISY 2.02
books.
The PTR2 can be operated in 2 main modes called "Normal" mode and
"Book Creator" mode. You can switch between these 2 modes at any time.
The PTR2 will be supplied with Normal mode set as the default.
Normal mode gives you a simplified interface and makes the process of
creating a recording very straightforward. This mode of operation is ideal
for a beginner or for someone who wants to make a recording quickly and
easily. Some of the more advanced recording and editing features are not
available to you in this mode.
Book Creator mode gives you all the necessary tools to create a fully
structured, audio only, DAISY 2.02 book including insert, punch in and
overwrite recording, phrase editing and the ability to set heading levels.
As the features of these 2 modes alter the behaviour and built in menus of
the PTR2, this guide is written initially with Normal mode in mind. The
additional features in Book Creator mode are discussed in Chapter 19,
towards the end of the guide.
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5.2. Features of the PTR2.
The main features of the PLEXTALK PTR2 are as follows:
• All menus and functions are fully accessible to blind users with the
use of high quality built in guide speech.
• Able to play DAISY titles, Music CDs and Audio File CDs.
• HiFi digital sound quality.
• Simple recording using the built in microphone, an external
microphone or a line in feed.
• Up to 90 hours of recording on a single CD.
• Creation of multiple title CDs.
• Connection to a PC using a USB cable for direct transfer of data
from CD or CF card.
• Notepad for storing voice notes.
• Calculator for simple calculations.
• Inclusion of PLEXTALK Recording Software (PRS) DAISY Version
2.02 authoring software, for production and editing of audio only
DAISY books.
5.3. Main differences between the PTR1 and PTR2.
Below are listed the main differences between the PLEXTALK PTR1 and the
PTR2. This is not an exhaustive list but should give the PTR1 user a good
idea of how the two recorders differ.
• The PTR2 now has a separate menu key, Separate volume up and
down keys and a relocated eject key.
• The new PLEXTALK has a modified body shape in durable plastic.
• The recording level, speed and tone control switches have been
moved to the right side of the unit
• The power switch has been moved to the right side of the unit and
can now be locked with the use of the key lock/key describer
switch.
• The card slot has been moved to the front of the unit under the CD
drive and is now a CF card slot rather than a PCMCIA slot. A CF card
is provided with the unit.
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• The microphone socket is now stereo rather than mono.
• Automatic gain control (AGC) is now available, if selected, for use
with the external microphone and the Line in options as well as the
built in microphone.
• The USB interface with a computer can now be used to directly
access the CD drive or the CF card.
• The forward and rewind keys can now be used to either skip
forward or back by phrases or by 5 second jumps according to the
selection made in the menu by the user.
• Groups can now be navigated independently or along with all
other structure, according to the selection made in the menu by
the user.
• In Normal mode, after the DAISY book plays to the end, the next
press of the Play key will start the book at the beginning again.
• The PTR2 has 2 modes of operation. These are Normal mode and
Book Creator mode. Normal mode provides a simplified method of
producing a DAISY recording. Book Creator mode gives the user
access to more advanced editing functions.
• In Normal mode, new recordings can only be appended to the end
of the existing recording - no option for insert, punch-in or
overwrite is provided.
• In Normal mode, editing options are much simpler with phrase
editing removed.
• Heading and page markers can now be positioned using 0.1
second adjustments rather than 'attaching' them to specific
phrases.
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6. Getting started.
You should now be ready to get started with using your PLEXTALK. This
chapter gives you information about the terminology used throughout
the guide, what you should expect to receive, the physical layout of
PLEXTALK, how to connect the battery and power cable, how to turn the
unit off and on and how to insert and eject CDs and CF cards. It also
describes how to use the Key lock/Key describer function which can be
extremely useful for beginners, to help them learn the layout of the keys.
6.1. Terminology and conventions used in this guide.
This section details the terminology and conventions used throughout
this guide. The items are listed in no specific order and are as follows:
• NOTE: A note is used to denote an additional piece of information,
a tip or an important point not already mentioned. Generally these
are written immediately after the instructions to which they refer.
• REMINDER: A reminder is used to remind you about information
that has already been given in another section of the guide that
you may not have read recently. Reminders are generally written
before the information to which they refer.
• CF Card: PLEXTALK is able to use both “CF Type I” (Compact Flash)
and “CF Type II” (Micro drive) cards. In this User’s Guide, both
compact flash cards and micro drives are called “CF cards”.
• Most of the instructions in this guide are detailed for when
PLEXTALK is operating in Normal mode. The differences between
Normal mode and Book Creator mode are dealt with in Chapter 19.
• All key names and function names have been written with initial
capitals.
• Menu options have been written with double quotes around the
menu option names and an initial capital has been used.
• In order to make the listing of instructions more concise, they do
not always detail everything that PLEXTALK says. In many
situations, the meaning of PLEXTALK's guide speech is given rather
than the exact wording. In all cases, the method of using the
feature or function should be clear.
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6.2. What you get in the box.
The following is a list of all the items you should get in the box when you
receive your new PLEXTALK. You should carefully check that you have
received all these items and report any missing items immediately to local
agent.
Items you should receive:
• 1 PLEXTALK Portable
Recorder PTR2
• 1 CF Card 64 MB (already
inserted) (NOTE: The
specification of the
supplied card may differ
from the one specified in
the guide)
• 1 AC adaptor with fitted
cable and power cable
appropriate for connection
to your local mains
• 1 Rechargeable battery
• 1 Audio cable for
connecting to other
devices - this has a 3.5
millimetre diameter stereo
plug at both ends
• 1 USB cable for connecting
to a computer
• 1 Travel case
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• 1 User's Guide in print
Plextalk Portable
Recorder
PTR 2
User's Guide
©2005 Shinano Kenshi Co.,Ltd.
• 1 User's Guide CD (thick
case)
5
• 1 Blank 700 MB CD-R (thin
case) (NOTE: The
specification of the
supplied CD may differ
from that specified in the
guide)
• 1 Soft cloth for cleaning CD
media
NOTE: It is strongly recommended that you retain your box and other
packaging in case you need to return your PLEXTALK at any time in the
future.
6.3. Description of the unit.
This section describes the physical look of the PTR2 and the layout of the
keys and other controls to allow you to locate them when referred to in
later chapters. The names and main purposes are given here, however,
some of the detail of how the keys are used is left out at this stage. This
information is covered at the appropriate sections later in the guide.
The PTR2 case is made of durable plastic, with the top and bottom faces
coloured silver grey. The sides are dark grey coloured. Most of the keys
on the top surface are black but 4 are a light blue colour.
Holding the unit carefully, take a few moments to locate the top and
bottom surfaces. The top has 24 rubber keys on it whereas the bottom
has only 4 rubber feet, three of which are near to the corners and one
which is about a third of the way down one of the long sides. When you
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have found the bottom of the unit, place the unit carefully down, on the
four rubber feet, on a flat surface in front of you.
Locate the perforated surface of the speaker grill on the top of PLEXTALK.
Keep the feet downwards and rotate it until the speaker grill is furthest
away from you. The PTR2 should now be set up in its normal operating
position. You can confirm this by feeling the top edge of the face nearest
to you. There should be a narrow, but noticeable, dip in the middle of this
edge. It is worth taking note of this as it can be used later to help locate
the Play/Stop key and the centre of the CD slot.
Keep the unit in this position as the physical layout is described.
6.3.1. Top surface.
The grill that you used to orientate the unit is where the internal speaker
and the built in microphone are located. The speaker is on the right and
the microphone is to the left.
Just in front of the grill, on the left side, you should find 2 small bumps.
These are LEDs. The one on the left is green and indicates when the unit is
switched on or off. It flashes when the unit is shutting down. The one on
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the right indicates when mains power is connected and the charging
status. If the battery is charging, it will show a red light. When the battery
is fully charged, it turns green.
Just in front of the grill, but on the right hand side, there are 3 more LEDs
which increase in size from left to right. These LEDs are used during
playback and recording. During playback, from left to right, they indicate
a low, good or loud volume level. During recording, from left to right,
indicate a low, good or high recording level.
PLEXTALK has 24 rubber keys on the top surface. These are grouped in 4
blocks - a column of 5 keys on the left side, a rectangular block of 12 keys
in the centre, a row of 3 keys below the rectangular block and a column of
4 keys on the right side.
In the column of five keys on the left side, the four top keys are small,
black, diamond shaped keys and the bottom key is a large, round, white
key with a red ring printed on it.
From top to bottom, the four small diamond keys are:
• Information key - used to set the date and time and the sleep timer
feature. Press and hold the key to hear the date and time.
• Heading key - used for heading navigation, insertion and deletion.
Press and hold the key to get heading information.
• Page key - used for page navigation, insertion and deletion. Press
and hold the key to get page information.
• Bookmark key - used for bookmark navigation, insertion and
deletion. Press and hold the key for bookmark information.
The white, round key with the red ring on it, at the bottom left corner, is
the Record key. It has a red LED inside the key. When PLEXTALK is in the
recording stand by state, it flashes on and off. When PLEXTALK is
recording, it shows as a solid red light.
The rectangular block of 12 black keys is generally called the Number Pad
and is located near the centre of the top surface. It is laid out exactly like a
push button telephone keypad with 4 rows of 3 keys. The first row has
numbers 1, 2 and 3. The second row has numbers 4, 5 and 6. The third
row has numbers 7, 8 and 9 and the fourth row has the Star key, Number 0
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key and the Pound/Hash key. The number 5 key has a small raised dot on
it to help you locate it.
Some of the keys have secondary functions and these are listed below:
Number 2 = Arrow Up or Cancel
Number 4 = Arrow Left or Move Back
Number 5 = Navigation level guide
Number 6 = Arrow Right or Move Forward
Number 8 = Arrow Down or Enter
Star = Cancel
Pound/Hash = Enter
NOTE: In order to avoid any possible confusion that might arise due to
language differences, the Pound/Hash key, marked with the "#" symbol,
and which is located at the bottom right of the Number Pad, will be called
the Enter key throughout this guide. The Star/Cancel key marked with the
"*" symbol, and which is located at the bottom left of the Number Pad will
be called the Cancel key.
Underneath the Number Pad is the row of 3 keys. The 2 outside keys are
semi circular in shape and are coloured black. The centre key is
trapezoidal in shape and is coloured light blue. This centre key also has a
distinctive recessed top surface for easy location. The uses of these three
keys are as follows:
• Left key = Back or Fast Rewind (if held)
• Centre key = Play/Stop or Title Information (if held)
• Right key = forward or Fast Forward (if held)
The last group of keys on the top surface is the column of 4 keys on the
right hand side. The top key is black, oval in shape and set at an angle.
Combined, the 2 keys in the centre are shaped like a rectangle with a
curved top and bottom edge and are light blue in colour. The key at the
bottom right is light blue and square.
From the rear of PLEXTALK forwards, the purposes of these keys are:
• Menu key - used to access the Main Menu.
• Volume Up - used for increasing the playback volume and the
guide volume.
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• Volume Down - used for decreasing the playback volume and the
guide volume.
• CD Eject - used for ejecting CDs.
6.3.2. Front face.
On the front face of the unit are the CD and CF card slots. The CD slot is
near to the top edge and extends almost the full width of PLEXTALK. The
CF card slot is below the CD Slot, towards the left, and is much narrower.
Just to the right of the CF card slot is the eject button for the card - this
becomes easier to locate when the CF card is inserted. The CD eject key is
on the top surface as mentioned above.
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6.3.3. Left side.
On the left side of the unit there are 4 items of note. These are:
In the recess nearest the front, from front to back, there are the
headphone socket, the external microphone socket and the line in socket.
All the sockets take a 3.5 millimetre diameter stereo jack plug.
In the recess nearest to the rear of the unit is the Key Lock/Key Describer
switch. In the position nearest to the front of the unit, the key lock is "Off"
and when pushed towards the rear of the unit the key lock is "On".
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6.3.4. Back face.
There are 2 items of note on the back face of the unit. Both are located, in
a recess, towards the right side. Nearest to the back right corner, in a
square shaped housing, is the USB cable connector. Just to the left of it is
a small round hole (DC input terminal) which is the socket to take the AC
power supply.
6.3.5. Right side.
On the right side of the unit there are 4 switches as follows:
In the recess nearest to the back , is the Power On/Off switch. Pushing the
switch towards the rear of the unit turns it on and pulling it towards the
front will turn it off.
In the recess towards the front of the unit, from back to front, are the
Speed control, the Tone control and the Recording Level control switches.
