Drews Sound

I shared a QWERTY notetaker last year that I built and gave purchase specs to. This year, I will bring you a Braille In note taker, which I call #Notey for under $450. This note taker is small, light, runs Windows11 and fits into a Fanny pack. Runs for around 8 hours on battery power between charges. The sub opporating system which I am coding is in beta, and I still need to flesh out several features. I hope to release in the next couple of months. Thanks to those who let me know The audio was too low of volume. Hopefully this is better for a normal volume levelListening experience. Please excuse the 60 HC cycle hum.Audio demo below.

Have you ever wanted to bow your guitar like Jimmy page? I’ve always wanted to find a violin that was tune like a guitar and had six strings. This is the best of both worlds!

Think of a stick, a bit shorter than a drumstick with the bow hair on both sides. There’s a handle at the top. This goes down into your guitar strings into the body of your acoustic guitar. So you pull this bow up and down.

.There is Rozen. The Rozen comes in a small box and is also wrapped in cardboard so you have to unwrap the Rozen. If you’ve never seen a Rozen before, think of a bar of soap. You rub the Rozen vigorously up and down both sides of the bow. I’ve only played with this for about 15 minutes, so no doubt I have to get better lol. Here is a demo audio below.

https://www.pickasobow.com

JAWS Scripts for spotify for Windows, v1.2.4.912.
Written by Drew Weber
Twitter @_IllegallyBlind
Released: 02/7/2023
Note: Before I started developing these scripts, I did a Google search for another created script set. I found that in the past there was something but all the links were broken. I do not believe there are other publically available scripts for this current version of Spotify for Windows. I am not trying to step on anyone elses toes. If your celling Spotify Scripts and I’m disturbing that project, all you have to do is hit me up, we’ll talk, a comment on this post and I’m happy to remove my set if need be. Thank you. I have removed all of Freedom Scientifics scripting out of my Spotify JAWS Scripts release.
Spotify is accessible out of the box with the current version of the app, these scripts though make navigation through Spotify much quicker.

Instalation
Copy the
Spotify.JKM
Spotify.jsb
Spotify.JSD
files into your JAWS settings directory for example,
C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Freedom Scientific\JAWS\2023\Settings\enu
shutdown and restart JAWS.
Usage:
Music controls.
Pause currently playing track: Control+shift+space.
Previous Track: Control+shift+left arrow.
Next Track: Control+shift+right arrow.
Volume Down: Control+Shift+Down arrow.
Volume up: Control+shift+up arrow.
Shuffle: Control+shift+s.
Repeat: Control+shift+r.
App controls.
Drop into the Search edit box: control+s.
Play first: this command, control+shift+p, is used after typing in the search criteria, and hitting enter to perform the search. If you haven’t clicked
on an artist link the first play button will be activated. If you have clicked on an artist, the music played may be more defined.
User menu: brings up account related options, profile, settings etc. Control+m.
Add to library: Control+l. Adds currently playing track to library/liked tracks. Does not download track for offline listening.

GetComputerUpTime JAWS Scripts Readme file
Written by Drew Weber.
Twitter @_IllegallyBlind
Released: 02/6/2023

some of the functions found within these JAWS scripts allowing reading, writing, and appending to a text file, were written by Jamal Mazruiand. provided on the mailing list by Jamal Mazruiwith. The archive of the post may be found at
https://www.freelists.org/post/jawsscripts/writing-strings-to-text-file-using-jaws-scripting-techniques,1
, & are in his “homer utilities” file, the link provided by this post no longer valid.
http://grabbag.alacorncomputer.com/jawsscripting.html

