Recording from a cell phone

[Sneed]

Hey everyone,

I think there's already been a post that references this but I couldn't find it, so....

I have a RAZR2 cell phone and digital recorder. I need to do a lot of interviews over the phone in the next couple of months, and want to record them. Since the RAZR2 doesn't have a headphone input, it makes it harder to find what I need. Anyone have any suggestions about what I could use to record my conversations from the phone to the recorder?

Thanks a ton.

 

[PeteyPirate]

http://www.nsa.gov/

Dial "3" for transcripts.

 

[GB-Hack]

Doesn't it have a standard speakerphone function? I have a really low-level phone that does, and I've never had a problem turning it on and recording.

 

[jps]

speakerphone.

 

[mediaguy]

I've got a cheap cellphone, but I've found that even without speakerphone, if you max the volume on the cell and hold the recorder to your ear* it picks up fine. I always find speakerphone tends to take away from the conversation -- makes people uneasy, less talkative.


* same one the phone is at

 

[mellinger]

Buy this:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2141764

It's fantastic.

 

[jps]

mell, guy doesn't have a way to plug anything in. that was kind of the whole starting point.

 

[Sneed]

I did find an adapter for five bucks that I could plug into the charging dock on my phone, but the other end is too small. What mellinger suggested will work if I can find an adapter for my too-small plug.

EDIT: [/that's what she said]

That sounds retarded but I don't care enough right now to edit it....

 

[Joe Williams]

mell, guy doesn't have a way to plug anything in. that was kind of the whole starting point.

The plug goes into the digital recorder, which I'm assuming has a microphone plug. Nothing has to be plugged into the phone.

Heck, now that I've seen it -- and mellinger vouches for it -- I might get one myself. Just so it doesn't cause me to smash the earplug into my ear when I hold the phone tight.

 

[jps]

well, my sorrys, then, mell. didn't look too close, just saw the adapter. thanks, joe.

 

[Del_B_Vista]

Buy this:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2141764

It's fantastic.

+1

It works on any phone, too, cell or landline. You put the earbud in your ear next to the receiver and it records the entire call. It plugs into the mic jack on your recorder. It's much smaller than any of those cellphone adapters, requires no power and works, like I said, on all phones.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Less confusingly, it looks like this:

Can't even count how many times somebody'd call me on my cell phone and I had to say, "Hold on. Can I get you back on my landline? I'm, uh, 'low on minutes.'"

 

[Football_Bat]

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.

 

[Joe Williams]

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.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

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

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Digital, even.

 

[slappy4428]

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..

 

[Sneed]

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.

 

[SockPuppet]

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.

 

[Sneed]

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!