Capturing memories is easier than ever, thanks to handy tech tools designed for recording and even creating your own music. In the case of audio, the voice recorder has become an extremely useful device to record just about any kind of sound bite. However, it’s important to know the specifications of a good voice recorder that will suit your particular needs.
Before we delve into the subject, you may be wondering why you need to have a separate voice recorder when most smartphones these days already have a built-in recorder. The short answer is limitation – the built-in recorder may not be sufficient enough to either get good quality audio, store hours upon hours of audio recording, or last a full interview without draining the battery.
Even in this tech-savvy world where practically every digital functionality is already found in smartphones and their corresponding apps, the voice recorder still stands the test of time as a reliable tool to do what it is designed to perform: record audio.
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Uses of Voice Recorders
In a nutshell, the voice recorder is a device that converts sound waves into a format that can be transferred from one device to another. In the case of digital voice recorders, the file may be played back by using a smartphone, tablet or a computer.
Voice recorders are pretty much popular in university students attending lectures or seminars, journalists who go to interview relevant personalities, or doctors who dictate their findings on their patient’s condition. However, there are some other ways to make good use of a digital voice recorder.
Making podcasts
Podcasts have become popular in recent years because they provide a convenient way of receiving new information without having to read long paragraphs from a book. You may listen to podcasts at home, in the car, or while you’re out for a jog.
Of course, you need to have the best equipment when creating podcasts for your social channel. This is where a voice recorder can become handy – you can record your voice anywhere, and then edit the sound bites later to make the quality much better. Check out online reviews to help you decide the best voice recorder to purchase.
Writing articles or books
Some authors experience writer’s block, which hinders the train of thought needed to complete an article or a whole book. By recording some voice snippets of ideas that pop up in your head, you can review these auditory bites later on. That way, you won’t forget the ideas even days or weeks after you’ve had the thought in your brain.
You can record entire paragraphs and conversations through the voice recorder. The things that you store in the recorder may even form part of the actual piece that you’re writing.
Preparing a legal document
Having a voice recorder in tow may be beneficial when you need to record something as evidence, such as an unusually noisy neighbor that you need to report to authorities or a verbal threat that causes you sleepless nights.
Meanwhile, some people use the voice recorder or video camera to capture their last will instead of writing the document on paper.
What Specs to Look For In A Voice Recorder
A lot of voice recorders are available in the market, in various shapes, sizes, forms, brands, and specifications. When planning to buy a voice recorder for yourself, you need to be sure that you are buying something that will fit your needs like a glove.
Here are some of the specifications that you should look for in a voice recorder.
Audio Quality
This is one the most important features of the voice recorder. Depending on your voice recording needs, you need to choose the level of audio quality. Some models are capable of making concert hall quality recordings, but such high-quality voice recorders are expensive.
If money is not an issue, then go ahead and pick a voice recorder that promises or guarantees the best sound quality. You probably wouldn’t like the idea of recording an extremely important interview only to find out later that some parts are muffled or unclear.
Recording Time
During a lecture or seminar, you want to make sure that you are able to capture everything that the lecturer has said. If the voice recorder only allows a few hours of recording time, you might fail to record the more important things that the speaker mentions near the end of the talk.
File Capacity
The file capacity of your voice recorder depends on the quality of audio file that you have recorded, as well as the recording time that it can hold. The higher the bitrate, the more it eats up the memory of the voice recorder.
A voice recorder with a memory of at least 2 GB is already a solid investment, although you may want to consider another one with a higher internal memory (say, 8 GB).
Battery Life
Choose a voice recorder that can last at least 12-15 hours of battery life. This ensures that you can record and listen to your recorded audio files longer. Otherwise, you might end up failing to record the juiciest parts of a conversation or interview just because your voice recorder’s battery died on you.
Price
In a nutshell, the number of features of a voice recorder will dictate its overall price. Do you need more internal memory, higher sound quality, and longer battery life? You may have to shell out significantly more.
That’s why I need to emphasize the importance of choosing the right voice recorder according to your specific needs. If you don’t start with focusing on your recording requirements, you might end up buying the latest multifunctional digital voice recorder with so many features, most of which you don’t actually need.
You don’t need to be a tech geek to know what kind of voice recorder you need to purchase. You can always ask the salesperson about the specs of the best voice recorders that they have in stock. Bottom line, you have to know which specs are most important to you.
