NoteM MP3 Voice Recorder

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/zavorine/wince/mp3.htm">http://www.geocities.com/zavorine/wince/mp3.htm</a><br /><br />"Voice Notes Recorder with MP3 encoding (NoteM) was implemented as an alternative to build-in Notes application’s voice recording feature. It gives you approximately 5.5 compression rate (for Low bitrate option) as compared to Notes default recording mode (8-bit 11.025kHz mono PCM), with the same (or even better) perceptual quality. Higher bitrates are also available (you can even record music). The user interface also was implemented as similar as possible to Notes GUI."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2003/20031008-notem.jpg" /><br /><br />It is free and there are versions for Pocket PC 2002 and 2003 devices. here is the catch. He is hosting on Geocities and is routinely exceeding his bandwidth on downloads. Perhaps some kind soul can offer some of their excess bandwidth. He can be reached at <b>NoteM.2003 at zavorine.com</b>.

[dean_shan]

I have been using NoteM for over a year now. This is the best recording software I've ever used. I alwas praise it in forms when discusing similar software or must have apps. I just love this software.

[entropy1980]

I will post a mirror if anybody can send me a copy of the most recent version.... :)

[jonlien2003]

I concur with dean_shan. The best part - IT IS FREE!!!!

[Gerard]

I've been hosting the 2002 version for months, probably close to a year now. Seeing this thread I've added the CAB for 2003 devices to the ZIP on my webspace, making for about a 233KB download. Please, respect my llimited resources and don't go linking this directly to all manner of forums. If you want to share it, the author is fine with that; I asked him and he offers it freely. But if you want to make big, splashy links to the download, copy it to your own webspace. Chances are that I'll eventually delete it to make way for other stuff (only have 12MB available with my account), and that'd leave you with a dead link if it's pointing to my copy.

There, nonsense out of the way. Here's the link:
http://www.luthier.ca/other/forum/NoteM_CAB.zip

The CAB files inside are named for 2002 and 2003, so there should be no confusion. Just unpack the ZIP file, place the relevant CAB file into your device, and tap it. DON"T used CabInstl or other tricks to customise the installed location, as Alexander has made it very clear (as has my testing) that NoteM simply will not function if not installed to the default location.

[entropy1980]

I have set up a permanent mirror at
http://www.mobileslash.com/downloads/NoteM_CAB.zip
Abuse away I have plenty of bandwidth! :D

[Ed Hansberry]

Thanks guys! Email the author and let him know you are mirroring it so he can add your links to his site. :D :way to go:

[entropy1980]

Thanks guys! Email the author and let him know you are mirroring it so he can add your links to his site. :D :way to go:
Already done! :D It really is a great program....I have always been suprised he hasn't pushed to make a little green...

[rudolph]

say, can anybody record on the "medium" or "high" bitrate settings (mono audio)? It won't record on these settings on my Axim 2003 (it won't record at these settings even when recording in internal memory).

[jacperi]

I've been using NoteM for almost two years recording my voice lessons and coachings and even with the limited quality of the ipaq mic, I can get pretty good recordings. If you are looking for solid recording software Zavorine's NoteM will do the job! :D

Rudolph, I didn't have any trouble getting the medium bitrate to record on my 5450. In the past, I did had to fiddle with the settings on the 2002 version in order to get them to take, but this 2003 version seems to work flawlessly. I'm hoping I can get this newest version to record to the storage card without distortion or dropouts.

[jmbneaf]

Rudolpf - I can only record on low, med, high with my e755 in MONO mode only with this new version.

Makes since given I only have a mono mic too. Check to see if you have stereo option checked, as when I do nothing records; so I leave it unchecked.

-JB

[scargill]

on a 64mb memory card how many hours of ok (listenable) to mono lectures could I get on there with my Ipaq 3950?
Thanks

Gav

[dean_shan]

on a 64mb memory card how many hours of ok (listenable) to mono lectures could I get on there with my Ipaq 3950?
Thanks

Gav

A lot! I record the sermons on my Toshiba and it is only 3.5-4 MB for a semon. You could get hours upon hours of lectures.

[trapper]

This is a phenomenal program. I recently tried it after hearing there was a new version optimized for Xscale devices and can't believe the results. You can record CD quality music to MP3 using a 16 bit 44.1khz sampling rate at a 128 kbps rate in real time. I don't know what the previous version was capable of or what the quality was but now, on the 2215 at least, it's fantastic. The developer says the compression rate is 5.5 x's using the low quality setting but even the high quality 128 kbps setting appears to get the same rate. You could now easily record an entire 3 hour concert to a cheap flash card.

The low quality setting uses only 2k bytes/sec and sounds much, much better than the built in GSM format at the same bit rate. on a 64mb memory card how many hours of ok (listenable) to mono lectures could I get on there with my Ipaq 3950?


You could get about 8.8 hours on a 64 MB card. Using the excellent built in mic on the 2215 you could easily record entire lectures to main memory. The built in mic produces very good results for music and speech but I'd like to see how much an external mic would improve the quality for music recording. Add a high quality external mic to an Xscale device running NoteM and you have an unbeatable recording system. Has anyone heard if using an external mic on the iPaq 5450 improves the quality? I haven't seen any comments.

