Teamspeak Guide for Students

Hi, all. As of 2017, all CAVI courses will be held on Teamspeak. Some courses in late 2016 are also being held on Teamspeak as a trial run for the move. This guide is a quick-start for students in order to help get the software set up. At the moment it will only cover the basics of usage necessary to get set up for class. It may expand to cover more advanced issues later, so check back.

General Information

• The Teamspeak server info is cavitraining.com. Do not edit ports. Since Teamspeak sets permissions based on machine IDs, you do not need a specific username or password.
• All students must use push-to-talk for class, except for very specific situations which will be discussed on a case-by-case basis.

Windows PC Setup

Downloading Software

• Download the software from the Teamspeak home page. Choose either 32bit or 64bit software based on your system architecture.
• You can get Jaws scripts for Teamspeak from Doug Lee's Jaws Teamspeak Scripts Page.
• You can get an NVDA addon from the Doug Lee's Teamspeak NVDA Addon Page.

Installing Software

• The Teamspeak install is a fairly smooth process like most software installations. It will ask you to agree to the user license agreement, however you must scroll to the bottom of the agreement before you can check the box saying you agree. The setup will also ask you if you want Teamspeak installed for all users or just the current account, and where you want the software installed. Press next to accept defaults, or change what you need changed. Once all options are set, press the install button. Once it is finished installing, a finish button will appear, as well as a check box asking if you'd like to launch the program. Press finish.
• Installing the Jaws scripts is a matter of pressing enter on the downloaded file, accepting the license agreement, and choosing the version of Jaws into which you'd like the scripts installed. Press the next button to accept defaults. and then press the install button. Press finish when done.
• To install the NVDA addon, have NVDA running, and press enter on the file. NVDA will ask you if you want to install the addon, and then restart. The addon will be installed.

Setting up Teamspeak

• The first thing you need to do is agree to the license again. Scroll down to the bottom of the file, then check the box to agree.
• Next, you need to set up an identity. Press Alt+S to get into the settings menu, and then press enter on Identities. You can also get here by pressing CTRL+I.
  • Tab to the Nicnames box. Enter the name you'd like to use on server. It would be good if at least part of this name was part of your name so that the instructors know who you are. You can also tab to the phonetic pronounciation box to change the way your name is pronounced by the TTS. Press okay when you're done.
• The next thing you need to do is set some options. You can get there through the settings menu, or press alt+P. While in these windows, you may have to press alt+down arrow to open combo boxes.
  • You land in a treeview of categories. Once you tab away from the treeview, you'll hit the okay and cancel buttons. The changeable options appear after the cancel button. There are bits of these that don't read, or are questionably labelled. For the most part, however, they are self-explanatory.
• If you move categories after making chanes in one, a box will pop up asking you to save the changes you have made before switching.
  • In the playback category, you can leave playback mode at "Automatically use best mode" unless you have trouble, in which case we recommend using "direct Sound". After this is a combo box which is unlabelled, at least with NVDA. This is where you choose the audio device you want to use for listening to class. If you can't hear anything on server, check here to make sure the correct device is set. There is a check box which you can press to make sure you can hear sound. There are also two boxes which you can check to hear clicks when your microphone keys up, or when others key up. I find it useful to check the box that allows me to hear when my own microphone is keyed.
  • In the capture settings, there are two combo boxes that look like the ones in playback. These are where you select which device is used so that others can hear you. If others cannot hear you, check here to make sure your correct capture device is set. After the device selection, you choose whether you want to be on push to talk, voice activated, or continuous transmission. For class, we require students to be on push-to-talk unless otherwise specified. Next, tab to the button that allows you to set your push-to-talk activation key. The default is right control. Press spacebar on this button, and then enter the key or keys you'd like to use. I often find that a key combination is more useful for this to avoid accidental key-ups. I personally use right control+right shift. Your mileage may vary, however. Tab to the advanced button and press it, then find the check boxes for echo cancellation and noise reduction, and uncheck both.
  • In the notifications category, you may want to choose the soundpack used for notifications. Some are spoken with the default female or male soundpack, but if you choose default text to speech, you will hear the names of people who join the server, ETC. You can change these to suit your preferences.

Connecting to the Server

• Press Control+S to connect to servers. This is also in the connect menu, which you can get to with alt+C. Enter cavitraining.com into the host name box, and press enter.

Chatting

• We are working on a way to get chat mesages automatically spoken. this section will be updated accordingly. In the meantime, if you are using the Jaws scripts you can read chat messages with alt+1, alt+2, ETC. Mostly, for the meantime, chat is restricted to entering student names so that an instructor can pause so the student can ask a question. To chat, tab once from the channel treeview to where it says the name of the server, and then press right arrow once so that your channel name is spoken. then tab to the edit box, enter your name, and press enter.

iOS

• You can get the Teamspeak client for $6 USD from the app store. This price may differ based on your local currency/app store.
• The headset policy applies to iOS devices just as it does for PC attendence. Also, check our guidelines for attending class on mobile devices.
• When first opening the Teamspeak client, every time you open it, you need to hit the menu button at the top left-hand corner of the screen when using Voiceover.
• The first thing you need to do is press identities under the manage heading, and enter the nickname you'd like to use.
• In settings, set the voice mode to push-to-talk. Leave the sound pack for notifications to default female, since default TTS on iOS devices speaks incredibly loudly and slowly at this point. We will update this document wen that changes. In audio settings, turn off de-noise. When you're done, hit the done button under the settings heading.
• Now, under the manage heading, , select bookmarks. Press add. Press the address button, and enter cavitraining.com. Press the save button. Press the done button. Now, under the bookmarks heading, you should see the new server. Press it, and you should connect.
• In order to key up, press and hold the button just above the home button. It's an unlabelled button.
• To switch channels, double tap on the channel name, and then press join channel.
• To chat, press the messages button at the top right of the screen, press your channel name under the channels heading, press the unlabelled "button" next to the channel name, and enter your name. Tip, you won't actualy be able to see what you're typing. Once you're done, press the "send" button, and you will hear a sound and be able to read your message in the messages list. Press the done button when you're done sending a message.