Instructions
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NOTE: Best viewed on a computer screen.
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There are sections below that go into detail on how to use the app, recorder, and label vocalizations, but here is an overview of the main steps.
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Turn the recorder on, and then put it in the HOLD position.
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Using the magnets, attach the recorder near the shirt collar of the individual whose vocalizations are being recorded.
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Use the remote to start a recording.
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Open the Commalla app on the Android phone we sent to you.
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When you hear a vocalization that is associated with an emotion or other meaning, click the label on the app that corresponds to how you would identify the sound. Only label a vocalization if you feel you relatively confident that you know what it means. It’s okay to not label all the sounds you hear!
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When you want to end a recording session, click STOP on the remote.
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When you are done recording for the day, take the recorder off the individual, power it off, and place it back in the HOLD position.
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Connect your recorder to your computer and upload the audio files to the Dropbox folder we shared with you.
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Plug in the recorder and phone to charge so you’re ready for next time!
See all instructional videos (YouTube)​
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Remember: You don't need to be labeling the whole time the recorder is being worn or on. It may be easier to put the recorder on the individual and then record/label later.
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For example, it may be easy to put the recorder on the person who is vocalizing when they come home from school, or you have a chunk of time where you think there might be interesting sounds and you might have a few minutes to label. You can use the remote to turn the recorder on and off whenever you want. If you hear something that you want to label and have a few minutes, pull out the Commalla Android phone and start labeling!
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How you label is set by how often your child vocalizes and how often you choose (or are able) to label. The study is designed to fit into your regular life as easily as possible. Typically, parents label 10-20 minutes a day, a few times a week. Recording for a little longer after you are done labeling (or before you start) is helpful too, so we can have unlabeled sounds for reference.
Summary of Study Activities
Set up Dropbox
If you don't already have a Dropbox account:
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Sign-up for a Dropbox account and install the Dropbox program to your computer. This will allow you to easily share files from your recorder with us. If you need more guidance, watch Dropbox tutorials for Mac or for Windows.
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Please accept the invitation you received to a shared Dropbox folder. If you haven’t received an invitation, please contact commalla@mit.edu.
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If you already have a Dropbox account:
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Sign in to your account.
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Please accept the invitation you received to a shared Dropbox folder. If you haven’t received an invitation, please contact commalla@mit.edu.
How to label
Turning on the phone and opening the app:
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Turn the phone on by holding down the power button on the right edge of the phone
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Connect to a WiFi network in your home. This is important. If you are not connected to WiFi, the labels from the app cannot sync
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Open the “Commalla” app on your phone’s home screen
Power
Labeling a vocalization:
To label a vocalization, click on the label of the event you hear. Click the label once more when the sound finishes.
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Please click the start button as close as possible to when the vocalization started. It’s okay if there a little bit of delay - that happens!
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You will see a timer start, this measures the length of the event.
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When the vocalization ends, please click the label again. It is important to hit the “end” button when the vocalization that goes with your label is over, otherwise, vocalizations that happen later might be mislabeled because the previous label hadn’t been stopped.
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Attaching the Recorder:
Using the Sony Voice Recorder
You will use the recorder to record all the sounds while you label sounds on the Commalla app. The recorder pairs with the Commalla app by synchronizing with your time-stamped labels.
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You can attach the recorder to your child's shirt when you have a moment and then start recording whenever convenient. For example, if you attach the recorder as soon your child comes home from school, and then hear them vocalize a few hours later, you can use the remote to quickly start recording.
How to Turn on the Recorder:
Power the recorder ON by sliding the switch all the way to the right until the display appears. Turning the power to ON does not start a recording. You will do that later using the remote.
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Slide the switch all the way to the left to put the recorder in HOLD mode (hold prevents the recorder from being turned on or off accidentally).
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Detach black magnets from silver magnets on the back of the recorder.
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Attach recorder to shirt (ideally near collar), using magnets.
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Make sure the recorder is not upside down.
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Keep the recorder on for the duration of data collection.
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Note: You can attach the recorder to your child's shirt at any time and start recording whenever convenient. For example, if you start to hear your child vocalize, you can quickly start labeling and the recorder will already be attached and ready to go!
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When you are ready to record, take the remote out of HOLD mode using the switch on the left edge of the remote
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Press the REC button on the remote to start a recording. If the remote was off, it may take a second for it to connect to the recorder, and you may have to hit the record button twice.
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When recording, the red light on the recorder (that is attached the participant’s clothing) will be on.
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To STOP a recording, press the STOP button. The red light will turn off.
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After you start or stop a recording, put the remote back in HOLD mode using the switch on the left edge of the remote. HOLD mode prevents recordings from starting or stopping accidentally.
How to Use the Remote:
How to Turn Off the Recorder:
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When you are done taking data, detach the recorder from the participant’s clothing
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To turn the power off, slide the switch all the way to the right until the display reads Power Off.
Uploading
We recommend uploading data within 24 hours of finishing a session. The recorder works like a USB drive.
Uploading logged labels on the Android
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To sync your labels on the Android app, click on the in the upper right corner.
Uploading sounds from Sony Recorder
For your very first upload, create a folder called "Commalla" on your computer to store recordings. You can continue to store your recordings in this folder.
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How to upload recordings from Sony Recorder to your Dropbox:
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Connect your recorder to your computer via USB or USB-C
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Use the cable that came with the recorder to plug it into your computer.
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Open a file manager, and the recorder should come up as an external device, named something like "IC Recorder".
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First select "IC Recorder" in the file manager.
- On an Apple device, this appears on the left side under "Locations".
- On a Windows device, it will appear under on the left side of the window under "This PC". -
Within the “IC Recorder”, first go into the folder "REC_FILE" and then the folder "FOLDER01". Now you should see all your sound files!
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Open another file manager window, and navigate to the shared Dropbox folder we invited you to.
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Select all the files in the recorder and copy and paste them into the Dropbox folder.
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For your files to upload, your Dropbox application has to be active. If you are not sure if Dropbox is active, just open the desktop program and your files should sync.
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Privacy: if you recorded a session that you decided you don't want to share, you can delete those files before uploading. If you open a File window and go to "IC Recorder" > "REC FILE" > "FOLDER01", you can listen to the files and delete anything you would like before uploading.
Video Instructions for an Apple device:
Video instructions for a Windows device:
Deleting Old Files:
To prevent losing data, please keep the files on your recorder until we let you know we have received them. We will send you a note once we receive files with the names of the files we received. Then you can delete old files to free up room on your recorder.
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With the recorder plugged into your computer, open a file window.
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Go to "IC Recorder" -> "REC_FILE" -> "FOLDER01" and delete all the files that we have confirmed receipt of.
How to Charge the Recorder:
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You can charge the Recorder using the cable that came in in the original packaging. It will take around 1 hour to fully charge. We recommend charging the recorder after every six hours of use.
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To charge your recorder, connect the recorder charging cable to the charging port on the left side of the recorder. (You will have to open the flap to plug in the cable)
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Connect the USB side to your computer to charge the recorder. We have included a USB-C adapter, in case your computer has only USB-C ports. If you have a USB to wall adapter, you can also charger your recorder from a wall outlet.
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TIP: As soon as you finish using the Recorder after a session, plug it back into the wall charger.