Audacity Team Palm Treo 600, TREO 600, TREO 650, TREO 755P, TREO 680 User Manual
...
Audacity
Digital Voice
Recorder
Professional Version
For Palm™ Treo 600, 650, 680, 700P, 755P, and
Centro Smartphones,
Palm LifeDrive, Zire 72, TX
with external mic,
and Tungsten T, T2, T3, & C
Manual
Ver. 4.27
Revised 03-19-08
©2008 Audacity Audio
Audacity Audio
1540 N.E. 60th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334
954-229-5050
www.AudacityAudio.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 1
Features.................................................................................................................................... 2
Minimum Requirements .......................................................................................................... 2
Audacity Software Installation................................................................................................ 3
Registration.............................................................................................................................. 3
Overview of Key Concepts...................................................................................................... 3
Recording Controls ..................................................................................................................................3
Memory Location and SD Cards .............................................................................................................4
Dual Filing Structure ................................................................................................................................4
Audio Types ..............................................................................................................................................4
Creating Good Audio ...............................................................................................................................4
One-Button Record and the Side Record Button..................................................................................6
Phone Call Recording ..............................................................................................................................6
Headsets....................................................................................................................................................7
AWI Structure............................................................................................................................................8
File Transfers to the PC and Beyond .....................................................................................................8
Graphic Icons........................................................................................................................... 9
Screen by Screen Details .......................................................................................................12
Home Screen...........................................................................................................................................12
Default Settings in Home Mode ............................................................................................................12
Other Icons on Home Screen .................................................................................................................................13
Record Screen ........................................................................................................................................13
Default Settings in Idle Mode..................................................................................................................................13
Default Settings in Record Mode............................................................................................................................14
Default Settings in Playback Mode.........................................................................................................................14
Playback Screen .....................................................................................................................................15
Misc. Screens..........................................................................................................................15
Edit Screen..............................................................................................................................................15
Alarm Set Screen ...............................................................................................................................16
Notepad Screen ......................................................................................................................................16
Menus ......................................................................................................................................16
Options ....................................................................................................................................................17
Preferences............................................................................................................................................................17
Button Setup...........................................................................................................................................................20
Programmable Info.................................................................................................................................................22
Network Setup........................................................................................................................................................24
Security Setup........................................................................................................................................................24
Audio File Information ............................................................................................................................................24
System ...................................................................................................................................................................24
Help........................................................................................................................................................................24
About......................................................................................................................................................................25
Companion Products..............................................................................................................................................25
Registration ............................................................................................................................................................25
File............................................................................................................................................................25
Audio File Information ............................................................................................................................................25
Rename..................................................................................................................................................................25
Delete.....................................................................................................................................................................25
Delete All Files .......................................................................................................................................................25
Address Lookup Template Definitions..................................................................................26
Filename Template Macro Definitions...................................................................................27
Recording Times and Considerations...................................................................................28
Speech Recognition Considerations.....................................................................................28
Audacity Communicator.........................................................................................................28
Audacity Audio Product Terms and Conditions...................................................................29
Limited Warranty.....................................................................................................................29
Hardware .................................................................................................................................................29
Software...................................................................................................................................................29
©2008 Audacity Audio
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Warranties-Exclusive..............................................................................................................30
Limitations of Liability............................................................................................................30
Notice to Customers ..............................................................................................................................30
License of Software ................................................................................................................30
Software License ....................................................................................................................................30
Assignment .............................................................................................................................................30
No Reverse Engineering ........................................................................................................................30
General ....................................................................................................................................31
Export Restrictions ................................................................................................................................31
United States Government Legend ......................................................................................................31
Term and Termination............................................................................................................................31
Governing Law........................................................................................................................................31
Severability .............................................................................................................................................31
©2008 Audacity Audio
Audacity
Introduction
Audacity Audio introduces the Audacity Digital Voice Recorder Professional Version. Doctors, lawyers,
executives, and other professionals have a need to become more and more productive. Computers help
while the professional works from his office, but most computers are stationary and don’t help a mobile
Doctor traveling from office to office or hospital to hospital. PDA’s (personal digital assistants), cell
phones, and Smartphones (a combination cell phone / PDA) enable the professional to be productive
and, at the same time, mobile. Actually people are getting away from the name PDA and are replacing it
with "handheld computer", reflecting on the fact that they are nearly as powerful and capable as the
desktop. Professionals have embraced PDA’s since Palm introduced the first one more than ten years
ago. It is estimated that three in four doctors will use a handheld computer in the next year or two. Its
popularity is the result of the need to be productive while being mobile.
