Resco Audio Recorder
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Turn your PAC Mate into a handy recorder with the Resco Audio Recorder. Use
it to record notes, meetings, interviews or classroom lectures. With its digital
Voice Activation System (VAS), Resco Audio Recorder records only when sound
is detected. This increases recording time and is useful during lectures and
meetings. When used with CompactFlash� storage cards you can extend available
recording time for hours. Resco Audio Recorder supports the following file formats:
- MP3 - 16, 32, 64 kbps audio encoding (strong audio compression)
- MP1, MP2, and M3U
- RAF - 22 and 44 kbps ADPCM audio encoding (middle audio compression)
- WAV - most known standard wave format (pure audio compression)
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Installing Audio Recorder
The following describes how to install the 14-day evaluation version of Resco
Audio Recorder. This version is available on your PAC Mate Documentation CD,
or it can be downloaded from the Freedom Scientific Web site at http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/downloads/Resco_Audio_Recorder.asp.
Perform the following procedures to install the Audio Recorder:
- Ensure that your PAC Mate is connected to your computer with a standard
or guest partnership
using ActiveSync.
- Select Audiorec_pacmate.exe.
- Select the Run button when the File Download - Security Warning dialog appears.
- Select the Run button again if the Internet Explorer - Security Warning
dialog appears.
- The Resco Audio Recorder Installation dialog appears. Choose Yes, and then
choose Install when the second Resco Audio Recorder Installation dialog appears.
- Choose Yes to install Resco Audio Recorder into the default directory.
- When the Application Download Complete dialog appears, press ENTER
to begin transferring the application to the PAC Mate.
- Choose Finish to close the last Installation dialog.
- On the PAC Mate, the Welcome/Help dialog appears once the installation is
complete. Press ESC to close the dialog.
Resco Audio Recorder is now installed on the PAC Mate.
Note: The Help system is still running
in the background. To close it, use the Memory Manager to quit, or perform a
warm reset of the PAC Mate.
To launch Audio Recorder, refer to Opening and Setting
Up Audio Recorder for the First Time.
To purchase Audio Recorder, refer to Purchasing Audio
Recorder.
Note: During the purchase process, be
sure to enter the owner information exactly as it was entered into the PAC Mate
because the registration code for Audio Recorder is keyed to this information.
This means that you must set a name in the Owner
Information dialog in Settings and use that name exactly, including upper
and lower case, when registering.
To register Audio Recorder, refer to Registering Audio
Recorder.
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Opening and Setting Up Audio Recorder for the First
Time
The first time you open Audio Recorder, you are asked if you want to make it
the default player for several audio file formats.
Do the following to open and configure the Audio Recorder:
- From the Start menu, select Programs,
and choose Audio Recorder.
- A dialog appears asking if you want to set Resco Audio Recorder as the default
player for specific audio formats. Select Yes.
(If you do not want to associate files with the Audio Recorder, select No,
press ESC, and go to step 6.)
- The Options dialog appears. From the Associated File Types list box, use
the SPACEBAR to check specific audio formats from the list, or use
the Select All button to choose all of the listed formats.
- Press TAB to move to the Associate button and press ENTER.
- A message indicating the file formats that have been selected appears. Press
ESC to dismiss it.
- Press ESC again to exit the Settings dialog.
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Before Using Audio Recorder
Before using Resco Audio Recorder, you must first disable the current settings
of the UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT ARROW hardware
buttons. If you do not do this, you will lose the ability to change values in
controls such as the date and time edit controls, combo boxes, list boxes, and
so on.
To disable these hardware buttons, do the following:
- Press ALT to open the menus and select Tools.
- Navigate to the Settings command, and press ENTER to open this multipage
dialog.
- Press CTRL+TAB to move to the Buttons page.
- In the Hardware Buttons list, select the UP button.
- Press TAB to move to the Action combo box, and select the No Action
item.
- Press TAB several times to return to the Hardware Buttons list.
- Repeat steps 4 through 6 to select and disable the DOWN, LEFT,
and RIGHT buttons.
- After disabling all ARROW buttons, press ENTER to close the
dialog.
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Creating a Recording
To create a recording:
- Press the Windows Key to open the Start Menu, press P to open
the Programs submenu, select Audio Recorder, and press ENTER.
- Press CTRL+R to begin recording.
- Press CTRL+S to stop recording.
- Press CTRL+P to start playing.
Note: For recording meetings, lectures, etc., a directional
external microphone with amplification is recommended.
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Scheduling a Recording
You can schedule a recording to begin at a specific time and even on a specific
date. To do this:
- Open Audio Recorder. Press ALT to open the menus and select Tools.
Select Scheduler from the Tools submenu.
- Press TAB to move to the date field. The date field is editable and
is formatted as 9/3/04.
- When you move to this field, the day is active, type the day. Then LEFT
ARROW to the month and type in the month.
- Press the RIGHT ARROW twice and this time, type in the year.
- Next, press TAB to move to the time field. The time field is a spinnable
field and is formatted as 12:04:17 PM.
- When you move to this field, the hour is active. You can either use the
UP and DOWN ARROWS to select the hour or type it in. Then press
the RIGHT ARROW to move to the minutes. Follow the same steps listed
to change the minutes and seconds.
Note: In order to ensure that you can properly adjust
the time and date settings, you must have highlighting turned on in the Braille
Options if you are using an attached Braille display and have muted speech output.
