Belkin iPod Mic and Media Reader FAQs

[MacRumors]

Belkin has posted Frequently Asked Question pages for their new Voice Recorder (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=201526&pcount=&Product_Id=158384) and Media Reader (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=201526&pcount=&Product_Id=158350) for the 3rd Generation iPods.

The Voice Recorder FAQ (http://web.belkin.com/support/kb/kbsearch.asp?resultsPP=25&basic=F8E462&moddate=1&befaf=1&doctype=4&type=*) provides recording specifications for the iPod Accessory:

Monaural (mono), 16-bit audio at 8KHz

According to the documents, the Mic provides no line-in, and is intended and tuned to make voice recordings.

The Media Reader FAQ (http://web.belkin.com/support/kb/kbsearch.asp?resultsPP=25&basic=F8E461&moddate=1&befaf=1&doctype=4&type=*) explains that the Media Reader will not write files to memory cards, is powered by 4 AAA batteries, and that users are unable to view the photos on their iPod.

[punter]

I don't know what everyone else thought, but I imagined the card reader to be a small attachment to the ipod, not a external drive with a cord.

I also thought these accessories would be made by Apple. Shows how much I know.

I'm sure it won't take long to make a recording attachment that's stereo and has line in.

[walkingmac]

AHH MAN.... this just takes all the wind out of my sails for the potential of the current recording abilities of the iPod. Maybe I should not have had my hopes this high.... maybe in future generations Apple can see that a recording rate of 44 stereo would be better recieved the 8 mono.

This puts me back to the reasons I had before for getting an iPod, while not bad ones by any means (I still love the product and plan to get one), just was hoping that a high quality recording feature was available.

[Phil Of Mac]

I might get the recorder for the iPod, but I don't like to spend money. I'm poor, you know.

[jbrown]

I'll be the FIRST--to go with these - right on!!:D :p

[walkingmac]

then again.... was the 8khz the capabilites of belkin accessory or of the iPod?

[iwantanewmac]

Steve said: voice recording is the most requested feature?
mmmmmmmmm
I know recording was a requested feature. But not some lame mic tuned for voice. bah
Now I still have to use my MD.

[walkingmac]

Originally posted by iwantanewmac
Steve said: voice recording is the most requested feature?
mmmmmmmmm
I know recording was a requested feature. But not some lame mic tuned for voice. bah
Now I still have to use my MD.

FINALLY..... someone who feels my pain!

[sebimeyer]

Chris Breen just posted this to the Macworld.com message boards:

I asked the Apple folks about this at the SF event on Thursday.

Currently you can't plug another audio device into the iPod and expect it to work. The Belkin mic works because it taps into something in the iPod's firmware (Apple says it will freely license the code for doing this but you must obtain this code from Apple to create a recording device). The device must also plug into the Remote port on the top of the iPod as well as the headphone jack.

According to the FAQ on Belkin's site, the device records 16-bit mono at 8kHz. But during the presentation I swear the slide said 32kHz. I later asked about resolution and the Apple rep confirmed that it was 32kHz. We'll see.
http://www.macworld.com/forums/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB4&Number=170483&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

[iwantanewmac]

Originally posted by walkingmac
FINALLY..... someone who feels my pain!

:) I feel it haha

When the first 5 gig ipod came out (I was in Palo Alto at the time), I was thinking immediately......what if this thing could record also....
and finally........after years of waiting it's going to happen!
I bet were going to have a good quality mic in less than 2 months.
Even if I have to make it myself!!!! grrrr

ok im off rehearsing with my band.

now where is that other mic......

[weev]

Originally posted by walkingmac
FINALLY..... someone who feels my pain!

I think this is a poor accessory. Good if you just want a dictaphone but not much chop if you want to collect audio for mixing, broadcasting etc.

No line in!?, get real.

I think the MD is still more purpose built for proper recording.

so I might plan to buy one of these MiniDiscs -- any suggestions of a good model (or what features I should be looking for)?

I really know nothing about them?

Also, what is a good sound editing app, so i could tweak an interview, say, for broadcast on radio.


Cheers in advance, and I love this damn forum!

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by iwantanewmac
Steve said: voice recording is the most requested feature?
mmmmmmmmm
I know recording was a requested feature. But not some lame mic tuned for voice. bah
Now I still have to use my MD.

It's not meant for bootlegging at concerts, guys! It's meant for recording lectures, meetings, and notes to self.

[weev]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
It's not meant for bootlegging at concerts, guys! It's meant for recording lectures, meetings, and notes to self.

What is the range of the mike? Can you really record a lecture, or, as I imagine, it's good for about 2 feet. So it really is notes to self.

edit-- And I found the answer from the faq:D

"The voice recorder’s microphone is intended to record voice up to 24” from the speaker, and to avoid ambient noise outside of this range._ While in certain environments other uses may be possible, this is not the primary intention for this specific product."

[iwantanewmac]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
It's not meant for bootlegging at concerts, guys! It's meant for recording lectures, meetings, and notes to self.

If I want to bootleg concerts there are tons of ways to do that.

I want a mic to record my own band.
Who the hell wants to record lectures only.......
Is it really that difficult to make a stereo qood quality mic that fits on an ipod?


it's just so annoying that I have to carry around 2 music players around.