All these switches can be adjusted by flicking the switch towards the rear
of the unit to increase the setting and towards the front of the unit to
decrease the setting. The speed and tone settings can quickly be reset to
their default position by pressing the switch inwards. Pressing the
Recording Level switch inwards allows you to switch the Auto Gain
Control On or Off.
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6.3.6. Bottom surface.
Carefully turn over PLEXTALK and place it face down on the flat surface,
keeping the front of PLEXTALK towards you.
Near to the front of the bottom surface should be a printed sticker with
important information about your PLEXTALK including the serial number
and date of manufacture.
Locate the 4 rubber feet on the bottom surface. These 4 rubber feet are
located near to the corners. Battery cover is located the right hand side
from the rear of PLEXTALK. On the edge of the cover, nearest to the fourth
rubber foot, you should find 2 plastic catches for releasing the cover.
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6.4. Inserting the battery.
In order to insert or replace the battery, do the following:
• With the unit face down on a flat surface, and the front of
PLEXTALK towards you, remove the battery cover by pressing the 2
plastic clips firmly towards the rear and lifting the cover upwards.
• Ensure that all packaging is removed from the battery.
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• At one end of the battery you should find a small narrow notch in
one of the edges. At the other end there should be a wider notch
and a small, plastic tab that sticks out slightly.
• Turn the battery so that the notches are facing downwards
towards PLEXTALK and so that the large notch and plastic tab are
pointing to the left.
• Carefully place the battery into the battery slot and slide gently to
the left a little.
• Replace the battery cover by locating the back edge first and then
pressing down on the front edge until the plastic clips snap into
position.
CAUTION: Never use force to try to position the battery or to replace the
battery cover. If the cover will not close, remove it and double check that
the battery is correctly positioned, before trying to fit the cover again.
CAUTION: Do not touch inside of battery slot.
6.5. Connecting the PLEXTALK to the mains for charging.
In order to charge the internal battery, you will need to connect PLEXTALK
to the mains supply as follows:
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• Place PLEXTALK on a flat surface in front of you in the normal
operating position described above.
• Locate the AC adaptor and mains power cable that was supplied
with your PLEXTALK. The AC adaptor consists of a rectangular
transformer block with a fitted cable. At the end of the cable is a
small round connector. The mains cable has an oval shaped, 2-pin,
female connector at one end and a mains plug at the other end.
• CAUTION: Before proceeding any further, you should ensure that
you do have the correct type of mains cable for your country's
mains supply. If you don't have the correct cable, you should
contact your local PLEXTALK agent for a replacement.
• Plug the small round connector, on the cable that is connected to
the transformer block, into the round socket at the back of your
PLEXTALK.
• Now connect the oval shaped connector, on the mains cable, to
the socket on the transformer block.
• Plug the other end of the mains cable into a suitable mains outlet
and ensure that all plugs are firmly fitted.
• You can now turn on the mains power switch. With the power
turned on, the mains indicator LED will light up. If the internal
battery is not fully charged, the light will be red. This will change
to green when it reaches full charge.
NOTE: The mains indicator LED will light up regardless of whether
PLEXTALK itself is on or off.
6.6. Turning PLEXTALK on and off.
To turn on the power, do the following:
• locate the Power On/Off switch, which is near the back of the right
side of PLEXTALK.
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• Push it towards the rear of PLEXTALK. You will hear musical tones
that indicate that the unit is powering up.
• Release the switch and it should return to a centre position.
• After a short pause, PLEXTALK will either say "No disc", "Disc" or
"Card" according to the type of media in PLEXTALK when it is
switched on. "No disc" means that there is no disc or card in the
unit at that time. "Disc" means that the CD drive is being accessed
and "Card" means that the card is being accessed.
• Depending on the type of media in PLEXTALK, a variety of audio
outputs may be heard at this time. The details will be discussed
later.
• PLEXTALK is now ready for use.
NOTE: Assuming that no media has been removed since its last use, The
PTR2 will always attempt to access the disc or card that was in use when
the unit was shut down previously.
To turn off the power, do the following:
• Pull the Power On/Off switch towards the front of PLEXTALK and
release it. The switch will return to the middle position.
• The unit will beep and then announce that it is shutting down.
• Musical tones will indicate that the unit is busy and, after a short
while, a different musical sound indicates that PLEXTALK has
completed the shut down process.
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6.7. Key lock - key describer function.
REMINDER: The Key Lock/Key Describer switch is located on the left side
in the recess towards the rear of PLEXTALK.
As its name implies, the Key Lock/Key Describer switch has 2 main
purposes as follows:
Firstly it can be used to lock the keys and controls so that they can't be
accidentally operated. If PLEXTALK is off when the lock is applied, the
power switch will not function. The unit will say "Key Lock" and will then
turn off again. If PLEXTALK is on when the lock is applied, all keys and
controls will be unable to function, including the power switch.
The second purpose of the Key Lock/Key Describer switch is to allow the
user to learn about the function of the keys and controls. With the lock
applied, press and hold down any key and a description of the function of
that key will be spoken. This feature is particularly useful for beginners.
To apply the lock, push the Key Lock/Key Describer switch towards the
back of PLEXTALK. If PLEXTALK is on, it will say "Key Lock Key Describer
on". No speech will be heard if PLEXTALK is off.
To unlock PLEXTALK, pull the Key Lock/Key Describer switch towards the
front of PLEXTALK. If PLEXTALK is on, it will say "Key Lock Key Describer
off". No speech will be heard if PLEXTALK is off.
6.8. Inserting and ejecting a CD.
CAUTION: PLEXTALK is only compatible with round CDs. Irregularly
shaped CDs, such as the business card type, will cause a malfunction and
should not be used.
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CAUTION: As the CD rotates at a high speed, do not stick any thick items,
like Braille labels, onto the surface of the disc.
REMINDER: The CD slot is the top slot on the front face of PLEXTALK. The
centre of the slot can be located by feeling for the narrow dip on the top
edge of this face.
To insert a CD into PLEXTALK, do the following:
• Ensure that PLEXTALK is turned on.
• Turn the CD so that the label side is upwards.
• Gently push the CD into the top slot on the front of PLEXTALK.
• Continue to push the CD into the slot until PLEXTALK takes over
and feeds the CD the rest of the way. This will be after
approximately three quarters of the CD has been fed into the slot.
• PLEXTALK will say "Disc", followed by musical tones indicating that
it is busy.
• After a short pause, the musical tones will stop and the type of CD
will be announced.
• In the case of a DAISY CD, PLEXTALK will say "DAISY title" followed
by "Title XX, Total titles YY" (where XX is the number of the current
title and YY is the number of titles on the CD). Following this, the
first phrase of the current title will then be played.
• If a Music CD is inserted, PLEXTALK will say "Music CD".
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• If an Audio File CD is inserted, PLEXTALK will say "Audio File CD"
followed by "Current album XX, total album YY" (where XX is the
number of the current album and YY is the total number of albums
on that CD).
• If any blank CD-R or CD-RW is inserted, PLEXTALK will speak an
appropriate message relating to that type of blank disc. Further
details will be given later about the specifics of these messages.
NOTE: If only one title is on a DAISY CD or only 1 album is on an Audio File
CD, no title or album announcement will be heard.
NOTE: If you accidentally insert a CD upside down, PLEXTALK will attempt
to access it for a while and then will say "Improper or damaged disc". You
should then eject the CD and ensure that it is inserted the correct way up.
NOTE: If PLEXTALK is set to a playing mode other than Standard mode,
the current setting of the playing mode will be announced after the type
of CD announcement. Further information about playing modes is given
in later chapters of this guide.
To eject a CD, do the following:
REMINDER: The CD eject key is the blue, square key at the front right
corner of the top of PLEXTALK.
• Press and release the Eject key.
• PLEXTALK will say "Eject" followed by musical tones to indicate that
the unit is busy.
• After a short pause, the CD will be ejected and PLEXTALK will say
"No disc".
• You can now pull the CD the rest of the way out of the slot.
6.9. Inserting and ejecting a CF card.
REMINDER: PLEXTALK is able to use both “CF Type I” (Compact Flash) and
“CF Type II” (Micro drive) cards. In this User’s Guide, both compact flash
cards and micro drives are called “CF cards”.
REMINDER: The card slot is located on the front face, towards the left of
PLEXTALK, immediately underneath the CD slot.
REMINDER: The CF card, which is included as an accessory, has already
been inserted in the CF card slot.
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In order to insert a CF card, do the following:
• You can insert a CF card into the CF card slot with PLEXTALK either
on or off.
• Locate the CF card slot under the CD slot.
• Gently align the CF card with the slot and push it carefully in until it
is fully home. A slightly firmer push will be required at the last part
of this process to ensure that it is properly inserted.
CAUTION: Never be tempted to use excess force as you may cause
damage to the CF card or PLEXTALK.
NOTE: There is a very small ridge on the front edge of compact flash cards.
This ridge should be towards you and facing downwards when the card is
inserted. Micro drives have a rough side and a flat side. The micro drive
must be inserted with the rough side upwards and the flat side towards
you.
NOTE: When the CF card is nearly all the way into the slot, the eject
button for the card will start to come out of the casing, at the right side of
the CF card slot. Ensure that you do not block this area with your fingers.
To eject the CF card, do the following:
REMINDER: The card eject button is located immediately to the right of
the CF card slot.
CAUTION: Before ejecting the CF card, you must ensure that PLEXTALK
has been turned off or that the media selection has been switched to
"Disc". Failure to do so may risk losing data from your card.
CAUTION: If you push the CF Card Eject button while accessing the CF
card, the CF card may be damaged.
• Locate the card ejection button.
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• Press it into PLEXTALK. As you do so, do not obstruct the CF card
as it will move outwards from the card slot.
• Carefully grip the CF card and pull it out of the slot.
• Store the CF card in a safe place.
6.10. The User's Guide (DAISY) CD.
The User's Guide CD, which has been included in your package, contains
the following items:
• User's Guide in DAISY format - this is an audio only DAISY 2.02
production. It can be navigated on 3 levels and by pages and
groups. Level 1 navigates to the title of the guide, the navigation
information, the table of contents and to individual chapters. Level
2 navigates to sections and Level 3 navigates to items within
sections. The group marker has been used to identify safety
information and other notes throughout the guide. The User's
Guide will play in any hardware or software DAISY player including
your new PLEXTALK PTR2. This version of the guide will be located
in a folder called "PTR2_DAISY_ENG" on the User's Guide CD. A file
called "discinfo.html", which is necessary for playing the DAISY
version of the User's Guide, is also on the CD in the root directory.
• User's Guide in Microsoft Word format - this version of the guide
can be found in a folder on the User's Guide CD called "Manual".
The file name is "PTR2 Users Guide.doc".
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• User's Guide in text format - this is a plain text version of the User's
Guide. this version of the guide can be found in a folder on the
User's Guide CD called "Manual". The file name is "PTR2 Users
Guide.txt".
• PLEXTALK Recording Software Version 2.02 - the installation
programme for this software can be found on the User's Guide CD,
in a folder called "PRS". The file name of the installation
programme is " PRSsetup2_02_01_20E.exe". This folder also
contains files called "Readme.txt", which details how to install the
PRS software, and "ReleaseNote.txt" which details revisions to the
software.
• Help file for the PLEXTALK Recording Software. This file, in HTML
format, will be located in the "PRS" folder in a file called
"PLEX_RS_UM_E.html".
• Sample projects for PRS software exercises. When you are learning
to use the PLEXTALK Recording Software (PRS), the manual refers
to a number of sample projects. These are contained in a folder on
the User's Guide CD called "\PRS\Sample Projects\".
• Driver software for PLEXTALK PTR2 when used with Windows 98SE.
If your computer uses Windows 98SE, you will require to load
drivers from the User's Guide CD before the operating system will
recognise the PLEXTALK PTR2. These driver files are located on the
User's Guide CD in a folder called "Driver".
6.11. About the PLEXTALK Recording Software (PRS).
PLEXTALK Recording Software (PRS) is bundled with PLEXTALK. Designed
for Windows PCs, it is a simple DAISY recording and editing tool with voice
guidance to make it accessible to people who are blind or partially sighted.
You can easily edit, reorganize, and combine recordings made with
PLEXTALK.
Before you install PLEXTALK Recording Software on your computer, you
will have to connect PLEXTALK to your PC using the supplied USB cable
and ensure that it has been properly recognised. You should refer to the
detail instructions in Chapter 21 to find out how to do this.
