Record meetings using your laptop or desktop computer

SoniClear SalesVoice makes it easy to record phone conversations and meetings using your Windows computer. For more advanced meeting recording features, the SoniClear MeetingPro product is available from Trio Systems. Consult the Recording Minutes Application Page for more information.

Whether your are recording conference calls, client interviews or conversations with customers, now you can capture every word spoken. The audio from phone conversations can be stored on your computer, or on the local area network for review.

No tape or batteries are needed, and VoiceBoost Signal Enhancement built into the software makes listening to calls loud and clear.

Share your conversations with people who could not join the conference. Use the recordings for quality control and future reference. You can even convert a call recording into MP3 format for portable playback or to send by email.

Phone Recording Hardware

To use SoniClear, you need a Windows computer and a way to get the phone audio into the computer. If you have the phone conversation on a speakerphone, you can use a microphone attached to the computer. If you want to record directly from the telephone, we recommend a device made by JK Audio, called the "QuickTap". This works with any phone that has a separate handset (including PBX phones). To learn more about the QuickTap, consult our Microphone Notes Page, or go to the QuickTap Product Page at JK Audio. You can order a QuickTap from their dealers, including Broadcast Supply Worldwide.

Start Recording Today

Try out SoniClear SalesVoice for yourself and experience the convenience of having meeting information on your Windows computer. Download the SalesVoice Free Trial today and follow these simple How To Instructions.

How To Instructions

Download and install SoniClear SalesVoice, and start the program. It is best to experiment with the software in a test situation before recording your first phone call. This will allow you to be familiar with the operation of the software, and have the microphone or phone tap set up correctly.

The default source of audio is the microphone input on the sound card. If your computer has a built-in microphone (typical for laptops) the program will record automatically from it. Otherwise, plug a computer-compatible microphone into the mic-in jack of the sound card. If you are using a QuickTap or other phone tap device, attach this to the microphone input of the computer.

If you are using some other sound source (such as a USB microphone or line-in from a microphone preamplifier) you will need to review the documentation instructions (see Help/SoniClear Help in the program, or the SoniClear Online Documentation).

Before the phone conversation starts, create a new file for recording. Click the New button, enter a file name, select Meeting as the recording type, and click OK.

This will display "Ready to Record" in the status window, along with the length of time that you can record (based on the amount of free space on your disk drive). The program is now ready to record.

When you want to start recording the phone call, click the red Record button. The first time using the program you will probably need to adjust the record volume. If you are using the standard sound card microphone or line-in source, you simply adjust the "level" slider. The best level is when the record meter registers generally in the middle of the range. Too low or too high of a meter reading will result in poor audio quality. This is a general setting to get the overall range of pickup for the recording. SoniClear will adjust the volume automatically for louder and softer voices when recording the audio to disk.

While recording with SoniClear, you can use your computer to do other things, such as browse the Internet, or type notes in a word processor. SoniClear will continue to run in the background.

When the phone call is over, click the Stop button. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to stop recording. Recording will actually stop when you click Yes.

You can review the audio by clicking the Play button. If you do not hear anything, be sure the audio to your speakers is on. This can be adjusted by clicking on the speaker icon in the lower right corner of the computer screen.

The audio is recorded into a standard format "WAV" file. SoniClear automatically enhances the WAV file with VoiceBoost processing, while you speak. There are no additional processing steps to do or commands that you need to make. SoniClear will produce the best quality sound possible, given the original quality of the audio that is being sent into the computer. A number of factors can affect the sound. The quality of the microphone or phone tap is the most important point. In addition, sound cards vary widely in their quality, in terms of noise level and distortion. Refer to our notes about microphones on the Microphone Notes Page. Suggestions on how to get the best quality sound are also included in the program documentation (SoniClear Online Documentation), and on the Troubleshooting Support Page.

Once you have completed your recording, you manage it like any other file on your computer. You can share the WAV file with others, by copying it to a local area network disk drive, or burning it to a CDROM.

You can also convert it to MP3 format. From the File pulldown menu, select Export to MP3. Enter a file name and location (or accept the default choice). Then click Encode. This will produce a low bitrate MP3 file that has good audio quality for voice, while being easily transferred through dial-up modem connections.

The MP3 file exported from SoniClear can be used in several ways. You can burn it to a CDROM, and it can play back on almost all new audio CD players (which now support MP3 computer file playback). It can be transferred to MP3 players for portable playback. The MP3 file can also be posted to your website for people to download and play back on their computers. MP3 files can be played back on virtually any computer system (including Macintosh and Unix systems).

IMPORTANT NOTE: When recording phone calls, you need to be aware of the legal issues involved. The rules vary from state to state. As a general rule, you should always announce that you are recording and get permission from everyone participating in the conversation. Recording people without their knowledge or permission can be a serious violation of the law in many states. There is a good summary of the issues at The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, http://www.rcfp.org/taping/.