Need to record landline voicemail to CD...

[Ponytail]

Ok techies, I have a newer Inspiron laptop w more features than I'll ever learn how to use.

What I NEED to do is record my Verizon voicemail messages to my laptop. I don't want to lose them.

Any ideas? is it possible to just plug in and dial-up and hit the record button somewhere? I know If i had a Mac or Compaq, I could do it easily. But dude, I have a Dell.

Any help? anyone?

TIA

 

[HollowSoul]

go to www.download.com
and do a serch ther for media recorders....i don't know exactly which one it was....but there was 1 there that enabled you to record anything as it passes through your soundcard...

 

[crabcake]

Dare I ask ... why would you want to save voicemail messages?

 

[dustin]

If you have a headphone jack on your phone then you should just be able to plug an audio cable from that jack to the microphone jack on your laptop. Might have to play around with the recording settings on the 'puter. That's the easiest way I can think of.

 

[Ponytail]

Dare I ask ... why would you want to save voicemail messages?

Just be glad that you don't have to.

 

[Ponytail]

If you have a headphone jack on your phone then you should just be able to plug an audio cable from that jack to the microphone jack on your laptop. Might have to play around with the recording settings on the 'puter. That's the easiest way I can think of.

I was playin with it last night. Looks like I'm going to have to download some software from Hollowsouls' suggestion. There's a bunch of stuff there too...that site is pretty cool.

I tried doing it last night with what is currently on the 'puter and no luck. I was able to make the call, hear and speak thru the 'puter just fine, but the sound recorder wasn't pickin anything up through the phone line. I don't have a jack on the phone...at least, I've never noticed one. I'll have to look a little closer. From the software that is offered at that download.com site, it looks like I'll need one anyway, for some of the software anyway.

 

[Chain729]

Whatever happened to doing it the old-fashioned way with a tape recorder? Also, most recorders have a jack for an ear-piece, so you could use that to get it fed into the laptop. You'd lose a chunk of quality, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Or, get a mic for the laptop and use windows sound recorder.

BTW, you do realize that you're pretty much going to have to make your own cord if you want to hook up the phone's audio out line to the laptop's audio in line, right? Not saying it doesn't exist off-the-shelf, but I've never seen a male-male cable with that type of plug.

 

[aps45819]

BTW, you do realize that you're pretty much going to have to make your own cord if you want to hook up the phone's audio out line to the laptop's audio in line, right? Not saying it doesn't exist off-the-shelf, but I've never seen a male-male cable with that type of plug.

Radio Shack

 

[dustin]

Radio Shack

that's where i got mine

the microphone to the earpeice route should be easy too!

 

[chernmax]

that's where i got mine
the microphone to the earpeice route should be easy too!

Me too...

 

[Ponytail]

Not saying it doesn't exist off-the-shelf, but I've never seen a male-male cable with that type of plug.

I've had one for years. Got it at Radio Shack. It has come in very handy over the years.

 

[Lugnut]

I vote $5 microphone from walmart and windows sounds recorder.

 

[Ponytail]

I vote $5 microphone from walmart and windows sounds recorder.

I have a mic, but was thinkin' I could get better sound quality if I went a more direct route. I'll try some stuff out this weekend. Unfortunately, these recordings may have to be used in court. The messages continue to be left, and there is no more room on the account, so everytime a message is left, an old one gets dumped.

It's not me having this problem, I would have solved it by now. I'm trying to help the g/f that's continues to have problems with her ex. Eh, whatever gets me laid, ya know?

 

[Lugnut]

I have a mic, but was thinkin' I could get better sound quality if I went a more direct route. I'll try some stuff out this weekend. Unfortunately, these recordings may have to be used in court. The messages continue to be left, and there is no more room on the account, so everytime a message is left, an old one gets dumped.

It's not me having this problem, I would have solved it by now. I'm trying to help the g/f that's continues to have problems with her ex. Eh, whatever gets me laid, ya know?

Ah OK.

In that case you would be better off using a bit O'software that uses the modem to record wav/mp3 files. There are several utilities available (some shareware) that allow you to use your computer as an answering machine. Here are a few from Tucows

Don't connect the phone line directly to your mic on the PC. You can burn out the mic input. Phone lines still have a ridiculous ring voltage (around 90VAC!)