<p> TM</p><p>“MAGIC” TOUCAN INSTRUCTIONS v.4f 7-15-09 © Copyright Axtell Expressions, Inc. www.axtell.com (805) 642-7282</p><p>Congratulations! You are the proud new owner of an Axtell “Hands-Free Puppet”TM MAGIC Toucan. Here are a few hints to get you started. First of all, make sure you have the contents outlined on your invoice. You need all the fun gizmos to give your puppet life!</p><p>Now let’s do our initial setup. Unpack the puppet, FOB and Hands-Free Magic Control System (HFMCS). These items need to be charged overnight, so plug the green Smart Charger into the stand (Puppet Power Jack), and charge the transmitter with the black charger. The mp3 player on the HFMCS will need to be charged by USB cable connected to a computer.</p><p>If you purchased the optional PA system, it also needs charging and you’ll need a couple of AA batteries for your mic transmitter. Check out the included Hisonic instructions for details Now, go relax, you have a big day tomorrow discovering just how cool your new toy is! </p><p>Good morning! Ready? Let’s set up the stand . Unfold the legs and adjust the stand height by loosening the wing nuts and squeezing the clamps on the poles to your desired height. Tighten the wing nuts. Attach the perch by removing the perch screw near the top of the pole, aligning the top with the perch fitting, and replace the screw, securing the perch to the stand. The turnbuckle assembly can be adjusted so the puppet can “lean” forward to your tastes by simply turning the threaded piece. The rod on the bottom of the puppet will slip into the bird post receptacle once you have a basic adjustment. Now, carefully slip the rod found on the bottom of the puppet into place so he is “sitting” on the perch. Make sure the puppet is centered correctly facing forward. Attach the feet to the velcro strip on the perch, and plug the 1 puppet power cord into the stand (puppet power jack). You will be plugging the puppet’s power cord into the same stand jack that you used to charge the stand. The batteries that power your puppet are hidden in the stand. </p><p>You can now open the flap on the puppet’s back and flip the red power switch located in the lower right. You’ll hear a hum and know he’s ready to go. Reposition the flap onto the Velcro.</p><p>Now let’s have some fun! Unplug the charger and turn on the HFMCS (see the photo for locations of levers. Note: some levers may not function on your particular model). Once you read the instructions, play with the different levers and learn their function. The labels on the HFMCS will help you find and learn your moves. </p><p>The MAGIC System is the top of the Hands-Free Puppet line. It has the ability to play the MagicTrax ® programmed mp3s as well as function just like the other systems Live and Vent! So it’s 3 systems in one. </p><p>LIVE VENT MAGIC “LIVE” OPERATION In the “live” mode you will operate the HFMCS and do all the body moves live, including the mouth, while you provide the voice for the puppet. (make sure the “live” switch is in the up position, and the Motor-Mouth TM switch is down on the front of the HFMCS). You can use a microphone to amplify your voice. The mouth can be moved manually or can be set to move automatically with Motor- Mouth TM.</p><p>2 MOTOR-MOUTH ® When set up properly in Live Mode, you will manipulate the puppet’s body movements with the HFMCS joysticks, but automatically operate the mouth with your voice! </p><p>On the back of the HFMCS are 3 more plug-in jacks.</p><p>These are your Motor-Mouth TM connections for a wireless microphone system. The center jack is for a microphone (our Hisonic mic is recommended if you have it) and the right jack (out) goes to your wireless mic transmitter. Turn the switch on the wireless mic transmitter to “on” and make sure your receiver and mic are connected with a sound system so you can hear your voice. If you have our Hisonic PA just press the power switch on the Hisonic receiver/PA. Make sure the switch on the front of the HFMCS for the “live” mode is in the up position, so you can move the puppet with the HFMCS joy sticks, and the “MotorMouth”® switch is up (the mouth will no longer move by the sticks). </p><p>For any mouth adjustments, in Motor-Mouth ® mode, if you quickly press and release the top “set open” button, the mouth will open and close so you can see the amount of mouth movement. Then, we’ll adjust the open and close position of the puppet’s mouth. (make sure you are still in the Motor-Mouth ® mode, note: the switch is located on the top left front of the HFMCS). On the back of the HFMCS, press and hold the top button with a pointed object (set open) until the light flashes. Still holding in the button, turn the center knob to the desired “open” position. Release the top button. Press and hold in the bottom button and adjust