Recording with Purevoice


Purevoice is an ideal choice for creating compressed audio recordings. Using Qualcomm's CDMA technology, good speech quality is maintained while using high levels of compression. Although nothing will sound as clear and noise free as an uncompressed source, Purevoice offers the ability to create very small files which are more easily transmitted over the net. http://www.qualcomm.com/purevoice/

Opening Purevoice

  • Click START/VOICE RECORDING TOOLS/PUREVOICE/PUREVOICE (in the lab)
  • OR, click on START/PROGRAMS/PUREVOICE/PUREVOICE (from home)

Purevoice Controls:

  • Click on the VOL icon to enable the microphone and volume levels
  • Use the sliders to adjust the recording and volume levels (this will depend on your voice)
  • Press the NEW button to begin discard an old recording and start a new one
  • Press the RED Record button to begin recording
  • Use the INS feature to Insert audio at any position. Use horizontal slider to specify position
  • Use the TOP button to have purevoice stay on top of all other Windows
  • The Main controls from Left to Right are PLAY/RECORD/STOP/PAUSE/FORWARD/REVERSE

Purevoice Benefits:

  • To convert a PureVoice(.qcp) file to .wav file, press the Alt+Shift+C keys in PureVoice. You can also convert a .wav file to a PureVoice file by pressing the same Alt+Shift+C keys. This conversion works with 8 kHz (16-bit) PCM .wav files.

  • The + - Keys allows for increasing the playback speed of the recording. This is helpful when learning a new language as it can be slowed down.
  • Press the ATTACH Record button to attach a recording to an email account. This feature is unavailable at the labs.
  • Purevoice files saved in .qcp format can be sent by email as an attachment provided they are not over approximately 3MB.
  • Purevoice files saved in .qcp format can be saved to a floppy diskette provided they do not exceed 1.44MB.

Purevoice Shortfalls:

  • We do not recommend the Purevoice program for use in the labs because it conflicts with the current lab setup. When saving to the V drive, there is a known problem where Purevoice will report an error that the file is in use or cannot be saved. The file can be saved again and only if it is overwritten will it save properly.

  • Although audio quality is satisfactory for hearing what is being said, true audio quality is compromised due to compression. More ambient noise will be heard, and the recording will not be as clear as it could be.

  • When saving a Purevoice file to a floppy diskette, the program does not warn if there is insufficient space left on the diskette, or if the file is too large to fit. The file appears to be saved on the diskette, when in fact upon closer inspection it is a 0k (empty) file. Always check that the file has been saved by re-opening it and playing it back.
  • When using the native .qcp format, although compressed files are much smaller, this format requires the Purevoice player be downloaded and installed in order to play the .qcp files. The .wav format however is common and can be understood by most media players as well as CD Audio players.

Recording tips to ensure a good quality voice recording:

  • Place the microphone on a flat surface 2-5 inches away from your mouth
  • Do not handle or breathe into the microphone as this will create noise
  • Record a short segment and play it back to hear how it sounds
  • Adjust the microphone slider accordingly to avoid distortion or a low signal
  • Re-Record when you are satisfied with the optimal setup for recording your unique voice
Submitting recordings to instructors by email:
  • DO NOT save Purevoice files to the 'V - Voice Recordings' area. If Purevoice must be used, submit the file by email as an attachment using your personal email account.
  • When recording an audio file students are required to record their actual name at the beginning of each recording. The filename should be the student name.