i know there's an attachment that can convert the ipod into a voice recorder...

just wanted to ask if anybody's given this a try and what the sound quality was like.

also, is the firewire port of the ipod the same size as the one on an ibook?

thanks guys :)

as a follow up, i'd like to know the length of recording to amount of memory ratio is. thanks!

There's a bit about it on this thread (http://www.philmug.ph/viewthread.php?tid=1001).

[Edited on 6-18-2004 by freelancer]

Saw one at Ambassador Appliances in Shangri-la mall.

EDIT: Sorry, mali pala. I saw the CF Card reader for iPod there.

[Edited on 6-18-2004 by Yagballs]

hey eliza, thanks for the link :) yes, there was something about it there... seems that the quality is ok -

in that post, elbert also mentioned that you need a 3rd gen ipod for the belkin attachment. um, this is from somebody who doesn't have one, how can you tell what generation an ipod is? :blush: hehe. thanks!

hahahahaha! Just buy the latest ones. Those are 3rd gen.

I'm looking at getting a voice recorder myself. Seems handy for music rehearsals.

Found the belking media recorder in ambassador appliance store on the 2nd level of shangrila plaza going for around PhP 6400. the voice recorder i spotted in power mac in megamall for PhP 3500 or so.

um, back to that 'how can you tell what gen an ipod is' question :)

turns out my friend will be getting an ipod from the states but the one giving it to him doesn't know which generation it is. are there any distinguishing features so we'd know?

(kasi if it turns out na hindi 3rd gen yun, then i get a shot at it. ahehehe :) )

Hi April!

Off the top of my head, good indicators would be the number of GB the iPod has & the kind of scroll wheel (either mechanical or touch), the thickness, among others.

You may read up more about the 1st & 2nd generation iPods here. (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_electronics/stats/ipod.html) (topmost image; you can already see the differences)

If your friend will be buying the unit brand-new (15 GB, 20 GB, or 40 GB) (http://www.apple.com/ipod/) from the stores, then it'll be 3rd Gen.

The 3rd Gen. 10 GB has been phased out.

[Edited on 6-24-2004 by Arel]

[Edited on 6-24-2004 by Arel]

[Edited on 6-24-2004 by Arel]

[Edited on 6-24-2004 by Arel]

thanks arel! the thread and the pics are a big help :)

http://images.belkin.com/F8E462/STD1_F8E462.jpg

I've been using the Belkin Voice Recorder (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=2 01526&pcount=&Product_Id=158384) it for a couple of months now.

The best part about it is the ease of use. Operation can't be any simpler. As long as your iPod's software is version 2.1, all you have to do is plug the Voice Recorder into the earphone jack and remote port and it automatically runs. No need to install drivers, true plug-and-play.

Instantly, you are taken to a Voice Memo function, displaying large digits to indicate recording time and options for Record and Cancel. Controls are done through the touch wheel and center button or the Stop and Play/Pause touch buttons. Once a recording takes place, the two options change to Pause and Stop and Save.

Playing back voice recordings is no different from playing songs, except that recordings are accessed though the Extras menu (as long as the Voice Recorder is plugged in, or voice memo files exist in the iPod, The Voice Memos menu will appear under the Extras menu in the iPod).

When you plug the iPod into your computer, voice memo files are automatically copied into iTunes, just like songs are easily uploaded into the iPod (come to think of it, this is the only way you can get stuff OUT OF the iPod and into iTunes). By default, a folder named Voice Memos will be created in iTunes and all files will be transferred there.

The Voice Recorder also has a small 16mm speaker so you can quickly review recordings. You could listen to music using the speaker too, but the volume is so weak, you'll need to hold it up to you ear the way you would a phone.

Files are stores in WAV format, 128 MB at 8 kHz, 16-bit mono. A 1 hour recording will figure in a file size of about 60MB.

Since the recordings are digital, they're easy easy to handle and manipulate. If you need to share voice memo files with other people, you can just burn them into a regular audio CD. If you find the file size too big, you can always compress them into MP3 or AAC using iTunes. I discovered too that being able to transcribe recordings using iTunes makes of an otherwise tedious effort relatively easy.

Now the bad part.

The recording quality can be really bad. Voice may be inaudible if you speak to the mic too closely or if the sound being recorded is too loud. The mic is of poor quality (Belkin claims it's a high-quality mic, but I disagree).

I'd hate to imagine having done an hour-long interview that ended but being useless. This is very possible, so it's advisable to practice using it before deploying it for important matters.

The problem lies in the fact that the Voice Recorder does not regulate loud sounds. Recording a press con from a PA system, for example, will most certainly be distorted, rendering the file inaudible. Also, the mic tends to pick up too much of the recording environment's sound. So a noisy background (i.e. rain, crowd) will get in the way of the voices.

I learned that the only way to use it is in a quiet surrounding with the mic about 2 to 3 feet away from the subject. With this ideal condition, you'll have great-sounding recordings.

Overall, it's a fantastic solution, flawed only by a bad mic. It's best reserved to personal voice memos rather than important interviews.

For interviews, I believe that the Belkin Universal Microphone Adapter (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=2 01526&pcount=&Product_Id=169368) is a much better solution, in concept, that is. I have yet to try it myself. With this adapter, you get the best of what the Voice Recorder has to offer, with the option to use a real microphone, at US$20 less. It also has an earphone jack so you could keep the adapter plugged in while listening to music. A 3-level gain switch, something I wished the Voice recorder had, allows you to adjust input sensitivity.
http://images.belkin.com/F8E478/STD1_F8E478.jpg

The Belkin Voice Recorder (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=2 01526&pcount=&Product_Id=158384) is US$59 and is available through select dealers locally.

thanks elbert for that nice short review.

I was wondering, How come the Universal Microphone is cheaper?

Originally posted by Macmon
I was wondering, How come the Universal Microphone is cheaper?

Guess: no built-in speaker and mic?


~Henjie

hey elbert :) thanks for the thorough review! makes for a really educated purchase decision :)

There's also another voice recorder for the iPod called iTalk. Its made by Griffin Technologies. The review can be found here (http://www.ipodlounge.com/reviews_more.php?id=3664_0_6_0_M)

Update on this thread. There is now a product called MicroMemo.(for the ipod Video and the 2nd gen Nano)


Turn your iPod® nano 2nd generation into a portable, pocket-sized recording studio. No tapes, no batteries, no cables. MicroMemo™ plugs into your iPod
to record interviews, meetings, lectures, a new guitar riff, or any other audio content directly to your iPod nano.Here's the link to MicroMemo (http://www.xtrememac.com/audio/earphones_recorders/micromemo_video/index.php)

BTW ...

There's another newer thread on Voice Recorders for the ipod Video (http://www.philmug.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=16108) here in Philmug.

i've had excellent results with the griffin italk (link above). i use it with an old 20-gig ipod i got exclusively for interviews, so that ipod gets banged around, but it's a trusty performer. i get crystal-clear interviews (and i do a lot of these), even from a distance, and with ambient noise.