Voice recorder hardware
Started by Jack Crawford
on 3/5/2012
Jack Crawford
3/5/2012 12:11 am
A question for those using voice recorders as part of their PIM process.
What hardware are you using / would you recommend? A dedicated voice recorder, mobile phone, some other device?
Thanks in advance
Jack
What hardware are you using / would you recommend? A dedicated voice recorder, mobile phone, some other device?
Thanks in advance
Jack
Dr Andus
3/5/2012 12:22 am
Jack Crawford wrote:
I imagine it's got to be a smartphone these days (or an iPod Touch), simply for the matter of convenience, so one only has to carry around one device. I have an iPod Touch with me all the time, so I only use my (otherwise highly capable) Olympus WS-331M for professional interviews.
A question for those using voice recorders as part of their PIM process.
What
hardware are you using / would you recommend? A dedicated voice recorder, mobile
phone, some other device?
Thanks in advance
Jack
I imagine it's got to be a smartphone these days (or an iPod Touch), simply for the matter of convenience, so one only has to carry around one device. I have an iPod Touch with me all the time, so I only use my (otherwise highly capable) Olympus WS-331M for professional interviews.
Dr Andus
3/5/2012 12:25 am
By they way, I only use recordings when I'm out and about and I need to capture a thought and I'm too lazy to start typing it up. Then I just listen to the recording when I go home, record the main idea in writing in the appropriate desktop software, and delete the recording.
Dr Andus wrote:
Dr Andus wrote:
Jack Crawford wrote:
>A question for those using voice recorders as part of their PIM
process.
>
>What
>hardware are you using / would you recommend? A dedicated voice
recorder, mobile
>phone, some other device?
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Jack
I
imagine it's got to be a smartphone these days (or an iPod Touch), simply for the matter
of convenience, so one only has to carry around one device. I have an iPod Touch with me
all the time, so I only use my (otherwise highly capable) Olympus WS-331M for
professional interviews.
Gary Carson
3/5/2012 4:18 pm
"I only use recordings when I?m out and about and I need to capture a thought and I?m too lazy to start typing it up. Then I just listen to the recording when I go home, record the main idea in writing in the appropriate desktop software, and delete the recording."
This may sound strange and primitive, but for the kind of use you've described, I'd highly recommend getting the Olympus J500 microcassette recorder.
The big advantage to using microcassette recorders, besides their cheapness compared to digital recorders, is that they have nice big speakers with plenty of volume so you can play back your recordings in noisy environments (checkout lines, restaurants, bathrooms with running water, heavy traffic, etc) and actually hear them.
Most digital voice recorders don't have a lot of volume. Linear PCM recorders (designed primarily for recording high-fidelity stereo) usually have tiny speakers that are only there so you can verify that you're picking up a signal and a lot of these recorders don't have any speakers at all. They're much better recorders, of course, but not particularly suited to casual note-taking. Professional-grade recorders like the Olympus DS5000 have better playback and lots of security and editing features (insert/append/overwrite), but they're designed primarily for dictation/transcription and they're very expensive ($400-500+). Consumer-grade recorders like the ones you find in Wal Mart or Staples are difficult to hear without headphones and a lot of them don't even have the limiting editing (append, overwrite) capabilities of a microcassette recorder.
The J500 is the best microcassette recorder I've found so far and it only costs around $40-50 ($43 on Amazon). It has a dual speaker/microphone jack so you can use a headset microphone while you're driving if you want to. The microphone is surprisingly sensitive (mike sensitivity can be adjusted with the volume dial), but I haven't tested it in situations like meetings or big lecture halls. Playback is very clear at 2.4 cm/s and almost entirely free of background motor noise (a big problem with microcassette recorders). Speaker volume is fantastic. In fact, it's so loud at maximum that I usually keep it turned most of the way down. The J500 is a little smaller than the Olympus S713 (another nice recorder) and a little easier to operate with one hand. And the J500 actually has an index mark feature that lets you insert an audible tone into your recording to mark a position. When you go back through the tape with playback review, you hear these beeping tones. It actually works pretty well and this is the only microcassette recorder with this feature I've found so far.
