What's New? Version 3.0.128 Has Launched!

Long time, no blog...  Perhaps you thought we'd dropped off the face of the earth.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  We've been busy for a number of months working on the recent release of Video Voice Version 3.0.128.  Just when we were about ready to release it last fall, Microsoft threw us a bit of a curve ball with their own release of the new Windows 8 operating system.  If you have tried it, you know that it's very different from earlier versions of Windows!  Rather than release the new version with unknown compatibility, we spent the next several months making sure Video Voice will operate correctly on this new platform.

Now, FINALLY, we're happy to announce the release Version 3.0.128.  In addition to Windows 8 compatibility and all its previous, fabulous features and capabilities, Video Voice 3.0 now includes:

• Fundamental frequency measurement to complement other Assessment capabilities.
• Customization of on-screen reward text and other prompts to correspond with user-modified audios to personalize the therapy experience
• Enhanced trace operation in the Multi-Frequency Formant Spectral Display to make it easier to capture sounds for practice, opening up potential for work on minimal pairs, in addition to high frequency sounds and more
• Goal scoring in the Formant Multi-Frequency Gobble game to make display more effective for therapy use
• F2/F1 and Multi-Frequency (F3/F2) Gobble display access directly from Formant Menu to make reaching this powerful feedback mode easier.
• Simultaneous display of pitch and volume in P-A-R Connected Speech, with volume shown as peaks and pitch in spectrum colors
• New Streaming Speech P-A-R display, provides live, "marching" display of pitch, volume, or both volume and pitch (as color) 
• New Fun & Games 12-Pack, a lower price option for those with limited budgets or interest only in game practice options
• Price reduction on all other software packages
• Revised internal documentation (Help) with more internal links to relevant pages
• Improved Windows 7 operation

There are numerous benefits to purchasing the Video Voice Speech Training System.  The most important one is the change the displays and games bring to the therapy process - helping individuals feel more in charge of their speech skills.  Another significant benefit is that software updates are FREE.  As we add new features and capabilities, you may download and install a new copy at no additional cost.

Already an Authorized User?  Please visit www.videovoice.com/vv_curel.htm to download Version 3.0.128 and update your Video Voice software.    

Haven't yet made the investment in this valuable tool for your speech therapy activities?  What are you waiting for?  Download Video Voice 3.0 and try it for 30 days, with absolutely no charge, at www.videovoice.com/vv_demo.htm.

We'll be back soon to tell you more about some of these new capabilities and offer more thoughts on how visual feedback can accelerate the therapy process.  Meanwhile, have questions?  Need assistance with using Video Voice with your caseload?  Want to restart a free trial you previously used to evaluate Video Voice's potential for your therapy needs?  Just pick up the phone and give us a call, or send an email.  We'd love to hear from you!

Yours in good speech,

Video Voice Support Team

1-800-537-2182

mv@videovoice.com

More New Features, New Lower Price!

We haven’t posted recently. The reason is that we’ve been busy getting a new release of Video Voice out the door, and we’re pleased to report that Version 3.0.126 is now available for download at www.videovoice.com/vv_curel.htm.

This new version of the software has some great new features and capabilities, as well as numerous improvements to existing ones. And, Video Voice is now available at an even lower price!  Here are some of the noteworthy changes and additions.

Formant Spectral Display

Live F1/F2/F3 Spectral Display

The Formant Multi-Frequency Spectral display provides live feedback on the F1, F2 and F3 frequencies in speech. Previously released in preliminary form, it has now been completely revamped. In addition to smoother display of data, you can now capture "traces" to use as models for sound practice.

The immediate feedback in this display can be very helpful for work on ‘R’ vs ‘OO’ and discrimination of high frequency sounds like ‘S’ and ‘SH’. Give this one a try! (Formant Menu - F3/F2/F1 Multi-Frequency-Spectral) We’ll be back to talk more about using the Spectral display in an upcoming  post, but for now we just wanted to let you know there have been some big changes in that display.

Customized Audio
Version 3.0.126 lets you personalize operation with your own audio recordings of voice prompts, congratulatory messages, and other vocal feedback. Your voice can be the one in prompts for voice production ("Say [target]") and reward messages, and they can be in whatever language you use or prefer. Explore this new capability through the Configuration Menu-Auditory-Feedback options.

