Recording Phone Calls
…Using Low Cost Software

You may have been on a conference call and need to refresh your memory on the details. You could have been talking to a foreign client and embarrassingly unable to understand some of the conversation as you did not want to keep interrupting. You may even want to monitor your own phone dialogue or check out others to improve phone skills.

A low cost way of recording telephone calls would be a handy device for any business. In many cases you may not need a sophisticated system but a simple recording method that is used occasionally.

This article is about simple low cost software that can record phone conversations without messing around with mechanical gadgets. Another superb benefit of using the software option …is you can easily email the recorded phone calls with a couple of mouse clicks. Imagine the hassles involved with transferring data using a mechanical system.

Technically all the hardware you need is a computer and dialup modem which is voice capable. See the adjoining article on selecting a suitable modem and setting up with your phone and computer.

The recording software is available from an Australian website at: www.nch.com.au/trx/index.html The TRX program is offered on a “try before you buy” basis. Download the software, install the program and you are ready to setup the system. There are two important settings you will need to address. Run the software and select the voice modem from the drop down menu. If no modem is displayed it means a voice capable modem was not detected on your computer.

Next you are required to access the modem properties (usually through Control Panel) on your computer to make an adjustment to the modem settings. Locate Modem Properties and make sure the, “Wait for Dial Tone Before Dialling” box is unchecked.

To test your system…dial a familiar business number which produces an automated message and try recording. The software has a couple of adjustments for sound levels and commencement of recording which you can alter by trial and error.

After the correct setup …the system will enable you to record and playback phone calls or parts of a call with a click of a mouse. To playback the recording click the …Find and Play Recordings in the software to listen to the results.

There are other bells and whistles in the software not mentioned which may be of use to the end user such as “Caller Display” and “Music on Hold”. The ability to easily email recorded phone messages could be helpful to people involved in sales or negotiation.

At the same time it should be mentioned there are laws concerning the recording of phone conversations. It may pay to check out your local laws before taking advantage of recording phone calls for any business benefit.

A Suitable Modem for Recording Phone Calls

If you have a dialup modem already installed in your computer and want to check for voice capability…confirm that your modem has two phone sockets. One socket is termed Line and the other Phone. Having two sockets may mean you are in luck and ready to get away to a fast start.

Also check your CD or container box (if you can find it) that came with the modem and see if there is mention of Voice or Telephone Answering Machine (TAM). If you are still in doubt you can load the TRX software and see if your modem is displayed in the Settings. If your modem is not detected this means it is not suitable for voice applications.

How do you go about purchasing a suitable dialup voice modem? Purchase one from your local computer store and get them to install it, if needed. It may pay to spend a few extra dollars to buy quality. Internal, USB and external types all work but it will pay to take note of the recommended types at the distributer’s website.

Perhaps more simply, purchase a modem from a store that has a return policy and test it. There is a Help feature in the software as well as FAQ and Support at the website if you get stuck. Basically you plug in the telephone cable from the wall jack into one socket, phone into the other, load the software and adjust the settings as instructed.

Sending recorded phone conversations by email

If you need to send a recorded message by email, it is a breeze with the TRX software. It is a matter of selecting the message from the menu and “clicking to send”. It must be mentioned that the recordings are saved in the WAV format which are of the highest quality …but an uncompressed form which can develop big files.

Long conversations can be recorded for playback on your computer but impractical to send by email. Therefore, you are limited to sending short phone recordings or edited versions. For playback of WAV files, the software is usually already installed on your computer …such as Windows Media Player. WAV files make an excellent visual display.

In the TRX recording software, you can view the sound waves which make it easy for rewinding and playback.