# Recording something from telephone to computer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 5, 2001, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637 "2001-11-05T17:55:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/1 "2001-11-05T17:55:40Z")
Is there a way to record speech from the telephone on the computer using a regular 56k data/voice/fax/whatever modem? Or is there additional hardware/software I may need? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/2 "2001-11-05T18:17:58Z")
If your modem supports voice-mode you need some software to put it in voice mode and record the sound. (If the sound goes directly to your soundcard that may or may not be possible.) The easy way to do it (well, the way I did it) is to simply splice your phone’s speaker circuit into a cable plugged into your sound card’s line-in. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/3 "2001-11-05T18:22:01Z")
> [@](#): > > The easy way to do it (well, the way I did it) is to simply splice your phone’s speaker circuit into a cable plugged into your sound card’s line-in. This sounds like something I could actually do; but I don’t know much about telephone wiring. Is there a site, or perhaps instructions, you could direct me towards? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/4 "2001-11-05T18:32:57Z")
Radio Shack sells several different telephone recording devices that you could use without cutting up or splicing into your phone wires. The simplest and least expensive (a few dollars) is the suction cup mike to microphone plug. Connect this to the earpiece of the handset and adjust the PC’s mike input levels and record. Offering greater clarity but more expensive is the in line unit. This plugs into any telephone jack in the house. It is supposed to be used with the mike in and remote in of a tape recorder and it will activate and deactivate the recorder via the remote plug when it senses (via line voltage) that the phone is hung up but you can simply plug it into the PC’s mike in jack and use it directly. It’s around $ 25.00 ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/5 "2001-11-05T18:35:15Z")
Do **not** splice phone lines into an audio input, you can cause serious damage. When your phone rings there is 48 volts on the line and can provide a pretty healthy current. Radio shack sells a modular audoo adapter that plugs into the handset jack of a phone and has an 1/8" plug that will work in the microphone input of your sound card. That is probably the simplest solution. I have use a Sound blaster audio compatible modem but trying to record telephone from it directly was unsatisfactory though it worked fine in answering machine mode. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/6 "2001-11-05T18:50:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Radio shack sells a modular audoo adapter that plugs into the handset jack of a phone and has an 1/8" plug that will work in the microphone input of your sound card. That is probably the simplest solution. This sounds like an effective solution… a quick search of Radio Shack’s website yielded no results, perhaps I’m looking for the wrong thing. What should I ask for, when I go in to purchase it? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/7 "2001-11-05T19:11:40Z")
Recorder Control 24.99 Reg. Price Brand: RadioShack Cat.#: 43-1236 Starts a recorder to tape conversations when any receiver is picked up. Recorder Control $19.99 Reg. Price Brand: RadioShack Cat.#: 43-228 Starts a recorder to tape conversations when single receiver is picked up. Plug into modular jack/tape Plug into modular jack/tape Recorder Telephone Pickup $4.49 Reg. Price Brand: RadioShack Cat.#: 44-533 Easy-to-use suction cup attachment. For recording personal calls or keeping a record of unwanted calls. (May be incompatible with some electronic phones.) ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/8 "2001-11-05T19:18:22Z")
Thanks for the replies… I’m off to the Shack =) ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/9 "2001-11-05T21:19:26Z")
[This](http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,55364,.html) freeware program works well if you have a voice modem. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/10 "2001-11-05T23:14:36Z")
If you have a voice modem, then lineout goes to soundcard linein then use wwindows recorder to record? pretty simple, haven’t tried it though. Or get an answering machine that records conversations, play it back to the microphone of the recorder when using record. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-something-from-telephone-to-computer/91637/11 "2001-11-05T23:57:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Padeye \* > Do **not** splice phone lines into an audio input, you can cause serious damage. When your phone rings there is 48 volts on the line and can provide a pretty healthy current. That’s why you don’t splice the phone line, you splice the speaker circuit! 🙂