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Using the Voice Activation System
The Voice Activation System (VAS) allows Audio Recorder to turn itself on when
a predetermined sound level is detected. To set the external volume level, do
the following:
- Press ALT to open the menu. Select Voice Activation System and press
ENTER.
- Use the LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW keys to adjust the VAS
level setting. The higher the value of this setting, the more sensitive VAS
becomes and the lower the external volume level that is needed to cause recording
to begin.
- Press ALT to open the menu, move to File List, and press ENTER
to return to the main Audio Recorder window.
Note: To turn off the VAS feature, open the VAS setting
and set the value to zero.
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Tagging a Recording
Tags are parts of a recording that can be processed separately. They can be
exported to one or several files. You can listen to them separately from the
original recording.
To create tags, do the following while a recording is playing:
- In the Files List View dialog of the Main File Panel, navigate to the file
you want to hear, and then press ENTER to start playing the
file.
- Press CTRL+INSERT+G to enter Tagging mode.
- Press B to mark the beginning of a new tag.
- Press E to mark the end of the tag.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make additional tags.
- If necessary, press CTRL+S or TAB to navigate
to the Stop button, and press ENTER to stop the file.
Exporting Tags
To export tags:
- Press CTRL+TAB to move to the Tags Panel.
Use the UP ARROW to select the first tagged item in the Tags
list box. If necessary, use the DOWN ARROW to move down the
list and select another tagged item.
- Do one of the following to export single or multiple tagged segments:
- To export one tagged segment and save it as a separate file, press TAB
until you hear, "Export Selected Tags button." Press ENTER.
The Export mode dialog appears.
...OR...
- To select all tagged segments and export into a single file, use TAB
to navigate to the Single/Multi Selection button and
press ENTER.
- Return to the tagged list and make sure that the first tagged segment
in the list is selected. Next, press CTRL+SHIFT+END.
This action selects all items in the list.
Note: If you want to combine all tagged
segments into a single tagged item, select the Merged button. A merged
segment includes all material (even material that was excluded during
the initial tagging) from the beginning of the very first tagged segment
to the end of the very last tagged segment.
- Press TAB until you hear, "Export Selected Tags
button," and press ENTER. The Export mode dialog
appears.
- Use the DOWN or UP ARROWS to select an
exporting mode format, for example, WAV, RAF, or MP3.
Note: If you select MP3, press TAB
and use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to configure
the Quality and Exporting Mode Properties parameters.
- Press TAB to choose the Export button, and press ENTER.
- In the Target File dialog, press TAB and then provide a
file name and storage location for the file.
- Press TAB to move to the Save button, and press ENTER.
The export process begins. The duration of the export process varies based
on the number of tagged segments. When the export is finished, focus returns
to the Tags Panel. To move focus to the Main File Panel, press SHIFT+CTRL+TAB.
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Purchasing Audio Recorder
Resco Audio Recorder for PAC Mate is a powerful recording tool that is intended
for use by students and professionals alike who need to record using their PDA.
This version of Audio Recorder features a custom interface designed especially
for the PAC Mate, which takes all of the mystery out of using this powerful
application.
To Purchase Resco Audio Recorder:
- Go to: http://www.resco.net/buy/ar_for_blind.asp.
An online shopping cart appears with the Resco Audio Recorder selected at
a discounted price of $13.96.
- Navigate to the Credit/Debit Card combo box, and select the type of credit
card you are using to purchase Audio Recorder.
- Navigate to the Checkout button, and press ENTER. The
Personal Information page appears. This page and all subsequent pages are
secured Web pages.
- Fill in the required edit fields. Required fields are indicated by an asterisk
(star).
Note: The Intended Device combo box currently
does not include the Freedom Scientific PAC Mate as an option. Select another
device, the type is not important.
Note: The “Pocket PC Owner Name”
edit field requires the name you entered into the PAC Mate’s Owner Information
field. This allows you to obtain an Authorization code. You must enter your
name exactly as it appears on your PAC Mate’s Today Screen or the Authorization
code will not work.
- Navigate to the Continue button, and press ENTER. The
Payment Information page appears. Enter your credit card information.
- Navigate to the Continue button, and press ENTER. The
Review Order page appears.
Review your purchase information. If you find any errors you can press the
Edit button and make any necessary changes.
- If the information on this page is correct, navigate to the Complete Purchase
button, and press ENTER. The Confirmation page appears. You
may wish to save the contents of this page for your records.
Important: Do not download the version
of Audio Recorder available from the Confirmation page. Instead, use the version
provided by Freedom Scientific. This version is customized to provide a highly
accessible PAC Mate interface.
Note: After purchasing Audio Recorder,
an Authorization code is e-mailed to you. Use this code to register and fully
activate your version of the software. For registration procedures, refer to
Registering Audio Recorder.
- Close your Web browser, and use the Freedom Scientific version of Resco
Audio Recorder. It is available on your PAC Mate User Documentation CD-ROM
or can be downloaded from Freedom Scientific.
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Registering Audio Recorder
An Authorization code is e-mailed to you shortly after purchasing Resco Audio
Recorder. By registering and activating your software, you remove the 14-day
evaluation limit.
Do the following to register Audio Recorder:
- Copy the Authorization code from your e-mail message.
- Open Audio Recorder.
- Press ALT, choose Tools, choose About, and press ENTER.
The Registration form appears.
- Paste or type the Authorization code into the Code field, and press ENTER.
Resco Audio Recorder is now registered and fully activated.