New Voice Prompt
Video Voice now indicates readiness for voice input in many games and displays with the prompt "Speak now."  This audio help the speaker know when Video Voice starts "listening," and it's time to turn his voice on.  "Speak now" is one of the prompts that you can customize to your voice.

Localization and Keyboard Language Support
Video Voice has always been "language-independent," even though the user interface is in English. The displays and audio recording don’t know what language is being spoken, just that sound is present. Sound is sound, and all languages of have frequencies that can be visually interpreted. (Okay, maybe not "San," the clicking language used by some African tribes, but they’re not likely to be much interested in using computers for speech practice...)  But speech work with Video Voice in other than English is certainly possible, and in fact the games and displays are being successfully used for speech development and remediation in many countries around the globe.

To support non-English use further, a few months back we introduced the International/Simplified operating mode. This streamlined mode will accept and display characters in all keyboard languages. (Authorized User and Free Trial support Latin-based keyboards only.) Want to show model names in prompts in Arabic, Greek, Cyrillic, Hebrew? No problem! However your keyboard is defined in Windows, Video Voice’s International/Simplified mode will handle it. This gives you the ability to display on-screen text such as user and model names, in the orthographics of your language. In this operating mode, however, data cannot be stored for reuse.

The International/Simplified mode also offers translations of buttons and controls on the therapy and game screens for Spanish and French languages.

The Authorized User and Free Trial modes do support non-English, Latin-based keyboards such as Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, etc. This means your model and user names can contain special, accented characters used in those languages.

Fluency Guide
For those people who work with fluency cases, there’s a new "Solutions" pdf document that offers suggestions on how to use the games and displays to reduce stuttering. (Find it on the Main Menu-Solutions-Fluency pdf)

Big Bad Bug Fix
Some users had reported a lock-up bug in some articulation games, particularly those that do model-matching. It was ugly, causing Video Voice to become unresponsive and require a restart. We’d seen the problem too, but just couldn’t reproduce it reliably. If you can’t make a failure happen in identifiable ways, it’s darned hard to fix. Kind of like when you take your car to the shop and report a strange noise, but of course it doesn’t make that noise so the mechanic can hear it! Anyway, we knew the problem was real, and battled it for several months, but believe we finally have it fixed. (I’m sure you’ll let us know if we haven’t, though!) We’ve made a number of other improvements in the articulation games, too.

New Lower Price!
In these hard economic times, things are tough all over, so we’re doing our part to make Video Voice even more affordable. We’ve reduced the price on all package configurations. To learn more, go to the Pricing page on our web site: www.videovoice.com/vv_price.htm

Why Download the Current Version?
If you’re already a Video Voice user, but haven’t downloaded a new copy of the software in a while, it’s really time to do that now, since there are many additions and major improvements! There’s no charge for software updates, so what are you waiting for?

If you’ve looked at Video Voice in the past, but didn’t make the decision to add this powerful tool to your speech therapy arsenal, it’s time to take another look! With the new games, displays and features to help you streamline your therapy results, it’s a shame not to give it another try. You may be able to start another Free Trial automatically, but if you need assistance with that, we’ll be happy to offer it.

We’ll be back soon with more details on some of these new features and some interesting stories, but for now, please check out this new version of Video Voice. Think you’ll like what you see!

Yours in good speech,

Video Voice Support Team
1-800-537-2182
mv@videovoice.com
www.videovoice.com

Learning Video Voice - Help Me Choose

Learning to use a new piece of software can be fun, but can also be a challenge. Everything is new and unfamiliar, and you may not be sure where to start. There are lots of choices, and you're not sure what they do. How do you proceed? Click and guess? That's what a lot of us do, and it can be all too easy to get into "deep water," unsure of how you got there and how to get out!

Video Voice is a robust therapy tool with a variety of games and displays, each with many adjustable options that let you tailor operation to your specific needs. We’ve tried to do our very best to make it easy to learn and use. But, because there’s so much you can do with it, figuring out where to start can be daunting.

Welcome to Help Me Choose! In the lower area of the Main and Start-Up menus, you’ll find a Help Me Choose button. This opens an interactive application that lets you pick and choose among many common goals therapists share, things like articulation, vocal awareness, pitch, volume, and breath control and get information about them and access to them.