Digital recorders are a marked improvement over analog tape recorders. Digital files are much easier to
edit, store, transfer, etc. than analog files. The Audacity intelligent dictation applications are as much of
an improvement over digital recordings as digital recordings are compared to analog recordings. Audacity
adds intelligence to the recording process.
Audacity provides crisp clear recordings. With the addition of our LAM program, transferring files to the
PC and beyond to the remote transcriptionist is as easy as doing a HotSync. Recording on Audacity is as
simple as pressing a button. Complex transactions can still be done using the Palm screen interface, but
all common functions are performed with one hand, using the navigation pad.
Audacity Audio also develops enhanced programs based around the Professional Edition. Our Pro Plus
application adds the ability to integrate Audacity with database applications. For instance a doctor could
import his daily patient list along with pertinent patient demographics in preparation to document his
encounter. He could also choose from an assortment of documentation outlines to make sure he covers
each category of a particular ICD 9 code. Contact Audacity Audio for more information.
We also invite you to check out Audacity AudioMail. AudioMail is a service for the popular Palm Treo
series of Smartphones. It facilitates the smooth transfer of audio files through the cellular network.
AudioMail helps the mobile professional tackle his workload from anywhere.
Thank you for choosing Audacity. I think you will love your new Audacity recorder. Audacity Audio has
other great Transcription and Audio products, too. Visit our web site at www.audacityaudio.com. Audacity
Audio is a full service engineering company and is available for engineering custom solutions. Give us a
call at 954-229-5050 or send me an E-mail at fred.clark@audacityaudio.com. I would like to hear your
comments and feedback.
Fred Clark
Audacity Audio
©2008 Audacity Audio
Page 1 of 31
Audacity
Features
• Over 4 hours of recording time available using a 256 MB SD Card with uncompressed 8 kHz
files. Over 85 hours of compressed audio will fit on the same card.
• 2 or 3 levels of compression (3 on the Tungsten C, Tungsten T3, Zire 72, LifeDrive, Treo 650,
680, 700P, 755P, & Centro), as well as 4 sampling rates of PCM uncompressed WAV storage.
• Files may be recorded and stored in internal memory or directly to the SD card (Hard drive on
LifeDrive).
• Files are automatically transferred to the PC via HotSync when using the companion Local
Audacity Manager program. (See LAM Manual for details). Support is also available for transfer
via Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth access point (via HotSync or single file 'Send').
• Send files via Audacity AudioMail when using a Treo series Smartphone with data service.
(AudioMail subscription required)
• Dual mode filing structure.
• Easy one-handed operation using navigation pad, record button and / or other hardware
buttons.
• Graphical soft buttons enable a quick and easy learning curve.
• Most Treo and Centro users can also record their phone calls. Caller ID Information (Number,
Name, and Company) is automatically captured and stored for later use.
• Beep on Record provides audio feedback.
• LED record indicator on Treo Smartphones.
• Programmable button / function keys.
• All WAV files have an associated data text file (AWI file) which aids in workflow management.
• Integrated help structure.
• Full security including authentication and real-time file encryption.
• Filenames are color-coded to indicate file status.
• Alarm feature allows playing a recording at a scheduled time.
• Address book link. The program default parameters are set to use this feature. The 2nd
programmable information field on the record screen is E-Mail. Tapping the email field will
cause the program to jump to the address book. Make a selection and tap 'select'. The email
address will be pulled from the address book and displayed on the record screen. Record the
file. The associated AWI (text information) file includes the email address. After a HotSync, the
LAM will automatically email the file to the chosen party.
• Files can be automatically distributed to different transcriptionists based upon author choice.
Ideal for doctors serving multiple hospitals. (Requires LAM-Multi-User).
• Database Link. Add intelligence to the dictation process using an imported database file.
Minimum Requirements
• PC with a minimum processor speed of 300 MHz
• 2 MB of free drive space on the PC.
• Palm Desktop Software installed on the PC.