If you don't need to transcribe recordings, I think this is the way to go. If you want to save the recordings, just keep the tapes. There is a way to transfer them to your computer, though. You need one of those male-to-male cables that lets you connect the speaker jack on the recorder to the microphone jack on your computer, then you just hit play on the recorder and re-record it on your computer (using something like Audacity, for instance).
This may sound strange and primitive, but for the kind of use you've described, I'd highly recommend getting the Olympus J500 microcassette recorder.
The big advantage to using microcassette recorders, besides their cheapness compared to digital recorders, is that they have nice big speakers with plenty of volume so you can play back your recordings in noisy environments (checkout lines, restaurants, bathrooms with running water, heavy traffic, etc) and actually hear them.
Most digital voice recorders don't have a lot of volume. Linear PCM recorders (designed primarily for recording high-fidelity stereo) usually have tiny speakers that are only there so you can verify that you're picking up a signal and a lot of these recorders don't have any speakers at all. They're much better recorders, of course, but not particularly suited to casual note-taking. Professional-grade recorders like the Olympus DS5000 have better playback and lots of security and editing features (insert/append/overwrite), but they're designed primarily for dictation/transcription and they're very expensive ($400-500+). Consumer-grade recorders like the ones you find in Wal Mart or Staples are difficult to hear without headphones and a lot of them don't even have the limiting editing (append, overwrite) capabilities of a microcassette recorder.
The J500 is the best microcassette recorder I've found so far and it only costs around $40-50 ($43 on Amazon). It has a dual speaker/microphone jack so you can use a headset microphone while you're driving if you want to. The microphone is surprisingly sensitive (mike sensitivity can be adjusted with the volume dial), but I haven't tested it in situations like meetings or big lecture halls. Playback is very clear at 2.4 cm/s and almost entirely free of background motor noise (a big problem with microcassette recorders). Speaker volume is fantastic. In fact, it's so loud at maximum that I usually keep it turned most of the way down. The J500 is a little smaller than the Olympus S713 (another nice recorder) and a little easier to operate with one hand. And the J500 actually has an index mark feature that lets you insert an audible tone into your recording to mark a position. When you go back through the tape with playback review, you hear these beeping tones. It actually works pretty well and this is the only microcassette recorder with this feature I've found so far.
If you don't need to transcribe recordings, I think this is the way to go. If you want to save the recordings, just keep the tapes. There is a way to transfer them to your computer, though. You need one of those male-to-male cables that lets you connect the speaker jack on the recorder to the microphone jack on your computer, then you just hit play on the recorder and re-record it on your computer (using something like Audacity, for instance).
Gary Carson
3/5/2012 4:20 pm
Oh yeah, Dr. Andus is right. If you're already carrying around a smartphone with recording capabilities and you just need to record casual notes, that's probably the best solution of all.
Dr Andus
3/5/2012 6:12 pm
Gary Carson wrote:
Though I'm sure more complex setups are also possible, such as using Dragon Naturallyspeaking for transcribing recordings and importing the text into a PIM, in which case you want a top-notch digital recorder, like the one I mentioned. If you do a search for 'Dragon" on this forum, you will probably find people describing such systems. Personally I find the transcription process still a bit too convoluted for dealing with occasional notetaking on the go. But I can imagine doing that when working on a large project and wanting to avoid a lot of typing.
Oh yeah, Dr. Andus is right. If you're already carrying around a smartphone with
recording capabilities and you just need to record casual notes, that's probably the
best solution of all.
Though I'm sure more complex setups are also possible, such as using Dragon Naturallyspeaking for transcribing recordings and importing the text into a PIM, in which case you want a top-notch digital recorder, like the one I mentioned. If you do a search for 'Dragon" on this forum, you will probably find people describing such systems. Personally I find the transcription process still a bit too convoluted for dealing with occasional notetaking on the go. But I can imagine doing that when working on a large project and wanting to avoid a lot of typing.
Gary Carson
3/5/2012 7:33 pm
I seem to have gotten mixed up with my last reply. Dr. Andus was responding to Jack Crawford, the original poster. I would've noticed that if I'd actually been conscious when I responded to the post.
