Have You Ever Used a Voice Recorder?
By Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
Midland, Michigan
December 26, 2015 10:22am CST
Years ago, like around five or more, I attended the local college for some online classes. I took about three at the time which was plenty to fit into my schedule. At the time I hoped to continue with a few courses at a time, but it took up more of my time than I expected and I decided against it.
In order to pay for the courses I was able to utilize some government funding, which paid for tuition, the books required and items in the school bookstore. I found a voice recorder on display, something I've used in the past and decided to buy.
Even though I rarely throw away instructions, I couldn't find the ones that went with the voice recorder, so it's sat near my computer since that time in the hopes I would find them one day on their website. Problem is that I never wanted to take the time to look and therefore, I never used the recorder.
Last week I spent a portion of an hour going through papers on a new desk in the room that was supposed to be my office. I found the instruction booklet while cleaning. I've yet to figure it out, but I have the instructions with the recorder and maybe one of these days soon I'll begin using it.
I've had them before and they are convenient. I do not have a smartphone, therefore, I can't take verbal notes on my phone while driving. That is the best time to use the recorder, but it may come in handy while working just as much as I seem to lose some of the notes that I write myself while there.
My sister lives in Detroit and uses one daily. She is the one that first introduced our family to them since I don't think she could live without them.
Have you ever used a voice recorder before, or considered having one?
the image is mine
12 people like this
14 responses
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
26 Dec 15
@MarshaMusselman I don't have a smartphone either - pen and paper for me
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Dec 15
Probably not since you don't seem to need to hurry about. I'm guessing you can take notes on smart phones, but it will be years before I have one of those if I ever do, so this will benefit me if i use it this time.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Dec 15
@jaboUK Although my hands don't hurt when I type, writing takes too much time for me and I can't always read what I wrote. When at work, I'll still need to take hand-written notes as recording my voice won't be an option on whatever device I might have on hand. But, I have enough papers around the house from bills and our business, that my notes get lost in the shuffle.
Also, my main difficulty is while driving. Can't make notes then, so this should come in handy.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
27 Dec 15
I'm not familiar with 'Dragon', is that software or something? The one i have is hand-held and can be used by anyone.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
28 Dec 15
@just4him I'd think if you purchased it but can't use it you could possibly have traded it in for one you could use. How would you know it was a student version only?
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@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
28 Dec 15
@MarshaMusselman It is, you download it. I bought it on Amazon a couple years ago. They have several different types. One is for students and I accidentally bought that one. That one needs to be verified you are a student in order to use it. So I have something I can't use.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Dec 15
It is a bit weird to hear one's voice and see one's image when videod, but since I spend an amount of time driving around most years between one job or another, and I remember things to do while driving, I think I'll be using mine more often than not, once I figure out how it works.
I've used them before and they were quite handy. Eventually the words rubbed off and after non using it for a while, I couldn't remember what each of them did, so I threw it out finally.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
26 Dec 15
@MarshaMusselman The first time that I had any reason to record my voice was while making a video tutorial on creating an avatar. My first impression on playback was "Who is that moron talking on my computer"?
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
28 Dec 15
I received one as a Christmas gift several years ago and I have never used it.
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@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
29 Dec 15
@MarshaMusselman I thought that I might use it when I visit a travel site and I could express my impressions verbally so I don't have to stop to write. Maybe some day.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
28 Dec 15
Once I begin using it, I'll have to share my experience with everyone. You may find it worth your while trying it out, but it may depend on whether you have time to write yourself notes or not.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
28 Jan 16
Yes, I used to write for two different newspapers and when I interviewed people I recorded what they said so that I could never misquote anyone.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
28 Jan 16
Have you ever used them for taking verbal notes for yourself? I used to tape teachings years ago, but I used a cassette player for that. I have yet to use the one in the picture, but I did discover that I had one on my phone, and I've been using that some while driving around in the car. My phone is a dumb phone and has a bit more on it than the one I had before.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
28 Jan 16
@MarshaMusselman No, I don't take verbal notes on a voice recorder, but I know several people who do use their phone for that purpose.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
27 Dec 15
not cheap enough for me right now. We pay thirty dollars for two months of service and that's about all we can afford. We looked into the different plans before deciding on these phones. We have too many hospital bills to finish paying before starting up a new bill.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
27 Dec 15
@paigea We need our house phone, so we keep that along with the long distance on it which is part of the price. We can't give up our house phone unless we decide to quit doing our business. But, even when neither me or my husband can work, we hope to have employees that will bring the same integrity to the jobs so that we can continue to get out of debt.
I should consider including the house phone bill in our business expenses since we can't get rid of it. We get too many calls per month to eliminate it, plus we've had the same number for over twenty years, so most people can still get a hold of us if they find something from year ago.
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
27 Dec 15
@MarshaMusselman for sure a cell phone does not need to be the top of the list. My plan is $27 per month. 10% is to pay for the phone. Unlimited texting, unlimited Canada wide evenings and weekends and a small amount of date. Enough to look directions up if I am lost. Mostly I keeep the data turned off and only use internet if there is WiFi. We took the long distance off of our home phone. But we each have a phone so that is $27 per month each.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14994)
• Malaysia
27 Dec 15
I have not used the voice recorder before, except for the feature that came with the cell phone. I thought it'd be nice to have one when I attended college. My first language is Chinese, and the lecturers were using English in the college, I was afraid I was not able to pick up what the lecturers said in the class. Glad that I was able to graduate from the college even without the voice recorder. 
@suziecat7 (3349)
• Asheville, North Carolina
28 Dec 15
I really don't like my voice :)) though I have used the option on my phone.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
29 Dec 15
i don't think that many people like the sound of their own voice, Susie. It sounds different to our own ears and that is normal. It's like the acoustics are different in our own heads when listening to ourselves speak.
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@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
26 Dec 15
On my phone there is a voice recorder option. I've used it before to document proof when talking on the phone but besides that no... I don't record myself talking.
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@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
27 Dec 15
@MarshaMusselman Yes! But I don't find myself using this feature often. I'm more of needing to write things down for notes. But I can see recorders useful just not a tool for myself personally only.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
27 Dec 15
It's not for the purpose of hearing oneself talk, but rather a way to get notes in while busy with other things.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
31 Dec 15
So then, do you do state of the art, I was going to say, or solid-state, (whatever that might be) recordings to for work or something?
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Dec 15
That makes me think you didn't own one yourself, but tried either a friends or one in a store or something?
@LadyDuck (502653)
• Italy
26 Dec 15
@MarshaMusselman I stopped using it because it run out of battery all the time, it became pretty expensive.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Dec 15
But, you never used it again? I used to have to speak and record it on the old cassettes, so I heard myself enough. It's still rather odd, but not enough to not use it for that reason.
I keep forgetting you live in New Hampshire. I lived in Keene for one year back in the early eighties. I visited Concord, and a few other little places while there, maybe one or two larger cities too, but I've long since forgotten exactly where.
@Marilynda1225 (91127)
• United States
26 Dec 15
@amadeo my voice is on my phone voicemail and I hate the way I sound
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@Marilynda1225 (91127)
• United States
26 Dec 15
I've never used one before but probably wouldn't need one anyway
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Dec 15
I would never have thought about purchasing one if my sister never introduced their benefits to us years ago. I still see her getting hers out when she's driving places. As we get older it's harder to remember everything from one place to another, or sometimes from one room to another.