Many thanks to Mr. Zavorine for providing this great program. If anyone deserves to make some money from their efforts it's him. It's good to see him getting a little recognition at least.

[scargill]

Woohoo.....I'm only going to be recording 4-5hours MAX in one day, most days it will be much less (thinking about it, i'm being a numbnut because in my 5hr day 3hrs are tutorials, only have 4hrs/week lectures!

So thanks for the advice, again I'm really not bothered about quality, it'd just be nice to record my lectures incase I fall asleep or miss something or want to go over something that was said, also means I wouldn't have to make notes (or could make them when I get home)

so again thanks, and I'm downloading it now!

[CME2C]

Does this program allow you to record memos like a dictaphone?? i.e. can you push a button to skip back a few seconds and re-record a segment etc. The big problem I have with notes is that you can't add to a recording etc.

[pinky]

Does this program allow you to record memos like a dictaphone?? i.e. can you push a button to skip back a few seconds and re-record a segment etc. The big problem I have with notes is that you can't add to a recording etc.

No, NoteM can't do that. The only program I know can do it, is Protone. You can add a voice note at the end of a recorded session, or at whatever point of it, within the same file. Also, you can choose if you want to delete the rest of the recorded voice, from the point you inserted the new one to the end, or append it, leaving the rest of the recording intact. Nice features that I would like to see in the next version of NoteM, because the problem of Protone is that it can't record MP3, but only standard windows formats, and the quality of the most compressed format in Protone are worse than NoteM one and the quality is by far not as good.

[undeadkid]

I just bought rescos audio recorder. I love it, with the voice activation and the endless other options. It just rocks. :)

[rmasinag]

I'm using Vito Sound Explorer and works very well, in fact in play mode its a better program for audio book listening than WMP 9. The only thing is that the highest mp3 recording is 16 bit mono. I want to see NoteM can do better. Can someone email me a .cab file for the WM2003 of NoteM. I can't seem to be able to download it, seems he exceeded his bandwith :(

Can someone email me the WM2003 at [email protected]
Thanks a bunch you guys

[maikii]

Rudolpf - I can only record on low, med, high with my e755 in MONO mode only with this new version.

Makes since given I only have a mono mic too. Check to see if you have stereo option checked, as when I do nothing records; so I leave it unchecked.

-JB

Is there any way to attach a stereo microphone to the IPAQ 2210, to record music in stereo?

Yes, I have read about the new Coresound CF option. I don't think that's a good solution. You cannot hook a microphone directly to the CF card. You have to also purchase their Mic pre-amp, which I think is as large or larger than the PDA, and hook that into the CF card, and the mic into the pre-amp. The convenience factor is lost, it ends up being very expensive after buying the separate parts, and doesn't even come with software (also a separate purchase). Any other way to hook up a stereo microphone to the IPAQ 2210, to record music in stereo?

[retrogamer]

how do I contact the author?

I downloaded 1.21 ver of noteM for pocketpc 2003 os. I
have a ipaq 3835 upgraded to WM 2003 OS.

before the 2002 noteM works fine. and the auto
poweroff disable feature works fine.

now the 1.21 2003 noteM version's disable poweroff
feature doesn't work.

[foupi]

Is there someone with a Dell Axim X5 using Windows Mobile 2003 that has install NoteM with success using the PocketPC 2003 cab file? When I try I always receive error messages telling me that my it "can't find Notem or one of its component..." :(

Do you know how to fix that problem*

Thanks.
Pierre

[Lex]

NoteM silences my iPAQ 2215 speaker every time I listen to a voice recording. Anyone had that problem and know of a resolution?

I use Wisbar Advance and at the end of a voice recording playback I see the speaker icon change to a darker color denoting speaker 'Off' mode. It stays off when I exit NoteM and I have to bring it back up to the volume I use.

[Menneisyys]

Any other way to hook up a stereo microphone to the IPAQ 2210, to record music in stereo?

As yet, none. However, check this out: http://www.firstloox.org/forums/showthread.php?p=191703 ;)

[Menneisyys]

I'm using Vito Sound Explorer and works very well, in fact in play mode its a better program for audio book listening than WMP 9. The only thing is that the highest mp3 recording is 16 bit mono. I want to see NoteM can do better.

Although this post is over a year old, I think it's still informative to be answered: the latest VITO Sound Explorer, VITO Sound Explorer ( http://vitotechnology.com/en/products/soundexplorer.html ), released some weeks ago, is the first VITO Sound Explorer to support sampling frequencies more than 11.025 kHz. Actually, its subjective sound quality is as good as that of NoteM. Unlike Resco Audio Recorder's latets version, 3.01, ( http://www.resco-net.com/audiorec.asp ) which has a useless MP3 codec that completely supresses the highs and an OGG codec that wouldn't work in 44 kHz sampling frequency-mode on not even the otherwise snappy and quick 2210.

The only downside of VITO Sound Explorer 2005, compared to NoteM, is its 1.5 times more processor utilization, meaning significatnly more power consumption.