Voice Over vs Voice Priority
How can you talk to your students when they are listening through headphones to an audio book played from a media player? How can school staff make announcements during a special event such as a carnival or talent show when the background music is constantly playing?
Sometimes you want to address your students without lowering the volume of the audio book; other times you prefer the volume of the background music to be reduced for the announcement to be heard clearly. Not all media players fulfill the application needs of educational settings and not all PA systems are created equal. There are two such features: Voice-Over on a media payer and the Voice Priority on PA systems and in this article we’ll chat about the difference between the two.
You shouldn’t ever have to stop an audio segment that’s playing from a media player in order to ask students a question relating to what they’re listening to. You can speak onto the played audio content easily via the Voice-Over feature through a wired microphone (see image below). The Voice-Over feature doesn’t lower the volume of the played audio; it simply amplifies it with your voice simultaneously. Found on the Performer Plus™ and Music Maker USB media player/recorders, it provides the additional convenience that doesn’t exist in a typical consumer media player.
The Voice Over feature works when a mic is plugged into the Performer Plus or the Music Maker USB
With the Voice-Over attribute, you don’t need to use a separate voice amplifier to project your voice while students are listening to played audio track. There is also no need to interrupt the class flow by pausing or turning off the media player. Simply plug in a microphone and start speaking. Now this is the efficiency you need from a classroom media player. The fact that the Voice-Over feature combines the audio track with your voice also means you can easily create custom made teaching materials and not rely solely on published materials. Victoria Rogers, a Professor at Noblesville, IN, who also teaches line dancing shares, “I am able to record voice-over tapes for practice sessions.”
How about on the playing field or in the schoolyard where you might prefer the volume of the played audio track to be lowered for announcements? We’ve got you covered on that as well! Our Companion PowerPro, PowerPro™ and PowerProSD PAs automatically lower the audio track volume through their Voice Priority function when you make an announcement. Just turn on the Voice Priority switch located on the back of the PA system, and you’re ready to go. Whether you use a wired microphone or a wireless microphone, the moment you begin speaking, the volume of the played audio track is automatically lowered to direct audiences’ attention to your announcement. Once the announcement ends, the volume level automatically resumes to the previous setting right away. It’s that convenient!
Different spots within a campus require different capabilities of audio equipments. Utilize the Voice-Over or Voice Priority feature where applicable and have the confidence that your voice will be heard clearly with the played audio track at the same or lowered volume level.