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by weev
What is the range of the mike? Can you really record a lecture, or, as I imagine, it's good for about 2 feet. So it really is notes to self.

It's advertised for recording lectures, so I suspect it's like any other tape recorder mic.

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by iwantanewmac
If I want to bootleg concerts there are tons of ways to do that.

I want a mic to record my own band.

And you want it to be an iPod accessory?

I want a hair comb, but I don't want it built into my toothbrush.

Originally posted by iwantanewmac
Who the hell wants to record lectures only.......

Students. I thought that was obvious.

[Analog Kid]

Originally posted by weev
"The voice recorder’s microphone is intended to record voice up to 24” from the speaker, and to avoid ambient noise outside of this range._ While in certain environments other uses may be possible, this is not the primary intention for this specific product."

So, you can't use it to record ambient audio, you can't use it to record a lecture, there's only so much I really care to talk to myself... What's the point?

The more I hear about either of these "hot accessories", the less impressed I am... Both concepts had so much potential, and both implementations fell so flat...

[Analog Kid]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
And you want it to be an iPod accessory?

I want a hair comb, but I don't want it built into my toothbrush.


Yeah, having a good, portable, digital recorder would be perfect for some of the pet projects I have in mind. Being able to record to a hard drive would be a great way to do it. No sense carrying redundant hardware around.

Most people wouldn't want a hair comb and toothbrush attached because of hygiene concerns-- there's nothing about adding a record function that would detract from the iPods function, or vice versa.

Building the mic into the unit might, but a plug in accessory certainly would not.

[Irafas]

I was going to buy a new iPod for the recording function (still got a 2G one) but if it can't record lectures then it's no use to me. Anyone tried it out yet?

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by Analog Kid
Yeah, having a good, portable, digital recorder would be perfect for some of the pet projects I have in mind. Being able to record to a hard drive would be a great way to do it. No sense carrying redundant hardware around.

Most people wouldn't want a hair comb and toothbrush attached because of hygiene concerns-- there's nothing about adding a record function that would detract from the iPods function, or vice versa.

Building the mic into the unit might, but a plug in accessory certainly would not.

It just struck me as an odd use of the iPod, as a hi-fidelity mic for recording your own band. I really don't see the point, but I'm not well-versed in this stuff either.

[iwantanewmac]

Originally posted by Analog Kid
Yeah, having a good, portable, digital recorder would be perfect for some of the pet projects I have in mind. Being able to record to a hard drive would be a great way to do it. No sense carrying redundant hardware around.

Most people wouldn't want a hair comb and toothbrush attached because of hygiene concerns-- there's nothing about adding a record function that would detract from the iPods function, or vice versa.

Building the mic into the unit might, but a plug in accessory certainly would not.

Couldn't have said it better.
That part about 24" from the speaker made me laugh very hard.
I've had had lectures in churches over 50 meters long. So I guess that belkin thingy isn't going to cut it.

[crap freakboy]

pants and pants
not worth the effort or the money

[Stike]

I am very disappointed by that feature. I think I will stick to my MD recorder - and it does CD-quality recordings... not too long, but at least long enough.

[junior]

Originally posted by Stike
I am very disappointed by that feature. I think I will stick to my MD recorder - and it does CD-quality recordings... not too long, but at least long enough.

The audio gets compressed the moment it goes into the MD. It's not CD quality, but is certainly better than the spec given out by Belkin.
Let's hope more and more third party products get released for the iPod. What's the reason right now for the lack of companies building things to go with iPods? Do apple charge a rediculous amount of money/percentage?

[airbag]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
It just struck me as an odd use of the iPod, as a hi-fidelity mic for recording your own band. I really don't see the point, but I'm not well-versed in this stuff either.

On the contrary ... recording only voices is an odd use of the iPod, in my view. Don't forget the iPod was built for MUSIC!

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by airbag
On the contrary ... recording only voices is an odd use of the iPod, in my view. Don't forget the iPod was built for MUSIC!

True, but if you want a high-end mic, you probably have a better setup for it than just an iPod.

[ubergrid]

If the iPod becomes the standard device used for dictation, Apple could develop an iDictate-type application for voice translation to text, and could be part of the rumored iOffice.

[Analog Kid]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
It just struck me as an odd use of the iPod, as a hi-fidelity mic for recording your own band. I really don't see the point, but I'm not well-versed in this stuff either.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to ask for hi-fidelity, but 8kHz certainly isn't good enough for recording live sound that has any complexity.

A line in port would make it great for recording off a sound board, but a mike input would be good for recording a live practice session for later review.

For myself, I just want to walk the streets and record what I hear, or catch a sample of an interesting sound I come across.

And maybe you're right-- that might be asking too much...

At 8kHz though, it's like listening to everything through a telephone. Even if the mike had spatial range, I don't know if I'd want to listen to a lecture through a telephone.

I think that's what bugs me the most-- they seemed to have found a way of thwarting every decent use of a plug-in microphone. Can't record anything but speech and can't even do that more than 2ft away.

Even if I couldn't use it the way I wanted to, I could have swallowed it if they were appealing to the student-wants-to-record-a-lecture crowd... But they're not. This looks like the doctor and executive dictate-for-my-secretary crowd-- not a big market in my opinion...

