Recording telephone on to CD

[JackDanielsU]

Anyone know where i can buy a piece of equipment that can record telephone conversations onto a CD.

Or does it need to be recorded first onto a computer, then burned onto a CD? If so is that easy to do with the right leads etc?

Any ideas and help much appreciated

[jenstar]

You can get one from a company called Re-Tell who specialise in phone recording, but it's seriously pricey. A better bet is just to get a phone recorder that uses old-fashioned tapes, you can get them for under �50 and you can always transfer them to CD later if you need to.

[badams]

I agree with jenstar - doing this right can be expensive! Professionals connect telephone lines to audio equipment using a device known as a Telephone Balance Unit, or Telephone Hybrid.  A Sonifex HY-03 is typical of the type used by broadcasters, and will set you back around �700 - and you still need a CD recorder after that!

There are of course, cheaper alternatives.  This company:-

http://www.wizard.uk.com/index.htm

does one for under �200, but bear in mind that you still need a mixing desk (a cheap one at around �70 - �80 would be more than adequate), and a CD recorder which will be less than �200. (You could skip the CD recorder and record directly on your PC).

Whatever you do, do NOT wire anything directly to the telephone line which was not specifically designed for it! The line sits with 50v dc on it when not in use, and the ringing voltage can be as high as 90v ac, which will make short work of the line input stage of the average domestic tape recorder!