(Edit: iPhone OS 3.0 now has a built-in recorder, but it is really lame. There is no way to name the file (it is named with a time stamp) and when it syncs to iTunes it creates a mess of your file system, placing recordings in the root of your iTunes music folder.) On the plus side, from the looks of it, quality seems OK, using a 16 bit apple lossless AAC file. My guess is the recording length is limited, though I’m not sure.)
The sheer number of applications available for iPhones on the iTunes App Store is fantastic. At the same time, the sheer number of options to perform particular tasks can be bewildering. In terms of voice memo recorders, there are at least a dozen good options! Which one to use will depend on your needs. Unfortunately for my needs none is yet absolutely perfect.
Here is a quick comparison guide. I tried iProRecorder, Record, Newpea, IDicto, Evernote, and Jott. Comments on EccoNote & QuickVoice are based on App Store reviews and support pages. I planned to get to Voice Record, SpeakEasy, and Plum, but ran out of time, so boxes are partial for those.
| Feature | iProRecorder | Record | Recorder | Newpea Audio Recorder | iDicto Recorder | EccoNote | QuickVoice | Voice Record | SpeakEasy | Plum | Evernote | Jott |
| Price | $0.99 | $1.99 | $0.99 | $9.99 | $0.99 | Free | Free | $1.99 | $1.99 | $0.99 | Free | Free |
| Appearance | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | - | 5 | - | 4 | 4 |
| Intuitive | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | 5 |
| Format | wav | compressed IMA4 AIFF | AIFF | mp3, mp4 | AIFF, CAF | ? | no info! | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Quality | LQ/MQ/HQ | ? (compressed IMA4 AIFF) | high (44.1k) & low (?) | 32-128 kbps, 8K-44.1K | 8K-44.1K | ? | reviews say no hiqual setting | ? | 8K-44.1K | ? | ? | ? |
| stereo | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Sync | no | wifi export via desktop client | no | no | no | no | with paid desktop client ($15-$20) | ? | see export | ? | hosted web site | hosted web site |
| Export | LAN web server or email | email (max 5 min) | LAN web server or email (short) | only jailbroken | LAN web server or email | FTP to server or email (pro version) | ditto | ? | to iTunes with free desktop client; requires working iTunes backup | ? | - | - |
| Organize Files | Yes | into folders | ? | no | sorting | ? | ? | Voice Record | ? | Plum | into notebooks | no |
| Auto-name | no | date; rename akw. | Memo #; rename akw. | date | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | no | yes |
| Jog Wheel | yes | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Variable playback speed | yes | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| mic gain | no | no | no | yes | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Unlimited Length | yes | ? | yes | yes | yes | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | no | no |
| Other | - | records when phone locked | - | - | uses icons for categories; sorting possible | scant info provided | - | - | - | - | web site limited free storage | transcription |
Notes:
• in addition to these, there are still several others
• comments refer to versions as of 11/9/2008. it is unlikely I will update this.
Recommendations:
iProRecorder gives the most bang for the buck, but can be a bit unintuitive. Unfortunately the file format is WAV (!). Suitable for voice recordings and transcriptions.
Audio Recorder is the only one to support MP3/MP4 with a high sample rate (44.1K) — to maximize on file size. But it’s expensive and really requires a jailbroken phone to get recordings off it.
Evernote & Jott are suitable for quick memos with web sync, but not for long interviews etc.
So far I have yet to find something perfect — high quality compressed or uncompressed files, easy to organize with auto-naming, easy to get off the phone (preferably with true sync), great appearance, unlimited file size, and cheap (free – $1.99).
Edit: I’ve since settled on Voxie Pro Recorder, which I did not even fully review above. It meets most of the above criteria and costs $1.99. It allows for sample rates of 8, 11, 22, and 44 kHZ. It has an express record mode, easy naming, and a slick interface.
Please feel free to state your case in the comments or make corrections.
April 22, 2009 at 5:02 pm |
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April 22, 2009 at 5:08 pm |
[...] Voice recorders comparisonThe sheer number of applications available for iPhones on the iTunes App Store is fantastic. At the same time, the sheer number of options to perform particular tasks can be bewildering. In terms of voice memo recorders, …http://metaclam.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/recorders/ [...]
April 22, 2009 at 5:10 pm |
[...] Voice recorders comparisonThe sheer number of applications available for iPhones on the iTunes App Store is fantastic. At the same time, the sheer number of options to perform particular tasks can be bewildering. In terms of voice memo recorders, …http://metaclam.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/recorders/ [...]
April 22, 2009 at 5:24 pm |
[...] Voice recorders comparisonThe sheer number of applications available for iPhones on the iTunes App Store is fantastic. At the same time, the sheer number of options to perform particular tasks can be bewildering. In terms of voice memo recorders, …http://metaclam.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/recorders/ [...]
April 22, 2009 at 5:35 pm |
[...] Voice recorders comparisonThe sheer number of applications available for iPhones on the iTunes App Store is fantastic. At the same time, the sheer number of options to perform particular tasks can be bewildering. In terms of voice memo recorders, …http://metaclam.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/recorders/ [...]
April 23, 2009 at 11:32 am |
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