CVXAmplio160628
Product Background:
When ChatterVOX® was conceived more than 18 years ago, only moderate consideration
was given to its physical size. The primary objective was to build a device that would suffi-
ciently boost the voice of one man, the late Al Shulman, to a level that would permit him
to continue his active lifestyle despite being stricken with Parkinson’s disease.
The original waistband amplifier design accomplished this and, with the vision and support
of Siemens Professional Products division, then headed by the late David Sutton, Chatter-
VOX® went from a solution for one friend to a system that has now touched the lives of
more than 50,000 people. I sincerely hope it has served those many people well and its
evolution over the many years has made it a more effective tool for not only Parkinson’s
sufferers, but also patients with ALS, Dysarthria, vocal fold paralysis, nodules and many
other injuries and afflictions that impair one’s ability to communicate through speech. We
have been humbled by what many of you have accomplished with our comparatively sim-
ple little device.
As years progressed we refined the original ChatterVOX® circuit, its speaker, the micro-
phones that collect the precious source speech and added some comfort items such as
covers, improved belting etc.
In 2010, we introduced a new “larger” design, of ChatterVOX®...our model “SIX” that
meets the needs of individuals who need to preserve vocal resources while teaching physi-
cal education, coaching sports, leading tour groups, managing crowds and other activities
in harsh or outdoor environs.
One ChatterVOX® refinement we sought, but had not been successful achieving was a high
standard of performance in a smaller, more discreet form factor. In 2012, we believe
changes in available technology finally made it possible for us to achieve that objective.
You are about to be introduced to the product of many hours and iterations through pro-
totyping and field test. We call this new ChatterVOX®….. ”Amplio™”...a Latin word that
defines our objectives to improve, amplify, “enlarge”, “magnify”, “enhance”and
“augment” a weakened voice and to “widen” or “extend” that individual’s ability to com-
municate and maintain a high quality of life.
I sincerely hope you will find “Amplio™” meets your needs and exceeds your expectations
for such a small product. Like all ChatterVOX® products, it is constantly evolving and your
comments, both complimentary and critical, are eagerly encouraged. You may email or
call us directly or feel free to “friend” and post comments to the ChatterVOX® Facebook
page.
Ted Simons
ChatterVOX® Concepteur and President, Enhanced Listening Technologies Corp.
Optimizing Amplio ™ Performance:
Your new ChatterVOX® Amplio™ is designed primarily to be worn suspended around your
neck. While Amplio™ can be belt worn or placed on a nearby surface, neck worn is recom-
mended. The logic of this recommendation is to keep the sound of your voice close to the
visual source. This is particularly important for people with weakened voices as the natu-
ral human tendency to reinforce listening with “lip reading” improves the resultant com-
munication.
The ChatterVOX HM200 headset microphone should be worn over the ears and around
the back of the head. The microphone boom should be shaped to locate the microphone
capsule as close to the corner of the mouth as possible. The microphone capsule should
NOT be positioned in front of the mouth, doing may result in annoying and distracting
“popping” sounds when certain consonant sounds are spoken.
Use as little volume as possible. Raise volume until you hear your voice achieve a modest
boost. DO NOT attempt to have high volume, doing so will degrade the overall sound
quality of your voice and will, most likely, lead to the howling sounds of feedback where
sound is regenerated in an endless looping from microphone to speaker.
CHG: RED LED turns on when charging. LED turns off when charged
CHG IN: micro-USB 5-6VDC
MIC IN: 3.5mm mini phone jack for microphone (mono or stereo plug)
ON/OFF: Rotates Left to Right from Off to maximum volume
PWR: GREEN color LED when power is switched on. LED turns AMBER
then RED when charge is needed.