When the PTR2 has been successfully recognised by the PC, you can then
insert the User's Guide CD and follow the installation instructions for
PLEXTALK Recording Software, which will be found in the file called
"Readme.txt" in the "PRS" folder of the CD.
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Note: You cannot install PLEXTALK Recording Software unless the
computer has recognised your PLEXTALK via the USB cable.
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7. Maintenance and battery care.
It is important that you look after your PLEXTALK properly from the outset
to ensure that you do not cause accidental damage to PLEXTALK, the
battery or the media. It is strongly recommended that you read this
chapter carefully.
7.1. Unit care.
When cleaning your PLEXTALK take note of the following points:
• WARNING: Always disconnect PLEXTALK from the mains supply
before cleaning.
• Carefully wipe any dust and dirt from PLEXTALK with a soft cloth
that has been dampened with a diluted, neutral detergent, then
wipe dry with a cloth.
7.2. Battery care.
In order that you get the most out of your rechargeable battery, you
should take careful note of the following points:
• When using your PLEXTALK for the first time, or after one month of
storage, you should connect to a mains power supply for at least
24 hours.
• If PLEXTALK is not to be used for over a month, remove the battery
and store it in a cool place with low humidity.
• The battery life depends on how frequently it is used and
recharged. Its capacity to store charge reduces over time. When
the usable time following a charge becomes too short for practical
use, replace the battery with a new one. These can be purchased
from local agent. Regarding recycling and disposal of used battery,
please ask them.
• The usable time may be affected by the ambient temperature and
working environment.
• The battery will normally take 4 hours to fully charge.
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In order to maintain battery performance, the following procedure should
be carried out every six months:
• Fully charge the battery
• Use on battery power until dead
• Recharge for 24 Hours
7.3. CD care.
You should note the following points when handling or cleaning your
CDs :
• Always handle media carefully and avoid touching CDs on the
underside.
• Always store CDs and cards in proper sleeves or containers.
• Never expose media to extreme heat, liquids, dirt or grit.
• Carefully wipe CD- discs with a clean, soft cotton cloth to remove
surface dirt like fingerprints.
• When cleaning CDs, use a straight-line motion, wiping from the
centre outwards. Never wipe the disc in a circular motion.
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8. Quick start information.
This chapter is designed to give you information about using your
PLEXTALK as a DAISY player and recorder. It outlines how to use
PLEXTALK's functions but does not describe them in detail. The main
sections in this Quick Start section relate to the basic controls, playing a
DAISY title, recording a DAISY title, simple editing of the recording and
finalising the CD.
NOTE: The instructions in this section of the guide relate to use of
PLEXTALK in Normal mode. Some instructions are not accurate for using
PLEXTALK in Book Creator mode.
NOTE: The instructions in this chapter assume that you are sufficiently
familiar with PLEXTALK's layout that you do not require reminders. If you
wish to confirm the details of the physical design of your PLEXTALK, you
should refer to Section 6.3 before reading this chapter.
8.1. Basic control of the unit.
PLEXTALK can be turned on by pushing the power switch towards the rear
of the unit. After a short pause PLEXTALK will announce if it is accessing
the disc or the CF card. If no media is inserted, PLEXTALK will say "No disc".
Turn off the power by pulling the power switch towards the front of the
unit.
When you turn the unit on or off, the power switch returns to the middle
position automatically.
If the Key Lock/Key Describer switch is at the locked position, PLEXTALK
will speak a warning message and will then turn off again. When the
power is ON in the locked position, you can press and hold down any key
to get a brief description of what that key does.
Lock the Key Lock/Key Describer switch by pushing it towards the rear of
the unit. Unlock it by pulling it towards the front of the unit.
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To adjust the playback volume, press the Volume Up key or Volume Down
key until the required volume is reached. You can press and hold these
keys down to change the volume quickly.
To adjust the guide speech volume, press and hold down the Information
key and then press the Volume Up or Volume Down keys until the desired
volume is reached.
Adjust the playback speed by flicking the speed control switch towards
the rear of the unit, to increase the speed, and towards the front of the
unit, to decrease the speed. Set the speed to the normal position by
pressing in the speed control switch.
Adjust the playback tone by flicking the tone control switch towards the
rear of the unit to make the tone more treble and towards the front of the
unit to make the tone more bass. Set the tone to the normal position by
pressing in the tone control switch.
Insert a CD by pushing it gently into the CD slot at the front of the unit
until PLEXTALK takes over and pulls the CD fully into the slot. Ensure that
the CD is inserted with the label side upwards. If it is inserted the wrong
way up, PLEXTALK will speak an error message.
Eject the CD by pressing the CD Eject key once.
Insert a CF card by gently pushing it into the CF card slot underneath the
CD slot. PLEXTALK will recognise that it has been inserted and will
automatically access the card contents.
Eject the CF card by pressing the Card Eject button to the right of the CF
card slot. Before ejecting the card, you must ensure that the unit is turned
off or you have switched PLEXTALK to access the disc. If you do not do
this, you may cause damage to the card contents.
Check the current time on the internal clock by pressing and holding
down the Information key. To set the internal date and time, press the
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Information key twice and follow the guide prompts. When finished,
PLEXTALK will confirm the date and time you have set.
Access the menu system by pressing the Menu key once. Use the Number
4 or 6 key to move through the options on a level and use the Number 8
key or the Enter key to select a menu option. Use the Number 2 key or the
Cancel key to exit one level. Press the Menu key to exit immediately from
anywhere in the menu system.
8.2. Playing DAISY CDs.
In order to try out the features in this section, you may wish to insert a
DAISY CD. Why not use the User's Guide CD as this contains the DAISY
version of this guide.
CAUTION: PLEXTALK is only compatible with round CDs. Irregularly
shaped CDs, such as the business card type, will cause a malfunction and
should not be used.
CAUTION: As the CD rotates at a high speed, do not stick any thick items,
like Braille labels, onto the surface of the disc.
Insert a DAISY CD into your PLEXTALK.
Press the Play/Stop key to start playback. Note that, if you have used it in
the unit before, it will automatically start playback from where it finished
playing on the previous occasion. Press the Play/Stop key a second time
to stop playback.
When PLEXTALK has played a DAISY title to the end, it will stop
automatically unless a playing mode that supersedes this has been
selected. Pressing the Play/Stop key at this stage will cause PLEXTALK to
start playback from the beginning again.
To go to the beginning of the recording, press the Heading key followed
by the Enter key. To go to the end of the recording, press the Heading key
followed by the Number 0 key and then the Enter key.
Use the Number 2 or 8 key to move through the available navigation
options for the current DAISY book. Use the Number 4 or 6 key to move
back or forward on the selected navigation option.
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You can switch from the disc to the CF card by using the Number 2 or 8
key to go to the "Selecting media" option and then use the Number 4 or 6
key to choose which media you wish to access.
Jump back or forwards a phrase at a time, or move back or forwards by 5
second jumps, by pressing the Back or Forward key. You can select
between these 2 types of jump by selecting the appropriate item in the
"Select the moving behaviour for forward and back" menu. This is found
in the "Control panel" menu.
To fast rewind or fast forward the recording, press and hold down the
Back or Forward key.
You can jump back or forward by 1 minute at a time by using the Number
2 or 8 key to go to the "Time" option and then use the Number 4 or 6 key
to move back or forward by 1 minute. Press and hold the Number 4 or 6
key at this time and PLEXTALK will jump back or forward in 10 minute
jumps.
To get information about the headings in the current title and the titles on
the CD or CF card, press and hold down the Heading key.
To get information about the pages in the current title, press and hold
down the Page key.
To get information about the bookmarks in the current title, press and
hold down the Bookmark key.
Press and hold down the Play/Stop key to get information about the
current playback mode, the time elapsed, the time remaining and the
total time of the current recording.
To go to headings or titles (if there are more than one title on a disc or CF
card), press the Heading key until PLEXTALK says "Go to heading" or "Go
to title" as appropriate. Enter the number of the heading or title that you
wish to go to and press the Enter key. PLEXTALK will go to the specified
heading or title.
To go direct to a page, press the Page key until it says "Go to page" and
then enter the number of the page that you wish to go to. Confirm this by
pressing the Enter key.
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You can use the bookmark feature with all types of media. There are 3
types of bookmark that you have control of: the simple bookmark,
numbered bookmarks and voice bookmarks. There is only one simple
bookmark for each title. Voice bookmarks are numbered bookmarks with
an additional piece of recording associated with them. PLEXTALK can
remember the bookmark and other information for up to 1000 DAISY
titles or albums.
Insert the simple bookmark by pressing the Bookmark key twice and then
the Enter key. Insert a numbered bookmark by pressing the Bookmark key
twice and then a number between 1 and 65000. You can have up to
10000 bookmarks total.
Insert a voice bookmark by pressing the Bookmark key three times and
then a number between 1 and 65000. Then press and hold down the
Record key whilst you record the appropriate message. When the Record
key is released the voice bookmark is inserted.
To go to a bookmark that you have inserted, press the Bookmark key once
and enter the number of the bookmark that you want to go to, and then
press the Enter key. Press the Bookmark key once and then the Enter key
on its own to go to the simple bookmark. When you go to a voice
bookmark, the recorded message will either play or not depending on the
setting you make in the "Setting of playing voice bookmark" option in the
"Bookmark" menu in the menu system.
To clear a bookmark, the general procedure is to press the Bookmark key
four times and enter the number of the bookmark you wish to remove,
and then press the Enter key. For the simple bookmark, press the
Bookmark four times and then press the Enter key.
You can clear all bookmarks in the current title or in all titles by making the
appropriate selection from the "Bookmark" menu in the menu system.
8.3. Recording a DAISY title.
First you need to select your input source. You can choose from the built
in microphone, an external microphone or the line in source.
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The built in microphone is handy because you do not require any
additional hardware to make a recording, however, it can pick up some
noise from the CD drive which may be heard in the recording. Recording
to a CF card can reduce this problem significantly.
An external microphone will generally give better quality recordings but
you will need to purchase a microphone separately. It is often useful to
use an external microphone for recording conferences, lectures or
concerts. Wearing headphones whilst recording can help minimise the
risk of feedback from the built in speaker.
Using the line in source is ideal for recording from other devices such as
CD players, cassette players or radios. Recording directly from one device
to another cuts out extraneous noises. You should connect to the other
device using the supplied audio cable, connecting to the other device's
headphone socket and PLEXTALK's line in socket.
When you connect your input source to the microphone or line in sockets,
PLEXTALK will indicate that it recognises that a device has been
connected and will automatically make the most recently connected
source the default recording source.
When recording from the built in microphone or the external microphone,
it is useful to be able to silence the guide speech during recording, in
order to avoid guide speech being heard in the final recording. This can
be done in 3 ways:
• Plug in headphones.
• Turn the guide speech volume down to zero.
• Set the "Switch over the guidance when recording" option in the
"Recording Settings" menu to "Guidance off". With this option, you
should be aware that you will lose all voice prompts whilst actually
recording. Some of these may be ones that you would prefer to
keep. If so, you need to then use the headphones option.
Insert a blank CD or CF card. PLEXTALK will ask you to press the Enter key
to create a DAISY title. Press the Enter key and a few seconds later the CD
or CF card will have been prepared for recording a DAISY title.
You may now wish to select a recording mode and sound quality setting.
PLEXTALK offers you 5 preset recording modes and 1 mode which allows
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you to set the variables yourself. The available recording modes are
"Standard", "Music", "Analogue cassette", "Radio", "Conference" and
"Custom". You can select a recording mode either before or after going
into recording stand by.
Before going into recording stand by, press the Menu key and then go to
the "Recording setting" option and select it by pressing the Enter key.
Then go to the "Select recording mode" option and select it by pressing
the Enter key. Follow the voice prompts, using the Number 4 or 6 key to
select your preference and the Enter key to confirm your choice.
When you want to select a recording mode after going into recording
stand by, press the Menu key once. You will be automatically taken direct
to the "Select recording mode" option, mentioned in the previous
paragraph. Select this option by pressing the Enter key and proceed as
before.
In either case, you then need to select your preferred sound quality setting.
There are 6 choices: PCM 44.1 kHz stereo, MP3 256 k stereo, MP3 128 k
stereo, MP3 64 k mono, MP3 32 k mono and MP3 16 k mono. The better
the quality, the more disc space it uses and, therefore, the less available
recording time. Use the Number 4 or 6 key to select your preferred sound
quality setting and select it by pressing the Enter key.
To make a simple recording do the following:
• Press the Record key to go into recording stand by. This allows you
to adjust the recording level. The red LED in the Record key will
start to flash on and off.
