Sony Virtuoso and Soloist Experiences Language Learning

[magnesium]

Has anybody had any experiences of the Sony Virtuoso and Soloist Experiences Language Learning software?

 

Both positive and negative opinions would be very hellpful.

[djm968]

One of the best (arguably the best) products on the Market but expensive. I occasionally contract for a company who install the product for the sole UK distributor.

[rattlesocks]

I'm looking into getting one of these set up.

 

So far I've found:

 

http://www.sanako.com/products/languagelearning/lab300

 

http://www.boomerangirm.com/ (SONY)

 

http://www.activa.co.uk/products_language_labs.php

 

Anyone here have experience of any of these systems please?

 

...or know of any more?

 

Thanks for any help!

[Andrew_C]

Lab 300 works well most of the time. A few "issues" in the past, and support can be, how shall I say it, patchy. No, that's wrong... Could do better.

 

At the moment, I need to work out why the teacher can't listen to material at the master machine. Some insignificant looking tick box somewhere I'm sure!

[plexer]

So it's a system that allows language teachers to interact visually and verbally with their students using headphones and client/server software?

 

Ben

[rattlesocks]

Thanks Andrew_C!

 

Did you look at any other systems?

 

How did you choose Lab 300?

 

...any more info very gratefully received...

[Andrew_C]

Yep. Did you use a tape based language lab at school (as pupil)? Or does your school still have one? Sanako does what that did, and more. Sanako were tied up with Tandberg who will be more familier to most of us, but there have been a few name changes of late.

 

There is a seperate audio network, and you can have a video distribution system, although I believe that new installs use the data network in a different fashion from my current system (5 yrs old)

[rattlesocks]

Thankyou again.

[magnesium]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I have heard a mixture of positive and negative points about both Sanako and Virtuoso.

 

I have yet to see a demo of the Sanako although I did see it at Bett last January.

 

On the support side of things I heard both could be better.

 

The other thing is ongoing training. The Virtuoso sellers appear to see training as an on going thing which is important for when new teachers start. Though that is from a salesman (They never tell you what's in the tin). From other schools I have heard Sanako seem to leave you to get on with it yourself.

 

A new name another school recommended to our Head of MFL was a Belgian company called ARTEC www.artec-electronics.com. I have spoken to the UK distributor and hope to see a demo soon.

 

My main fear is we spend a disgusting figure of money on a system and we are left to get on with little support or training.

[Andrew_C]

To do the basics, you really won't need much training. That said, we started from the position of a) having lots of lessons on 1/4" tape and paper that just needed digitising and b) direct technical support for the teachers in place (me).