Specifications

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REVIEW
Vox Proxy
By Terry Currier
Vox Proxy (version 2) is a plug-in
for PowerPoint. If used properly,
PowerPoint helps to make a
presentation flow. Vox Proxy uses
3D animated characters to enhance
and make a PowerPoint presentation
more entertaining and fun. I like
using PowerPoint (I really do). You
just have to be careful not to overdo
it. Too many effects and the audience
may wonder if the presentation is for
them or for the presenter to play with.
One of the rules for a good
presentation is not to have
everything listed in the slide. The
presenter must be part of the show
and not have the people have to read
everything. Vox Proxy characters
help to become another presenter.
They can explain in more detail
something on the slide. Don’t get
me wrong, it should not replace the
human interaction or the presenter
becomes a prop.
Vox Proxy works by first creating
a script. With that script, you choose
the 3D character from a list of 27,
both male and female. When you
choose the character, you also can
choose the voice to be used. There is
a list of 8 male and 2 female voices.
The voices are not bad, but they do
still have the sound of computer
generation. You then can type what
you want the character to do or say
directly into the script, or work with
the wizard. This uses a
text-to-speech engine. You can
record what is to be said into a WAV
file and have Vox Proxy “say” that.
It will speak other languages if you
have a text-to-speech engine that
supports the language. Vox Proxy
supports multiple TTS engines
within the same script so that
characters can have a conversation
in different languages or a single
character can speak in multiple
languages. In other words, whatever
languages you load onto your
computer will work with Vox Proxy.
Text-to-speech engines in several
languages are included with
Vox Proxy. AT&T has an
enhanced TTS with better
human sound. The cost is $60
and you can get it at
http://www.naturalvoices.com
It comes with 10
text-to-speech engines so you
can have it speak in Spanish
(2), German(2), French, British
English (2), English (4), and
one Indian-accent English
voice.
They include some really
good tutorials for the user to go
through before making a script.
You really do have to look at the
tutorials—it will take about 50-60
minutes to go through them. After
that, work with the wizard for a
while to get the feel of how it works.
Also look at how the tutorials are set
up. This is your best way of using it.
Even with the wizard, I still had a
little start-up problem—nothing bad.
Vox Proxy uses Microsoft agents
(the characters) to provide
animation. The script is actually a
program to have the character do
what you want.
There is interaction between the
presenter, the character, and the
presentation. You can have the