[airbag]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
True, but if you want a high-end mic, you probably have a better setup for it than just an iPod.

Sure, you could go for a portable DAT recorder or another solid-state recorder with lots of features and high-end connectors - but then we're talking about prices from around $1000 and up!:(

A lot of amateur- and pro musicians and DJs use MD for recording, sampling etc - and there's a huge selection of quality microphones designed for this. Think of this, and the fact that iPods are extremely popular among musicians - it's obvious that there is a demand for good quality recording.

This is "The most requested feature" steve was talking about - but unfortunately he didn't deliver...:(

[Stike]

Originally posted by airbag
Sure, you could go for a portable DAT recorder or another solid-state recorder with lots of features and high-end connectors - but then we're talking about prices from around $1000 and up!:(


Heh, a friend of mine found a portable SONY DAT recorder on a second-hand market, and got it for 30 bucks :D
It was too awesome.

Apple ddn´t deliver. They will hear the cries of the users now. I wanted MD-like recording features, with mic-in option... but noooooo...

[Analog Kid]

Hmmm... From the Belkin FAQ:

"The microphone is tuned to range of the human voice and the recording capabilities of the iPod; frequency response is 500Hz to 12kHz."

and

"Monaural (mono), 16-bit audio at 8KHz."

Now, if 8kHz is the sampling rate, we're looking at 3-4kHz bandwidth, but even if we assume 8kHz is the bandwidth, this sounds weird...

Maybe the 32kHz sampling is right after all? That would give 12-15kHz of bandwidth...

So much for clearing up the specifications...

Being "tuned to the recording capabilities of the iPod" makes it sound like the iPod itself is part of the limitation. Time for an Apple Knowledge Base article to set the record straight...

I can't think of any reason why the iPod couldn't record at much higher rates. It's not even doing any real compression on a WAV file...

[Telomar]

Originally posted by airbag
This is "The most requested feature" steve was talking about - but unfortunately he didn't deliver...:( I would be surprised if high-quality recording was the most requested feature and not at all surprised if dictation, voice notes or lecture recording was the most requested. At least 2 of those 3 are serviced by this and I suspect the last is doable too.

Over 1 million of these have been sold and I would think the student, journalist and general populous ownership comes well above that of musicians.

[centauratlas]

I am surprised they didn't include XD memory reading on it...

[edStar]

I'm pretty disappointed that they didn't consider the xD card also.

I think the mic accessory is pretty cool, I'll be using it to record lectures and stuff. They'll probably be revisions of this accessory in the future, so take it easy.

[CrackedButter]

GREAT because i use xD and i could of used the ipod thingy, GREAT because i bought a lexar 8 in 1 last month. YOU HEAR ME Apple? 8 different formats!

But the thing looks and acts pooh anyway so GREAT i didn't spend any money on it and got something far better for less than half price.


Great! Because i have bought one of those voice recorders thinking it would do lectures. Now my teacher is going to have to hold it for me or hope and prey i get it on a desk close enough and nobody nicks a £300 audio device. I wish i knew it could only do 2ft before i bought it. Damn Apple always leaving out the good bits to a new device. But i am happy if it functions as we diary device. I've wanted one for a few years and i was going to buy an Olympus device which costs nearly $150. Anyway this is cheap so Great!
But bad because i thought it could do something it couldn't, suppose i would have to wait till a 3rd party does one better.

[abdul]

lectures? 24" thats 60cm. what do you expect me to do stand right next to the lecturer. damn its not even 1metre distance. thats totally crap.i dont know what type of lectures steve went to (if he went to uni) but its physically impossible to be within 1 metre of the lecturer.

this is such a crap device, unless its better than Belkin make out (which i doubt)

[abdul]

Originally posted by airbag
On the contrary ... recording only voices is an odd use of the iPod, in my view. Don't forget the iPod was built for MUSIC!

so was the MD and so was cassette. point being? if offering a service, atleast made an effort in fulfilling the task of the object (mic). rather than offering somethink that would be offered about 20years ago!

[weev]

Originally posted by abdul
lectures? 24" thats 60cm. what do you expect me to do stand right next to the lecturer. damn its not even 1metre distance. thats totally crap.i dont know what type of lectures steve went to (if he went to uni) but its physically impossible to be within 1 metre of the lecturer.


Yeah, don't know what all this talk about lectures is ... it's a DICTAPHONE

End of story. Read the FAQ to find out how un-hi fi this product is.

[snahabed]

These accessories are ugly and stupid..... JUST LIKE KYLE'S MOM!

:)

I guess I can appreciate that a company is making an effort, but these offerings get a check-minus.

[MoodMinefield]

*sigh* Apple sure seems to be a big fan of AA/AAA "batteries" these days!

[dricci]

Has anybody tried just plugging a regular Mic into the headphone jack on a 3G iPod running the latest Firmware? Or maybe someone can take apart one of the new Mic things, and rig up some kind of adapter that would be like a mini-amplifier, so you could plug in a regular Mic to it, which in turn would plug into the iPod.

[hayesk]

Does everyone really think that a microphone will drop off to nothing at 24.x inches? The mic is "tuned" for that, that's all. Wait for a review. They will obviously try it out at various distances.

