Recording Phone Conversations for Transcription
If you are going to be recording any significant amount of phone conversations, we recommend that you invest in one of the following devices to improve the recording quality.
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If you have a phone with an attached handset: JK Audio – QuickTap Telephone Handset adaptor. It sells for $59.00 and attaches to the cord between your phone and handset. You will also need a mono to stereo adapter !! Be sure to do a test recording before your first interview to understand how the device works. If you hear only one side of the conversation on your recording, it’s probably because you didn’t use the mono-to-stereo adapter. If you have a portable phone with a headset jack: JK Audio – CellTap Wireless Phone Audio Tap. It sells for about $100 and will attach to the headphone port of your wireless phone or cell phone. Either of these devices is preferable to the ‘suction cup’ device that you can get from Radio Shack. We recommend the Zoom H2 Recorder as a recording device. |
Let a Professional Service Do It!
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We recommend using FreeConference.com for handling your recording needs if you’re not set up to record phone calls yourself. They offer a free service level in addition to paid plans. FreeConference.com will handle recording your outgoing or incoming phone calls. Once you’ve recorded a call, you can upload it to our client area for transcription. If you want to record the calls yourself, we recommend using the JK Audio Tap and the Zoom H2 Recorder. |
Choosing a Recording Device for Phone Interviews
Our same advice applies to phone conversations as to other types of audio.