1. DAISY
Local implementations
of a global standard
Panel Members
1. Phil Lawson - CBM Australia
2. David Vosnacos - Association for the Blind of Western Australia
3. Hiromitsu Fujimori – Plextor Japan
4. Marianne Kraack – Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
5. Andrew Furlong – Vision Australia

3. DAISY Recording at
CBM Australia
The CBM Audio Library is a FREE Library service
distributing predominately Christian audio books and
magazines to anyone with a print disability throughout
Australia and New Zealand.
Phil Lawson

4. DAISY Production
• New DAISY books
• Studio
• Field
• DAISY Magazines
• Conversion to DAISY from Analogue Masters
• Reels
• Cassettes

5. CBM Studio
• CBM has a fully equipped Recording Studio setup for book and
magazine production
• Professional and Volunteer Narrators
• Use LP-Studio
• Engineer operates equipment, quality checks book as it is read and
does the post production

6. Field Recording
• Volunteer narrators record books and magazines from their homes
in various parts of Australia.
• Setup with a laptop, USB Microphone, headphones and USB DAISY
Recording Remote
• Process
• Self Installing CD
• LP-Studio
• Book returned on USB Memory Stick
• Post production done in studio
• CD sent to volunteer quality reviewer
• If OK Master file;
• created, archived and distributed

7. Converting from Analogue
• Load Reels onto PC (multi-track/high speed)
• Load Cassettes using multiple decks simultaneously
• Re-master Audio (NR, EQ, Level Matching, Peak Reduction)
• Mark Chapters
• Replace Announcements
• Re-Save and add to DAISY Structure in LP-Studio
• Mostly done by Volunteers

8. DAISY Magazines
• CBM records a number of monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly
magazines.
• Distributed Monthly on a single Compilation Disc
• Subjects such as Library News, Devotional, Current Affairs, Music,
Christian History and Church Newspapers
• Production varies depending on content
• Music
• Multiple Narrators
• Interviews
• Combination of LP-Studio and Multi track editors
• Field Magazines – Similar to book production.

9. Issues Faced
• Magazines
• Some magazines are date specific
• Need to have all magazines finished at least a month early to
put compilation together and get it distributed
• Getting Print Source early enough can be a challenge
• Borrower with MS

10. Issues
• Field Recording
• Narrators are distant – Fixing problems
• Be available over the phone
• Computer Literacy
• Remove most of the technical aspects and let them do what
they are good at.
• PC Remote Assistance
• Recording Remote Control needed as keyboard/mouse too noisy
• Lessons Learned
• Good Contact is key (personal / organisational)
• Staged Implementation

11. For more Information
• library@cbm.org.au
• Free Call: 1800 678 069 (Aus)
• PO Box 348 Box Hill Vic Australia
3128

12. David Vosnacos
Program Manager: Information Systems
Association for the Blind of Western Australia (Inc.)

13. In-house productions
Digital conversion
Public domain
Post processing
Miscellaneous

14. Review of options
◦ Cubase LE
◦ Book Producer
◦ Audacity
◦ LP Studio Pro
◦ Obi
◦ SigTuna DAR 3
◦ Dolphin Publisher

15. Volunteer background
Flexibility
◦ Compressed / Uncompressed
◦ Volume management
Back up procedures
“Tweaks”

18. DAISY Pipeline
Audiobook Maker

19. Dolphin EasyConvertor
Microsoft Word “Save As Daisy”

20. David Vosnacos
Program Manager: Information Systems
Telephone: +61 8 9311 8202
Facsimile: +61 8 9361 8696
Email: david.vosnacos@guidedogswa.com.au

21. DAISY in Japan
An International Perspective
Hiromitsu (Hiro) Fujimori

22. DAISY Creators in Japan
• Braille Libraries (100 libraries)
• Public Libraries (60 libraries)
• Volunteer groups (20,000 people)

23. Relationships
Braille Library Public Library
Volunteers
Municipal
Government
DAISY Book
Production
DAISY Book
Production
DAISY
Publication
Production
Individuals
Translation to
DAISY