I'll bet all of those personal cassette recorders have the same kind of mics. Yet, they are used for lectures all the time.

Wait and see before complaining.

[QuiteSure]

I was looking at this new invention...

it's called a car ...

but it won't let me teleport ...

damn car manufacturers!!

[Potus]

Originally posted by walkingmac
AHH MAN.... this just takes all the wind out of my sails for the potential of the current recording abilities of the iPod. Maybe I should not have had my hopes this high.... maybe in future generations Apple can see that a recording rate of 44 stereo would be better recieved the 8 mono.

This puts me back to the reasons I had before for getting an iPod, while not bad ones by any means (I still love the product and plan to get one), just was hoping that a high quality recording feature was available.

What a disppointment! I was hoping a little elf would come out and massage my back. I guess I'm forced to just use the iPod for listening to days of music and backing up my hard drive. sigh.

[lmalave]

Originally posted by hayesk
Does everyone really think that a microphone will drop off to nothing at 24.x inches? The mic is "tuned" for that, that's all. Wait for a review. They will obviously try it out at various distances.

I'll bet all of those personal cassette recorders have the same kind of mics. Yet, they are used for lectures all the time.

Wait and see before complaining.

Exactly. The limited range is intended to cut ambient noise. If you're in a quiet lecture hall where the speaker's voice is by far the loudest voice, I would expect this iMic to record that lecture just fine.

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by lmalave
Exactly. The limited range is intended to cut ambient noise. If you're in a quiet lecture hall where the speaker's voice is by far the loudest voice, I would expect this iMic to record that lecture just fine.

I will nonetheless wait for the first reviews before I trust that it will do that, however.

[bignumbers]

I think the microphone is ok, for the right purpose. I wasn't looking for this purpose. Like others, I'm more interested in recording in a larger setting, lectures and mid-size meetings.

I'm pleased they thought to put a speaker on it.

One thing I'm curious about is how it uses the HD and battery life. Does it cache the incoming data to RAM, then dump out to the HD now and then? Or does the HD keep spinning? I'm guessing it uses the cache, in which case the battery should last a while.

[sebimeyer]

Guys, I don't think you are getting what is happening here. Apple has said they will give the firmware code out to other companies to make a microphone.

This one is for speech. It's $49 which is more than fair. And to answer the question "who the hell wants to record speech only?" Journalists maybe?

I have no doubt that this is not the last recording add-on. Before long there will be others. This is just the most basic one and also a good excuse for students to justify the iPod's expense to their parents.

It's what Apple does best: Only one step in a long term strategy.

[jimthorn]

Originally posted by sebimeyer
Guys, I don't think you are getting what is happening here. Apple has said they will give the firmware code out to other companies to make a microphone.

This one is for speech. It's $49 which is more than fair. And to answer the question "who the hell wants to record speech only?" Journalists maybe?

I have no doubt that this is not the last recording add-on. Before long there will be others. This is just the most basic one and also a good excuse for students to justify the iPod's expense to their parents.

It's what Apple does best: Only one step in a long term strategy.

I agree. Now that the recording functions of the iPod are available through the firmware, it should be fairly trivial for other companies to make recording add-ons. I think a great one would just be a dongle that snaps into the audio and remote ports, like the end of the remote cable, and then just has a line-in port. Snap it in, plug in your own mic, and go nuts recording whatever you like. Sounds like a job for Griffin. Unfortunately, it looks like it still won't be high-quality stereo, but then there's always the next gen iPod.

[reyesmac]

The iPod = iMac

What they need is a Powermac or Pro version of the iPod with all the features the pro's are looking for.

A ProPod or PowerPod.

[theevilmonkey]

I'm sorry, but this is really bothering me- the accesories were just announced a half-week ago- how can there be any frequently asked questions?

You can only talk to so many people in 3 days.

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by reyesmac
The iPod = iMac

What they need is a Powermac or Pro version of the iPod with all the features the pro's are looking for.

A ProPod or PowerPod.

Yeah.

And we also need the PowerTunes Music Store for uncompressed 5.1 audio.

I meant this as a joke, but it turned into a good idea.

[paulwesley]

yes, it's disappointing as a mic, BUT...

It allows input of INFORMATION into the iPod while on the go. Without this the use of a calendar or contacts list is a bit problematic. I can't put an appointment into my calendar, or a note, or even someone's phone number with my iPod alone, I still have to have pencil and paper handy, but if it has a microphone, I can speak/record this stuff in. (though it's gotta later be transferred into the calendar/addressbook) This is why it was a requested feature.

This allows the iPod to attempt to compete (er... just be in the race...) with PalmPilots etc. and how much 'hi-tech-sexier' than with a pointer-pen?
;-)

Might even convince a few parents out there that an iPod could aid in an education beyond its jukeboxness. ;-)

As in the iDictaphone post- I bet voice recognition software is somewhere out there in the future. . .

[Rower_CPU]

Originally posted by theevilmonkey
I'm sorry, but this is really bothering me- the accesories were just announced a half-week ago- how can there be any frequently asked questions?

You can only talk to so many people in 3 days.

If you want to be technical it's "Questions we think people will ask us", FAQ is the usual term for things like this.

