5 reasons to use a dedicated voice recording device By Marsha Taicher

A Swiss Army Knife can be a convenient cutting tool, but would a chef at a restaurant use one in his kitchen? Likewise, some professionals who regularly record themselves and others for their jobs are considering if they should just use a smartphone for these duties.

On the surface, leveraging a smartphone may seem like an efficient recording option. However, after a more careful assessment of their daily voice technology demands, these professionals will quickly determine their smartphone cannot offer the sound clarity or other features of a dedicated digital recording device designed to perform in numerous settings.

In greater detail, the five biggest reasons professionals should use a dedicated recording device for their job duties are described below.

1. Superior recording clarity Smartphones are only designed to record voices when the speaker is two or three inches away from the device. Conversely, dedicated recorders are designed to capture high-quality, stereo recordings in a multitude of settings and a variety of distances from the sound source. For example, professionals in the legal, insurance and law enforcement industries often use voice recorders for interviews, so it is essential the devices clearly capture every spoken word for accurate transcription and document creation. Most smartphone microphones are not designed for recording face-to-face conversations, let alone conference situations where multiple speakers are seated around a table. A dedicated device is not only capable, but its microphones are also designed to capture each word—even when there are multiple speakers, resulting in a recording where the listener can clearly distinguish voices.

With a dedicated device, not only will the sound quality improve but the transcriptions will be more prompt and accurate. Sound clarity ensures the transcriptionist will only need to hear a recording once to understand and document all spoken words.

2. Longer battery life Smartphone batteries have to power the device’s energy-draining software, Wi-Fi connectivity and voice calling. This is part of the reason why smartphone batteries tend to only last eight or nine hours on a full charge.¹ Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in dedicated recorders are not encumbered by numerous other competing energy demands, so devices can record for 50 hours before needing a recharge. Moreover, a professional-level dedicated recorder automatically adjusts its power consumption based the device’s status to minimize energy usage. Professionals who rely on voice recordings in their daily work lives cannot afford to have a recording unexpectedly stop in the middle because of a dead battery.

3. Abundant storage As smartphones become more technologically advanced, the more memory the software consumes. It is perhaps no surprise then that recent survey results show 22 percent of iPhone users run out of storage at least once a month.² Professional dedicated recorders offer up to 32GB of memory just for audio files, which is the equivalent of 352 days of continuous recordings. In addition, memory capacity and usage is clearly displayed on dedicated voice recorders. A smartphone, on the other hand, is continually storing and deleting data in the background through its operating software and apps, so memory usage is often fluid and requires the user to search through device settings to determine available space.

4. Advanced recording features Professional-level dedicated recorders include advanced functions and features that are typically unavailable on most smartphone devices or recording apps. For example, some voice recorders contain a motion sensor that can detect when the device has been set down and automatically switches the recorder’s microphone to record a discussion instead of a dictation. Dedicated voice recorders also include features that allow the speaker to easily edit and prioritize recordings in the device. When the recording is concluded, professional dedicated devices are typically integrated with recording management software that allows the user to efficiently and securely share files with colleagues or transcriptionists.

5. Enhanced security In law, medicine, insurance and other industries, confidentiality of information is critical—that includes voice recordings. Professional-quality dedicated recorders, unlike most smartphones, protect recordings with the highest level of encryption to date—256 bit—compliant with the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). Files are encrypted in real-time, which means even if the recorder is lost or stolen and its memory card removed, the recordings would still be protected. Data confidentiality is further protected on professional dedicated recorders through a four-digit PIN code required to access files or play recordings.

Professionals require professional-level tools Smartphones have become inextricable from our daily personal and professional lives. What these devices offer in voice recording convenience, however, they often lack in quality, power, memory, security and productivity-enabling features.

Professionals who rely on audio recording to do their jobs need tools that withstand the frequent daily demands most users put on the devices—a professional-level dedicated digital recorder.

About the author: Marsha Taicher is vice president and director of sales for Speech Processing Solutions North America, the manufacturer of Philips dictation solutions.


¹http://www.tomsguide.com/us/iphone-6-battery-life,news-19591.html
²https://givemeicecream.com/blog/