• The recording level for the built in microphone will be set
automatically using the Auto Gain Control (AGC) feature. For the
external microphone and the line in source, you can choose to
have the level set automatically or you can set it manually yourself.
To switch between AGC and manual level setting, press in the
Recording Level switch until your preferred option is spoken. If
adjusting the level manually, flick the Recording Level switch
towards the rear of the unit to increase the level or towards the
front of the unit to decrease the level.
• When the recording level has been set correctly, press the Record
key a second time and recording will start. The LED in the Record
key turns to a solid red light.
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• Press the Record key again at any time and the recording will be
paused. The LED in the Record key starts to flash again.
• Restart recording by pressing the Record key again. The LED
becomes a solid red light.
• To stop recording, press the Play/Stop key.
NOTE: Each time you start recording in Normal mode, a new section is
automatically created at the end of the existing recording. You do not
need to navigate to the end before recording new material.
NOTE: At any time in recording stand by, recording pause or during
recording, you can switch off and on the recording monitor by pressing
the Bookmark key. This allows you to listen to how the recording sounds
whilst recording. When recording from the built in microphone or an
external microphone, you must be using headphones for this feature to
work.
NOTE: In recording pause or during recording, you can turn on the level
monitor to get an indication of whether the recording level is "Low",
"Good" or "High". Turn on the level monitor by pressing the Information
key. Press the Information key again to turn it off.
8.4. Editing a DAISY recording.
Some of the editing features can be used during the recording process or
afterwards. The most common of these are the insertion of heading and
page codes.
To insert a heading during recording, press the Heading key once. To
insert a page code during recording, press the Page key once.
In recording pause, press the Heading key or the Page key to insert a
heading or page when recording recommences. In recording pause, if you
have previously pressed the Heading or Page key, press the Heading or
Page key again to cancel the heading or page that you had just created.
After completing the recording, to insert a heading or page, go to the
location where you want to insert the heading or page and then press the
Heading or Page twice respectively. PLEXTALK will then ask you to
confirm the position. Use the Number 4 or 6 key to adjust the position
back or forward by 0.1 second increments. Press the Enter key at the
location where you want.
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After the recording is complete, to remove a heading or page code, go to
the heading or page concerned and press the Heading or Page key three
times as appropriate. PLEXTALK will ask you to confirm that you want to
cancel the code. Press the Enter key to confirm the action.
NOTE: In case of multi title CDs or CF cards, press the Heading key three
times to insert a heading and four times to remove a heading.
NOTE: If you don't have headphone inserted, any guide speech may be
picked up in the recording.
You can carry out cut, copy and paste operations with the sections in your
recording. This is very similar to the cut, copy and paste procedure in a
word processor. PLEXTALK has an audio clipboard that can hold
information about the previous editing operation. All these operations
can be accessed from the "Edit" menu. Use the Number 4 or 6 to move
through the available options and the Enter key to select the operation
you want. For cut and copy operations, PLEXTALK will require you to
specify the starting section and the end section to operate on.
Also from the "Edit" menu, you can select to join a section or sections to
create a single section of those selected. Again PLEXTALK will ask for the
start section and end section to join. Press the Enter key to confirm at
each step.
NOTE: You cannot set section levels in Normal mode - you need to switch
to Book Creator mode in order to do this.
If you wish to create a new title, go to the "Edit" menu and select the
"Create new title" option. Press the Enter key when PLEXTALK asks you to
confirm the action. The new title will be created.
If you wish to erase an existing title, go to the title concerned, then select
the "Erase selected title" option, from the "Edit" menu, and select the
"Erase selected title" option. Confirm the action by pressing the Enter key
when asked by PLEXTALK.
If you are adding to or editing a CD-R disc that has been finalised, you
need to make some editing preparations with the Prepare to edit
command. When the recorder writes a CD, it uses its own writing format.
To make that CD playable on other players, you need to finalise the disc.
Once a disc has been finalised, you can no longer edit it on the recorder
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unless you first use the prepare to edit command. This command changes
the CD back to the recorder format and allows you to edit the CD. If a CD
has not been finalized, you can go ahead and edit it without using the
Prepare to edit command.
8.5. Finalising a DAISY CD.
Finalisation converts the recorded CD into a disc that can be played on
other DAISY players besides the PLEXTALK recorder, and on a computer
using software. If you do not finalise a CD after recording it, you will not
be able to play it on any other players.
Start the disc finalisation process by going to the "Finalise CD" option in
the "Media Management" menu.
During finalisation, you choose from two options:
• No additional recording and editing: You cannot add recording
after finalization.
• Additional recording and editing enabled: You can record by
performing the Prepare to edit command.
Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to your preferred option and select it by
pressing the Enter key.
CAUTION: If the battery power fails during operations such as CD backup,
disc finalisation or disc erasing, the media may become damaged or
unusable. It is strongly recommended that you use mains power during
the finalisation process.
NOTE: For Music CDs you cannot add any additional recording.
NOTE: If you are only going to use a CD-R on the PLEXTALK Portable
Recorder, it is not necessary to finalize it. This means you can always add
to the recording later.
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9. Introduction to the menu system.
A number of the features of PLEXTALK are accessed through the built in
menu system. This chapter aims to give you an understanding of how the
menu is structured and how you access it. It is not essential to read it
immediately but you will find that an understanding of the menu system
is useful in many of the chapters that follow.
9.1. Overview of the menu and its operation.
Although you only ever hear the menu, it can be thought of as being a
hierarchical menu system containing a series of horizontal menus, each
accessed from the level higher up. At the highest level there is the Main
Menu which has 10 items. These are:
• Edit - this allows simple editing of a DAISY recording.
• Backup - for backing up data from disc to CF card or vice versa.
• Recording Settings - allows you to select from a variety of
recording settings or to set your own customised settings.
• Playing Settings - allows you to specify how you want to listen to
the information on the CD or CF card.
• Bookmark - allows you to specify how voice bookmarks play or to
delete all bookmarks.
• Power On Timer - allows you to specify 2 times when PLEXTALK will
power on automatically.
• Notepad - keep short voice notes including an alarm feature.
• Calculator - carry out simple mathematical calculations (not
scientific).
• Media Management - allows you to get media information, finalise
CDs, format CD-RW discs or erase CF card data.
• Control panel - allows you to get system information and to control
the way certain features operate or play.
NOTE: Access to some of the above menu items will depend on the type
of operation and media that you are working with at that time. The
PLEXTALK will not let you access features that are not appropriate at that
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moment. For example, you will be unable to access the Edit menu when
playing a commercial Music CD.
NOTE: A complete listing of the structure of the menu system is given in
Appendix B. In addition, each function is described in detail in the
relevant sections of the guide.
9.2. Accessing and navigating the menu.
To access the Main Menu, do the following:
REMINDER: The Menu key is the black, oval shaped key on the right of the
top of PLEXTALK, just in front of the speaker grill. The Number Pad is the
block of 12 keys in the centre of the top face with the Enter key at the
bottom right and the Cancel key at the bottom left.
• Press the Menu key once.
• PLEXTALK will say "Select from the menu, Edit". This indicates that
it has accessed the menu and that it is on the Edit option.
To navigate around the menu, use the following methods:
• To select a different option on the same level of the menu, press
either the Number 4 key to move to the left on the menu, or the
Number 6 key to move to the right. As you move to a new menu
option, it will be spoken.
• On all menus, if you continue in the same direction, you will
eventually return to the starting point as the menus are designed
to loop round.
• To select a menu option, press the Number 8 key or the Enter key.
Assuming that there is a sub menu, and it is accessible at that time,
This will take you down one level in the menu structure and leave
you on the relevant sub menu. The menu item that you have gone
to will be spoken.
• To move up one level in the menu, press the Number 2 key or the
Cancel key. The menu option on the higher level menu to which
you have moved will be spoken.
• Pressing either the Number 2 key or the Cancel key when at the
Main Menu level will exit completely from the menu system.
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• To exit immediately from the menu system, from any level in the
structure, press the Menu key. You do not need to go to the Main
Menu level first.
NOTE: Some of the menu options provide you with information that
might be difficult to remember after hearing it once, for example, the
system version number and PLEXTALK serial number. In these situations,
the information is repeated until you choose to cancel the message. If you
wish to stay in the menu system, press the Number 2 key or the Cancel
key . If you wish to exit the menu completely, press the Enter key.
9.3. Getting help when in the menu system.
When you are anywhere in the menu system, you can get a reminder of
the item you are on by pressing and holding down the Number 5 key. For
some keys you will also be given additional help information about the
function of that menu item.
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10. Setting up your PLEXTALK.
There are several features of PLEXTALK which it are useful to set up before
starting to use it. These can be done at any time but it is sensible to do
them sooner rather than later. This chapter details how to set the internal
clock and how to select your preferred waiting sound.
10.1. Setting the date and time.
To set the date and time for the internal clock, do the following:
REMINDER: The Information key is the black, diamond shaped key at the
top of the column of 5 keys on the left side of PLEXTALK. The Back and
Forward keys are the black, semi circular keys either side of the Play/Stop
key.
• Press the Information key twice. PLEXTALK will ask you to input
the day with 4 digits. It will then speak the date that is set at
present.
• Use the Number Pad to enter the current date by pressing 2
numbers for the month followed by 2 numbers for the day. Use
leading zeros where necessary. Press the Enter key to confirm your
entry or the Cancel key to enter the information again.
• When you have confirmed your entry, PLEXTALK will ask you to
input the year. It will then speak the year that is set at present.
• Use the Number Pad to enter the current year with 4 digits. Press
the Enter key to confirm your entry or the Cancel key to enter the
information again.
• When you have confirmed your entry, PLEXTALK will ask you to
enter the time with 4 digits. It will also prompt that you can use the
Back or Forward keys to select AM or PM for the time setting.
Lastly, it will play the time that is set at present.
• Use the Number Pad to enter the current time with 4 digits. Use
leading zeros where necessary. Press the Enter key to confirm your
entry or Cancel key to enter the information again. If you wish to
select the AM or PM setting, before pressing the Enter key, use the
Back or Forward keys to make your selection.
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• The date and time should now be set correctly and PLEXTALK will
automatically exit this feature. By way of confirmation, the date
and time that you have just entered will then be spoken back to
you.
10.2. Selecting the 12 or 24 hour mode for the internal
clock.
The PTR2 gives you the option of using the 12 or 24 hour clock method of
announcing times. To select the way that you wish to have times
announced, do the following:
• Press the Menu key once to access the Main Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Control panel" option and
select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Switch over the 12 or 24
hour setting" option and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to either the "12 hour" or the "24
hour" setting according to your preference and press Enter to
confirm your choice.
• Your preferred option will be set and PLEXTALK will automatically
exit from the menu system.
NOTE: The 12 hour setting is the factory default setting.
10.3. Selecting a preferred waiting sound.
When PLEXTALK is busy, such as when it is accessing or erasing a CD-RW
disc, it plays a sound to indicate that it is carrying out that action. The
PTR2 gives you 3 options of waiting sounds to choose from which are
"Waiting sound 1", "Waiting sound 2" and "No waiting sound"..
To select your preferred waiting sound, do the following:
• Press the Menu key once to access the Main Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Control panel" option and
select it by pressing the Enter key.
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• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Select the waiting sound"
option and select it by pressing the Enter key. PLEXTALK will speak
the name of the currently selected waiting sound and will then
play a sample of that sound.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to listen to the available options and
press the Enter key when you are on the waiting sound you prefer.
• PLEXTALK will confirm your selection has been made and you will
automatically be exited from the menu system.
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11. Playing features common to all formats.
All the operations mentioned in this chapter apply equally to playing
DAISY titles, Music CDs and Audio File CDs. Before progressing further it is
important that these terms are clearly understood, in the context of this
guide.
• A DAISY CD or CF card is a CD or CF card containing one or more
DAISY titles. Each title will be contained in its own folder. The
audio files will either be Wave or MP3 format.
• A Music CD is a CD which can be played in standard CD players.
The audio files will be in "CD-DA" format. All tracks are on the same
level and there is no hierarchical storage of files on the CD.
• An Audio File CD or CF card can contain multiple folders and
multiple files in each folder. PLEXTALK is able to recognise and
play audio files in the following file formats: MP3, Wave and Ogg
Vorbis.
You may wish to try out the features mentioned in this chapter as you
progress. If you wish to do this, insert a CD into PLEXTALK's CD slot, as
detailed in Section 6.9, before reading any further. If you are not already
using the DAISY version of the User's Guide, this would be a good title to
start with.