• Palm free internal memory of at least 1 MB.
©2008 Audacity Audio
Page 2 of 31
Audacity
Audacity Software Installation
The software is installed from a downloaded zip file. Run the setup program from the downloaded file.
Follow the instructions on each screen. Note the destination directory. This is where the support files will
be installed on your PC hard drive. It is recommended that you accept the default values
(C:\Program Files\AST\. Then click Install.
The Audacity Palm Installer screen allows you to select which PDA applications supplied with the
Audacity System will be installed on your PDA the next time you HotSync. Audacity Pro requires
AudacityPro.prc (the main application), AudAlarm.prc (required for the Alarm feature), and
ASTConnectPgm (a small file transfer aide).
The install wizard will also load the LAM application on your PC and also a small conduit into the Palm
HotSync Manager. Manuals and a Quick Start Guide for both the LAM and the DVR will be placed into
the install folder. Be sure to close the Palm HotSync Manager and then restart it again to properly load
the files. Rebooting your PC will accomplish the same thing.
Registration
You will need to register your Audacity software after installing it. The registration is based on your Palm
User ID. Launch Audacity and then press the menu key or tap the upper left corner of the screen (SD or
Int Memory). This opens an Options menu. The last item in the list is Registration. Open the Registration
screen. Your Palm User ID is displayed. If you have not already done so, send it to Audacity Audio so a
registration code can be generated. It must read exactly as it appears, including spaces and capitals.
When you receive your code, enter it on this screen. The LAM application also needs a registration code.
It is generated from an install ID associated with your PC. See the LAM manual for more details.
Overview of Key Concepts
This section helps you understand the key concepts behind Audacity Professional and the many reasons
we call it a "Professional Recorder". We also produce the Audacity Personal Recorder, but the
Professional Recorder goes beyond in many areas. Its core infrastructure makes the recording process
"Intelligent".
Recording Controls
There are three types of controls used to operate the Audacity Voice Recorder -- screen buttons, the
navigation pad, and the other Palm hardware buttons. The Audacity lower graphic is designed to
duplicate the hardware buttons found below the screen. It is a soft button design and all buttons are
programmable. The button function also changes with the "mode". That means that if you are recording,
the buttons mean one thing, and if you are playing, they change to something else; for instance, the
side button default value is set to record in the idle mode, but if you are already recording, it is used to
stop.
The four modes are Idle, Record, Playback, and Home. When Audacity launches, the Audacity Home
screen displays your recorded file list. This is referred to as the Home mode. It displays a list of files, but
none of the files are open. Once you record and stop, you are in the Idle mode as the file is still open.
To control the record / playback process, you may use either the soft screen buttons or the associated
hardware buttons. Most people prefer the hard buttons, at least after they get familiar with the choices.
The soft buttons aid in the learning process, but the hard buttons provide easy one-handed operation.
All common functions are accessed using the navigation pad. The default button functions are very
intuitive and easily learned. After the first day, you will probably never look at the screen again. You may
change any button function under Options, Button Setup. Audacity is a very popular recorder. Why?
Because, it is so easy to control. It offers easy one-handed operation.
If you have a function that you use over and over again and you want easy one-handed access to it, set
one of the other hardware buttons to access that function. Use the Audacity button setup to set
functions for any or all of the screen buttons. The four (or 6 on most Treos) lower buttons also change
the function of the associated hardware button providing easy one-handed access. For example, I want
to easily delete a file after I listen to it; I want an easy one-handed way to pull in an email address; I
want a one-handed way to set a Work Type. Audacity provides the one-handed control you want.
©2008 Audacity Audio
Page 3 of 31
Audacity
Memory Location and SD Cards
Audacity lets you record directly to either Internal Memory or to the SD Card (Hard drive on the
LifeDrive). Most people record to the SD Card because Internal Memory is usually limited and audio
files can be quite large. The active memory location is displayed in the upper left corner of the Audacity
Home Screen. The alternate memory location displays on the top line between the Delete Icon and the
Power Icon. Tap the alternate memory icon to change memory locations.
The SD Card must be a high quality card for audio recording. It must be fast enough to write the audio
files in real time. If it is not, the recordings will sound fast and choppy. Not all SD Cards are created
equal. How well your card works is a function not only of the card, but your handheld hardware as well.
