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Product: Voice recorder for iPod

Manufacturer: Griffin Technology

Minimum Requirements: 3G iPod, iPod software v2.1

Retail Price: $40

Availability: Out now

Review by: Marc Zeedar

One of the best things about the iPod is that cool add-ons can make it even better. For instance, the iPod lacks an important feature that turns it from a toy into a useful business accessory: voice recording.

But, here to the rescue is Griffin Technology with their new iTalk voice recorder. It's a tiny white microphone that plugs into the headphone jack at the top of your third-generation (dock connector) iPod. There are no buttons or software or anything to configure: just snap it in place and you're ready to record. (You do need iPod software 2.1 but you probably already have it.)

When the iTalk is inserted, your iPod will display a new Voice Memos category. There's a "Record Now" choice which enters recording mode; you can pause a recording and continue it, or press "save" to stop recording and save it. By default the memos are named with the current date and time—once you get them to your computer, you can change them to something more descriptive. The iTalk displays a small red light while it's recording. The only limit to recording lengths appears to be the amount of free space on your iPod's hard drive.

The next time you sync your iPod with iTunes, your voice memos are automatically copied to your computer. iTunes will create a "Voice Memos" playlist and you'll find it on your iPod after syncing.

Voice recordings are of okay quality—8-kHz, 16-bit mono saved in a WAV file—similar to a.m. radio or telephones. There is no way to adjust the recording quality: it's a limitation of the iPod itself, not the iTalk, which simply provides a microphone input. But, while obviously not appropriate for music, the recordings are fine for voice, with words being easily understood, and file sizes appropriately tiny (a 15 second recording was 223KB).

The iTalk microphone is excellent. Even turning my iPod away from me and holding it at arm's length, it recorded my normal talking voice perfectly, yet it didn't pick up distracting background noise. That's impressive. I've got a Sony microcassette recorder, and when I use it while driving (a common activity), the rumble of the car's engine is recorded. I did detect a little high-pitched whine at the start of a recording, only for a second or so, but it did appear to be consistent.

The built-in microphone works well recording personal memos, where you're speaking right into the device, but for recording something like a conference meeting with the iPod in the middle of the table, the recording level is low for some speakers.

Fortunately, you can easily connect other microphones, such as a lapel mike if you're making a speech or a large omni-directional for a group. Since the iTalk plugs into your iPod's headphone jack, Griffin's thoughtfully included a pass-through headphone port, so you can connect headphones or speakers while the iTalk is plugged in. The port is auto-sensing, meaning you can plug a microphone into the same port for recording!

But the iTalk is more than just a microphone; it's also a speaker. Here's where Griffin went the extra mile. Unlike Belkin's iPod voice recorder, whose speaker is so poor as to be useless (I had to place it right against my ear to hear my own voice), the iTalk is loud enough to hear when it's sitting on the desk near you. It even works surprisingly well for music (though its dynamic range is not high). Perhaps it's as good as a typical laptop speaker, though there's only one, so the output is mono.

I found the speaker feature to be extremely useful; after just a little time with it, you're wondering how you got by without speakers. It's obviously designed to let you play back voice recordings, but now you can share tunes or audio books with others without having to trade headphones. You can also use your iPod as an alarm clock: you can even pick a playlist for the iPod to wake you up with!

Bottom Line:

The iTalk's speaker is certainly not a replacement for your stereo, but it's quite handy. And, if you're inclined to record audio notes or reminders or need to record meetings, the iTalk will quickly become something that's always attached to your iPod, and you'll appreciate the convenient speaker.

If you've been wavering over the purchase of an iPod, wait no more. With the iTalk, you can justify an iPod as a legitimate business expense. At about the cost of a cheap micro-cassette recorder, you now get a digital recorder with nearly unlimited recording time.