Usage: NOTE! Only use these scripts if you are running a computer without a recognised battery. Example, you are running a desktop computer/micro tower that runs off of A/C power. You have this computer connected to a backup battery bank meant to charge a laptop. This allows you to be mobile with the computer.
These scripts will calculate/estimate the uptime of the Windows opporating system measured in 10ths of a second. This will be divided into hours, not hours half hours and minutes, so it is an estimate.
The first script, CalculateBattery
I have tighed to insert+shift+b, your standard command for getting battery status. This script will write a text file on your desktop, “uptime.txt”. This file will hold the last runtime data that will be written into a variable and then added to. It’s important to note that currently, each time you run the script it will add these numbers together, so if you don’t hear the hours spoken, or want the information again, you should go into the file on the desktop to understand the number. In saying this, you want to run this script only once per computer run, before you shutdown the computer to properly calculate the time. You also want to run this script, only if you feel the computer has been up for an hour or more.
Open the text file
CopyToDefault-JSS.txt
Select all with control+a
copy with control+c
open your JAWS Script manager with insert+0
hit control+shift+d to open the default script file
hit control+end to go to the end of the file
make sure you are on a blank line below,
end script
If you are not hit end, then, enter.
paste with control+v.
Hit control+s. You should hear JAWS report, compile complete and a ding.
Hit control+f4. This will close the default.jss file ut not the script manager.
alt+tab back here to the readme,
Copy this next line to your clipboard
JAWSKey+Shift+b=CalculateBattery
alt+tab back to your JAWS Script manager, and hit, control+o
tab to files of type, hit k.
shift+tab three times to the list view and hit d.
JAWS should report default.jkm
Hit enter.
hit control+home to go to the top of the file.
Hit control+f to open the JAWS find and type
common
hit enter
hit escape
you should be on the line common keys
hit end
then enter to create a blank line below this line
hit control+v to paste the copied line from your clipboard
hit control+s to save. You won’t hear a ding.
hit alt+f4 to close the script manager.
The second script, isn’t actually a script, but a function that lives inside the shutdownux.JSS. This is the script file for the Windows10 shutdown dialogue. You probably don’t have the user file but a shared file, so, go to the desktop, then, alt+f4 to bring up this dialogue, then hit insert+0 to bring up the JAWS script manager. Hit control+end to go to the bottom under the “EndFunction” line make sure you are on a blank line or hit enter.
then, open
shutdownux-JSS.txt
hit control+a to select all,
control+c to copy
alt+tab back to the shared shutdownux.JSS JAWS script manager window.
Hit Control+V to paste the contents.
You may want to edit the text inside the quotes
SayString (“Please press shift, capslock, v, before shuttingdown or restarting this computer, to log the number of hours the machine has been running on Battery power. Remember, the machine can only run up to x hours on a charge.”)
to make sure you remember how much time your battery will provide.
Control+s to save, you should hear a ding, and compile complete. You should now have the USER version, vs the shared.
You can alt+f4.
This script will play a sound and announce a message when you activate the shutdown dialogue to remind you to calculate the uptime before you shutdown or restart the computer.

Enjoy your new scripts!

I’ve never heard of one of these before a couple of years ago. Normally hot water heaters are big tanks and take an hour or more to heat. This device instantly heats your water as soon as you turn on the shower, Or sink.Pretty crazy! Think, a Keurig for your running hot water. Here is audio of one close-up.

If you live close to an airport, you may be used to this. We don’t live close enough to an airport to experience this on any sort of regular basis. This was definitely unexpected and super loud! WTF? Hope everything‘s OK!

It’s interesting, when something becomes such a part of your life, it becomes more than a pattern, more, ingrained in who you are. That’s what Twitter has become to me. Jesus. I feel like I’m writing some sort of good by note, but it’s nothing of the sort. I just haven’t found another social media platform, where I can just, be me, and I don’t have an explanation for that.

I remember, it was 2008. I was attending the Colorado center for the blind when I learned about Twitter. At that time, I didn’t have an internet enabled phone, but I could text a phone number, and get an update out that would also appear on the web. That was sick!!! What an amazing concept.

A few years later, I remember asking someone, why would I want a Twitter client, do that, many people, use Twitter? Indeed they did, and I did, need a twitter client. There was JAWS scripts on Windows which was again, another brillient concept. There was a client on Series 60 Mobile which I used when I started having very little data, and WiFi around the house.

Twitter for me, enabled networking, beyond my wildest dreams honestly. A few years later and I had a successful internet radio show Rebel Fusion and was also imaging 30+ blindness internet radio stations. How did people find out I existed, how did I find all of these new found awesome friends, and people. Twitter.

So I guess first off, I just want to say thanks, to Social media, to a platform that has changed, I believe all of our lives, more than 140 chars can allow to say.