Audacity Audio has two excellent and free tools to help you with your card selection. First, our
installation file includes a free Utility called CardSpeed. Use it to test your specific card. Second,
Audacity Audio has a section of our website devoted to SD Card education. It explains why a good SD
card is important and also includes a section for people to the post the results of their experience. Here
is a link to our SD Card Education page: http://www.audacityaudio.com/sdhome.htm. This is a great tool
if you need to buy or compare your results with others.
Dual Filing Structure
The Audacity Pro DVR supports a dual filing system. Recordings are classified as either Record or
QuickMemo (these names may be changed) and each has its own storage folder on the handheld.
Different record parameters may be set for each folder. For instance, the files in the Record Folder may
be set to record at 11 kHz and automatically FTP the files to the transcription service. (FTP and / or
E-mail transfers require the use of the companion Local Audacity Manager (LAM) program.) The
QuickMemo files could be set to record at Compressed 6 kbps and never transferred from the handheld.
Standard (Record) Recordings
Standard recording is defined for the Audacity Digital Voice Recorder as routine recording destined for
normal processing (i.e. handling by a transcription service). Files are stored in the folder you designate
in Record Preferences (/Record is the default). The folder name may be changed in the preferences
screen.
QuickMemo Recordings
QuickMemo recording is defined for the Audacity Digital Voice Recorder for recording miscellaneous
notes not intended for normal processing. Files are stored in the folder you designate in QuickMemo
Preferences (/QuickMemo is the default). Again, the folder name can be set to match your needs.
Audio Types
Audacity Pro supports several different audio types. It supports several different PCM file types as well
as several compressed types. PCM files are standard uncompressed WAV files. They create larger file
sizes, but can be better fidelity than compressed files. Compressed files are very small, but Audacity
delivers surprisingly good quality. We recommend experimenting with audio quality and file size to find a
setting right for you. See the Recording Times chart on page 28. The audio type may be set at the
beginning of the record process from the record screen. Once a file is created the audio type may not
be changed. When you find a setting you like, you may set the preferences to use your choice as the
default. A preference may be set for the record folder and a separate preference set for the QuickMemo
folder. Files recorded in the compressed mode will need to be decompressed using the Audacity Audio
LAM, or RAM PC programs prior to playing on a PC. These files can be played directly on the handheld.
A PCM 8 kHz one minute recording is nearly 1 MB. A one minute recording using the Audacity
compressed 12 format is under 100K for the same timeframe. The compressed 12 offers equal quality
to the PCM 8 format and is only 10% as large. The default setting is PCM 8. For speech recognition and
other higher quality settings, use PCM 11, 16 or 22. My favorite is PCM 16. If you're transmitting the file
to a remote location, the compressed formats will transfer faster and easier, but must be decompressed.
Creating Good Audio
Audacity will create a good audio experience, but it must be set correctly. There are many items that
affect the audio quality. Two of them we covered above--you need a good SD Card and you need to
©2008 Audacity Audio
Page 4 of 31
Audacity
pick the audio type that satisfies your taste. There are many more including the basic hardware and
software. Palm provides the hardware. They generally do a good job, but there are major differences. In
the paragraphs that follow, I will go into greater detail regarding differences in the Treo 650, 680, 700P,
and the 755P. Audacity is excellent and flexible software. You're in good hands.
Other things that affect audio quality are the speaker's voice. For instance, I tend to emphasize sibilants
(sounds like s's and z's). That hurts the audio quality on a Treo 650. The Treo 700P filters out the high
frequency sounds so it isn't so noticeable and the 680 does an even better job. It causes problems for
me on the Treo 650 at PCM 8, but PCM 16 and some of the compressed formats sound quite good.
The author can control many items like how close to his mouth the mic is and also mic and speaker
volumes. We try to set the Audacity default values to accommodate most people without any changes,
but that is really hard to do. Hardware is very different, and people are very different. Don't be afraid to
experiment with different settings. You will probably find a setting mix you like.
Here is a good example of the challenges we face. I like to use a headset called the Boom O by
UmeVoice. It is a high quality headset designed for a high noise environment and it also works well with
speech recognition applications. We set the mic gain on a Treo 650 very high because the Treo 650 has
an internal mic volume problem. If I use my UmeVoice, I completely overdrive the circuit. Not only is the
audio too loud, but it also has lots of static and crackles. It just sounds bad. I am overdriving the circuit.