What an odd thing to be bothered by...;)

[gwuMACaddict]

i notice that everyone is REALLY pissed off about the crappy mic... rightly so, but no one is talking about the other iPod accesory...

i think that the memory card reader is an awesome idea. i work with digital photography and this saves me a bundle on flash cards.

[IJ Reilly]

Originally posted by abdul
lectures? 24" thats 60cm. what do you expect me to do stand right next to the lecturer. damn its not even 1metre distance. thats totally crap.i dont know what type of lectures steve went to (if he went to uni) but its physically impossible to be within 1 metre of the lecturer.

Put the recorder on the lectern, with the permission of the speaker of course. That's the only way record a lecture, anyway -- unless all you want to hear on the recording is the sound of the audience shuffling their feet and scratching their backsides.

This device is what it is. Now that the recording cat is out of the bag, somebody will probably come up with a stereo setup for the iPod. It'll probably cost more then $49.00.

[IJ Reilly]

Originally posted by paulwesley
yes, it's disappointing as a mic, BUT...

It allows input of INFORMATION into the iPod while on the go. Without this the use of a calendar or contacts list is a bit problematic. I can't put an appointment into my calendar, or a note, or even someone's phone number with my iPod alone, I still have to have pencil and paper handy, but if it has a microphone, I can speak/record this stuff in. (though it's gotta later be transferred into the calendar/addressbook) This is why it was a requested feature.

Good point. I'm often torn between hauling along my Visor or iPod. The Visor usually wins because I can not only consult my calendar but add to it.

[jayb2000]

Originally posted by gwuMACaddict
i notice that everyone is REALLY pissed off about the crappy mic... rightly so, but no one is talking about the other iPod accesory...

i think that the memory card reader is an awesome idea. i work with digital photography and this saves me a bundle on flash cards.

I agree that it is a good idea, but to have it rely on external batteries is BS.
If I could bring a cell phone, iPod, and camera on a long trip, and use the iPod to store pictures until I got back, that would be GREAT.
To add 4 AA batteries is silly, one of the best features of the iPod is the rechargebale battery.
This close, but not worth $100. For that I will just bring my laptop.

[IJ Reilly]

Originally posted by Rower_CPU
If you want to be technical it's "Questions we think people will ask us", FAQ is the usual term for things like this.

What an odd thing to be bothered by...;)

Maybe they should have called it, "the soon to be frequently asked questions," or, "questions we'd asked frequently ourselves if we weren't selling the bloody thing," or "questions the people in our marketing department frequently asked the people in engineering."

Truth in advertising. It can be done!

[TyleRomeo]

well recording has been built into the 3rd gen ipods and now software updates make it a reality. We just need a better mic for the ipod. im sure there will be other companies that will make better mics pretty soon.

Tyler

[ZildjianKX]

Man, the iPod is starting to really get outclassed:

http://reviews.cnet.com/iRiver_iHP_120/4505-6490_7-30571493.html?tag=cnetfd.ldgif

Supports analog and digital line-in, built in microphone, and a microphone input as well for external an external one. Add a higher resolution screen, 10 more hours of battery life, and an FM tuner... and a $50 cheaper price tag than the 20 gig iPod... sigh. And mac compatibility coming.

Before I get flamed, I do own a 40 gig iPod, and I do think the two Belkin products that just came out kinda suck.

[Potus]

Originally posted by ZildjianKX
Man, the iPod is starting to really get outclassed:

http://reviews.cnet.com/iRiver_iHP_120/4505-6490_7-30571493.html?tag=cnetfd.ldgif

Supports analog and digital line-in, built in microphone, and a microphone input as well for external an external one. Add a higher resolution screen, 10 more hours of battery life, and an FM tuner... and a $50 cheaper price tag than the 20 gig iPod... sigh. And mac compatibility coming.

Before I get flamed, I do own a 40 gig iPod, and I do think the two Belkin products that just came out kinda suck.

Outclassed? Did you look at that thing? The review sounds "damned with faint praise."

[The Reaper]

i have a solution to this whole microphone/line in issue. here is what the Belkin product does:

it records sound, and it then transmits that data into a form that the ipod can understand, through the proprietary ipod connector.

i suggest that someone makes a universal adapter. one end with a traditional line in (so that all microphones will work), and the other end with a connector to the iPod. this will let you choose which microphone you want.

[firewood]

Doing only voice recording is probably due to technical limitations of the current iPod models. Quality audio compression requires much more CPU power than does decoding. The low-power ARM CPU in the iPod probably doesn't have the horsepower to encode music-quality audio (16-bit+ stereo at 44.1kHz+); and the low-power hard disk probably can't guarantee the sustained write bandwidth to stream in full raw aiff.

[QuiteSure]

Originally posted by ZildjianKX
Man, the iPod is starting to really get outclassed:

http://reviews.cnet.com/iRiver_iHP_120/4505-6490_7-30571493.html?tag=cnetfd.ldgif

Supports analog and digital line-in, built in microphone, and a microphone input as well for external an external one. Add a higher resolution screen, 10 more hours of battery life, and an FM tuner... and a $50 cheaper price tag than the 20 gig iPod... sigh. And mac compatibility coming.

