It was not so long ago that I was selling people microcasette recorders when they needed to record conversations, lectures, and notes to self.
One could then send that flimsy, low-quality microcassette to a secretary for transcription or to a colleague for collaboration. And providing said secretary or colleague had a microcassette recorder at their disposal at their end, there was no end to the fun that could be had. Until the tape broke, of course, or until the heads on the tape recorder became so dirty that your tapes all sounded as though they were recorded 6 feet underwater. You could never find a microcassette-sized head cleaner when you needed one either.
Yuck.
So flash forward another couple of years, to a time when the handheld digital recorder becomes the rage. Finally! A tape-free solution, ranging in quality and price between $79 and $249. Tragically, most of them, even today’s versions, only write low-quality Windows Media files, and good luck finding one that’s Mac compatible. If you want a digital recorder that writes to another, more desirable format, such as mp3′s and the CD-standard aiff format, you’re looking at a much higher price range, from $350 – $500. That’s a little pricey for me.
So let me ask you: do you already have an 3G iPhone? Millions of us do. And hundreds of thousands of people have purchased an iPod Touch. If you already own one of these devices, you’re only $25 away from being able to use your 3G iPhone or 2G iPod Touch as a handheld digital recorder, with professional-level recording quality that you have to hear to believe.
If you are an iPhone or iPod Touch user, you are no doubt already aware of the 25,000 + applications available for your device, many of which are FREE.
In fact, the following excerpt sums up one columnist’s experience with the Apple iTunes App Store:
-I didn’t see it coming. I bought the iPhone because it is the Swiss Army knife of gadgets — a video iPod, phone and Web browser and more. But then I discovered what would become the source of many bleary-eyed nights: the iPhone applications store.-
(This article comes from MercuryNews.com, and was written by Deborah Yao for A.P. You can read this fun article HERE.)
So for owners of a 3G iPhone or a 2G iPod Touch, here’s your $25 digital voice recorder.
Meet the SmartTalk by Griffin Technology. This little guy costs $19.99 and plugs into your iPhone or iPod headphone jack. You then plug your favorite headphones into it. This device simply becomes part of your existing headphone setup, and doesn’t add any bulk. It has a shirt clip so that you can position the microphone close to your mouth for better quality, and best of all, you can use it to answer incoming calls! (Click on the image above to visit the SmartTalk product page.)
Here’s a list of features from the SmartTalk product page over at GriffinTechnology.com
Features
- Adds a microphone and a control button to your favorite earphones
- Answer calls or send them to voice mail
- Play, pause and skip through your tunes
- High-sensitivity microphone for crystal-clear phone conversations
- 30” cable sheathed in nylon braiding for strength, good looks and durability
Next step:
Now you’ll need to grab a copy of Griffin’s companion application, called iTalk from the iTunes App Store. There are two versions: iTalk is free, and iTalk Premium is $4.99. Splurge; get the Premium version, because the free version pesters you with ads, which is annoying. (Click on the image above to visit the dowload page.)
Last step, download the FREE iTalk Sync program to your Mac or Windows PC (did I mention that this works on both platforms?)
(Click on the image above to visit the download page.)
Now, you’re ready to rock. Recording is so simple. Launch the iTalk app on your iPhone or iPod Touch, create a new memo, press the big record button and start talking. When you’ve finished, press the big DONE button. Now plug your iPhone or iPod Touch into your Mac or PC, launch the iTalk Sync app, click OK to approve the connection, and then simply DRAG the audio files you’ve just created to your desktop, or into iTunes.
The iTalk program creates a high-quality .aiff file (the same type of file used in commercial music CDs.) which you can edit in GarageBand, and store/organize in iTunes. You can easily email these files as well.
————————-
Some readers may not already own a 3G iPhone or a 2G iPod Touch, and this next part is for you. If you’re a Mac user, and you’re considering spending $229 on a new Olympus Digital Recorder, keep the following 2 things in mind.
1. Olympus Digital Recorders do not become truly Mac compatible until the $279 price range. (don’t be fooled by their website, download a special program like VLC to be able to listen to but not edit or convert WMA files is NOT the same as “compatible.”)
2. The 2G iPod Touch costs $229. Add the cost of the SmartTalk and iTalk app and you’re at $254. This solution is expensive than the stand-alone digital recorder, while delivering infinitely higher value.
And since I already own a 3G iPhone, this new digial voice recorder setup cost me $25!
For those who do not know me, I specialize in audio/video, and quality is of enormous importance. The quality of these voice recordings has been on par with a $200 lapel microphone I own.
I give this setup 2 enthusiastic thumbs up.
Thanks for reading.
~ Chris