If I set the mic gain very low, it sounds absolutely great.
The bottom line is: If you experience a problem, most of the time, it can be fixed with an adjustment. It
may be something as simple as holding the hardware closer of further away from your mouth or setting
the mic gain higher or lower or perhaps using a different audio type. I will explain some of the
differences in the popular Treo models.
Treo 650--The Treo 650 has a couple of hardware deficiencies that you must adjust to. The first is the
internal mic doesn't have enough amplification for normal useage. We set our default mic gain to 7
which works pretty well if you hold the hardware about 4 inches from the mouth. I personally like to set it
down to 5 and then hold the hardware about 1 or 2 inches from the mouth. It is difficult to overdrive the
internal mic circuit. The same can't be said when using the headset jack. My UmeVoice has a long
boom mic that can reach my mouth. It is a high quality mic with excellent noise cancellation. I set the
mic gain all the way down to 1 and then make sure the mic is at least 2 fingers away from the corner of
my mouth. Be careful not to overdrive the mic circuit when using a mic like that.
The second problem with the Treo 650 is it doesn't filter out high frequency sounds with a low grade
audio type like PCM 8 or our compressed 6. Conversely, it works very well with the higher quality audio
types, like PCM 16 or our compressed 12 and 24.
Treo 700P--The audio circuit is superior to that of the Treo 650. Our default mic setting is 2. There is no
problem with volume on the Treo 700P. If anything, it is too sensitive. I recommend holding the Treo
700P four inches from your mouth, but it is easy to overdrive the mic circuit. If you experience crackles
and static, hold the mic further from your mouth. You could also lower the mic gain to 1. With my
UmeVoice headset, I use a mic gain setting of 1.
The 700P picks up high frequency sounds much better that the Treo 650. PCM 8 is almost as good as
PCM 16. Even our compressed 6 setting sounds good. A compressed 6 one minute file is less than 50k
compared to almost 1 MB for PCM 8 and 2 MB for PCM 16.
Treo 680--The 680 audio circuit is very sensitive. I overdrive the mic circuit unless I hold the 680 12 to
14 inches away from my mouth. The default mic gain setting is 2, but it could be lowered to 1. It is a little
too sensitive in my opinion.
One of the things I notice about the 680 is how good the audio sounds at the lower quality settings.
PCM 8 is very good. It is the first device that has very good audio at compressed 6. I just recorded a
one minute file (49K, amazingly small) and it is perfectly clear. I is certainly not speech recognition
quality, but very clear.
I pointed our some major differences in three consecutive Palm models. Both, different hardware and
people, have very different needs. Don't be afraid to experiment with different settings.
©2008 Audacity Audio
Page 5 of 31
Audacity
My wife and I went on a bike ride recently. We just got started when my wife complained that she was
going back as her bike was broken and she couldn't continue. "My handle bar is broken. I can't ride like
this." she complained. We stopped and examined it. In putting the bike in and out of the garage, the
front tire got rotated 180 degrees. It was a pretty easy fix and she was all happy. The same goes for
audio quality problems. Examine the problem. It's usually a pretty easy fix.
One-Button Record and the Side Record Button
Many users want a one-button record feature. The side record button, available on many Palm models,
or one of the hard buttons provides it. In Palm preferences, set the chosen button to launch Audacity
Pro. In Audacity, under button setup, in the Home and Idle modes, select Record, and in the Record
mode, select Stop. Now, Press and hold this button until you hear the record beep-beep. The beepbeep provides audible feedback that recording has commenced. Press the button a second time and
another beep-beep gives you audible feedback to indicate the recording has stopped. The system
defaults are set to "beep on record". Defaults for the side button are Record in Home and Idle modes,
and Stop in Record and Playback modes.
On the Treo product, it is preferable to use one of the buttons next to the navigation pad for the Onebutton Record, as the side button does not wake the Treo from an inactive state. The top buttons do. In
addition, the one-button record from a top button also bypasses the keyguard. I recommend either
button 2 or 3.
