Core Sound PDAudio-CF

The PDAudio CF Card is a replacement for portable DAT recorders.

PDAudio records two channels of 24-bit/192 Kilo-samples/second uncompressed digital audio to compact flash memory cards and hard disks.

Core Sound has developed a solid-state replacement for portable DAT recorders. It records at better-than-CD resolution: up to 24-bit words at sampling rates up to 192 KS/s. It runs on a variety of computer hosts: PocketPC PDAs, and laptop and desktop PCs running Windows 2000, XP, or Linux. Rather than being a single piece of hardware, it is a system of inexpensive hardware and software components you can select among to assemble a very compact recorder that meets your needs. The whole system is called PDAudio

The centerpiece of the PDAudio system is PDAudio-CF, a Type I (extended) Compact Flash S/PDIF interface with optical and coaxial inputs. PDAudio-CF can be mounted in PDA hosts that run Windows Mobile/Windows CE/PocketPC 2002/PocketPC 2003, or used with laptop and desktop computers running Linux, Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

It fits very comfortably in one hand. Provided with a digital input, it is a complete 24/96 digital recording system.

Using PDAudio-CF, PDAudio records in both single-channel and dual-channel modes, with eight, sixteen, twenty or twenty-four bit word widths, and data rates from 32 KiloSamples/second up to 192 KS/s (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 and 192 KS/s). (Note that even though the PDAudio-CF supports sampling rates to 192 KS/s, some PDAs currently only support sampling rates to 96 KS/s. Almost all desktop and laptop PCs will support 192 KS/s.)

At 96 KS/s PDAudio-CF draws only 45 mA and so has minimal impact on your PDA’s operating time per battery charge. (Various models of iPAQs are available with 1000, 1400 and 2200 mAh battery packs, and some of the CF/PC Card expansion packs provide still more battery capacity).

It has two LED indicators, both under software control. One is typically used to indicate that it’s seeing a valid S/PDIF data stream and the other to indicate other record system status. Both LEDs can be flashed at various rates to signal sample rate, media-fullness warnings and other information.

PDAudio-CF will accept digital audio data from a wide variety of outboard units, essentially any device that uses an S/PDIF coaxial or optical interface. These include microphone pre-amplifiers/A-to-D convertors (e.g., our Mic2496, Lunatec’s V3, M-Audio’s Duo), CD players/recorders, DAT players/recorders, hard disk recorders (like the Alesis Masterlink), and digital PC & Mac sound cards. Input is via a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) jack for both optical and coaxial S/PDIF input, selectable via software.

In a laptop or desktop-based recorder, the PDAudio-CF will provide a bit-for-bit accurate S/PDIF interface at up to 192 KS/s for use with most popular audio software applications including Adobe Audition (formerly know as Cool Edit Pro), Sonic Foundry Sound Forge and Vegas, and Steinberg WaveLab. A WDM driver for Windows XP (SP1 with DirectX 9.x) and Windows 2000 is now available for download here (see the “Downloads” section below).

PDAudio-CF can also accept other IEC-60958 compliant data formats including DTS, AC-3 and MP3 data streams. It’s up to the software recording application to use this capability. This means that with the right software and front-end processors, you could do surround sound recordings with PDAudio-CF.

PDAudio-CF is for input only; it does not have a digital output.

Specifications:

Inputs: 1/8-inch (3.5mm) mini phone plug, electrical and optical (software selectable)
Word Width: 8, 16, 20, 24
Sample Rates: any sample rate between 32 and 192 Kilosamples per second (e.g., 32, 44.1, 48, 64, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192)
Channels: Mono, Stereo, 5.1, 7.1, others (application software dependendt)
Data Formats: IEC-60958 including S/PDIF, AES/EBU, DTS, AC-3, ATRAC, MPEG
Form Factor: Compact Flash Type I (Extended)
Power Consumption: 45 mA
Recording Software:
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
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.

This latest version of Live2496 allows you to reliably record at 24/96 on HP iPAQ 210/211, 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
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!

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Tags: 24 Bit, Core Sound, High Definition, recorder

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 8:39 pm and is filed under PDA Recorders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.