CAUTION: PLEXTALK is only compatible with round CDs. Irregularly
shaped CDs, such as the business card type, will cause a malfunction and
should not be used.
CAUTION: As the CD rotates at a high speed, do not stick any thick items,
like Braille labels, onto the surface of the disc.
11.1. Reinserting a CD or CF card.
When you insert a CD or CF card into PLEXTALK for the first time, it will
play from the beginning of the first title. When you insert the same CD or
CF card on another occasion, regardless of the format of the data,
PLEXTALK will start playback from the location that playing was stopped
in the previous session. This is true of multi title CDs or CF cards as well as
on CDs and CF cards with only one title or album.
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This is a particularly useful feature if you need to swap CDs or CF cards and
then want to return to the first one, for example, if you are studying and
need to refer to a variety of books.
11.2. Start and stop playback.
To start or stop playback, do the following:
REMINDER: The Play/Stop key is the blue trapezoidal shaped key with the
recessed surface, located in the centre of the front edge of PLEXTALK. It is
immediately behind the narrow dip in the middle of the front edge.
• To start playback, press the Play/Stop key. PLEXTALK will start
playback from the position where it was stopped previously.
• To stop playback, press the Play/Stop key.
NOTE: If a book or album has played all the way to the end, it will stop
automatically unless a playback mode which overrides this action has
been selected. Pressing the Play/Stop key when the book or album has
played to the end, will cause the book or album to commence playback
from the beginning again.
11.3. Changing the playback volume.
REMINDER: The Volume Up and Volume Down keys are one behind the
other in the middle of the right hand side of the top of PLEXTALK.
Combined, they are shaped like a rectangle with a curved top and bottom
edge. They are blue in colour. The Volume Up key is nearer to the rear of
PLEXTALK and the Volume Down key is nearer to the front. Although
close together, there is a distinct gap between the 2 individual keys.
The volume can be set on a scale from 0 to 20, in steps of 1, with 0 being
silent and 20 being the loudest possible setting.
To increase the playback volume, either press the Volume Up key
repeatedly, increasing the level by 1 setting for each press of the key, or
press and hold the Volume Up key until the volume reaches the desired
level.
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To decrease the playback volume, either press the Volume Down key
repeatedly, decreasing the level by 1 setting for each press of the key, or
press and hold the Volume Down key until the volume reaches the desired
level.
When PLEXTALK is not playing, each time you adjust the volume, it will
beep and speak the volume level selected, for example, "Volume 16". It
will play a higher pitched beep at the top and bottom setting and will play
a lower pitched beep at the middle position, where the volume is set to 10.
If you press and hold down either of the volume keys, you will hear a
series of beeps, to indicate that the volume setting is changing, until you
reach the highest or lowest setting. Again the top and bottom settings
have a higher pitched beep and the middle setting has a lower pitched
beep.
When PLEXTALK is playing, each time you adjust the volume, it will beep
but will not speak the volume setting selected. It will play a higher
pitched beep at the top and bottom setting and will play a lower pitched
beep at the position where the volume is set to 10. If you press and hold
down either of the volume keys, you will hear an initial beep but no
further beeps until PLEXTALK reaches the highest or lowest possible
setting. You will, however hear the playback volume increase or decrease
accordingly.
11.4. Changing the guide volume.
The internal speech generated by the PTR2 is called the guide speech. The
volume of the guide speech can be adjusted, either along with the
playback volume or separately. The guide volume can be set on a scale
from 0 to 20, in increments of 1, with 0 being silent and 20 being the
loudest possible setting.
If you wish the guide volume and playback volume to be adjusted
together, use the procedure detailed in the previous section. The guide
volume will increase and decrease as you adjust the playback volume. If
you wish to set the guide volume independently, do the following:
To increase the guide volume, press and hold down the Information key
and then press the Volume Up key repeatedly until you reach the desired
level.
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To decrease the guide volume, press and hold down the Information key
and then press the Volume Down key repeatedly until you reach the
desired level.
NOTE: When adjusting the guide volume, PLEXTALK behaves in the same
way if it is playing or not playing except that playback is temporarily
stopped as you make your adjustments.
11.5. Changing the playback speed.
REMINDER: The Speed Control switch is the rear most switch, of the 3
switches in the recess at the front of the right side of PLEXTALK.
There are 11 speed settings ranging from -2 to +8, which can be adjusted
1 level at a time. Normal speed is at the 0 position. -2 is half of normal
speed, +4 is double speed and +8 is triple speed.
To increase the playback speed, flick the Speed Control switch towards
the rear of PLEXTALK. The guide will announce the setting you have
selected, for example "Speed +2". If PLEXTALK is playing, playback will be
temporarily halted as you make your adjustments.
To decrease the playback speed, flick the Speed Control switch towards
the front of PLEXTALK. The guide will announce the setting you have
selected, for example "Speed -1". If PLEXTALK is playing, playback will be
temporarily halted as you make your adjustments.
To quickly set PLEXTALK back to the normal speed position, regardless of
where the setting is currently, press the Speed Control switch inwards,
towards the body of PLEXTALK. The guide speech will confirm that the
setting has been changed back to the normal speed position.
NOTE: Each time you make an adjustment, a beep will be heard. A higher
pitched beep indicates the top or bottom of the available range and a
lower pitched beep indicates the normal speed position.
NOTE: Pressing and holding the switch towards the front or rear of
PLEXTALK, will cause the speed setting to change rapidly in the relevant
direction. This saves you having to repeatedly flick the switch .
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11.6. Changing the audio tone.
REMINDER: The Tone Control switch is the middle switch, of the 3
switches in the recess at the front of the right side of PLEXTALK.
There are 13 tone settings ranging from -6 to +6, which can be adjusted 1
level at a time. The default setting is in the middle of the range and is
termed the normal position. Moving from the bottom to the top of the
available range, will make the tone move from a more bass sound to a
more treble sound.
To increase the tone, flick the Tone Control switch towards the rear of
PLEXTALK. The guide will announce the setting you have selected, for
example "Tone +5". If PLEXTALK is playing, playback will be temporarily
halted as you make your adjustments.
To decrease the tone, flick the Tone Control switch towards the front of
PLEXTALK. The guide will announce the setting you have selected, for
example "Tone -3". If PLEXTALK is playing, playback will be temporarily
halted as you make your adjustments.
To quickly set PLEXTALK back to the normal tone position, regardless of
where the setting is currently, press the Tone Control switch inwards,
towards the body of PLEXTALK. The guide speech will confirm that the
setting has been changed back to the normal tone position.
NOTE: Each time you make an adjustment, a beep will be heard. A higher
pitched beep indicates the top or bottom of the available range and a
lower pitched beep indicates the normal tone position.
NOTE: Pressing and holding the switch towards the front or rear of
PLEXTALK, will cause the tone setting to change rapidly in the relevant
direction. This saves you having to repeatedly flick the switch .
11.7. Accessing the Navigation menu.
One of the most useful features of PLEXTALK is the ability to choose how
you want to navigate. This is done by using the Navigation Menu which is
available to you at any time when you are not already in the Main Menu
system.
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To use the Navigation Menu, do the following:
• Assuming that you are not recording or already in the Main Menu
system, use the Numbers 2 or 8 keys to move upwards or
downwards. The items you hear spoken are the options available
to you from the Navigation Menu, at that time.
• The available options will vary depending on what kind of CD or CF
card you are using and the structure of the data on that CD or CF
card. For example, on a DAISY CD, if the book does not have pages
coded into it, the "Page" option will not appear on the Navigation
Menu. On a Music CD, you will never see Level 1, Level 2 etc as
these are DAISY navigation features and not relevant to Music CDs.
On an Audio File CD, if there is only one album, there will be no
"Album" option on the Navigation Menu. In essence, PLEXTALK
will only offer you navigation options that are appropriate to you
at that time.
• The items "Selecting media" and "Time" are common to all formats
and will always appear on this list of navigation options. .
• Having selected your preferred navigation method, you can now
use your Number 4 or 6 key to move backwards or forwards at your
chosen level of navigation. For example, with your User's Guide CD
in PLEXTALK, if you go to the "Page" option with your Number 2 or
8 key, and then use your Number 4 or 6 key, you will be able to
move backwards or forwards a page at a time.
NOTE: In Normal mode, you can check your currently selected navigation
level by pressing the Number 5 key. This feature is not available in Book
Creator mode.
NOTE: The default navigation level for DAISY titles is "Level 1", for Music
CDs is "Track" and for Audio File CDs or CF cards is "File". Your currently
selected navigation level is not saved when you shut down PLEXTALK.
NOTE: If you do not know what navigation is available to you on a
particular disc or card, use the Number 2 or 8 key to quickly find out.
11.8. Selecting to use the CD or CF card.
At times you may wish to switch from using a CD to the CF card or vice
versa. You can do this as follows:
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• Use the Number 2 or 8 key to go to the "Selecting media" option
on the Navigation menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to select either "Disc" or "Card".
• As you move, if a disc or card is installed, PLEXTALK will announce
the type of media in the drive you have selected. In the case of
DAISY titles, PLEXTALK will then play the first phrase on the CD or
CF card. For an Audio File CD or CF card, PLEXTALK will announce
the number of the current album and the total number of albums.
• If no disc or card is inserted, PLEXTALK will say "No disc" or "No
card" respectively.
• Assuming that there is a CD or CF card present, if you want to play
from where it was last played, press the Play/Stop key.
• If you wish to navigate to another part of the CD or CF card, use the
normal navigation features to do this.
11.9. Moving to the beginning or end of a title or album.
Moving quickly to the beginning or end of the current title or album is
very useful, whether your media contains DAISY titles, music tracks or
audio files. Although the guide speech differs slightly, the basic operation
is the same for all formats, as follows:
To move to the beginning of a title or album, do the following:
REMINDER: The Heading key is the second key down in the column of 5
keys on the left of the top of PLEXTALK. It is black and diamond shaped.
• Press the Heading key once. The guide speech will say "Go to
heading", "Go to track" or "Go to file", depending on the type of
data you are using. This will be followed by a verbal reminder that
the Enter key can be pressed at this point to go to the beginning if
you want.
• Press the Enter key and the playing position will move to the start
of the current title or album. The guide speech will say "Beginning
of title" or "Beginning of album".
• After a short pause, playback will commence automatically from
the beginning.
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To move to the end of a title or album, do the following:
• Press the Heading key once. The guide speech will say "Go to
heading", "Go to track" or "Go to file", depending on the type of
data you are using. This will be followed by a verbal reminder that
the Enter key can be pressed at this point to go to the beginning if
you want.
• Press the Number 0 key followed by the Enter key and the playing
position will move to the end of the current title or album. The
guide speech will say "End of title" or "End of album".
11.10. Jump backwards or forwards by 5 seconds.
The jump backwards and forwards features use the black, semi circular
Back and Forward keys either side of the Play/Stop key. For DAISY titles,
you can select to jump backwards or forwards, either by 5 second jumps
or by phrase jumps. For Music CDs and Audio File CDs and CF cards, you
can only jump by 5 second jumps. The choice of the type of jump is made
in the menu system.
To select the 5 second jump option, do the following:
• Press the Menu key once to access the Main Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Control panel" option and
select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Select moving behaviour
for forward and back" option and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "5 second moving" option,
and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Your selection will be saved and you will be automatically exited
from the menu system.
Having selected the 5 second jump setting, you can jump backwards or
forwards as follows:
• To jump backwards, press and release the Back key. Each time you
press the Back key, the playing position will move backwards
approximately 5 seconds.
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• To jump forwards, press and release the Forward key. Each time
you press the Forward key, the playing position will move forwards
approximately 5 seconds.
11.11. Fast forward or fast rewind
The fast rewind and fast forward features use the black, semi circular Back
and Forward keys either side of the Play/Stop key.
• To fast rewind, press and hold down the Back key. A high pitched
chattering sound will be heard. Playback will start when you
release the key.
• To fast forward, press and hold down the Forward key. A high
pitched chattering sound will be heard. Playback will start when
you release the key.
NOTE: As you hold down the Back or Forward keys, the speed of the fast
rewind or fast forward will increase to 2 times and 4 times normal speed
for Music CDs and to 4 times, 8 times and 16 times normal speed for DAISY
and Audio File CDs or CF cards. If you release your finger at 4 times speed,
for Music CDs, or at 16 times speed for DAISY and Audio File CDs and CF
cards, the fast rewind or fast forward will continue on its own. In this
situation, to start playback at normal speed again, simply press the
Play/Stop key.
