Recording from a cell phone

If for personal use, I think recording phone calls are OK, but there are laws against it without permission from the subject. Be careful out there.

 

It cost a Miami Herald columnist his job, I seem to recall. Just because he recorded a call to get everything right from a guy who ... um, memory is shaky ... might have been about to take his own life?

Still can't believe the Miami bosses dumped a popular, passionate writer over that. At least back then. Nowadays, it would provide an excuse for adding someone to a long layoff list.

 

All I get is static when I record with a difital off a cell speaker phone. May have to check out this device.

 

Digital, even.

 

I just use an suction cup attachment and it worked fine for me..
And in some states, it's not illegal if one party knows about it..

 

Thanks. I plan on letting the other folks know ahead of time, and think it'd be smart for everyone to do that just to be on the safe side.

 

The device recommended from RadioShack is similar to something I purchased at www.transcriptiongear.com. It works great with my cell phone and digital recorder.

 

Dude, yes! I am so totally canceling my order from RadioShack.com now!

 

Another +1 for this product. We use this for our audio podcasts with reporters on the road and it's digital quality reproduction.

 

Great product.

I use it even with my landline - it's 100% reliable, while our landline-recorder-box-thingies sometimes cut out in the middle of conversations because they feel like it.

(I once tested it right before the key interview for an A1 story, conducted the big interview while taking only cursory notes, then found out it had recorded nothing. Appallingly, I had to call the guy back and tell him what happened so I could get some of the quotes again. His reaction: "Damn, I was just telling everyone here how good I was!")

 

which is why I don't tend to use a recorder - because I know I'd wind up doing the same.

 

Yep.

Fortunately, the Olympus device really is unfailing. I know I should always take great notes, etc., contingency planning, etc., but it has never once not worked for me over several thousand interviews.