I hate my recorder

[Trey Beamon]

I'm sure you've all heard the stories of busted laptops along press row, but has your recorder gone haywire on you?

Mine did today. Over a half hour of an interview just went kaput. The thing reads 35:40 but when it hits the five-minute mark, it stops. POS RCA recorder.

****.

Have you had similar problems? Did you somehow recover the file? Did you punch a hole in the wall? Recommend a brand that won't go all Vanderjagt on you?

This is more or less venting on my part. However, I'm sure, being SJ, an entertaining story will come out of this.

 

[Ace]

My recorder works fine, except for the spittle.

 

[Rudy Petross]

I'm old school, I don't trust anything that I can't see the tape moving.

 

[RickStain]

I always, always, always take some kind of paper notes along with the recorder.

 

[Ace]

I always, always, always take some kind of paper notes along with the recorder.

Me too. But sometimes I can't read them.

 

[imjustagirl]

I just carve it into my arm as they talk. Scars last.

 

[Cosmo]

Does the blood freak interview subjects out?

 

[imjustagirl]

I usually ask beforehand. Like how others say "I'm going to record this, is that OK?" I say "I'm going to mark this interview into my body in a permanent way, is that OK?"

 

[Ace]

I usually ask beforehand. Like how others say "I'm going to record this, is that OK?" I say "I'm going to mark this interview into my body in a permanent way, is that OK?"

What if you need to throw out your notes for legal reasons?

 

[Trey Beamon]

"Why is your shirt off?"

"Glad you asked. I'm going to shave the notes onto my chest. Don't worry, coach ... I keep a broom and dustpan in the trunk."

 

[imjustagirl]

I usually ask beforehand. Like how others say "I'm going to record this, is that OK?" I say "I'm going to mark this interview into my body in a permanent way, is that OK?"

What if you need to throw out your notes for legal reasons?

Acid.

 

[mustangj17]

One time when I was interviewing Ryan Raburn mine went bat **** crazy. It said it was on, but it never recorded. I tried interviewing him a second time and it still didn't work. At least he was cool and we got a good laugh about it.

 

[John]

I now use the recorder on my iPhone. It saves me having to carry around a separate recorder and it downloads easily to my iTunes. I also got a $10 microphone that plugs into the audio jack so it picks up the sound really well.

 

[playthrough]

Same thing has happened to me with my RCA recorder (the same one I've seen a thousand reporters use) twice in the last three weeks, the thing started repeating about five seconds of stuff over and over again about midway through playback and never continued to the end of the file. I was OK but if that had happened with a couple other sources, I'd have been in big trouble.

I bought the thing in January and am thinking about exchanging it for a new one.

 

[imjustagirl]

I now use the recorder on my iPhone. It saves me having to carry around a separate recorder and it downloads easily to my iTunes. I also got a $10 microphone that plugs into the audio jack so it picks up the sound really well.

This sounds perfect for Trey, since I know he loves his iPhone.

 

[Trey Beamon]

This sounds perfect for Trey, since I know he loves ignoring my calls on his iPhone.

Fixed.

I have an iPhone recorder app. It's nice, but I've had recordings go poof because the phone rang during an interview.

 

[John]

This sounds perfect for Trey, since I know he loves ignoring my calls on his iPhone.

Fixed.

I have an iPhone recorder app. It's nice, but I've had recordings go poof because the phone rang during an interview.

I put mine on airplane mode so it can't happen.

 

[imjustagirl]

You don't ignore them. You just don't answer, then immediately text me a reason why you didn't answer.

"Working."
"Not in a talking mood."
"Hate you."

 

[tapintoamerica]

I hate my generation.
-- Cracker

 

[Andy Friedlander]

My batteries went dead today early in a long phone interview.

AAAAAARRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!