Embedded Files
Contents
Dedication
What to Record?
Description
Theory of Operation
How to Record
Playback Only
Contact Info
Dedication
The recorder modules provided to SCH were a donation custom designed to promote the application of technology within art, "to give voice to art projects"
What to Record?
Suppose someone is walking down hallway and a piece of art catches their eye. Maybe they are in younger grade, maybe older grade, or maybe they are a visitor to the school. What would you want to say? What impression would you like to leave?
First of all, separate the "what you will say" from the "how you will say it".
For example, suppose your art piece seeks get home fact that "some people don't have enough to eat". Although you could just record that factual statement, "Some people don't have a lot to eat." a little first-person drama could have more emotional impact, as in: "There were times when happiness meant playing games or laughing with friends; now happiness is wishing for a bowl of food to eat (silent pause).. Oh how I need that happiness soon." Another recording might use a crying voice to ponder: "I don't know which is worse, the hunger or the begging". A third recording might quote a fact using a determined voice and urge listener to help: "One of every 7 children will go to sleep hungry tonight; help; you could be their hero"
Here is a list of some of the "whats" that can be recorded in no particular order:
- Historical fact related to the art piece
- Cultural fact behind the art piece
- Dedication for the art piece
- Educational fact(s) about the technique used to create the art piece
- Artist's emotional reaction to seeing their own art piece
- Draw attention to key aspects of the art piece
- Create a humorous remark if the art piece is light-hearted
- Sales pitch of why someone would like to own such an item
- Emotional intention of the art piece
- Ask a question for listener to ponder
Here is a list of some of the "hows" to say it:
- speed of delivery (normal, slow, fast, hurried sounding, ...)
- voice quality (normal, relaxed, authoritative, scratchy, ...)
- emotion (none, desperation, anger, happiness, compassion, ...)
- pauses (none, between words, between phrases)
- loudness (steady, getting louder, getting quieter, bouncy, ...)
- articulation (normal, overemphasized crispness, mumbling)
General Description
The type of recorder circuit module you are using is part of a larger vision to permit the you the user to "add your voice" to anything you choose. Imagine an interactive display such as might be found in a museum, or on a school science project, or even as part of an art piece. The museum display could have 10 labeled items in a case and pressing 1 of 10 buttons on a control panel would then tell a story. A science project might seek to inform those interested in additional information such as benefit to people, impact on environment, questions to be resolved, etc. An art piece might be a more personal experience to a passer-by if the art could sound out the artist's intentions, emotional state of mind, or context within which the art piece was created.
An alternate version of the recorder in the planning stage allows "adding a personality" to a puppet or doll: press one button and a random phrase is spoken from its personality. These personalities can be fun {"birthday gift of friendly messages", "collection of jokes", ...}, supportive {"get well soon messages", "inspirational quotes", "best things about SCH"}, or educational {"little philosopher", "master of social introductions", "variations of politely saying No", "optimistic motivator", ...}, or whatever you may dream up.
Theory of Operation
From the right viewpoint, all technology is fundamentally simple. The relationships of cause and effect which underlie technology are more pure and stable than any set of human rules. Engineering at its best works with nature.
The 3 button recorder module, in particular, arranges a few simple parts, choreographs there operation with software inside a small computer the size of a penny (a microcontroller), resulting in a module that can record 3 messages when you want, and play them back when you want. It is actually a subset of a larger 10 button recorder design
Recording sound starts with your voice which actually shakes a plastic sheet under the porous cover of the microphone. The plastic sheet holds a small coil of wire which means the coil is shaking also. Nature generates electric when wire moves near magnets, and stronger movement generates more electric. Thus so far we have converted the shaking air from a voice into changing electric signal. You probably have the experience of static electricity stored on your body which gives you a zap when it jumps off. The recorder chip actually takes the varying electric signal from the microphone and stores it as static in a long memory array. Think of each memory being anywhere between empty and full of static; this is different from ordinary computer memory in which the static is only empty/full for binary. Thus recorded sound is like a signature of static stored in a very tiny array of static holding cells. Playback simply requires measuring the stores static charges and outputting electric signal to the amplifier which makes it strong enough to hear on the speaker. All this happens fast and is well organized within the recorder chip ... otherwise the company could not sell them!
Recall that the circuit has a tiny computer (microcontroller). This microcontroller is actually operating at about one hundred thousand times slower than a Power PC. Still, the microcontroller can do enough to manage recorder operations, and power consumption is so low that it actually never turns off and the batteries will still last a few years if the buttons are never pressed. Recording and playing messages causes most of the drain on the batteries, whereas operating the tiny computer every second of every day uses almost none!
How do we get more than one message to playback? The software is forever checking if one of the three buttons is pressed. If a button is pressed, the software then measures if the microphone is attached or not. If the microphone is missing, the software then knows 1. the number of the button, and 2. the microphone is not attached. The software then powers up the recorder chip, powers up the amplifier, and sends private commands directly to the recorder chip telling it which block of memory to send to the amplifier. When the message is finished, the microcontroller turns power off to the recorder and amplifier and goes back to checking for a button press. What if user presses several buttons? Simple, the software checks buttons one at a time and the first one found will be played back.
The recording process is similar to the playback process described above. When the software finds that a button was pressed, it checks and finds that the microphone circuit is attached. If the software finds the user released the button in under one second, the software then knows: 1. the number of the button, 2. the microphone is attached, and 3. the user pressed button < 1 second. Then only playback occurs. On the other hand, if the user is still pressing the button after one second, the software then knows: 1. the number of the button, 2. the microphone is attached, and 3. the user pressed button > 1 second. Then the microcontroller will send private commands to the recorder chip instructing it which block of memory to start recording. When either the user releases the button, or if the memory block is full, the microcontroller will send private commands to stop the recorder chip. The software actually trims off the last half second of recording time or the final button click would be recorded! After every recording, the software instructs the recorder chip to playback the same block of memory to let user check what was just recorded.
How to Record
1. Insert microphone module (4 pins in 4 holes; see pictures)
2. Find a quiet area, small room, or closet; the echo in small rooms might alter sound in interesting ways
3. When recording, talk in either a natural or dramatized voice depending on effect you intend
4. While recording, keep mouth about 6 inches away for strong signal.
5. Press and hold button you plan to record; after 1 second green light indicates recording is active
6. When finished speaking, hold button about an extra half second before ending the recording (the software actually trims off the end of the recording or you would hear the click of the button when released!)
7. When satisfied with the recordings, remember to remove the microphone!
Additional notes on recording
* To playback the message just recorded, press/release the button for less than one second
* Any button can be recorded repeatedly without damage
Playback Only (after finished recording)
1. Microphone module should be removed!
2. AA batteries are correctly installed.
3. Speaker wire is connected into matching socket (see picture)
4. Flat sides of circuit can be used for attachment to art piece or science project
Contact Info
"To give voice to art projects". The recorder modules provided to SCH were a donation custom designed to promote the application of technology within art, If you have any questions, suggestions, comments, or would like more information contact tek@estarbase.com
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