11.12. Using the time jump feature.
In addition to the jump backwards and forwards features mentioned
above, you can jump backwards and forwards by 1 minute and 10 minute
jumps. This is known as the "Time Jump" feature.
To use the time jump, do the following:
• Press the Number 2 or 8 key to go to the "Time" option on the
Navigation Menu.
• To jump backwards 1 minute, press and release the Number 4 key.
• To jump forward 1 minute, press and release the Number 6 key.
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• To jump backwards in 10 minute steps, press and hold down the
Number 4 key. As you hold the key, PLEXTALK will announce
"Minus 10 minutes", "Minus 20 minutes", "Minus 30 minutes" and
so on. Release the key when you have gone back the required
amount.
• To jump forwards in 10 minute steps, press and hold down the
Number 6 key. As you hold the key, PLEXTALK will announce "10
minutes", "20 minutes", "30 minutes" and so on. Release the key
when you have gone forward the required amount.
NOTE: Playback will start automatically after any time jump operation,
even if PLEXTALK was not playing previously.
11.13. Getting information about the item being played.
It is often useful to be able to get playing information about the item
currently in use. You can do this as follows:
• Press and hold down the Play/Stop key.
• If you are using a DAISY title, you will hear the time elapsed, time
remaining, total time, the date and time when the index was
created and the first phrase of the title.
• If you are using a Music CD, you will hear the elapsed time,
remaining time and total time of the current track followed by the
elapsed time, remaining time and total time of the disc.
• If you are using an Audio File CD or CF card, you will hear the
elapsed time, remaining time and total time for the current file,
followed by the date and time when the index was created.
• When you have heard the information you wanted to hear, release
the Play/Stop key and PLEXTALK will return to what it was doing
previously.
NOTE: The detail of the information spoken differs according to the
format of the CD or CF card in use, but the method to get the information
is the same.
NOTE: For all types of data, if the playback mode is not set to "Standard"
play, the current playback mode will be announced before any of the
other information mentioned above.
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11.14. Using bookmarks.
Bookmarks are a very powerful way of enhancing the navigation options
in a DAISY title, Music CD or in an Audio File CD or CF card. This section
tells you about the types of bookmark available to you and how to insert,
navigate and delete them.
11.14.1. Types of bookmark.
There are 4 types of bookmark you can use in PLEXTALK as follows:
• Simple bookmark - This is the quickest and easiest bookmark to
insert and use. You can create one simple bookmark for each title
or album. It is always assigned the number 0 by PLEXTALK.
• Numbered bookmarks - You can insert up to 10000 numbered
bookmarks in each title or album. Each bookmark is assigned a
unique number in the range 1 to 65000. If you try to exceed the
10000 limit, the oldest bookmark is automatically deleted before
the new one is created.
• Voice bookmarks - These are numbered bookmarks that have
accompanying voice annotations. Voice bookmarks and memos
both use memory. The total memory available gives about 30
minutes of recording. The factory default allocation of this
memory is 10 minutes for voice bookmarks and 20 minutes for
memos. If you try to exceed this allocation, the oldest bookmark is
automatically deleted before the new one is created.
• Resume bookmarks - For every title or album, the current playing
location will be stored so playback can be resumed from that
location the next time the title or album is used.
NOTE: PLEXTALK will remember the bookmark and other information for
up to 1000 titles or albums.
11.14.2. Getting bookmark information.
REMINDER: In the column of 5 keys on the left of the top of PLEXTALK, the
Bookmark key is the black, diamond shaped key which is fourth from the
top.
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To find out information about the bookmarks in the current title, whether
PLEXTALK is playing or not, do the following:
• Press and hold down the Bookmark key.
• The current bookmark number, the total number of bookmarks
and the total number of voice bookmarks will be announced.
NOTE: If there are no bookmarks in the current title or album, PLEXTALK
will announce "Bookmark does not exist".
11.14.3. Inserting bookmarks.
This section tells you how to insert simple, numbered and voice
bookmarks into your title or album.
To insert the simple bookmark, whether PLEXTALK is playing or not, do
the following:
• Press the Bookmark key twice. PLEXTALK will say "Set the
bookmark".
• Press the Enter key and PLEXTALK will say "Set simple bookmark".
NOTE: There is only one simple bookmark per title or album. The position
of the existing simple bookmark is moved to the new position when you
insert the simple bookmark again in this title.
NOTE The simple bookmark is automatically assigned the number 0.
NOTE: PLEXTALK will not allow you to insert a simple bookmark where
another bookmark already exists.
To insert a numbered bookmark, whether PLEXTALK is playing or not, do
the following:
• Press the Bookmark key twice. PLEXTALK will say "Set bookmark".
• Enter the number you wish to assign to this bookmark, using the
Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• If you try to assign the same number as an existing bookmark,
PLEXTALK gives you the chance to overwrite the existing
bookmark or assign a different number. Press the Enter key to
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overwrite the existing bookmark or the Cancel key to assign a
different number.
• When you have selected a valid number for your bookmark,
PLEXTALK will confirm that the bookmark has been set.
NOTE: PLEXTALK will not allow you to set a bookmark in the same
position as an existing bookmark.
To insert a voice bookmark, whether PLEXTALK is playing or not, do the
following:
REMINDER: The Record key is the round, white key with the red ring on it.
It is located at the front left corner of the top of PLEXTALK.
• Press the Bookmark key three times. PLEXTALK will say "Set voice
bookmark".
• Enter the number you wish to assign to this voice bookmark, using
the Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• If you try to assign the same number as an existing bookmark,
PLEXTALK gives you the chance to overwrite the existing
bookmark or assign a different number. Press the Enter key to
overwrite the existing bookmark or the Cancel key to assign a
different number.
• After you have assigned a valid number to your voice bookmark,
PLEXTALK will speak a reminder that you should press and hold the
Record key whilst recording and will indicate that the recording
level will be automatically set.
• Press and hold down the Record key and speak your voice
annotation.
• Release the Record key when you have finished. PLEXTALK will
confirm that the voice bookmark has been set.
NOTE: The built in microphone is situated under the grill at the back of
the top of PLEXTALK.
NOTE: You can select whether voice bookmarks should play or not when
you are navigating to the bookmark or listening to the title or album.
Further information about how to do this is given at the end of this
chapter.
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NOTE: Resume bookmarks are inserted automatically by PLEXTALK when
you move to a different title or album, or when you shut down the
recorder. No action is required from you.
11.14.4. Navigating to bookmarks.
This section tells you how to navigate to the various types of bookmark.
To jump to the simple bookmark, whether PLEXTALK is playing or not, do
the following:
• Press the Bookmark key once. PLEXTALK will say "Go to bookmark".
• Press the Enter key and PLEXTALK will go to the simple bookmark
position and playback will start automatically.
To jump to a numbered bookmark, whether PLEXTALK is playing or not,
do the following:
• Press the Bookmark key once. PLEXTALK will say "Go to bookmark".
• Enter the number of the bookmark you wish to go to, using the
Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• When a valid bookmark number has been entered, PLEXTALK will
go to the location of that bookmark and playback will start
automatically.
NOTE: PLEXTALK will speak an error message if you try to go to a
numbered bookmark that does not exist.
To jump to a voice bookmark, whether PLEXTALK is playing or not, do the
following:
• Press the Bookmark key once. PLEXTALK will say "Go to bookmark".
• Enter the number of the voice bookmark you wish to go to, using
the Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• When a valid bookmark number has been entered, PLEXTALK will
go to the location of that bookmark and playback will start
automatically.
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• Depending on the setting you have selected for the playback of
voice bookmarks, the voice annotation that you previously
recorded will either be heard at this time or not.
NOTE: PLEXTALK will speak an error message if you try to go to a
bookmark that does not exist.
Once you have entered bookmarks into a title or album, a "Bookmark"
option will become available on the Navigation Menu. In order to
navigate to the next bookmark with a lower or higher number, do the
following:
• Use the Number 2 or 8 key to go to the "Bookmark" option on the
Navigation Menu.
• Press the Number 4 key to move to the next bookmark with a
lower number. PLEXTALK will move to the bookmark and
announce its number. Playback will start automatically. If you are
on the bookmark with the lowest number, pressing the Number 4
key will take you to the bookmark with the highest number.
• Press the Number 6 key to move to the next bookmark with a
higher number. PLEXTALK will move to the bookmark and
announce its number. Playback will start automatically. If you are
on the bookmark with the highest number, pressing the Number 6
key will take you to the bookmark with the lowest number.
NOTE: When navigating in this way, you will move by the numbering
sequence of the bookmarks and not by the time sequence that they
appear in the title or album. For example, assume you have randomly
assigned bookmarks with numbers from 1 to 10 throughout your title or
album and you are currently on bookmark 5. Using this method will allow
you to move to bookmark 4 or 6 regardless of where they are located,
even if there are other bookmarks in between numbers 4 and 5 or
between 5 and 6.
NOTE: The simple bookmark is assigned the number 0.
NOTE: If there are no bookmarks in the title, the "Bookmark" option will
not be listed on the Navigation Menu.
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11.14.5. Clearing bookmarks.
This section tells you how you can clear individual bookmarks or all the
bookmarks in the current title or in every title.
To clear the simple bookmark from the current title or album, do the
following:
• Press the Bookmark key 4 times. PLEXTALK will say "Clear
bookmark".
• Press the Enter key and the simple bookmark will be cleared.
PLEXTALK will confirm this by saying "Cleared".
NOTE: If you try to clear the simple bookmark and it has not been
assigned, PLEXTALK will speak an error message.
To clear a numbered bookmark or a voice bookmark, the procedure is
identical, as follows:
• Press the Bookmark key 4 times. PLEXTALK will say "Clear
bookmark".
• Enter the number of the bookmark you wish to clear, using the
Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• When you confirm the number of the bookmark you wish to clear,
PLEXTALK will clear this bookmark from the current title or album
and will confirm this by saying "Cleared".
NOTE: If the bookmark you have selected is a voice bookmark, the
equivalent voice annotation will also be deleted from memory.
NOTE: If you enter an invalid bookmark number, PLEXTALK will speak an
error message.
If you wish to clear all bookmarks in the current title or album, do the
following:
• Press the Menu key to access the Main Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Bookmark" option and
select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Clear all bookmarks in
current title" option and select it by pressing the Enter key.
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• PLEXTALK will ask you to confirm this action. If you wish to
proceed, press the Enter key and PLEXTALK will say "Cleared". If
you have changed your mind, press the Cancel key or the Menu
key to exit the menu system entirely.
NOTE: The procedure will only clear bookmarks in the current title or
album and will not affect bookmarks in other titles or albums.
If you wish to clear all bookmarks from all titles and albums, do the
following:
• Press the Menu key to access the Main Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Bookmark" option and
select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Clear all bookmarks"
option and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• PLEXTALK will ask you to confirm this action. If you wish to
proceed, press the Enter key and PLEXTALK will say "Cleared". If
you have changed your mind, press the Cancel key or the Menu
key to exit the menu system entirely.
11.14.6. Turning on and off voice bookmark speech.
When you are using voice bookmarks, you are able to select whether you
want to hear them spoken or not.
To turn voice bookmarks On or Off, do the following:
• Press the Menu key to access the Main Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Bookmark" option and
select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Setting of playing voice
bookmark" option and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to select either "Voice bookmark on" or
"Voice bookmark off" and press the Enter key to confirm your
choice. PLEXTALK will confirm the action by saying "Set"
NOTE: The factory default setting for playing voice bookmarks is "Voice
bookmark on".
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12. Playing DAISY titles.
This chapter covers additional features that can be used when you are
playing a DAISY title from a CD or CF card. If you don't already have a
DAISY CD or CF card in PLEXTALK, it will be useful to do this now. The
User's Guide CD is a good choice as it contains many of the features
discussed in this section.
CAUTION: PLEXTALK is only compatible with round CDs. Irregularly
shaped CDs, such as the business card type, will cause a malfunction and
should not be used.
CAUTION: As the CD rotates at a high speed, do not stick any thick items,
like Braille labels, onto the surface of the disc.
REMINDER: In the column of 5 keys on the left side of the top of PLEXTALK,
The Heading key is the second key from the top and the Page key is the
third key from the top. They are both black, diamond shaped keys.
12.1. Getting heading and title information.
To find out information about the titles on the CD or CF card, and about
the headings in the current title, whether PLEXTALK is playing or not, do
the following:
• Press and hold down the Heading key.
• The current heading number and the total number of headings in
the current title will be announced.