Phone Call Recording
Audacity provides phone call recording on the Treo 650, 680, 700P, and 755P. The call is recorded in
the same audio type and to the same storage medium as your normal recordings. Caller ID information,
including Phone Number, Name, and Company, are automatically displayed. To record a phone call,
receive or place the call in the same manner you normally do. When the call setup process completes,
press and hold the record button for three seconds or more. On the Treo 650 the call setup process
completes when the call is answered. On the Treo 680, 700P, 755P, and Centro it happens a couple of
seconds after dialing. In both cases the hold and mute keys display on the screen. This launches
Audacity and initiates the recording. The green LED displays during recording. When the call completes,
stop Audacity in the normal manner and press the hang up button. You may also just wait for the remote
party to hang up.
In order for the phone recording to work, go to Palm Preferences Button Setup and select Audacity Pro
to launch from the side button. Audacity must also be set to Record from the side button (this is the
default setting). You could pick a different button as well, but the side record button is the most
accessible during a phone call.
On the recorded file list, a sound-file icon precedes all files. The icon for phone call files displays with a
red background. The file name also begins with a "P" for Phone. The Audio File Information screen
displays the message "Phone Call Recording".
Calls are recorded using your chosen audio setting. For instance, if you have selected Compressed 12,
the file will be about 1 MB for a ten-minute call. It will write to the SD Card, if that is where you normally
record.
A word of caution about phone recording in compressed formats using the Treo 680 and 700P.
Compression takes a lot of processing power and the Treo 680 and 700P has trouble keeping up. On
the 680 Compressed 24 will not work, but Compressed 12 is fine. On the 700P, Compressed 24 is not
recommended. Compressed 12 is marginal. Compressed 6 or any of the PCM formats work fine. You
might wonder why compressed regular recordings do work or why this works on the Treo 650, but not
on the Treo 680 and 700P or why it works on compressed 6 but not on compressed 24. These are all
good questions. Of the compressed formats, compressed 24 requires the most processing power and
compressed 6 the least. Also, the Treo 680 and 700P seem to require a little more overhead during a
call than the Treo 650 even though they use similar processors. Also, the phone recording requires
more processing power than a normal recording. Since the compression is using most of the processing
capabilities of the Treo, all of these factors contribute to the compressed 24 on the 680 and 700P not
being able to keep up. Compressed 6 works well as do the PCM formats.
©2008 Audacity Audio
Page 6 of 31
Audacity
If the near or far end of the call is consistently louder than the other end, the balance can be adjusted by
going to Options, Preferences, and under Mic Gain, choose the Phone pulldown. The near and far end
mic gain can be individually adjusted.
Caller ID Information can be captured using the Audacity Programmable Information Fields. The
Audacity default settings are set to capture the phone number (either outgoing or incoming) and also the
related name is found by doing a lookup in your Contacts List. The related company name may also be
captured by using the third programmable info field. The default for this third field is set to "email", but it
can be changed by accessing the Programmable Info field screen and changing the field Name to
"Company" and the field type to "Phone Call Info". More about the Programmable Info fields on page 22.
The informtaion captured is also entered into the AWI file. This information can be used for post
processing your file. More on the AWI structure in the next section. To view the Caller ID info on the
handheld after the fact, open the file as if you were going to append the file. The information displays on
the record screen. You may listen to the file from this screen as well.
Settings I like: I don't use the Audacity default settings with my Treo 700P. I like to keep my dictation
files high quality and separate from my phone recordings. File size is no object for my professional life,
but my personal files are just for me and I don't want them taking up a lot of space on my card. I use the
dual filing system of Audacity Pro to accomplish both objectives. I use PCM 16 for my professional
recordings and use the standard navigation pad settings to record to the Record Folder. My phone
messages and other personal messages are just for me. I set the side button to "Record QuickMemo"
from the Home and Idle Modes. I also set the audio type to compressed 6 (For Treo 650 users, I would
use compressed 12) on the Memo Tab under Preferences. If I record a phone call or other personal
message, I just use the side button. This way my personal files don't use up a lot of space and are put
into a separate folder. Audacity let's me have it both ways.
Note for Treo users: If you can record OK, but you can't hear the playback, it probably is because the
phone is set to vibrate when a call is received. The phone ringer uses the same speaker that Audacity
uses. When the phone is set to vibrate, the speaker is turned off.
