Core Sound — PDAudio®

To record using PDAudio-CF and your PDA, you'll need recording software. Third party software developers have developed exciting recording applications for PDAudio-CF and PDAs running Windows CE, PocketPC 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003.

Gidluck Mastering's Live2496

Revised 12/16/2007: Gidluck Mastering's Live2496 now runs under Windows Mobile 5.0 and includes a FLAC encoder that can be used to losslessly compress audio data both during recording and in previously recorded WAV files. It also allows you to change recording media during recording without losing a single bit. Using this feature you can record continuously, essentially forever, using low-cost, low-density (e.g., 1 GB) flash cards.

Here are a few Live2496 screen shots:

This latest version of Live2496 allows you to reliably record at 24/96 on HP iPAQ h2200-, hx2400-, hx2700-, hx4700-, h5100- and 5500-series, or Dell Axim X51v, X50 and X50v PDAs. It also lets you select between PDAudio-CF's coaxial or optical inputs, 16 or 24-bit data format, sample rates from 32 to 96 KS/s, metering on/off, and to enter recording mode at startup. Files are named automatically from the base filename that you specify and a desired starting index. It can record to a sequence of files to allow you to record 24/96 for up to ten continuous hours without changing storage media. It also allows remote control recording and playback using a Bluetooth keyboard. And Live2496 now provides very responsive metering at 16-bits. The display can be darkened during recording to extend battery life. An extra-cost option allows for mono recording, doubling the amount of time you can record on a single memory card, and sample rates of 176.4 and 192 KS/s.

Important for naturalist researchers making field recordings, Live2496 can also be programmed to record either for a specific length of time that is repeated at specific intervals, or via a start-time/end-time schedule list.

Here at Core Sound we regularly use Live2496 to record at 24/96 to 2 and 4 GB SD flash memory cards on both a Dell Axim X50v and an HP iPAQ h2215.

Live2496 is available for purchase from Gidluck Mastering for $50. Development is ongoing and purchasers of the program are provided with free updates.

Technica Del Arte's Luci

Updated 1/3/2007: Technica Del Arte offers PDA software to support electronic news gathering and live broadcasting from the field. With Luci you can:

Record interviews
Edit
Add text and other metadata
Publish wirelessly as a bwf file via the Internet or your own broadcast server
All using mp2 or WAV formats in real time!

There are currently two Luci products: Luci Edit and Luci Live1. Luci Edit is tailored for the reporter who wants to have more editing-features. Luci Live1 allows you to broadcast Live from your PocketPC to a shoutcast or icecast internet radio-station! Luci runs fine on PDAs running Windows Mobile 5.0.

Luci Edit's Recording window is designed with large buttons so that it can be controlled with your fingers - no stylus is required. The Edit window allows you to zoom in and out on each clip, fast-forward and rewind while listening in real time, set and clear markers, and clip and paste marked regions. The Clip Editor window lets you edit the sequence of clips into a broadcast ready report.

Luci now records in mono with 16 or 24-bit word widths, and at sample rates of up to 96 KS/s!

Here are a few Luci Edit screen shots. The first shows the Record screen. The second shows the Edit screen. The third and fourth show Luci Setup screens.

Luci Live1 transforms your PocketPC or Smartphone into a high quality live internet broadcasting source. Until now you had to use very expensive satellite-time or the like. Now, with the emergence of free -even open source- internet radio servers, high-speed wireless internet access and the use of Luci Live1, the cost of live broadcasting is practically zero.

Here's a Luci Live1 screen shot:

Pocco Software's Wichita

Revised 11/19/2003: Pocco Software has released Wichita Version 1.03. It's priced at only $47.99.

Wichita records reliably for limited amounts of time at word widths up to 24-bits and sample rates up to 96 KS/s, indicates levels reliably on its meters and plays back files using the PDA's on-board speaker and headphones. It also allows you to:

lock the transport controls so that you can't accidentally drop out of recording
prevents accidental power-offs unless the battery level is critically low
blacks out and restores the screen with a single button push, and
offers the option to start a new file when the current file reaches 2 GBs.

Here are a few screen shots of Wichita version 1.02:

Revised 1/13/2004: Wichita version 1.03 records reliably at 24-bit/96 KS/s for up to 40 minutes, can play back files up to 24/96, and displays peak levels and clipping.

We tested it with an older HP iPAQ 3835 and a new 1 GB SanDisk compact flash memory card; that low-cost combination recorded 24/96 flawlessly for 30 minutes. With a low-cost 2 GB utility-grade SanDisk CF card, it will record 16/44.1 for more than 3 hours!

Wichita v1.03 is available for purchase at the Pocco Software Web site.

Resco's Audio Recorder

Resco Audio Recorder version 4 and above no longer support PDAudio-CF.

Resco, one of the leaders in PocketPC software, recently announced that their popular Audio Recorder supported PDAudio-CF through versions 3.2. Audio Recorder was nominated by Pocket PC Magazine for the "Best Software of 2004" award.

In addition to recording, it's also a full-featured audio player and a simple audio editor. It supports WAV, MP3, OGG Vorbis, Speex and RAF formats. At $19.95 it's a very cost-effective recording solution.

Audio Recorder also offers unusually flexible metering. It simulatenously displays instantaneous/peak and average level readings on two separate sets of meters; both are very responsive and accurate. (For Audio Recorder meter calibrations, please contact Resco or us here at Core Sound.)

Audio Recorder also supports multiple skins, some of which have large buttons, and others with larger meters.

It also includes a simple audio audio editor.

Here's are four screen shots of Audio Recorder 3, the first in recording mode, the second on the VAS (metering) screen, the third of a menu pop-up, and the fourth on the PDAudio setup page:

We've tested version 3.2 of Audio Recorder with PDAudio-CF and it's very nicely done. It will record for more than 2 hours at CD quality (16/44.1)!

Audio Recorder does not support PDAudio-CF on PDAs running Windows Mobile 5.0. We recommend it only for PDAs running Pocket PC.

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