Start by clicking one of the speech goals. The first one, Vocal Awareness, has been preselected for you, and on the right side of the window you’ll see the different options Video Voice offers for work on that aspect of speech. Click on any of the options, and a brief summary of that game or display appears in the lower area of the window. Want to give it a try? Just click Use, and Video Voice will take you to that area so you can explore it. When you’re done, click Back, and you’ll see the Help Me Choose interactive guide again, where you can select other games or displays to try out.

 Pretty cool, isn’t it? Help Me Choose is just one of the ways Video Voice helps you learn about how it operates. Others include:

• Context-Sensitive Help. You can click Help at most any point in Video Voice operation, and open the extensive internal manual to the page appropriate for the area where you’re working.
• Tool Tips:  Dwell with your cursor over any button or adjustable control (cyan-colored text identifies adjustability), and a little pop-up box will appear that briefly describes its function.
• Start-Up Tips:  This button on the Main Menu provides suggestions on how to get started with Video Voice, as well as access to lots of other information, such as FAQs, Uses and more.
• Solutions and Support PDFs:  Solutions are 1-2 page documents that offer guidance on using Video Voice for common speech goals, things like Vocal Awareness, Articulation, Pitch and Volume.  You can print them to keep handy for reference.  Other support PDFs provide information about Getting Started, and Overview of operation, a handy Displays and Activities reference chart, and more. 

And, if you get stuck, we’re available by phone or email to make suggestions on use for different therapy activities and help you get going. We want your experience with Video Voice to be positive, so don’t hesitate to call on us for assistance!

Video Voice Support Team
1-800-537-2182
mv@videovoice.com

Let's Talk Video Voice!

When starting up a blog, the biggest challenge is figuring out where to start! With the Video Voice Speech Training System, there is a LOT to talk about. It has a long history, having been successfully used by speech therapists in schools, hospitals and clinics for more than 25 years. It has numerous games and displays that provide visual feedback to assist in speech therapy with almost any kind of speech problem, with young children through adults.

Over the years, Video Voice has undergone many changes, getting better with each new version, as we make additions and enhancements based on our own testing and creative thinking, as well as feedback from people using it. Feedback from therapists has historically been an important part of Video Voice development, and we take comments and suggestions seriously. If there’s something someone doesn’t like, we try to modify operation accordingly. If someone has an idea for a new game or display, we do our best to incorporate it.

One example is the Chat-N-U-Go Choo-Choo game, requested by a therapist who had some children in her caseload who were fascinated by trains. In response, we added a game in which sound production makes a train move through a mountain scene. Another therapist really wanted non-violent game graphics in the Bombs Away! game (now called Bulls Eye!), so we added an option in which a plane drops care packages to waiting hungry villagers instead of bombs on ships or tanks. (The boys still like the bombs best, though - no big surprise!) That therapist also suggested a cause-and-effect display that would result in flowers growing when a cloud rains in the right places, and the Flower Power game option was born. There are lots of other examples, but the point is that we listen to our users and do our best to make Video Voice do what they need it to do.

The goal of this blog is to provide a forum for communicating with our users, as well as people who are considering adding it to their speech therapy tool kits. We’ll tell you about the history, discuss different ways the visual feedback can be used in the therapy process, let you know about new things that we’ve added or are in progress, and answer questions you may have. We welcome your thoughts, opinions, feedback and suggestions.

If you don’t already have Video Voice, you can download the software and try it for free for 30 days to see what benefits it may offer you. Just visit www.videovoice.com and click any of the Free Trial links to get started. By the way, there’s no on going financial obligation with the trial, no credit card necessary to download and try out the games and displays - the trial simply expires at the end of the 30-day period. (You will need an external microphone, and the one we recommend is the Logitech USB Desktop model. It’s a good quality but inexpensive mic that’s commonly used in telecommunications and gaming, and it is easily available at most electronics stores or online, generally for around $30.) If you do already use Video Voice, remember that you can get no-charge updates as new versions are released to keep your software up-to-date.

That’s it for now, and we look forward to more Video Voice Talk with you!

Video Voice Support Team
1-800-537-2182
mv@videovoice.com