Roosterloop, became RadioDrew1, and then? I was gone, vanished. What? happened. I ditched a thousand plus followers? There’s not a better time to bring this up. First off, I had gotten a new job, a very stressful job. I was drinking a lot, and most of my tweets were drunkin. I’m sorry for that. I have really focused on not letting my social media space become that again. People have accepted me again, followed me back, and for that, I truly thank you all. It does mean a lot.

I want to say, I’m sorry for just vanishing. It was a weird time, and at that time, I felt it’s what I needed to do. I won’t say much more about this, other than, I work for a government agency. Nothing scared me more than the government. Why? For an example, When I was on SSI, Social Security got my address wrong, and I hadn’t even changed it. I got yelled at more times than I can remember by SSA phone agents, I felt controled. When I started this new job, I was told that, I was held to a higher standard now, more than before, even if I quit I would still be held to this standard, this is what you signed up for. I was being watched. To me, it was more control, and so, that was one of the big decitions of taking down my account. I have mostly though come out of this fear, mind set. I very much care about security and I respect my career, but I believe, I still have the right to be me.

I am not taking down my Twitter account. We could be back to an open API and have apps to use that are much better than the Twitter app, tomorrow, next week, or next month. I probably though won’t be as present. I don’t like the native Twitter iOS app. So, you’ll see my Word press, but not me liking your posts. It’s not that I don’t want to it’s just, I want Twitter back the way it was and I don’t know if I have the patients to sift through what it has now become. Lets all hope and pray it gets back to where it needs to be.

Thank you all again, for everything!!! I love you all!! Pretty deeply. You have all and do all impact my life.

Whiskey recorded the drums at his place sent them to me and I recorded guitars and vocals with the binaural #Annabell rig!

I put this out on SoundCloud, but the bitrate really destroys the binaural image. That’s crazy! I kind of have expected it would do something with it. Listen below for a much better quality.

Meet Annabell: Audio below:

Annabell’s perspective

My perspective.

All links to purchase peaces for this project are at the bottom of this post.
I first heard a Binaural recording on a BCT podcast created by Neal Ewers back in 2007. From that moment I was fasinated and had to get my hands on a pare of in-ear Binaural mics. To me, Binaural recording is the most realistic method of capturing audio, the way the human ears hear it. Not only do you hear stereo, what is to the left or right, but much more defined than standard stereo recording. You can hear the smallest of movements, the immage is also much wider, more spacial. You can also hear if the source being recorded is above or below the warer of the microphones. On top of all of this if the condissions are right you can hear a source positioned behind the warer of the microphones.

Why a dummy head instead of you just waring the mics?
Several things come into play here. Remember that audio recorded in Binaural is a very life like audio capture. I didn’t realize many of these things until I started recording with the use of the Binaural in-ear technique. In real life, in real time I believe our brains acomidate for these things, but when we’re listening back to a recording they are noticeable.
If you turn your head the audio spins, if you breathe and a semi quiet recording, you hear it back strongly on the recording, when you talk your voice is muffled.
On the other end, and this is a bit wild, we really haven’t heard ourselves from someone elses prospective, in less, we have a friend or family member waring the in-ear microphones, and then you hear them breathing and the other things I mentioned above.

Probably 10 to 15 years ago I started truly researching Binaural audio and discovered that before in-ear microphones were regularly available binaural was captured from a dummy head. My mind thought of a million new ways which I could use Binaural audio, if I myself wasn’t the one waring the mics. In research of dummy heads I found then, and now, that they are very costly between $300-500 without microphones and considerably more with mics. I went to Guitar Center and had my Fianci record me as she wore my in-ear Binaural mics. I had not heard myself from her prospective playing that guitar before. It sounded much different than it does while I am holding the guitar recording with in-ear mics. Much Clearer! I was amazed.

how could I build my own Binaural rig?

I started researching several months ago and found that Amazon cells dummy heads for manicans to display wigs. In further research I found that the best ears may be made of cilicone and that with motifications one could create a Binaural recording dummy head which is much less costly.

