Recording

[armedia]

I have a 20G ipod, and can't live without it.

But I have the opportunity to trade up to a 30, which I'd like for the extra space and for the record feature.

I'd really like to know how versitile this feature will really be. Is it going to be a high quality recorder, comparable to my minidisc, or just a crappy voice recorder with no eq or level adjustments?

I'd sure like to know before I trade up, or decide to wait for a 60G model with the features I really want.

I wish Apple was a little more forthcoming with this kind of thing, rather than keeping it all in the realm of rumour and speculation.

- A

[armedia]

I'd also like to know whether the line in will go directly into the ipod, or if you'll have to use the dock (which would make it less of a portable recorder.)

- A

[jasonfishkim]

the ipod (3rd gen) has a very very basic recording function in the diagnostic mode, which is capable of recording audio for 6 seconds. To get to diagnostic mode, you have to restart, then hold next, previous, and select buttons, and when you let go, there will be a chirp, and you have to select the recording function, and you can talk into the left earpiece that has a builtin microphone in it. I found it hard to believe... there's also a line-in recording function, i couldn't get it to work, but I'm sure there's a way... wicked yes???
I'm guessing that the next ipods will almost definitely have a decent recording function.
I'll be so jealous.. :D

[rostasi]

Hey, Steve - if you're reading this (Ha-Ha) - been wanting an iPod-R for quite a while now, so I hope that we can see a right step in that direction. Do for audio guys what you've been trying to do for the video guys. I just need to be able to plug in my $300 binaural mics into the iPod-R instead of taking along stacks of 80 minute minidiscs on my field recording trips. Thanks buddy!

you friend in audio need,

Rod

[sraphim]

It is in my speculative opinion that apple will indeed probably produce some sort of recording function for the gen 3 iPods. This is because of the simple fact that, as mentioned, there is a function already on the iPod that can record 6 seconds of audio. Now, why would Apple put a feature there and hide it?

A lot can go on in a firmware upgrade for the iPod. Perhaps this recording can be put to use through a software MPEG3, or AAC encoder (or perhaps there is already a hardware encorder built in?) that will be avaliable in the next firmware version. After all, the USB2 support will supposedly be implemented in a firmware upgrade. Perhaps recording will follow suit. Either that, or perhaps the recording could be used for vocal commands/voice recognition, etc? Apple already has speech command recognition for its OS.

It's anyone's guess, really.