Computer Recommendations
Noise Considerations
Motion Computing Tablet PC
Disk Printers

Computer Recommendations

SoniClear software will run on any Windows XP computer system. Some systems will produce better results than others. When choosing a system for recording audio, consider some of these factors:

• Fan noise: some systems, especially laptop computers, will have very loud fans. This will always be audible from a built-in microphone and usually will be audible on a recording from a microphone near the computer. To our knowledge there are no widely available computer systems without fans, only specialized industrial computers and a few systems for home use. Many newer systems are starting to incorporate low power, low heat chipsets that allow for cooling systems that make less noise.
• Audio system quality: the quality of components included in computer systems varies widely. For desktop systems, separate sound cards will usually produce better results. For example, sound cards made for professional recording (and which support standard Windows drivers) will have a better quality sound. At this time, most audio is being incorporated into the motherboard using an audio chipset. These chips tend to be lower in quality, but you should test to determine if a particular computer sound system is satisfactory for your application. SoniClear supports multiple sound cards, so you have the option of adding an audio device to systems that have inadequate built-in capabilities, either as an internal PCI card, or as a USB (or firewire) audio adapter.
• Line-In capability: most laptop computers do not have a line-in jack. In that case, you will need to use a USB (or firewire) audio adapter. For connecting to sound systems, professional sound cards usually include professional-standard line inputs for recording with lower noise and higher reliability.
• Disk Space: audio recordings use a lot of disk space. Having adequate free space on the computer will ensure reliable operation of the software.
• CPU Speed: SoniClear software requires a minimum 1.5 Ghz processor. Many factors can cause buffer overruns, such as running computation-intensive programs, or spyware and virus detection software. In general, newer Core 2 Duo processors are recommended because they provide a significant margin of extra processing power to ensure that buffer overruns do not occur.
• Operating Systems: for maximum stability use only the latest revision of Windows XP. Windows Vista is not reliable enough for production use at this time. Keep in mind that reliability can be compromised by the constant installation of security updates required for Windows XP. Be sure to test system functioning with SoniClear after each software update.
  
  
  

Noise Considerations

The amount of noise that will be acceptable for recording will vary depending on a number of circumstances. For example, if the room where recording is very quiet, adding a noisy computer to the room environment will be noticeable, and possibly unacceptable. On the other hand, if the room already has a number of background noise sources, a noisy computer may not be noticed at all. In general, selecting a computer that produces little or no noise will be the best choice.

Specifications for noise level are measured using the international standard ISO 9296. The standard provides a uniform method for testing equipment for noise emissions that will allow for relative comparison between different computer systems. How a given measured noise level sounds in use will depend on the application environment. As an approximate guide, the best noise rating should be about 3.0B (bels) or lower (approximately equal to a noise rating of 30 db), with a maximum acceptable level of 4.0B for non-critical situations. Any rating about 4.0B will indicate a computer that has noticeable noise emissions that will most likely interfere with recording and may even provide a distraction to the meeting itself.

Additional Noise Information

Each manufacturer has the option of publishing product noise ratings, or not. Consult with your computer supplier or the manufacturer to locate the current product noise specifications.

For Dell Computers, see Dell Products Environmental Data Sheets.

For more information about ISO 9296, see www.silent.se/iso-9296.php.

Motion Computing Tablet PC

The Motion Computing Tablet PC systems stand out as superior for portable recording of audio. These computers include sophisticated heat management that use very quiet fans. Also, the audio subsystems are of high quality, and the latest systems include high quality built-in microphones which include automatic noise reduction.

Additional information: www.motioncomputing.com

Disk Printers

When creating audio CD disks that may be played in consumer audio equipment (such as car or home stereo systems), it is important that you do not attach a paper label to the disk. This can cause the disk to become jammed in some systems. The solution is to print directly onto the disk. The following are some choices for printing on disk.

Epson Printers

Epson makes several printers that have the option of printing onto special CD disks. These "printable" disks have a white surface that will accept the ink from an ink jet printer. The less expensive ordinary CDROM disks cannot be used in this type of printer. See the Epson Website.

Casio Printers

Casio has introduced a printer that uses thermal technology to print directly onto the disk surface. See the Casio Website.

Primera Printers

Premera Technology makes a thermal CD printer similar in technology to the Casio printers. See the Primera Website.