Planning your voice segments

Step-by-step instructions on how to create voice segments are given later in this section, but there are different approaches to this, so it is worthwhile taking some time to plan what you are going to do:

  1. Decide whether to store voice segments in compressed format, uncompressed format, or both.
  2. Decide on the source for your voice segments. You have the following options:
    • Record directly into Blueworx Voice Response using the telephone.
    • Record high-quality voice data, by one of the following methods:
      • Recording directly into Blueworx Voice Response using a microphone (needs audio capability on the planar of the pSeries computer).
      • Using a recording studio.
  3. If using a recording studio, decide how to transfer the voice data into the pSeries computer. You can use either direct file transfer (recommended), digital audio tape (DAT), or analog tape. Note that you may have to convert the format of the voice data after transfer.
  4. If using a microphone directly or transferring voice data from a recording studio, decide how to import segments into the Blueworx Voice Response voice segment database. There are two methods:
    • The Voice Segments window (select the voice segment in the Application window and open it)
    • The Batch Voice Import command-line process (a set of command line utilities, with a control file).

Note that you can use both the voice segment editor and the Batch Voice Import (BVI) utility to import voice data created on another system. The voice segment editor supports only ‘raw’ unformatted voice data files, the BVI utility supports Windows .wav files and Apple Macintosh audio interchange file format (AIFF) files. Table 1 shows you which tool to use.

Table 1. Creating voice segments for Blueworx Voice Response

Source

Tool

Audio Adapter Required?

Telephone

Record_Comp, Record_Uncomp

No

Microphone

Voice segment editor, BVI utility

Yes

Tape recorder, CD player, DAT

Voice segment editor, BVI utility

Yes

‘Raw’ unformatted audio file

Voice segment editor

No

Windows .wav file

BVI utility

No

Apple Macintosh AIFF file

BVI utility

No

Other file format

Custom server you can write yourself. (Not supplied with Blueworx Voice Response)

No

Notes:

  1. Although the voice segment editor can be used to import multiple voice segments, depending on the number of voice segments, you might find it quicker to use the BVI utility.
  2. The voice segment editor and the BVI utility both require an integrated Micro Channel audio adapter to be present for direct input of voice from microphone, tape recorder, or similar. Note that if you don't have this audio capability on the planar of your pSeries computer, there is currently no PCI plug-in audio board available.

    If you do not have audio capability on your computer, you can record voice segments in one of the following ways:

    • By using the telephone.
    • By using another pSeries computer with audio support.
    • By using a separate personal computer with an industry-standard audio card (for example, Soundblaster) and import standard audio files (such as .wav) using the Batch Voice Import facility.
  3. To import audio files from other computers, use either the TCP/IP file transfer program (FTP) over a LAN or other network, or use a removable storage device, such as a tape. You might find tape more convenient to move bulk voice data to your pSeries computer.
  4. For top-quality audio segments, we recommend that you record your voice segments in a professional recording studio, then either import a digital file (.wav or .aiff) or use digital audio tape.