RFB

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RFBD Georgia Audio Book Recorder

• How-to Guide

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GABR How-to Guide

1. Download and installation
2. Headset
3. Basic operation
4. Send audition
5. Get a book and start recording!
6. Common problems
7. What this means to our students

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Download and installation

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

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

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The Headset

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

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• Radio Shack Models
• Logitech Stereo USB Headset (RS 43-36120) 39.99
  
• Gigaware Wrap Around USB Stereo Headset (RS
  43-203) 24.99
• Gigaware USB Stereo Headset (RS 43-122) 29.99
  (often on sale)

• Office Max Models
• Microsoft Lifechat LX-3000 39.99 (Excellent for
  our use and often on sale)
• Logitech Clear Chat Pro USB 49.99
• Logitech Clear Chat Comfort USB 39.99

(These prices and models were identified 2/27/08
and may vary by store. Many can be ordered
online.)
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Basic Operation

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

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Basic Operation

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

1. Check the recording volume by hitting the round
   red record button and reading a bit. The peaks
   should be hitting the yellow bars in the volume
   display
2. If the volume is hitting red often or just in
   the green, adjust it by clicking the microphone
   at the bottom of the page

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

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Sending an Audition

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

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Start Recording!

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

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

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Common Problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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What This Means to Our Students

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

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• "RFBD opened a door for me into a new world
  the world of knowledge, adventures, life and
  imagination."
• -Yelena Chepurina, Westfield, MA

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