Just wanted to add that transcribing dictation on a recorder isn't really all that complicated with Dragon, but I agree that it's probably too much trouble if you're just dealing with casual notes.Voice recorders and PIMs don't mesh very well, unfortunately. The process usually involves transcribing the dictation into Word or Dragonpad or Notepad or something, then manually copying the information into the PIM. Not very efficient, but I guess it depends on the circumstances.
Recorders I can personally recommend:
Olympus Pearlcorder J500 microcassette recorder -- great for casual notes that don't need to be transcribed. Microphone/speaker jacks. Voice-operated recording. Sensitive mike. Good loud speaker. Index marks (playback preview only). Clear playback. Price: ~$40.
Olympus LS-7 -- fantastic linear PCM recorder, three microphones, very sensitive, excellent for recording meetings, lectures, interviews, concerts, ambient noise, etc.,etc. Multiple file formats including mono WAV and MP3, alarm functions, timed recording, digital pitch control playback, etc. Very versatile. Great accuracy (98%+) with Dragon Naturally Speaking using mono WAV and low mike sensitivity. CONS: small, low-volume speaker, no append or overwrite. Not ideal for casual note-taking. Price: ~$200.
Olympus DS5000 -- advanced professional-grade dictation recorder. Mono only. DSS/DSS2 file formats optimized for use with Dragon Naturally Speaking (accuracy 98%+). Security (PIN) feature prevents unauthorized access. Full editing (insert/overwrite/append). Reasonably loud onboard speaker. THE recorder for serious dictation (though the new Grundig Digta 7 apparently has more features, plus stereo-recording capabilities). Good for casual note-taking, though overkill if that's all you're doing. Price: ~$500.
Just wanted to add that transcribing dictation on a recorder isn't really all that complicated with Dragon, but I agree that it's probably too much trouble if you're just dealing with casual notes.Voice recorders and PIMs don't mesh very well, unfortunately. The process usually involves transcribing the dictation into Word or Dragonpad or Notepad or something, then manually copying the information into the PIM. Not very efficient, but I guess it depends on the circumstances.
Recorders I can personally recommend:
Olympus Pearlcorder J500 microcassette recorder -- great for casual notes that don't need to be transcribed. Microphone/speaker jacks. Voice-operated recording. Sensitive mike. Good loud speaker. Index marks (playback preview only). Clear playback. Price: ~$40.
Olympus LS-7 -- fantastic linear PCM recorder, three microphones, very sensitive, excellent for recording meetings, lectures, interviews, concerts, ambient noise, etc.,etc. Multiple file formats including mono WAV and MP3, alarm functions, timed recording, digital pitch control playback, etc. Very versatile. Great accuracy (98%+) with Dragon Naturally Speaking using mono WAV and low mike sensitivity. CONS: small, low-volume speaker, no append or overwrite. Not ideal for casual note-taking. Price: ~$200.
Olympus DS5000 -- advanced professional-grade dictation recorder. Mono only. DSS/DSS2 file formats optimized for use with Dragon Naturally Speaking (accuracy 98%+). Security (PIN) feature prevents unauthorized access. Full editing (insert/overwrite/append). Reasonably loud onboard speaker. THE recorder for serious dictation (though the new Grundig Digta 7 apparently has more features, plus stereo-recording capabilities). Good for casual note-taking, though overkill if that's all you're doing. Price: ~$500.
jimspoon
3/7/2012 7:32 am
I am also one who wants to be able to integrate on-the-go voice recordings into my outliner/PIM, and always on the lookout for the best way to do this.
Smartphones with mobile voice recorder apps offer at least one advantage - you can make a voice note in your recorder, and it will be available to you on your desktop quickly via cloud synchronization. (e.g. Evernote). That eliminates at least one step. Also your phone may offer a general speech-to-text capability enabling you to use speech to input text into an app via speech. For example, when you bring up the Android keyboard to input text, you can tap the microphone key and start talking. The recorded sound is immediately uploaded to the Google servers and transcribed is sent back to your phone. Not the most reliable process. Also - an app may offer its own specific speech-to-text capability. For example you can use the Voice2Note add-on for Evernote which will convert your Evernote voice notes into text.