Before I get flamed, I do own a 40 gig iPod, and I do think the two Belkin products that just came out kinda suck.

This product looks very poor compared to the iPod, esp. concerning the navigation system vs. the iPod scrollwheel

[Analog Kid]

Originally posted by firewood
Doing only voice recording is probably due to technical limitations of the current iPod models. Quality audio compression requires much more CPU power than does decoding. The low-power ARM CPU in the iPod probably doesn't have the horsepower to encode music-quality audio (16-bit+ stereo at 44.1kHz+); and the low-power hard disk probably can't guarantee the sustained write bandwidth to stream in full raw aiff.

It's recording WAV files, which are just raw waveforms, so no compression is necessary. All it's doing is taking the samples and saving them to disk and maybe adding a file header...

44.1kHz, 16bit stereo is less than 180kB/sec. I'm sure the hard drive can handle at least 10-20MB/sec.

The problem might be that this is only about 6sec per MB of cache. I can't remember how big the iPod cache is, but it might be a battery life issue. Seems they could let the user trade off between quality and run time though...

If I remember correctly, people had found a "record" option in the test mode which let them record through the headphone adapter. If that's true, the samplers are in the iPod, not the mike. I don't know where they've set the input anti-alias filter. It's possible the analog input is limited to 8kHz, which makes this a limitation of the iPod itself (until they put the samplers in the mike).

I'm not really sure if Belkin can be blamed for the record rate, though they might have been able to design it better for spatial range.

I'm still disappointed in the result regardless of where the limitation lies-- I was hoping for a much less limited capability.

[sebimeyer]

The cache is 32 MB according to Apple.com

[Puppies]

Yeah, both of these accessories are really cool in theory, but way overpriced, and poorly implemented in practice (even if it because of limitations in the iPod).

$50 buys you a microphone that can ONLY be used for recording your own voice, only in low quality audio, and with no line-in? Lame.

The media reader thing is much cooler, but still could have been better implemented. No Memory Stick Pro or xD support? I’d still buy one if I go on vacation again, but it could have been better (and $100 is obviously a rip-off, even if it’s worth it versus buying $50-100 memory cards).

Hopefully we'll see versions of both products that are better implemented. I hope they can do an adaptor that records up to 44khz 16-bit audio through ANY microphone.

[i_am_a_cow]

Originally posted by hayesk
Does everyone really think that a microphone will drop off to nothing at 24.x inches? The mic is "tuned" for that, that's all. Wait for a review. They will obviously try it out at various distances.

I'll bet all of those personal cassette recorders have the same kind of mics. Yet, they are used for lectures all the time.

Wait and see before complaining.
Actually, um yea, microphones really can be made to drop off at that distance. My shure sm-57 has much less range than my c-1000 s. The "tuning" is really how the mic is manufactured and designed. There is not really any way to get around it (unless you replace the mic :) ;) :) :D )

Oh yea, I tried using another mic, and it seems like the capabilities (line in enabling) are controlled by the remote jack. I don't think that the belkin mic has a line out (but maybe it does i could be wrong), so why does it need the remote plug? That is my theory, but i just couldn't get it to work. Someone else should try it out.

[cheesy]

I received the microphone and card reader on Friday.

I tried the mic in a lecture but i think i was probably more than 25 feet back and there was definitely a lot of ambient noise (it was sitting next to my PowerBook so you could hear the hard drive spin up and me typing :) ). I'll try again tomorrow in Calc 2.

The card reader works well but is a little slow.

Check macteens.com soon for a full review of both, including sample recordings and benchmarks of the card reader.

[pjtro2]

Originally posted by gwuMACaddict
i think that the memory card reader is an awesome idea. i work with digital photography and this saves me a bundle on flash cards.

Awesome if you own any other type of flash card other than Memory Stick Pro.

Damn you Belkin.

[painimies]

to me, this is exactly what I've been hoping for since the first iPod hit the market.

Now whenever I get a song idea I can just hum it in my iPod.

Now here's what Apple should do next: Make an iCal compatible calendar application to ipod, where you just scroll to the desired day, click, scroll to the time and dictate whatever it is you have on that date. Since the mic has a speaker as well, it could alarm you with a sound file of your choice.

thanks, Belkin. (Even though I cannot get your FM transmitter to work in most cars.)

[Analog Kid]

Originally posted by painimies
to me, this is exactly what I've been hoping for since the first iPod hit the market.

Now whenever I get a song idea I can just hum it in my iPod.


Let me know how it works for this.

The FAQ says the mike rolls off at 500Hz-- almost an octave above Middle C. Surely it would pick up something though-- at least the overtones...

[trebblekicked]

Originally posted by painimies

Now here's what Apple should do next: Make an iCal compatible calendar application to ipod, where you just scroll to the desired day, click, scroll to the time and dictate whatever it is you have on that date. Since the mic has a speaker as well, it could alarm you with a sound file of your choice.


a very fine idea. there is a lot of untapped potential in the ipod. this is a good example of realizing that potential. a grainy sounding dictaphone is not a good example of realizing that potential. hence, upset (or confused) ipod owners.

[fpnc]

The docking iPods apparently use the Wolfson Microelectronics WM8731L ADC/DAC chip which is capable of very high quality audio recording. If offers a mono microphone input and stereo line inputs.