• If there is more than one title on the CD or CF card, the current title
number and the total number of titles on the CD or CF card will be
announced.
• As PLEXTALK supports titles that span across multiple CDs, If more
than one CD has been used, the current CD number and the total
number of CDs will be announced.
• This will be followed by an announcement of the copyright status
of the current section in the DAISY title.
• After these announcements, the first phrase of the current section
will be played.
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REMINDER: The PTR2 recognises 4 categories of copyright status which
are Master, Copy, DAISY or No copyright information. The announcement
made by PLEXTALK will include one of these categories.
NOTE: If the playing position is at the beginning or end of the title,
because there is no audio at these locations, no copyright information or
recorded audio will be heard.
12.2. Getting page information.
To find out information about the pages in the current title, whether
PLEXTALK is playing or not, do the following:
• Press and hold down the Page key.
• The current page number and the maximum number of pages in
the current title will be announced.
NOTE: If there are any front pages or special pages within the DAISY title,
the number of front pages and special pages will be announced as well as
the other page information.
12.3. Title navigation.
In situations where there are more than one title on the CD or CF card, you
may wish to switch from the title you are currently reading to another title.
You can either do this by using the "Go To Title" feature or by using the
Navigation Menu, as follows:
To go direct to a specific title, do the following:
• Press the Heading key until the guide speech says "Go to title".
• Type in the number of the title you want to go to, using the
Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• When you have entered a valid title number and pressed the Enter
key, PLEXTALK will switch to the title you selected. If you have
entered an invalid title number, the guide speech will speak an
error message.
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To select a different title by moving through the available titles one at a
time, do the following:
• Use the Number 2 or 8 key to go to the "Total Titles" option on the
Navigation Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to move sequentially through the
available titles.
• As you move your selection, you will first hear the number of the
title you have selected followed by the first phrase of that title.
• If you wish to play the selected title, press the Play/Stop key.
Playback will start from the position in the title where it was
stopped previously.
• If you wish to move to a different title, continue to use your
Number 4 or 6 key until you find the title you want.
NOTE: If there is only one title on a CD or CF card, PLEXTALK will remove
all title navigation options from the system at that time.
12.4. Heading navigation.
Navigating to headings is very similar to title navigation. You can either
go to headings direct or you can move through the available headings
one at a time.
REMINDER: Headings are marked locations in the DAISY title that you may
wish to get to quickly, such as the start of chapters, sections and sub
sections. The headings in a DAISY title are numbered sequentially from
the start of the title. Every heading has an associated navigation level
between Level 1 and Level 6.
To go direct to a specific heading, do the following:
• Press the Heading key until the guide speech says "Go to heading".
• Type in the number of the heading you wish to go to, using the
Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
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• When you have entered a valid heading number and pressed the
Enter key, PLEXTALK will switch to the heading you selected and
playback will start automatically. If you have entered an invalid
heading number, the guide speech will speak an error message.
To navigate headings sequentially, using heading levels, do the following:
• Use the Number 2 or 8 key to go to your desired level of navigation,
for example Level 1 or Level 2.
• Press the Number 4 key to move backwards to the previous
heading on the selected level. PLEXTALK will move to the heading
and playback will start automatically. If there is no previous
heading, PLEXTALK will move to the beginning and say "Beginning
of title".
• Press the Number 6 key to move forwards to the next heading on
the selected level. PLEXTALK will move to the heading and
playback will start automatically. If there is no next heading,
PLEXTALK will go to the end and say "End of title".
NOTE: When navigating in this way, PLEXTALK will stop at all headings
that have a level the same as or higher than the level you have selected.
For example, if you chose to navigate on Level 3, PLEXTALK will find all
Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 headings as you move backwards or forwards.
If you have chosen Level 1 navigation, PLEXTALK will only find Level 1
headings as you move.
12.5. Page navigation.
Navigating to pages is very similar to heading navigation. You can either
go to pages direct or you can move through the available pages one at a
time. When using PLEXTALK, pages are numbered sequentially from the
start of the title.
To go direct to a specified page, do the following:
• Press the Page key until the guide speech says "Go to page".
• Type in the number of the page you wish to go to, using the
Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
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• When you have entered a valid page number and pressed the
Enter key, PLEXTALK will switch to the page you selected and
playback will start automatically. If you have entered an invalid
page number, the guide speech will speak an error message.
To navigate pages sequentially, do the following:
• Use the Number 2 or 8 key to go to the "Page" option on the
Navigation Menu.
• Press the Number 4 key to move backwards to the previous page.
PLEXTALK will move back to the previous page marker and
playback will start automatically. If there is no previous page,
PLEXTALK will go to the beginning and say "Beginning of title".
• Press the Number 6 key to move forwards to the next page.
PLEXTALK will move forwards to the next page marker and
playback will start automatically. If there is no next page,
PLEXTALK will go to the end and say "End of title".
NOTE: If there are no page markers in the title, the "Page" option will not
be listed on the Navigation Menu.
NOTE: There are three kinds of page which are Normal, Front and Special.
Front pages are those at the front of the book before the page numbering
for the body of the book begins. Special pages are those that are not front
matter and which do not follow the sequential numbering system. You
cannot move directly to Front or Special pages using the Page key and can
only navigate to them using the Number 4 or 6 keys after selecting the
"Page" option on the Navigation menu.
12.6. Group navigation.
REMINDER: A Group, in the context of the PTR2, is a navigation feature
which can be assigned to items of note throughout a DAISY title. They are
separate from other navigation features like headings and pages. In the
DAISY version of the User's Guide, groups are used to highlight points of
safety and notes.
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Groups can only be navigated sequentially, however, in the menu system,
you are able to specify whether you want PLEXTALK to go to groups only
or to all headings as well as groups. The ability to navigate groups
independent of other structure makes navigation quicker, whereas
navigating groups with the headings, gives a better idea of where the
groups are in the structure.
In order to select your preferred method of navigation, do the following:
REMINDER: The Menu key is the black, oval shaped key on the right side of
the top of PLEXTALK, just in front of the speaker grill.
• Press the Menu key once.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Control panel" option and
select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Select moving behaviour
for a group" option and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to select between "Stop all structure" or
"Stop the group only", pressing the Enter key to confirm your
selection.
• Having made your choice, PLEXTALK will exit from the menu
system automatically.
To move backwards or forwards a group at a time, do the following:
• Use the Number 2 or 8 key to go to the "Group" option on the
Navigation Menu.
• Use the Number 4 key to move backwards to the previous group
item in the title. PLEXTALK will move backwards to the previous
group item and playback will start automatically. If there are no
previous group items, PLEXTALK will go to the beginning and say
"Beginning of title".
• Use the Number 6 key to move forwards to the next group item in
the title. PLEXTALK will move forwards to the next group item and
playback will start automatically. If there are no next group items,
PLEXTALK will move to the end and say "End of title".
NOTE: If there are no group markers in the title, the "Group" option will
not be listed on the Navigation Menu.
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12.7. Phrase navigation.
REMINDER: Phrases are a DAISY navigation feature which are
automatically created when the recording is made. A phrase is the piece
of audio between one moment of silence and the next.
As discussed in an earlier section, PLEXTALK enables you to specify
whether you want the Back and Forward keys to function as phrase jump
or 5 second jump keys. Before you can navigate backwards or forwards a
phrase at a time, you must set this option for phrase jumps.
To set the Back and Forward keys for phrase jumps, do the following:
• Press the Menu key once.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Control panel" option and
select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Select the moving
behaviour for forward and back" option and select it by pressing
the Enter key.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Phrase moving" option
and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• After making this selection, you will be automatically exited from
the menu system.
Having set this option, to move backwards or forwards a phrase at a time,
do the following:
To jump back one phrase, press the Back key once. PLEXTALK will move
backwards to the start of the previous phrase and playback will start
automatically. If there is no previous phrase, PLEXTALK will go to the
beginning and say "Beginning of title".
To jump forwards one phrase, press the Forward key once. PLEXTALK will
jump forwards to the start of the next phrase and playback will start
automatically. If there is no next phrase, PLEXTALK will go to the end and
say "End of title".
NOTE: Phrase jumping only works when listening to a DAISY title.
NOTE: Sometimes, depending on how long you let the phrase play for,
you may need to press the Back key twice quickly to move to the previous
phrase, otherwise PLEXTALK may only jump back to the start of the
current phrase.
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12.8. Selecting a playback mode.
You can select a number of different playback modes when using a DAISY
title. The available options are as follows:
• Standard play - this option is the factory default setting. It plays
through the title and stops when finished. PLEXTALK will say "End
of title". Pressing the Play/Stop key at this stage will start playback
from the beginning again.
• Repeat between bookmarks - if you have inserted bookmarks into
your title, the audio between the bookmarks either side of your
current position in the title will be repeated continuously until
playback is stopped. The beginning and end of the title are treated
like bookmarks in this playback mode.
• Repeat section - the current section will repeat continuously until
playback is stopped.
• Repeat title - the current title will repeat continuously until
playback is stopped.
• Repeat all titles - playback will continuously play all titles in order
until playback is stopped.
• Repeat random - the sections within the current DAISY title will be
continuously played in random order until playback is stopped.
NOTE: In this situation, the order of bookmarks is not based on their
numerical sequence but on their time sequence in the title.
In order to select a playback mode, do the following:
• Press the Menu key once to access the Main Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Playing Settings" option
and select it by pressing the Enter key. The currently selected
playing mode will be spoken.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to your preferred playing mode
and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Your selection will be made and the menu system will be exited
automatically.
NOTE: When you select a playback mode, it will remain the default
playback mode until you change it again, even if the unit is turned off and
back on.
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13. Playing Music CDs.
This chapter covers features that are specific to playing Music CDs. There
is a lot of similarity between these commands and the equivalent ones for
DAISY titles, so you should find them simple to learn. Before continuing
with this chapter, ensure that you have inserted a Music CD, so you can try
out the features as you progress.
CAUTION: PLEXTALK may not be able to play a Music CD that is not
compliant with the CD digital audio (CD-DA) standard. Some copyprotected Music CDs are not compliant with CD-DA, and this can affect
their playing, even on a CD-ROM-based player such as PLEXTALK.
CAUTION: PLEXTALK is only compatible with round CDs. Irregularly
shaped CDs, such as the business card type, will cause a malfunction and
should not be used.
CAUTION: As the CD rotates at a high speed, do not stick any thick items,
like Braille labels, onto the surface of the disc.
13.1. Track navigation.
Navigating to tracks is very similar to heading or page navigation. You can
either go to tracks direct or you can move through the available tracks one
at a time. Tracks are numbered sequentially from the start of the album.
To go direct to a specified track, do the following:
• Press the heading key once. the guide speech will say "Go to track".
• Type in the number of the track you wish to go to, using the
Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• When you have entered a valid track number and pressed the
Enter key, PLEXTALK will switch to the track you selected and
playback will start automatically. If you have entered an invalid
track number, the guide speech will speak an error message.
To navigate tracks sequentially, do the following:
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• Use the Number 2 or 8 key to go to the "Track" option on the
Navigation Menu.
• Press the Number 4 key to move backwards to the previous track.
PLEXTALK will move back to the previous track and playback will
start automatically. If there is no previous track, PLEXTALK will go
to the beginning and say "Beginning of album".
• Press the Number 6 key to move forwards to the next track.
PLEXTALK will move forwards to the next track and playback will
start automatically. If there is no next track, PLEXTALK will go to
the end and say "End of album".
NOTE: When moving back a track at a time, if you allow the track to play
for more than 3 seconds, the next time you move back a track, you will
move to the start of the current track. If you move back a second time
within 3 seconds, you will move to the previous track.
13.2. Selecting a playback mode.
As for a DAISY title, when playing a Music CD you can select a number of
different playback modes. The available options are as follows:
• Standard play - this option is the factory default setting. It plays
through the album and stops when finished. PLEXTALK will say
"End of album". Pressing the Play/Stop key at this stage will start
playback from the beginning again.
• Repeat track - the current track will repeat continuously until
playback is stopped.
• Repeat album - the current album will repeat continuously until
playback is stopped.
• Repeat random - the tracks within the current album will be
continuously played in random order until playback is stopped.
• Repeat between bookmarks - if you have inserted bookmarks into
your album, the audio between the bookmarks either side of your
current position in the album will be repeated continuously until
playback is stopped. The beginning and end of the album are
treated like bookmarks in this playback mode.
NOTE: In this situation, the order of bookmarks is not based on their
numerical sequence but on their time sequence in the title.