I texted my dad a few weekends ago after watching a DIY youtube video and asked if he would be interested in assisting in making the motifications to the head in the video and shipping it out to me. In the video the creator was using a styrophone head, which he had to drill in the ears to place earbud style roland mics. Dad agreed and in some further research, found a head on Amazon with pronounced ears that come off the side of the head as human ears do.
The head is filled with PVC. In research I found that they use PVC in baffles for studios, so I gave dad the green light to give it a try. There were two models of the head from the brand we were looking at that we chose, the female 20 inches, the male 21 inches. The female had the more pronounced ears. In testing we settled with the female, and that’s how the Annabell project began. The only motification dad had to make to the head from stock, was to drill both ear canals a bit deeper for the earbud tips of the Sennheiser AMBEO Smart Headset to fit in. He used a half inch whole bit which creates a perfect hole, instead of a drill bit, and drilled in 1/4th inch at an angle towards the front of the head mimicking the human ear canal. Because the ears come off the head as human ears do, this also acomidates for the over ear hooks of these mics.

I heard multiple test recordings from Annabell. The Before drill, which was incredible as far as the stereo immage left to right, but lacked the third demention. After drilling, it sounds like Annabell is a live human waring the mics and recording. It is breath taking!

Annabell on a pedestal:
To keep the likeness of life she needs a tripod. Of course to display wigs, they have tripods. I got one that allows me to raise her position, from sitting level to standing which will of course change the height perseption in the recordings. The tripod comes pre-built. There are a few attachments. For Annabells mount below her neck, you will easily find the attachment that feels like a screw driver handle. This is what fits inside of the mount/hole below her neck, the other end feels like a small microphone metal grill. This grill should be inserted from the bottom of the ring that is in the packaging down into the poll of the tripod, so that the screw driver handle is in your hand pointing up, and the metal grill feeling peace is pointed down. The metal grill peace is what allows her head to tilt etc on the tripod. Mount this peace and get it stable alined the way you want it, and then place the head on and it will be a tight fit/click into place. Her tripod is mounted to a tripod dolly. This puts her on casters, making it quite easy to spin her around.

Annabell, will you hold my phone please?
On her tripod I have the, Crescendo CR-30 SlimClip Mic Stand Phone Holder which will mount an IPhone on the tripod in an otterbox just fine. It also comes with built-in rubberbands on all four corners to keep the device locked in place. You can use the touch screen easily. The tripod comes with a phone clip but it doesn’t open wide and feels flemzy.

So this of course begs the question for users of Voiceover, how can we hear speech while the mics are in Annabells ears? Probably not very easily. It’s doable in a quiet space, but if things are loud forget about it. Because they should be plugged in before Voice memos or another recording app is launched we may be at a loss here. The speed dots screen protector may assist us especially if we have the app in our doc, and even more especially, if recording launches on app startup like it may in Recup. Because one of my fasinations is to Multi-track music in binaural using an iOS device is at least at this time with iOS audio limitations not doable. So, what to do about it.

The Sinheizer Ambio Smart Headset can of course be connected over USB C, to Android or even Windows 10/11 via the Anker USB-C to Lightning Audio Adapter. I thought about using my laptop to run Annabell into, but what concerned me were devices connected to her off to her side or sides. There’s also the laptop fan noise, and sound bouncing off of the laptop if it’s close If I am moving around her for positioning, especially if I have headphones on, that is two cables already. Headphones attached to me, computer attached to her. Things are going to get tangled, she is bound to fall. She is on a tripod, what is she going to fall into that I’m not even thinking about, and what damage will she also endure.

I’ve searched for a mini PC for a couple years now, all of them with touch screens are quite more expensive than the latter mentioned here. I didn’t know this, MeLE Quieter3C Fanless Mini PC existed. It is just about the same size as an old IPod clasic, or, just bigger than a passport external HD. It doesn’t have a screen. It doesn’t have a battery. It does have two USB C ports, one for powering the mini PC, the other for data and power out to another device. It also has Wifi6, Ethernet, Bluetooth 5, 8 GB of ram, a truly decent speed processer, 256 GB internal storage, a headset 3.5 audio jack, 3 USB A ports and HDMI. The main point I’m getting to though is, that it also fits into the phone clip mentioned above, and on the tripod, becomes the brain/recorder for Annabell. Pare this with a wireless keyboard, and the evatronic Laptop Power Bank, 20000mAh 60W PD 3.0 Portable Charger, along side the, SCOSCHE FMT4R battery powered FM Transmitter, and the worries above go away. I don’t have anything tighing myself to Annabell and she and I are truly mobile. I’m running JAWS and Reaper on the MeLE Quieter3C Fanless Mini PC. I’ve got her audio going in, and JAWS and Reaper audio coming out via FM into my talking book player. I just have to nudge items back in reaper by four and everything is lined up. Reviews on Amazon state the PC gets hot, and therefor will slowdown the processer to cool down. Only time will tell, but one major thing I have noticed is running wireless radios cause the mini PC to heat up a noticeable amount. Turn them off and it cools down within 5 minutes. It is a pretty speedy computer for the recording job at hand.

