iPod accessory for recording

I searched the threads and could not find a thread or the question answered that I have.

For the people that have the iPod accessory, how long can you usually record with it? I have read varying things on the Internet, but wanted to get some true testimonials.

I also read that it tends to skip when you have longer interviews, and you miss out on half of the conversation. Any truth to that? Thanks a lot.

 

I have used an iPod attachment on my Video iPod for the last year and have been happy with what it does. I've never had problems with length issues, but then again I don't think I've pushed it past about 20 minutes on an interview.

The sound you get is top-of-the-line and you can put those recordings right onto your computer. I have had no problems with skipping, either.

Really, the only issue I have had before is that sometimes, if I don't plug the recorder all the way in at the bottom, the device wouldn't record or would stop in the middle of an interview when it was budged. As with any technology, it's best to not trust it too much, taking a few notes just in case something goes wrong.

 

Ditto on everything maxonoodle said.

I've had it for two years now and I've never had a problem.

 

May

I had heard that the recording function sapped the life out of iPods.

I have a 20GB Color Photo iPod (The 2005 model, if you will. This was the one that was out with the U2 version and right before the video iPods came out) and it works great with mine.

Note that this model's recording accessory is different than the ones now. The ones now for newer iPod models (I think 5G) are now designed to plug in at the dock connection. The older models plug in at the top of the device at the headphones.

To answer the question about recording time: I recently attended a prep football media day and used it to record each team's media session at the podium (Mainly because I was going to have a month's time to extract the interviews from tape and all that). I charged my iPod the night before and recorded around 90 to 120 minutes of audio that night and the battery appeared to be only minimally drained. This was much different from the reviews I had read of the various recorders that said they sapped battery life from the device.

I couldnt be happier with this toy. Makes my job a lot easier and makes for very easy archival of audio files.

 

The key is having space clear on the hard drive because the files can be huge. I think a 20 minute interview can get you up around a half-gig. But in terms of performance, I have no complaints with the one I've got (the Micromemo).

 

I have two... One if from Belkin, it works OK... The other is from iTalk that is about 100X better. Apparently there is one from DLO that is supposed to be better than both, but I've never tried it...

 

Put the file into audacity and turn the .wav files into .mp3s. Saves a lot of room.

 

Wav files are a lot larger than mp3, but a half-gig? That sounds about five times too big for a 20-minute file...

 

I have the Belkin one and am not very happy with it. I have trouble convincing the iPod that the recorder is plugged in and then I have trouble trying to get it to record.

As for total time or skipping, I have never had a problem... once I can get it to work.

 

I've had the same problem with the Belkin... It does that about 1/5 of the time and usually only when I really, really need it to work...

 

I use a Belkin TuneTalk for my video iPod (5G). It's not a bad product but from time to time I can hear the hard drive on the recording, so now, when I use it, I use it with an IPod Nano since that is flash-based and there are no moving parts.

Details on the TuneTalk are here:

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=277661

If you do look into buying it there is one caveat, the recording quality is hundreds of times better if you stick a microphone into it, which I do.