the “set closed” position by turning the center knob. Release the bottom button. This is normally a one-time adjustment and utilized only if necessary. </p><p>3 The middle button is dual-purpose. It also functions as a gain adjustment. It allows you to further dial in the sensitivity as you are speaking using the Motor- Mouth ® function by simply rotating the gain as you speak. </p><p>A special note about Microphones: Occasionally, a mic will demand a more or less sensitivity adjustment for the puppet’s mouth to move correctly. </p><p>Again, follow the Hisonic instructions to adjust the volume on the transmitter and receiver. The mic is the big top volume knob. (Disregard if you do not own the Hisonic wireless UHF PA system). </p><p>Alternatively, you could also use your Hisonic wireless mic with a large PA system! Just plug an 1/8” cable out of the “output” jack on the Hisonic Receiver and go into the sound board of the big PA system with an adapter. Other wireless mic transmitter / receiver sets can be used similarly.</p><p>Now let’s think big. You are at a huge venue with a large PA system into which a vocal mic is plugged. In this scenario let’s say you are not using the wireless mic. Instead you are using a wired house mic. You can run a line out of the house PA into the first jack on the back of the HFMCS called “line” and your voice over the house mic will still move the bird’s mouth. This is great for large venues where you need to use a big PA system. </p><p>To have the puppet automatically automated while you still control the mouth movement with your voice, we use the wireless Motor-Mouth ® function with Auto-Alive ®. To use this feature wirelessly is simple but requires some adapters easily purchased from Radio Shack. With a stereo “y” cable, connect both the mic and mic transmitter into the “mic” input on the back of the HFMCS. With a stereo extension cable, connect the “wireless” input on the HFMCS with the Zen output cable as shown. On the front of the HFMCS, make sure the “live” switch is down (enabling Auto-Alive ®) and the Motor-Mouth ® switch is up. You’re all set to speak to move the mouth, yet the body will move constantly in the Auto-Alive ® mode.</p><p>4 If you are utilizing a large PA venue, the wired Motor-Mouth ® using Auto- Alive ® is even simpler. From the PA, send a monitor or aux signal from your PA microphone to the “mic” input on the back of the HFMCS utilizing an adapter. The amount of gain on the signal will affect the mouth movement, so test levels. Also, a stereo cable needs to connect the “wireless” output on the HFMCS to the Zen output cable as shown. Again, make sure the “live” switch is down (enabling Auto-Alive ®) and the Motor-Mouth ® switch is up on the front of the HFMCS. (see the instructions entitled,”Programming Your Hands-Free Puppet” for more details) </p><p>If you purchased a Hisonic system, be sure to read the Hisonic instruction manual – it really has a lot to offer! </p><p>In LIVE MODE you do NOT use the FOB, or the Mp3 Player. It is really for live functions where you are fully controlling the character and usually hidden…like at a trade show or at large events. You can really make a lot of money doing this so don’t dismiss it unless you really hate crowds!</p><p>5 “VENT” OPERATION</p><p>With your MAGIC Puppet system you can also go into the VENT MODE. You leave the Control System turned on and set to Vent Mode in the menu setting explained later. (NOTE: When in “vent” mode turn off the power to the mp3 player!) </p><p>In the VENT mode you will only be using the FOB to control the puppet’s head left and right, and mouth. You will be able to turn Auto-Alive ® on for the body movement, or turn the body movement off. The idea with VENT mode, is that you can be on stage talking with your Hands-Free puppet as a ventriloquist (providing the live voice of the puppet without moving your mouth….a skill you can learn on our website). You would hide the fob in your hand so the audience does not notice that you are controlling the mouth of the puppet or its head turn. You can now turn the head to the extreme left and right or anywhere in between! Press and release and the head of the puppet will stop. Auto-Alive ® will operate all the other functions including the head turn randomly unless you press the head left / right buttons on the fob. </p><p>The FOB is used in VENT and MAGIC operation. In VENT mode it is used to control the head and mouth of the puppet. In MAGIC mode the same FOB will be used to control the MP3 player (which controls the puppet with servo data pre- programmed). Either of these modes can be selected by pressing the center button on the HFMCS until the window reads …M or …V. </p><p>Following is an overview of the FOB operation in both modes. </p><p>“MAGIC” OPERATION</p><p>The Third and