Ever notice during a conference call that some callers speaking voices are significantly quieter than others? Octiv thinks its solved this problem with a little device called the Octivox Clear Call.
The Clear Call device, which is available now and retails for $249, sits between the wall jack and the speakerphone. Using multiband dynamics processing technology, the Clear Call separates each incoming audio stream into three audio bands, then modulates the signal by reducing extraneous noise and attenuating volume peaks before recombining and delivering the signal in real time.
I tested the Clear Call in my home office, connected to a Panasonic speakerphone device. In tests, everyone sounded, well, louder—although at an even volume level. Our testers experienced brief echo and reverberation at the beginning of each call, as the Clear Call seemingly adjusted to the new situation. After a few seconds of distortion, the rest of the call was clear and uneventful.
However, I couldnt make outgoing calls with the Clear Call connected. No matter what buttons I pushed, the dial tone would hum until the phone gave its warning tone. Octiv officials suspected I was testing a faulty preproduction unit, but we couldnt verify this before going to press.
Digital phone users must also purchase a digital-to-analog converter, since Clear Call is designed to operate only with analog phones.
For more information, check out www.octivox.com.