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In order to select a playback mode, do the following:
• Press the Menu key once to access the Main Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Playing Settings" option
and select it by pressing the Enter key. The currently selected
playing mode will be spoken.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to your preferred playing mode
and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Your selection will be made and the menu system will be exited
automatically.
NOTE: When you select a playback mode, it will remain the default
playback mode until you change it again, even if the unit is turned off and
back on.
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14. Playing an Audio File CD or CF card.
This chapter looks at issues relating to playing Audio File CDs and CF cards.
In this guide, the term "audio files" refers to files that have been created
using a PC or IC recorder. As previously mentioned, PLEXTALK is capable
of recognising and playing audio files which are in any of the following file
formats: Wave, MP3 or Ogg Vorbis.
Before proceeding with this section, you may wish to insert a CD or CF
card containing files in one or more of these formats into PLEXTALK so you
can try out the features as you proceed.
CAUTION: PLEXTALK is only compatible with round CDs. Irregularly
shaped CDs, such as the business card type, will cause a malfunction and
should not be used.
CAUTION: As the CD rotates at a high speed, do not stick any thick items,
like Braille labels, onto the surface of the disc.
NOTE: PLEXTALK cannot be used to record, edit or back up audio files on
CDs or CF cards.
14.1. About audio files.
This section gives you some more technical information about the types
of audio files that can be used with your PLEXTALK. The file types are as
follows:
• MP3 Files - MP3 (short for MPEG1/2 Audio Layer 3) is a standard for
the compression of audio data. It allows compression ratios of
1/10 or even 1/12, with Music CD quality. PLEXTALK supports the
following bit rates: MPEG1 Layer 3 from 32kbps to 320kbps and
MPEG2 Layer 3 from 8kbps to 160kbps. It also supports VBR
(Variable Bit Rate).
NOTE: For VBR, the reporting of the elapsed time and remaining time is
not accurate and should be viewed as an estimate only.
NOTE: PLEXTALK does not support MPEG2.5 Audio Layer 3 file format.
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• WAVE Files - The Wave format is Microsoft's standard audio file
format. PLEXTALK supports Wave files in PCM(Pulse Code
Modulation) format only.
• Ogg Vorbis Files - Ogg Vorbis is a free licensed audio compression
format using bit rates from 45kbps to 320kbps. PLEXTALK supports
all Ogg Vorbis bit rates.
NOTE: Please visit the web site, http://www.vorbis.com/ for further details
about this format.
14.2. About playing sequences.
This section gives you information about the playing sequence used for
playing files and folders.
• Playback of files - If there is a text file called “play list” in the folder,
PLEXTALK will follow the playing sequence specified in this file. If a
file of this type does not exist in the folder, PLEXTALK will playback
the files in the order of their file names. In this case, numbers take
precedence over alphabetical characters. For example, if one file is
called "123ABC" and a second file is called "ABC", the file "123ABC"
will play before the file called "ABC".
NOTE: The “play list” file normally has a file name extension of “m3u” and
the names of the audio files are written in the order that you want them
played.
• Playback of folders - If more than one folder exists on the CD or CF
card, the audio files will be played from the lowest level of the
folder structure in the first folder upwards before then playing the
files at the lowest level of the next folder structure. Finally, any files
at the root level will be played. The following example
demonstrates this idea:
At the Root level there is Folder 1, Folder 4, and File A.
Under Folder 1 there is Folder 2, Folder 3, and File B.
Under Folder 2 there is File E and File F.
Under Folder 3 there is File G and File H.
Under Folder 4 there is File C and File D.
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In the above example, the playing sequence would be: E, F, G, H, B, C, D, A.
14.3. Restrictions on Audio Files.
When creating an Audio File CD or CF card for use in your PLEXTALK, you
should bear in mind the following restrictions:
Restrictions on numbers of files and folders:
• The maximum number of files that can be stored in a folder is 1022.
Files in excess of 1022 are not recognized.
• The maximum number of folders is 254, including a root folder.
Folders in excess of 254 are not recognized.
• PLEXTALK treats file folders as albums and recognizes up to 8
hierarchies.
NOTE: When there is a large number of folders, PLEXTALK may take longer
to read the CD or CF card information.
Restrictions when recording:
• When creating an Audio File CD or CF card, you should only use a
blank CD or CF card to record on. Do not create a DAISY title on
the blank media before burning your audio files to CD or CF card. If
you do, the DAISY files will take precedence over the audio files
and the disc or card will not play properly.
• PLEXTALK recognizes CDs that are written by the following
methods: “Disc-At-Once”, “Track-At-Once”, “Session-At-Once” and
“Packet Writing (only after finalized)”.
• When creating an Audio File CD, you must select “ISO9660 Level 1”
or “ISO9660 Level 2” or “Joliet” or “Romeo (Windows)” as the file
system properties.
• When creating an audio file, it is recommended that you do not
use local code characters in the names of files or folders.
• Specialised CD writing software is required to create the Audio File
CD.
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14.4. Checking the number of files and albums.
To check the number of files in the current album and the number of
albums on the CD or CF card, do the following:
Press and hold down the Heading key.
The number of the current file, the total number of files, the number of the
current album and the total number of albums will be spoken.
NOTE: If there is only one album on the CD or CF card, only the file
information will be spoken.
14.5. File navigation.
Navigating to files is very similar to track navigation on Music CDs. You
can either go to files direct or you can move through the available files
one at a time. Files are numbered sequentially from the start of the album.
To go direct to a specified file, do the following:
• Press the heading key once. the guide speech will say "Go to file".
• Type in the number of the file you wish to go to, using the Number
Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• When you have entered a valid file number and pressed the Enter
key, PLEXTALK will switch to the file you selected and playback will
start automatically. If you have entered an invalid file number, the
guide speech will speak an error message.
To navigate files sequentially, do the following:
• Use the Number 2 or 8 key to go to the "File" option on the
Navigation Menu.
• Press the Number 4 key to move backwards to the previous file.
PLEXTALK will move back to the previous file and playback will
start automatically. If there is no previous file, PLEXTALK will go to
the beginning and say "Beginning of album".
• Press the Number 6 key to move forwards to the next file.
PLEXTALK will move forwards to the next file and playback will
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start automatically. If there is no next file, PLEXTALK will go to the
end and say "End of album".
NOTE: When moving back a file at a time, if you allow the file to play for
more than 3 seconds, the next time you move back a file, you will move to
the start of the current file. If you move back a second time within 3
seconds, you will move to the previous file.
14.6. Album navigation.
Navigating to albums is very similar to file navigation. You can either go
to albums direct or you can move through the available albums one at a
time.
To go direct to a specified album, do the following:
• Press the heading key twice. the guide speech will say "Go to
album".
• Type in the number of the album you wish to go to, using the
Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• When you have entered a valid album number and pressed the
Enter key, PLEXTALK will switch to the album you selected. If you
have entered an invalid album number, the guide speech will
speak an error message.
• Press the Play/Stop key to start playback.
To navigate albums sequentially, do the following:
• Use the Number 2 or 8 key to go to the "Album" option on the
Navigation Menu.
• Press the Number 4 key to move backwards to the previous album.
PLEXTALK will move back to the previous album and announce the
album number.
• Press the Number 6 key to move forwards to the next album.
PLEXTALK will move forwards to the next album and announce the
album number.
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14.7. Selecting a playback mode.
As for a DAISY title or a Music CD, when playing an Audio File CD or CF
card, you can select a number of different playback modes. The available
options are as follows:
• Standard play - this option is the factory default setting. It plays
through the current album and stops when finished. PLEXTALK
will say "End of album". Pressing the Play/Stop key at this stage will
start playback from the beginning of the album again.
• Repeat file - the current file will repeat continuously until playback
is stopped.
• Repeat album - the current album will repeat continuously until
playback is stopped.
• Repeat all albums - all albums will be repeated sequentially until
playback is stopped.
• Repeat random - the files in all the album will be continuously
played in random order until playback is stopped.
• Repeat between bookmarks - if you have inserted bookmarks into
an album, the audio between the bookmarks either side of your
current position in the album will be repeated continuously until
playback is stopped. The beginning and end of the album are
treated like bookmarks in this playback mode.
NOTE: In this situation, the order of bookmarks is not based on their
numerical sequence but on their time sequence in the title.
In order to select a playback mode, do the following:
• Press the Menu key once to access the Main Menu.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to the "Playing Settings" option
and select it by pressing the Enter key. The currently selected
playing mode will be spoken.
• Use the Number 4 or 6 key to go to your preferred playing mode
and select it by pressing the Enter key.
• Your selection will be made and the menu system will be exited
automatically.
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NOTE: When you select a playback mode, it will remain the default
playback mode until you change it again, even if the unit is turned off and
back on.
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15. Power management features.
Now that you have learned how to use your PLEXTALK for playback
operations, there are several features related to power management that
you may find helpful to know about. PLEXTALK will warn you when the
battery charge is becoming low. It also has an automatic power off
function a sleep timer and the ability to power itself on at specified times.
This chapter shows you how these features work.
15.1. Battery low warning.
When PLEXTALK is operating on battery power and the power level drops
to a level where it needs to be recharged, PLEXTALK will say "Low battery.
Please plug in AC adaptor". This message may be repeated several times.
If you wish to continue to use PLEXTALK, you need to plug in the AC
adaptor and switch on the mains power. If you do not plug in the AC
adaptor, PLEXTALK will shut down automatically when the battery level
drops below a certain point.
CAUTION: If the battery power fails during operations such as CD backup,
disc finalisation or disc erasing, the media may become damaged or
unusable.
15.2. Automatic power off function.
In order to save battery power, PLEXTALK will automatically shut down
after 30 minutes of inactivity. Before shutting down, PLEXTALK will give
you a 1 minute warning followed by a 15 second warning. After this 15
seconds, PLEXTALK will shut itself down automatically.
If you do not want PLEXTALK to shut down during this warning period,
just carry out one of the operating functions, for example, start playback,
start recording or access the menu system. PLEXTALK can then be left for
a further 30 minutes of inactivity before the same warning will be spoken
again.
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NOTE: PLEXTALK will not automatically shut down if it is running on mains
power.
15.3. Compulsory power off function.
If for any reason, PLEXTALK will not shut down or you are not able to
navigate with any keys, you can try using the compulsory power off
function, as an alternative to removing the battery.
To use the compulsory power off feature, pulling the Power On/Off switch
towards the front for more than 10 seconds. PLEXTALK should shut down.
NOTE: If this method does not work, and your PLEXTALK is still powered
on, you should remove the battery and replace it, as detailed in Section 6.4.
15.4. Sleep timer function.
The Sleep Timer feature enables you to specify an amount of time, after
which, PLEXTALK will shut down. This can be handy if you are wanting to
listen to a DAISY book or music for a set amount of time or if you want to
record something that you know in advance how long it lasts. This section
shows you how to set and cancel the sleep timer.
15.4.1. Setting the sleep timer.
REMINDER: The Information key is the top key in the column of 5 keys on
the left of the top of PLEXTALK. It is a black, diamond shaped key.
To set the sleep timer, do the following:
• Press the Information key once. PLEXTALK will say "Sleep timer.
Input minutes to activate".
• Enter a number between 1 and 999, using the Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm or the Cancel key to clear your entry.
• When you enter a valid number of minutes, PLEXTALK will confirm
that the sleep timer has been set to the number of minutes you
entered.
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15.4.2. Cancelling the sleep timer.
To cancel the sleep timer, do the following:
• Press the Information key once. PLEXTALK will tell you that the
sleep timer is currently on and the number of minutes remaining
before shut down. It will then tell you to enter a number or to
press 0 if you wish to cancel the setting.
• Enter the number 0, using the Number Pad.
• Press the Enter key to confirm and PLEXTALK will say "Cancelled".
15.5. Power On timer function.
PLEXTALK gives you the ability to set 2 times when the unit will
automatically turn itself on. These are called "Power on timer 1" and
"Power on timer 2". These work similar to the way an alarm clock radio
works. You can set the timers to come on at the same time each day.
This section shows you how to activate, deactivate and modify the power
on timer settings.
15.5.1. Check the time on the internal clock.
Before setting the power on timer function, you should double check that
the date and time on your PLEXTALK's internal clock is correctly set. Press
and hold down the Information key to hear the current date and time
spoken. If the date or time is not correct, you should refer to Section 10.1 Setting the date and time for instructions on how to reset the date and
time.
15.5.2. Activating the power on timer.
To activate or turn on one of the power on timers, do the following:
• Press the Menu key once to access the Main Menu.
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