It's almost certain that the Belkin unit is using the mono microphone input and there have been rumors that the stereo line inputs are available via the docking connector. Thus, if the iPod hardware actually provides connections and support for all of the audio inputs then it should be possible to use the iPod as a very high quality audio recording device.

I think the only issue may be the power consumption that would result from running the hard disk constantly (or almost) to record the incoming audio. What I'd like to see is a small docking device that would connect to the bottom of the iPod and then contain a thin rechargeable battery compartment that would extend up over the back of the iPod. It would have stereo line-in, microphone input, and a standard Firewire connection that could be used to recharge both the iPod and the battery in the docking device. The battery in the docking device could also be used to extend the iPod's playback time and it would also compensate for the larger power usage when recording audio. So, this one device would be both a rechargeable battery pack for the iPod and a high-quality audio input device.

The only remaining issue is how would you securely attach this device to the iPod. That's something that Apple seemed to have forgotten about, since I don't think that the docking connector has enough mechanical strength to support such a connection (on its own). Perhaps such a device could use a friction type clamp that would squeeze the sides of the iPod, not very elegant, but again I think Apple wasn't thinking much about peripheral support when it designed the 3G iPod.

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by fpnc
The only remaining issue is how would you securely attach this device to the iPod. That's something that Apple seemed to have forgotten about, since I don't think that the docking connector has enough mechanical strength to support such a connection (on its own). Perhaps such a device could use a friction type clamp that would squeeze the sides of the iPod, not very elegant, but again I think Apple wasn't thinking much about peripheral support when it designed the 3G iPod.

You slip the iPod into the thing.

[stingerman]

It's clear, at least to me that Apple is working on many more "sound" related advancements to the 4th generation iPod we will probably see before the February Pepsi promotion. These accessories are very nice and a good example of how extensible the iPod is. Look at all the. cool accessories (http://www.apple.com/ipod/accessories.html) Apple already has for it and growing.

I think we will probably see a 4th generation iPod that has a line in but will still require an external microphone for recording. We will also see tighter integration with digital cameras and next camcorders. I am hoping we will also have the ability to record and play video to an external device.

You can already use your iPod to store videos and play them back on your Mac or PC. What would really be cool would be an advanced dock that integrated not only with your audio as it now does but with your video in and out. I think Apple is on their way to taking the iPod up another generation.

[fpnc]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
You slip the iPod into the thing.

I guess you're trying to be funny. I'm talking about a portable device that can be held in one hand and oriented in any direction, not something you have sitting on the table. In any case I don't think what you suggest would really work since if it could just "slip in" it could also slip out and there goes your $400 iPod bouncing off of the floor. Also, the act of removing cables from a simple slip-fit device could cause the iPod and audio dock to disconnect (just as easily slip apart). Thus, I think you really need some type of secure physical connection between the two pieces. And you also want something that is easy to undock, not something that you might have to pry off of the iPod. I was suggesting a device that would fit over the sides of the iPod and include an adjustable, sliding friction lock that would make the joining very secure. In any case, any type of docking connection like this (even a simple "slip fit") is going to add significantly to the size of the device and that is unfortunate. Apple should have considered the option of a hard attachment point when they designed the iPod.

Now if all you wanted was a desk-top device that allowed audio inputs then yes you could have a device similar to Apple's current dock -- just set it down or slip it into the dock.

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by fpnc
I guess you're trying to be funny.

Nice way to belittle what I had to say.

Originally posted by fpnc
I'm talking about a portable device that can be held in one hand and oriented in any direction, not something you have sitting on the table.

I am too. If you had a device with a thin, bracketed design that you could slip the iPod into with the mic on it somewhere, it would work better than just plugging a big heavy unit onto the end of the iPod.

Originally posted by fpnc
In any case I don't think what you suggest would really work since if it could just "slip in" it could also slip out and there goes your $400 iPod bouncing off of the floor.

It's called designing a mechanism to lock it in place.

Originally posted by fpnc
Now if all you wanted was a desk-top device that allowed audio inputs then yes you could have a device similar to Apple's current dock -- just set it down or slip it into the dock.

I wasn't talking about a dock anyway.

[mod. edit - Insult]

[Phil Of Mac]

Here's a cheap mockup of what I was thinking of (the prongs sticking up bracket around the iPod):

[fpnc]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
Here's a cheap mockup of what I was thinking of (the prongs sticking up bracket around the iPod):

I think we're both talking about a similar arrangement. Except in my design there would be a thin rechargeable battery along the back side and a sliding lock on the side (a friction grip). It wouldn't encase the entire length of the iPod (maybe two thirds) and (obviously) you would want to keep everything as small as possible. The battery would perhaps extend the playback time to 20 or more hours. In addition to the audio i/o, there would also be a standard Firewire port (so you could do without Apple's docking cable).

However, after some more thought on the matter I've come to the reluctant conclusion that it's unlikely we'll ever see such a product. There's just no elegant way to do this and the market is probably too small for any company to invest in producing such a device (imagine if you designed such a product and then Apple came out with a new iPod that used a different form factor). Apple is probably the only company that could take the risk in designing such an add-on, and I feel confident that Apple would have designed the current iPod differently if it had plans for any such devices.