most complex mode is also the most technically advanced and impressive….the MAGIC Mode! This is the mode that will turn your remote control puppet into a full blown ANIMATRONIC puppet! The puppet primarily is controlled by playing our “MagicTrax” ® from the mp3 player in our Hands-Free Control System. </p><p>6 MagicTrax TM</p><p>MagicTrax ® are special audio mp3 recordings specially encoded with servo data that runs the puppet and synchs the animation performance with the audio (voice, sound effects and music). This type of performance system is also known as audio-animatronics but that is a trademark of Disney. Our MagicTrax ® contain audio recording on the right channel and servo data on the left channel. If you listen to a MagicTrax ® on a stereo player you will hear both sides and it will sound awful. Servo data isn’t going to make the top 10 song list anytime soon. So don’t be alarmed….your audience will only hear the right stereo channel (a mono recording) through your PA system. It is played out through the mp3 audio out jack. Use the appropriate cable type to connect the mp3 output to a PA amplifier system. Our Hisonic Wireless PA is a great one for smaller crowds, but any sound system can work. </p><p>You control the Mp3 player (a Creative Zen is being used) with the FOB (the same fob you use in Vent mode, will work differently in MAGIC mode. Hidden in the palm of your hand the FOB can control the mp3 player, an amazing concept and so handy. Here is the layout of the control buttons on the FOB. </p><p>The center button on the FOB is appropriately labeled “panic” so that if anything interrupts your mp3 playback (a kid asks a question, a heckler, you forget your lines in a routine), you can hit this button and the puppet will turn to you, motion for you to come to him, and whisper a message in your ear and you can then tell the audience whatever you wanted the puppet to say. It could be “my Toucan is a little shy but he wanted me to let the little girl know that he is very happy she got a new kitty for Christmas…now please fold your hands and listen to the rest of the routine”. You will come up with lots of good ideas for this! It’s a great thing to have a Panic Button!</p><p>All the other FOB functions pertain to the mp3 player in MAGIC mode. (See the instructions entitled, “Programming Your Hands-Free Puppet” for more details.)</p><p>Finally, the icing on the cake: The MP3 Player. You have a very powerful system utilizing a Creative Zen mp3 player which can integrate into your show, providing incredible audio potential in the form of interactive tracks and music. Your mp3 Zen came pre-loaded with several Axtell MagicTrax ® recordings you can incorporate immediately in your show. See the Zen instructions for details at</p><p>7 www.axtell.com/remotesupport.html so you can see how easy it is to integrate mp3 technology. You will amaze your audiences!</p><p>Your mp3 player needs to be charged by the USB connecter to a desktop or laptop computer. When the HFMCS is turned on, the Zen will be supplied with power from the HFMCS battery when the cable is plugged in. Look at the diagram for the USB charge cable input on the Zen. You need to unplug this cord from the jack and then plug a USB cord into your computer for recharging. Don’t forget to turn off your Zen when you turn off your HFMCS. Make sure both units are adequately charged before your show! </p><p>The RCA jack audio output on the left side of the HFMCS can be run to a PA system for audio playback during your show. If you use the Hisonic PA system for smaller venues, you can send your mp3 sound out the same RCA jack with a 1/8” adapter to the Hisonic line in (see Hisonic instructions) and use the wireless mic for your voice. The Hisonic PA will project both the mp3 and your voice! Oh, the beauty of it all! </p><p>How do you switch from Magic to Vent and Live and how do you control which Auto-Alive ® you want to use, and how do you switch from Toucan to chimpanzee if you have more than one puppet? Glad you asked! Now we will explore the menu settings of the HANDS FREE CONTROL SYSTEM MENUS. </p><p>HANDS-FREE CONTROL SYSTEM Menu </p><p>Alive Controller Menu System The Alive Controller employs a simple three button interface used to select menu items and review / make changes to various settings. . Remember, once you change the menu settings and store them, turn off the HFMCS and then back on before continuing.</p><p>The top and bottom buttons navigate forward and backward through the menu items which can be composed of menu names (appearing in all CAPITAL LETTERS), commands (appearing with first letter capitalized), and variables (appearing with at least first letter in lowercase – but sometimes will have mixed case to make multi-world variable abbreviations more clear, e.g., mouthOp.