Using a Computer to Record Telephone Conversations

Recording phone conversations used to require dedicated recording equipment. On the low end, one could use a simple wire connecting a handset with a tape recorder. A company with multiple phone lines would usually require expensive all-in-one digital solutions that integrate a PSTN or VoIP PBX with call recording, such as PBXpress by www.pbxpress.com.

But what if you don’t need to record all calls, and only need to tap certain conversations? Buying expensive equipment would not be cost-effective in this case. Using a tape recorder is always an option, but it gives you neither convenient navigation nor search support.

Using a computer to handle the recording would be perfect for the purpose. Surprisingly, you might already have the equipment to start tapping conversations immediately. On the hardware side, a simple voice modem is sufficient to record phone conversations. Have a look at your modem. If it is marked “Voice” or “Data/Fax/Voice”, chances are that you can use this modem for tapping. If, however, it is labeled as “Data/Fax” or “Fax Modem”, then most probably your modem does not support the necessary features, and therefore it won’t be able to record.

Having a voice modem is not yet enough to record calls. You need software that could control your particular modem, record and store conversations somewhere on your hard disk. In the past, modem manufacturers used to bundle such software along with their modems, but this is not the case anymore for many years. You are on your own to find software that can record phone calls and supports your particular modem.

Call Corder (www.callcorder.com) by Pingram Software is one of such products. Its main and only purpose is recording telephone conversations, compressing them, and storing in Windows compatible sound files that can be played back with Windows Media Player, Winamp or any other music player.

Call Corder supports most modem brands. If it can’t find an exact match for your modem, it defaults to the closest generic one. Chances are high that Call Corder will be able to use your modem’s voice features to record calls even if it’s not on the list of compatible ones!

If you are recording an incoming call, Call Corder will log Caller ID information provided by your modem. This usually includes caller’s name and number. In order to receive this call information, you usually have to subscribe to the Caller ID service from your phone company. If you do not have Caller ID, you can always fill in the caller data by hand.

During or after recording you can make marks and memos about the conversation. You can conveniently search for a call by typing any word or phrase from the memo, and Call Corder will automatically show you all conversations containing this information. Of course, you can also search by the telephone number or the name of the caller.

Try Call Corder free for 30 days to ensure that your modem is compatible! Download your evaluation copy at www.callcorder.com

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