Headsets
Wired headsets work very well. The audio path is different so you must adjust the mic gain to match
the situation. The Audacity default settings are not configured for headset usage so you must adjust the
mic gain.
Bluetooth headsets do not work, at least that is my experience so far. We do get reports that some do
work, but I think they are simply not testing correctly. Let me explain. I have tested not only Audacity,
but also several other recording programs, and the results have been consistent. The Treo 650 appears
on the surface to work, but upon more detailed examination, it doesn't. During a phone call, using
Bluetooth, the far end of the call does get picked up. The near end is getting picked up through the
internal mic and not the Bluetooth headset. Thus it appears to work, but not really. The same can be
said for a normal recording. It is really getting picked up through the internal mic.
The same can be said using the Treo 700P except the problem is more apparent. During a phone
recording the far end audio is not picked up at all. The near end works the same as the Treo 650. I have
a customer that uses a Bluetooth car kit with his 700P. He wants to record his phone calls. The call
really is getting recorded using the internal mic, but it works quite well
On the Treo 680 testing is even more tricky. The far end does get picked up, but the near end gets
picked up through the internal mic. The reason it is so tricky is the near end mic is so sensitive, it really
doesn't seem too bad. You might like it. Set the Treo fairly close and continue to use the headset. It isn't
really working, but the result is not bad. I have even used it from the opposite side of a room.
Here is a way for you to test yourself. Do a recording with a Bluetooth headset. During the recording
scratch on the internal mic (while you talk about what you are doing for a reference point) and then
scratch on the Bluetooth mic. Listen to the recording and see which mic really picked up the audio. If
you come up with different results, please let us know.
©2008 Audacity Audio
Page 7 of 31
Audacity
AWI Structure
AWI stands for Audacity WAV Information. It is a text file created whenever an audio file is created. It is
a text file containing a wide variety of information. You don't see it on the handheld as it is hidden, but
you will see it once you transfer the files to your PC. It provides the infrastructure to make Audacity
Professional very "Intelligent". It is used by Audacity itself to keep track of, display, transport information,
and process the WAV files. It is used to pass information to the dictator, to process the files, and by
workflow management systems after the files have left the handheld. We use it to capture the caller ID
information when recording a phone call.
Let's examine a practical use for the AWI file. The dictator wants to record a file and email it to Bob
Jones. Bob is in the contact list of the author's Treo Smartphone. Audacity Professional has a contact
list link feature. The author taps the email field and jumps to the contact list. A selection is make and
Audacity automatically pulls in the email address. This address is stored in the AWI file. After the file is
recorded, the author syncs to his desktop. The LAM desktop application automatically takes the file and
e-mails it off. All of the instructions are included in the AWI file. The author simply hits the Sync button.
The AWI structure made it possible. All of the Audacity Professional productline makes use of the AWI
concept to intelligently pass data between the different applications. This is just one of many, many
uses of the AWI file.
File Transfers to the PC and Beyond
All files, with the appropriate action set, are automatically sent to the PC during a HotSync. The files are
placed in a folder under C:\Program Files\AST\Incoming\ assuming the LAM is installed using the
default folder settings. After the HotSync, the transferred files are color-coded a light blue (on the
handheld) until the proper time for the files to be deleted (default is 3 days). During the first HotSync
after the 3-day period, the files are deleted from the Handheld.
The desktop LAM (Local Audacity Manager) can be set to process the files manually or automatically. It
first creates an archive of the files in a folder under C:\Program Files\AST\Archive\. It then continues to
process the files. If the files are compressed and / or encrypted, the default settings will decompress
and / or decrypt them. The files are automatically e-mailed or FTP'd, if appropriate. After processing, the
files are put into a completed folder under C:\Program Files\AST\Recordings\.
If you examine the file structure on the PC, you will find the files are grouped in pairs. A .WAV file is
accompanied by an .AWI file with the same name. Each time the Handheld or the LAM touches a file, it
adds to the information contained in the AWI file.
The files on the Handheld get deleted after a programmable time period. After that they are deleted from
the Incoming folder. The files in the Archive folder get deleted after a programmable timeframe (the
default is 7 days). The files in the Recordings folder remain as a permanent backup. They must
eventually be archived or deleted manually.
©2008 Audacity Audio
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