The built-in Google Android speech-to-text is a bit finicky for my tastes - and when I want to make a voice note on the go, speed is often of the essence. So I find myself using a voice recorder to record the voice quickly, while forgoing the possibility of immediate and automatic conversion of speech to text. I can listen to the notes later and type up any info I want to put into my PIM. This can be a fairly cumbersome process. I just bought Dragon Naturally Speaking 11 hoping this will help in the process, but I haven't installed it yet.
As for voice recorders, I've owned several - mine are very low-end in comparison to the ones that Gary mentioned. I've had the Olympus VN-6200PC - the buttons crapped out after awhile. After swearing not to buy Olympus again, I ended up doing just that - got a VN8100PC - which also stopped working properly after a few months. Now I've got a Sony ICD-PX312, which is working OK. I don't like the ergnomics of it nearly as much as the Olympus, but at least it's still working.
jim
Smartphones with mobile voice recorder apps offer at least one advantage - you can make a voice note in your recorder, and it will be available to you on your desktop quickly via cloud synchronization. (e.g. Evernote). That eliminates at least one step. Also your phone may offer a general speech-to-text capability enabling you to use speech to input text into an app via speech. For example, when you bring up the Android keyboard to input text, you can tap the microphone key and start talking. The recorded sound is immediately uploaded to the Google servers and transcribed is sent back to your phone. Not the most reliable process. Also - an app may offer its own specific speech-to-text capability. For example you can use the Voice2Note add-on for Evernote which will convert your Evernote voice notes into text.
The built-in Google Android speech-to-text is a bit finicky for my tastes - and when I want to make a voice note on the go, speed is often of the essence. So I find myself using a voice recorder to record the voice quickly, while forgoing the possibility of immediate and automatic conversion of speech to text. I can listen to the notes later and type up any info I want to put into my PIM. This can be a fairly cumbersome process. I just bought Dragon Naturally Speaking 11 hoping this will help in the process, but I haven't installed it yet.
As for voice recorders, I've owned several - mine are very low-end in comparison to the ones that Gary mentioned. I've had the Olympus VN-6200PC - the buttons crapped out after awhile. After swearing not to buy Olympus again, I ended up doing just that - got a VN8100PC - which also stopped working properly after a few months. Now I've got a Sony ICD-PX312, which is working OK. I don't like the ergnomics of it nearly as much as the Olympus, but at least it's still working.
jim
Dr Andus
3/7/2012 11:00 pm
jimspoon wrote:
I've been very happy with my Olympus WS-331M digital voice recorder. I've been using it for 5 or 6 years and it never failed me (I'm sure more advanced versions are by now available). So not all Olympus products are bad (though some of its executives might be :)
As for voice recorders, I've owned several - mine are very low-end
in comparison to the ones that Gary mentioned. I've had the Olympus VN-6200PC - the
buttons crapped out after awhile. After swearing not to buy Olympus again, I ended up
doing just that - got a VN8100PC - which also stopped working properly after a few
months. Now I've got a Sony ICD-PX312, which is working OK. I don't like the ergnomics
of it nearly as much as the Olympus, but at least it's still working.
I've been very happy with my Olympus WS-331M digital voice recorder. I've been using it for 5 or 6 years and it never failed me (I'm sure more advanced versions are by now available). So not all Olympus products are bad (though some of its executives might be :)
Arnold
3/9/2012 12:55 pm
I have been using the Philips 9360 digital voice recorder for little over 6 years and has proven to be reliable. The desktop software will allow for transcription - have not used Dragon software with it yet.
On unit editing is possible (basic cut/paste), index marking (why is this not on every device?) , expandable memory via MMC/SD (use 2gb cards right now) and uses 'AAA' batteries.
For analog tape old Dictaphone microcassette has been inservice since mid 1980 still going strong. Finding it hard to get the microcassettes, may be the death of it. Uses either rechargeable 'AAA' pack or two 'AAA' batteries.
On unit editing is possible (basic cut/paste), index marking (why is this not on every device?) , expandable memory via MMC/SD (use 2gb cards right now) and uses 'AAA' batteries.
For analog tape old Dictaphone microcassette has been inservice since mid 1980 still going strong. Finding it hard to get the microcassettes, may be the death of it. Uses either rechargeable 'AAA' pack or two 'AAA' batteries.