I think we'll see at least one more microphone product for the iPod (hopefully designed a little more functionally than the Belkin unit), but I doubt we'll see any higher-end audio input devices designed for mobile applications. Someone may introduce a more feature-rich set-top dock but I don't see much possibility for a high-end, portable audio unit or a second attempt at a card reader (on the latter, given the market and design limitations the Belkin card reader might turn out to be the best that we can expect).

[cheesy]

I hope someone comes up with a product that allows for higher quality stereo line in, for several reasons. First of all, the microphone being located directly attached to the iPod has a major disadvantage...it picks up the noise from the hard drive in the iPod. I go into more depth in my review of the mic on macteens.com which should be posted tomorrow, but for any decent recording the mic needs to be physically separated from the iPod. Also, a line in would be great for bands and DJs who would like to record live sets on the road.

[Analog Kid]

Originally posted by fpnc
The only remaining issue is how would you securely attach this device to the iPod. That's something that Apple seemed to have forgotten about, since I don't think that the docking connector has enough mechanical strength to support such a connection (on its own). Perhaps such a device could use a friction type clamp that would squeeze the sides of the iPod, not very elegant, but again I think Apple wasn't thinking much about peripheral support when it designed the 3G iPod.

I could see it cabled to a second unit with a belt clip. As much as I don't want a Storm Trooper belt of accessories, I also don't want to clamp more plastic around the iPod itself.

Cut a slit in the bottom of the current iPod belt holster, and loop a small U cable to another unit the same size or smaller.

One of the problems with the wide dock connector is that you need a pretty big connector to strain relieve the wiring...

If you forwent the battery, you could redesign the belt holster itself with a dock connector at the bottom, and widen one of the sides to accept an 1/8" jack...

[Analog Kid]

Originally posted by fpnc
The docking iPods apparently use the Wolfson Microelectronics WM8731L ADC/DAC chip which is capable of very high quality audio recording. If offers a mono microphone input and stereo line inputs.


Ok, I'm convinced there's more to come... Thanks for the pointer to the Wolfson Micro part-- what a sweet little device!

Mic input and stereo lines in. Power for a mic. Capable of sampling at 44.1, 48 and 96kHz.

Dug around and found the controller-- dual 90MHz ARMs. Capable of real time MP3 encoding (apparently not AAC).

Yeah, a good audio recording device is certainly possible.

For the camera freaks, it looks like the controller is capable of acting as both USB device and USB host. With the right firmware, this should be able to wire straight to a camera for downloads if all of this is going to the Dock connector.

I never realized how much was in that little guy-- it really is an impressive unit!

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by Analog Kid
I could see it cabled to a second unit with a belt clip. As much as I don't want a Storm Trooper belt of accessories, I also don't want to clamp more plastic around the iPod itself.

*I* want a Stormtrooper belt of accessories!

[dobbs]

I carry a Sony voice recorder everywhere I go. It's a fantastic device that allows me to sort my voice memos into unlimited folders. I can then move them around, name them, merge them, split them, etc.

A good quality memory stick voice recorder is about $500 canadian.

As soon as I got my iPod I said that if this thing could also double as a voice recorder I'd be in heaven.

Though I think the Belkin microphone is ugly as hell, it's pretty much what I need. My only concerns is whether the iPod recording software will allow me the flexibility of the Sony recorder, meaning, can I create folders, name recordings, etc. I'd also like to be able to NOT transfer the messages to my computer and delete them directly on the iPod.

If the mic/software allows the user this flexibility, this item will indeed take off (Sony has various models of voice recorders and many other companies make them as well so there is definitely a market for them).

However, I'm starting to think that the above is a very BIG if.

For those of you who were hoping for a Sennheiser shotgun mic or something, whatever... :)

I understand your interest in a directional stereo mic, but I think it's hardly more practical or in demand than turning the pocket hard drive into a dictaphone.

[iwantanewmac]

Originally posted by IJ Reilly
Put the recorder on the lectern, with the permission of the speaker of course. That's the only way record a lecture, anyway -- unless all you want to hear on the recording is the sound of the audience shuffling their feet and scratching their backsides.

This device is what it is. Now that the recording cat is out of the bag, somebody will probably come up with a stereo setup for the iPod. It'll probably cost more then $49.00.

Lol :)
that's funny if you have lectures with 200 students. And they all have an ipod hahaha. then it gets pretty crowded in front of him.
and would you leave your $400 ipod unatended?

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by iwantanewmac
Lol :)
that's funny if you have lectures with 200 students. And they all have an ipod hahaha. then it gets pretty crowded in front of him.
and would you leave your $400 ipod unatended?

He's going to look like some sort of TV spokesman with 200 microphones in front of him as he speaks.

[Harry K.]

The review on ipodlounge.com of the new microphone is pretty positive in terms of quality. I'm pursuaded, though Apple could've made a much better mic.

[Potus]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
*I* want a Stormtrooper belt of accessories!

Word of Warning:

The Handspring Visor modules were supposed to address this desire. Personally I liked my camera, gps, and backup modules but Handspring abandoned the model for greener pa$ture$. The developers of modules were great but they got screwed.