</p><p>By default, the status display appears. (described later)</p><p>Press any button and the main menu is invoked, and “SETTINGS” is displayed on the LCD. Use the top and bottom buttons to navigate to the desired item. Then, press the middle button to confirm a selection. </p><p>The main menu is composed of the names of other menus, with the exception of Exit and AlvTrak, used to choose current alive track. As you press either the top or bottom buttons you will cycle through the following options: </p><p>8 Control Menus </p><p>Main Menu contains mostly submenus with except for AlveTrak command. Submenus include the following:</p><p>SETTINGS Menu used for General Settings MOVE TO Menu used for editing MoveTo command settings FOB Menu used for selecting Key fob button commands POWER ON Menu used for defining startup settings Charactr Menu used for selecting character AliveTrk Command used for Picking Current Alive Track Dominant Menu used for selecting dominant side character looks PanicTrk Menu used for selecting panic track for panic mode WakeTrk Menu used for selecting Wake Up Track DIAG MENU Menu used for diagnostics Exit Exit menu system and resume display of status indicator.</p><p>Pressing the middle button (select) when a main menu name is displayed will take you to that submenu. e.g. selecting SETTINGS from the main menu will take you to a menu composed of variables which relate to the settings, e.g. backLght used to turn the LCD back light on/off.</p><p>When you encounter a variable (starts with lower case) within a submenu, pressing the middle button (select) will enact the cursor after the description. You are now able to make a selection. Selections can be made by pressing the top button (increase) or bottom button (decrease), or used to simple change its on/off state in the case of an on/off item.</p><p>You may hold the buttons down to cause repetitive increases or decreases of the value. Variables dealing with positions will move the character to the position as you adjust the values to “show you” the settings. </p><p>Once you have made a selection, press the center button again to confirm and move on to next item. You will exit the edit mode and see the name of the variable you were editing. You may then resume using the top and bottom buttons to browse among the variables.</p><p>“Power On” MENU Explained</p><p> initAlve - ON or OFF - typically a very short track to put character into a neutral position for an anticipated start position.</p><p>9 wakeAlve - ON or OFF – typically a more complex start-up track</p><p> autoAlve - ON or OFF – plays and loops your chosen Auto-Alive TM track </p><p>PowerUp: Select Magic or Vent for start up default</p><p>Exit POWER ON: Return to Main Menu</p><p>We recommend that you test a configuration after making changes to any settings to be sure your character has the behavior programmed you expect. To test it – turn off the HFMCS and then turn it on again to observe settings.</p><p>Mp3 Player (Creative Zen V Plus) Instructions</p><p>The Mp3 player will need to be charged by connecting via USB cable to your computer. Also you will be using computer based software to organize your audio files like MagicTrax ® and Motor-Mouth ® tracks. </p><p>CONNECTING ZEN TO YOUR PC (Mac users skip down) (see page 3-11 of your Zen instruction booklet for important details). You can also download them from the Creative website at www.creative.com</p><p>1. Install the Creative Zen V plus software on your computer from the included Zen CD. 2. Using the provided USB cable, connect the Zen to your computer...the software should open automatically. If not, double click on the Zen Media Explorer icon on your desktop or program files list. 3. Click on “Create Playlist” to see the MagicTrax ® and Motor-Mouth ® files that have come pre-installed on your Zen. They are listed on the left in folders. Click on the desired folder and the tracks will appear in the lower left window. 4. From the track list you can “add” the bits you want in the order you want. Create and title your own playlist (listed on the right). 5. You can download new files from the internet or your creations by going to the “Add Media” icon on the splash page. The Wizard will guide you so you can choose your desired files and import them into the Zen. Rearrange your material in the proper playing order. Ready for your show!