Phone Lines

  • Thread starter Thread starter dkingers
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dkingers

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I'm setting up to record a radio show with my computer. While it has only integrated sound with 1/8 inputs, I was trying to figure out how to record phone calls. I have a wealth of DJ equipment, will be upgrading the CPU when $$ increases, but for the mean time, I just want to get rolling.... Any ideas?
 
I don't know how well they work or sound, but one cheapo option is those suction-cup phone mics at Radio Shack. Last time I saw one it was going for $12 or so.
 
When you are doing a radio show, YES! You can record phoners as long as the other party knows it is being recorded. And calling a radio station is tacit consent to being broadcast or recorded....
 
If you want reasonable quality you will need a hybrid. Kind of device that plugs into a phone line, keeps the 48VDC away from your pc, and splits into a incoming and outgoing signal.

Maybe it is possible with some modems......anybody ever tried this??? Some modem drivers have an entry in the sound devices list.
 
BTW, EC, I didn't see any "suction cup" phones. Then again, I really don't know what you mean. The hardest thing to figure out is, how get somebody on the line and be able to record it. I am going trough a mixer, enabling 2 mics, so I'm not just using a headset. Then once I get this all rigged, I've got to get going into Cool Edit.
 
suction cup MICROPHONE

no no not suction cup phone, it's a microphone or pickup if you will with a suction cup on the end of it. You pop the suction cup on the receiver where you would normally put your ear. It picks up the voice/etc...coming from the phone. The opposite of this (well..sort of) is the soundbug which can be found at www.thinkgeek.com. A neat little device, you stick the suction cup on glass or any other hard flat surface and it turns it into a speaker! you can run 2 of them together for a stereo transmission!

:P
 
Most phones have a headphone jack. You could splice the headphone cable with a regular 1/4" jack on the speaker wire and run that into a mixer.
 
HMMM

But, if I spliced the headphone jack, would I be able to use a mic to speak with the person through the mixer? Of course none of my phones have a headphone jack to try out the theory. And how would one answer the call? I've found a few products that would help, all cost about 100 bucks, though Radio shack has a recorder that might do the trick for 25, but of course, they are out....
 
JK Audio

I remember seeing hardware for just this purpose in a markertec catalog. A search on their site turned up a few products that might help (not cheep!). Check out the JK Audio Hybrid or the RDL ST-TC1. Good luck with your project.
 
Re: HMMM

dkingers said:
But, if I spliced the headphone jack, would I be able to use a mic to speak with the person through the mixer? Of course none of my phones have a headphone jack to try out the theory. And how would one answer the call? I've found a few products that would help, all cost about 100 bucks, though Radio shack has a recorder that might do the trick for 25, but of course, they are out....
Click to expand...

The headset cable will give you a seperate speaker and mic cable. You could have an extra mic hooked up for the phone or run an Aux out of the mixer to the phone mic cable. You could then run the phone speaker cable into the mixer. Or just use the phone as usual and use a second phone that just sends the speaker out to the mixer for broadcast and recording. Be carefull that you don't setup a feedback loop with the phone mic/speaker lines. To answer the phone you would just pick up the receiver.

I haven't tried this yet but I was thinking about it awhile back. There will be some impedance issues but you should be able to make it work with creative gain staging on the mixer and a little trial and error. If you have any high impedance inputs you might use that for the speaker output from the phone or use a DI.
 
I bought one of those devices from radio shack...i don't know if i got a lemon or what...but it sucked ass! I got an extreme electrical noise that completely drowned out the voices from the phone. After taking it back, i bought a mini-jack and a some rca's with a 1/8 adapter...haven't tried it for recording actual phone calls yet...but works great to record voicemail and answering machine messages.
 
My Radio Shack cordless phone has a 1/8" headphone output. That would be ideal for recording.

You could modify a speakerphone pretty easily.
 
Speaker phone

I've seen that done with a speaker phone. I just have no idea how its done. I used to work with a genuis, he was able to, but it was so long ago. Is there any easy way to do it? Technically gifted I am not.

Anyone can email me solutions.

dkingers@attbi.com
 
Simple as hell, just disconnect the speaker and wire a 1/4" plug to it. Start with the speaker vol all the way down and use the preamp on the mixer to give it gain. Everytime you push speakerphone it will come up on the mixer. The only problem with this method would be feed back.

I would go out and get a phone with a headphone output myself.
 
jake-owa said:
My Radio Shack cordless phone has a 1/8" headphone output. That would be ideal for recording.

You could modify a speakerphone pretty easily.
Click to expand...

Those are actually slightly smaller than the usual 1/8 unless your phone is different.
 
last concern

My last worry with a headphone jack into the mixer would be that feedback loop. With the out put coming from the mixer to the phone and the phone's out ultimately being put back in that could create a nasty echo for the person on the phone and feedback on my end.

I guess some trial and error.

Has anyone done this? To answer the phone, the receiver would be picked up and wouldn't that decrease the sound?
 
Re: last concern

dkingers said:
My last worry with a headphone jack into the mixer would be that feedback loop. With the out put coming from the mixer to the phone and the phone's out ultimately being put back in that could create a nasty echo for the person on the phone and feedback on my end.

I guess some trial and error.

Has anyone done this? To answer the phone, the receiver would be picked up and wouldn't that decrease the sound?
Click to expand...
Use headphones.
 
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