24. Cooperation of volunteer groups
• Share guideline information for DAISY production to
keep quality level consistent
• Share title information under production in order to
avoid duplication

25. PLEXTALK Products in Japan
Production -
Personal -
Recording
Reading -
PRS PTR2 DR1
PTP1 (Pocket)
PTN2 NetPlextalk

26. A typical Recording setup

27. Thank You
Hiromitsu (Hiro) Fujimori

28. Using
DAISY
28
Marianne Kraack
Manager, Library Collections
and Access
RNZFB

29. We use DAISY for
• Books:
audio only or audio
with full text
• Magazines
• A to D conversions

30. Recording with DAISY
• 3 monitored studios
• 3 audio producers
• 40 narrators
• Self-monitoring booth planned
• LpStudio Pro / SigtunaDAR3
• Dolphin EasyPublisher

31. DAISY with:
human narration
Professional narrators are
• familiar with recording
environment
• skilled at characterisation,
foreign languages, accents,
sight reading

32. DAISY with:
human narration
• enhances
listening
experience
• voice quality
• familiar voices

33. DAISY with:
synthetic speech
• indexes, reference lists
and bibliographies
• RNZFB communication to
members
• trialled magazines

34. Studio statistics
• Approximately 130 audio titles produced
a year
• 20 magazine titles produced
• 1100 analogue to digital
conversions completed
• 3900 DAISY titles in digital archive
Slide 34

35. DAISY has fans
• Sound quality
• Navigating sections
• Bookmarking
• Book information

36. Replicating
the experience of
reading print
Using DAISY

37. Vision Australia DAISY Production
Andrew Furlong

38. DAISY Production
streams
Studio Recording - Library & Educational
Text Production - DAISY text (Synthetic Voice)
Conversion - Existing and purchased content
Exchange - Other DAISY producers
Automated Production - National Newspapers,
magazines, DAISY text

39. Different standards of
Production
Clients can choose
Premium – highest quality, contracted, exams…
Standard – high quality, human narrated, full
DAISY structure, leisure reading…
Rapid – Synthetic voice, less proofing, basic
DAISY structure, faster availability
Express – Automated, Synthetic voice, input =
output, fast availability

40. Standard Studio
production process
Narrator
Scan
Electronic file
from Publishers
DAISY Structuring
Source file
(Transcription)
OCR
and
Edit text
Master
DAISY Build &
Validate
(DTB tools)
Print
Pack and
Post to client
Internet
download
Burn CD
i-access
server
storage
Proofing

41. Studio Recording
LP Studio Pro
Studio Production Manager check-in/out
Full DAISY structure is pre-made
Volunteer narrators – self operate
1 Producer to 2 studios (6 studios)
Rubberised keypad and suitable microphone

42. Conversion
Dolphin EasyProducer, Wavlab
Pipeline, EasyConverter, DTB Tools
Custom designed tools – streamline and automation
Convert analog tape, CD-audio, MP3, Other…
Basic DAISY structuring
Exchanged material is ‘standardised’ and validated

43. Automated
Production
Date specific - Newspapers, magazines
i-access production manager, Newspublisher
Online submission of content
DAISY Text output
Synthetic voice output
DAISY structuring reflects input source documents
Fast process, scalable

44. DAISY
Synthetic Voice
Nuance Synthetic voice – Kate & Lee
Lexicon – pronunciation dictionary
10,000+ Australian place names
10,000+ Other pronunciations
Quality of reading reflects input source
documents
Balance quality with speed

45. DAISY Development
Synthetic Voice Lexicon
In-house documentation in DAISY – Save as DAISY
User selected ‘Multi-title’ CDs
Adoption of DAISY Online Protocol
For online distribution
DAISY 4
Braille integration
Mainstream compatibility
Obi and Tobi production tools

46. Thank You
Q & A
Phil Lawson - CBM Australia
David Vosnacos - Association for the Blind of Western Australia
Hiromitsu Fujimori – Plextor Japan
Marianne Kraack – Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
Andrew Furlong – Vision Australia