</p><p>USING YOUR ZEN You can re-arrange your playlist right in the Zen if you want to change the order of your show and you’re not near your computer:</p><p> a) First, we want to clear the Now Playing list. This is where we will build your new playlist. From the main Menu, select “Now Playing” and press the joystick to the right. You will be taken to the actual song now playing. Hold the back arrow and select “Remove”. Press the joystick, and you will 10 be taken to another menu. Select “Remove all” and your readout ask you if you are sure. Scroll to ”yes”. Then you will be told to select music to play from the Music Library. b) Now we build your new playlist. Hit the back key to the Main Menu and Music Library. Press the joystick and choose the location of your material which will be assembled into a new list. You must choose the bits in the exact order you want them in your show. One by one, find the bit by pressing the joystick, selecting “All Tracks”, press again and scroll to the first bit, press the joystick and select “Add to Selected” and press again. Scroll and “Add to Selected” each bit you want in your show. When you are done, go back to the Main Menu. In the main menu select “Now Playing” and press the joystick. Hold the back arrow, scroll down to “Save as Playlist” and select. Use the joystick to create a name and be sure to select “OK” to save it.</p><p>YES! Your Music Library will contain your new playlist in the correct order of your material, ready to be played in your show that starts in 5 minutes!!.</p><p>USING A MACINTOSH to manage the Zen.</p><p>Do not try to install the Zen CD, it is for PC only. Mac Users must have OS 10.3 or later to connect to the Zen.</p><p>1) Download XNJB file from the Axtell Support website or http://www.wentnet.com/projects/xnjb/download.html and install in your Applications folder on your Mac. Double click on the app. to open.</p><p>2) Using a USB cable, connect the Zen to your computer. The app. window will have a "connect" box at the bottom. Click that and your Zen contents will load in to the top box where you can see the MagicTrax ® and/or Motor-Mouth ® files that come pre-installed on your Zen (make sure the "Playlists" box at the top is selected also)</p><p>3) Click the plus sign on the bottom left to create and title your own playlist, You can download any selections from the playlist in the box above by 1) highlighting your selection, and 2) hitting the down arrow at the bottom of the playlist box. The file will be transferred to the new playlist you are creating. You can re-arrange the files by using the up and down arrows to the right of the new playlist box. </p><p>4) Once you have finished your new playlist, hit "disconnect" at the bottom and your Zen will have the new playlist ready to go!</p><p>.</p><p>11 Don’t forget to charge or change the batteries of your units before your show. You can’t overcharge them so don’t worry about that. Remember, charge the HFMCS, Zen, Performance stand, Hisonic, and replace your mic batteries. </p><p>To lengthen the life of the puppet, make sure you apply Aerospace Protectant to the latex surfaces once every 3 months and store it away from direct sun.</p><p>USING THE HISONIC WIRELESS UHF PA SYSTEM (Optional) </p><p>Here’s some suggestions as you use your PA system. 1) For best audio results experiment with your levels, but the following seems to produce the best results: 2) (Mic TX set to “High”) Headset mic TX volume: rolled very low. (Only one turn up). 3) RX volume on the Hisonic (top volumne knob): set as needed for volume but don't turn it up so much as to allow it to distort. ______QUICK TOTORIALS TO HELP YOU GET STARTED</p><p>How do I get into VENT mode?</p><p>1. Turn on the HFMCS. 2. Press the center button on the HFMCS. It will toggle from Magic to Vent. 3. The bottom of the display will say ALIVE V (V) is for Vent. ALIVE M is for Magic 4. Make sure the Live switch is up. </p><p>How do I get into LIVE Mode?</p><p>1. Set the Live switch to the lower position. Now the joysticks will operate the Puppet including the mouth. 2. If you want use the Wireless Motor-Mouth ® in Live Mode, set the Motor- Mouth ® up.</p><p>How do I make a simple Motor-Mouth TM track to control the puppet’s mouth? </p><p>Simply use a mic on the Zen player and record directly into the Zen. From the main menu on the Zen, move the joystick and scroll down to “Extras”, press the joystick. Scroll down to “microphone” and press the joystick. The meter on the right tells you how strong your voice is. Do not go into the red or you will distort. Press the record button on the right side of the Zen and begin your lines. When finished, press the record button again to stop the recording. Your clip defaults with the title “MIC (date)”. </p><p>12 You can rename the file through your computer Zen software and place it in a playlist.</p><p>(Advanced instructions are available for using your computer to help edit and add sound effects. )</p><p>Now go have fun and make yourself famous with your “Hands-Free” Axtell puppet!</p><p>Hands-Free Puppets, Motor-Mouth, MagicTrax, Auto-Alive and the configuration of the puppet characters are trademarks and copyrights of Axtell Expressions, Inc. All rights reserved. 2007 Axtell Expressions, Inc.</p><p>13</p>