Belkin Voice Recorder for iPod (White)

I haven't had nearly as much trouble with this recorder as some of the other reviewers, but I can corroborate stories of some of its flaws. It's designed to be quite sensitive but that often leads to distorted recordings, especially if you have to try to record someone over speakerphone. If you don't press record within a few seconds of plugging in the unit, the iPod goes to sleep and you've got to do the two-finger reboot, which is inconvenient and might cost you the beginning of your interview. And I, too, have heard some hard disk access noise on some of my recordings. (I haven't had issues where it failed to record at all--not yet, anyway.)

However, those issues have been minor compared to the hassle this little unit has saved me. As a journalist, I've used this for a year to record interviews on my 3G iPod and found it to be a lifesaver--it's much more convenient than using a tape recorder, and I can record for well over an hour without worrying about running out of...Read more

I give the Belkin voice recorder a 3 star -- middling -- rating. But, I would give the commenters who have made unfair complaints about this device zero stars, if possible. There is a pattern here. People who used the voice recorder for its intended purpose -- recording memos or conversations -- usually like it. Those who used it for a purpose not recommended -- usually recording music -- dislike it. A voice recorder is not a cheap way to make recordings of music or other delicate sounds, folks. If that is what you intend to use the Belkin voice recorder for, do not buy it.

The Belkin voice recorder is superior to the software and hardware voice recorder on my Tungsten C PDA. That software retails for about $100. But, the recordings from the Belkin device sound better. And, I can listen to them with dual earphones instead of the monos PDA voice recorders require. So, if you are a person looking to step up from that situation, as I was, the Belkin voice...Read more

"Voice Memos" are saved in mono WAV files which means it will fill up your iPod much faster than if it had the capability to be saved in MP3. In mono WAV format, I find that 1 minute of recording is equivalent to a 1MB file.
I like the recorder for what I need to do-which is simply to hear meeting/lecture conversations again but not to reproduce or publish them. I've used it in one on one conversations and in an auditorium. It did excellent in the auditorium. But if you record voices too closely to the mic, it doesn't regulate the peaks well. There is no gain control so if you are recording someone who speaks loudly, you will get a bit of this ..zzzzz. vibration due to high peaks. I could imagine this could be a problem for those who are going to use it for reproduction. It's still a genius addition to the iPod. I got what I needed.