What does the Annabell project look like?
The tripod has three legs to keep her up right.
Moving up the tripod you have the mount with one small boxe coming off of it in the front. This is the mini PC. Attached to the mini PC are three cables. USBC for power which connects to her battery, this can be placed on the floor under the tripod. Next to the Ethernet port. Audio 8th inch which has the small lightweight FM transmitter hanging off, USB C to lightning connected to the mics, which go up the tripod into Annabells ears.
Annabell, is very detailed, the texture of her feels like a softer soccer ball. She is very light she will not make the tripod heavy She has a head, face and neck. In the bass of her neck is where she mounts to the tripod.

All right, so we’ve talked about a lot here. Lets talk pricing. If you are just looking for Annabell, which is of course, the dummy head, the Crescendo CR-30 SlimClip Mic Stand Phone Holder, and Wig Stand tripod, and you already have the mics, you’re looking at around $100. If you don’t have the mics, or want another pare for this project they are celling for $50 on Amazon. I realize I may be a bit out of the norm here with the fasination of multi-tracking music in binaural audio, so I don’t expect many would need the MeLE Quieter3C Fanless Mini PC and evatronic Laptop Power Bank setup. The price listed above for the DIY Annabell dummy head project without the PC and battery are quite a bit cheeper than $300-500.

Audio:
Here are audio examples recorded from Annabells prospective.

Multi tracking, binaural music test

The trash bag test

Gas fireplace shut down sequence

Running a winter bath.

Please see all project links below via Amazon.

Amazon.com: Crescendo CR-30 SlimClip Mic Stand Phone Holder, iPhone Clamp Mount, Pole Phone Mount, Microphone, Music, or Drum Stand – for iPhone, Samsung
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077L9742K?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_KYMEVED7DD4XCJPJDJMS
Amazon.com : Sinheizer Ambio Smart Headset
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sinheizer+Ambio+Smart+Headset&crid=3AB7JLU8O2XSP&sprefix=sinheizer+ambio+smart+headset%2Caps%2C125&ref=nb_sb_noss
Amazon.com: HAIRWAY Bald Mannequin Head Female Professional Cosmetology Head Make up Doll Head for Wig Making, Displaying , Eyeglasses, Hair with T-pins
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KK87KSF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
Amazon.com: Wig Stand Tripod Wig Head Stand Adjustable Mannequin Head Stand for Canvas Block Head,Styling Wigs Hair Extensions,Wig Display,Cosmetology
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BN1PQCH?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Neewer Photography Professional Heavy Duty Tripod Dolly with Rubber Wheels and Adjustable Leg Mounts for Canon Nikon Sony DSLR Cameras Camcorder Photo Video Lighting https://a.co/d/1NAzNRY

Amazon.com: MeLE Quieter3C Fanless Mini PC Windows 11 Pro Celeron N5105 8GB 256GB Micro Computer with Full Function Type C Small Desktop WiFi6 Ethernet
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B74KLMWQ?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_779Z9CFQEDW83YBHMSAC&th=1
Amazon.com: evatronic Laptop Power Bank, 20000mAh 60W PD 3.0 Portable Charger, USB C Fast Charging External Battery Pack for MacBook, Dell, iPad Pro, iPhone
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B45TP7NP?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&th=1
Amazon.com: SCOSCHE FMT4R FM Transmitter with 20 Frequency Selections : Cell Phones & Accessories
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NEUK86?ref=&th=1
Amazon.com: Anker USB-C to Lightning Audio Adapter (Audio Only, Does Not Support Charging) : Electronics
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R6MKJZH?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&th=1