I need to record a phone conversation for cool reasons I’ll reveal later, and I’ve hooked a phone line into my laptop and tried various software. Some claim my modem doesn’t support voice, but I found one program, Call Corder, that seems to work fine. The only problem is that the recording seems to use the voice recorder that comes with all windows operating systems and that cuts off after a minute of recording. Anyone know a way to make it record longer?
UPDATE: Any other ideas or software to use for record a phone call would be appreciated, as I’m not sure some of the tricks for making Microsoft Sound Recorder record longer (loading a large blank file) will help here.
UPDATE 2: Got a 2.4 GHz wireless phone (I have a 802.11g netowrk, but the box says it’s 802.11 friendly). It has speakerphone options for both the base and handset, and that plus a microphone and duct tape is an engineering solution to the problem. Boo-yah!
And now I have a wireless phone for my den. I’d always run to the kitchen when the phone rings because I hate using a wired phone.
Frank,
Here’s a solution I found on the web… dunno if it works or not – worth a shot:
“If you want to extend the record length in MS Sound Recorder, first record a silent file using 44,100 Hz, 16 bit, Stereo format (you can always compress this later if you wish) and save the file. Now determine the time length of the extended wav file you wish to record using Sound Recorder. Open a new file in Sound Recorder, go to Edit-> Insert and insert the silent.wav file repeatedly until you exceed the desired length you wish to record. Then position the status bar at the beginning, and record your extended wav file over the extended silent time file. Finally delete the unneeded length at the end, if any, using edit->delete after current position.
You might also want to look at the software that came with your sound card (if you do not have integrated sound). Most software that accompanies sound cards has wav file creation/editing features.”
The only other alternative is to use a commercial app like Adobe Audition.
Good Luck,
SEAN
Second place pooper of pants
I say go with the old fashioned way. Get yourself a separate recorder and stick the mic onto your phone with a suction cup.
If your phone has a hands free option or any other earpiece/microphone combo, splice the wires and run it through your recroding device.
Third option: get yourself a dictamonkey and have it chisel the transcript of your call on a large slab of rock.
Best option of all: Sexy, young intern to take dictation.
Uhh frank did you check with your local law enforcement on this? Here in maryland that would be illegal…but shhh don’t tell anyone…that you are recording them…
It will be done with the person’s knowledge.
try totalrecord (sharware)
Sorry the Sound Recorder trick won’t work for you… I suggested a great app (Audition), but it costs $$. So are you looking for a free solution?
Hopefully. I’m not sure how soon I need it.
wire the output leads from the speaker in the handset to a voice recorder
You could try a program called “Wave Repair”. It’s actually intended for recording vinyl records onto a computer for conversion to digital but it’ll record anything – just set up your sound card.
Link: http://www.delback.co.uk/wavrep/
I used that for a while for converting my albums to digital but later found Cool Edit Pro which is a great program. Unfortunately it’s not available anymore – it’s now called Adobe Audition, which someone else already mentioned.
But Wave Repair is pretty simple and completely functional during a thirty day trial period. It’ll even still work after that but with some features (mainly vinyl pop/scratch repairing) disabled.
Damn you, Frank, you just made me have a TAPI flashback. Not cool, man. Not cool at all.
if this becomes a regular thing, you might want to look in to one of these:
http://www.dynametric.com/productDetails.asp?ProductID=89
nice little products. if you need something more robust for any reason, the 636 is nice too.
If you really wanted to get hardcore with this, you could get a hybrid phone patch and hook it up to your sound card that way. They do cost around $500 or so, but are very effective.
However, shareware options would probably be cheaper, like sound forge XP from Sonic Foundry (Now owned by Sony).
A final option would be to download Limewire or BearShare and download a full functioning wav file editor with a keygen…
But that of course would be illegal.
MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I don’t want to break the bank on this.
What makes me mad is that Call Corder software works perfect when I plug a phoneline into my laptop, but it cuts off at a minute since it seems to be based on the limitations of the Microsoft Sound Recorder.
Maybe I’ll just play more with that when I get home.
the poor mans solution:
get one of those mini tape recorders that people use to take notes in class and rubber band it to the outside of your phone ( reciever). or better yet, get two phones- tape one reciever so that it is over the recorder and talk on the other one.
I have some software at home ment for just this thing (and I got from a very nice guy who works at a fi………….. (dark evil voice) “nothing to see her move along”
Oh wow look some one else from Maryland, thats like two people now in Maryland that own and operate a computer!
I had the same issues with Call Corder. I eventually went out and picked up a cheapo modem that supported voice, and used that with another call recording app. Unfortunately, I then ran into all sorts of other issues…like the first few calls recording fine (5-10 min of call time), but after a certain point they began too record as severe static and barely distinguishable robotic voices.
At this point, I immediately assumed my server was possessed and discontinued the whole project temporarily. Proceed down this road with caution! If I can remember the other piece of software I used (freeware) I’ll let ya know, unfortunately I’ve long since removed all that garbage.
Frank – you might visit the shareware music machine. It’s at http://www.hitsquad.com/smm
The program I use for recording (from any device) is called SAWPlus32. I doubt it’s there, though.. it was programmed for Windows 3.1 and the company has since gone out of business. (I continue to use the Win3.1 version on my XP platform, and it works way better than all the expensive crap I’ve bought for work. Gra.)
As long as the audio is going through the soundcard, there’s not a good reason why it can’t be recorded. (Other than the fact that Sound Recorder sucks.)
Also, make sure in volume controls you have modem checked in the recording properties. Otherwise, it’s probably just trying to record from your mic.
@Monster Kabasue
Yes yes…maryland…where we elected a dimm-o-crat who squandered our surplus for eight years. Thank god we have a republican now.
Frank, if you’ve got your software for free, there might have limitations recording.
Here is what I found:
Telephone spy
Advanced phone recorder
Modem spy
and you’ll find more there:
Well, I wrote a quick and dirty little tool to record audio. Here’s a link to a zip file which contains the compiled VB app, and a Word doc with a macro that does exactly the same thing (just in case you don’t trust the compiled code and would prefer to see the code yourself). I’ve tested it and found it to record over a minute without problems.
http://s92093349.onlinehome.us/files/recordaudio.zip
Hire someone to take care of junk like that.
There
s a guy named Apu who runs the Quickee Mart over in Springfield who has a Doctorate in computer engineering. I hear hes cheap.Total recorder works well for me, but I should warn you that there are wiretapping laws which might apply! (People have gone to jail for less!)