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Griffin Technology 4020-TALK iTalk Voice Recorder for iPod Binding: Electronics Features:
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Editorial Review:
If you thought your iPod was just an MP3 player, boy are you in for a surprise. Plug the Griffin iTalk into the top of your iPod and suddenly you have a world-class voice recorder with literally thousands of hours of recording time. With iTalk you can record seminars, meetings, classes, notes in your car, songs, whatever you want - up to 100 feet away. Its built in microphone was designed to record crystal clear audio and iTalk's Automatic Gain Control assures you have the best possible signal level recorded. You can even connect an external microphone directly to iTalk for even more recording options. The iTalk can play back your recordings through its very capable integrated speaker or through headphones. iTalk includes a pass-through headphone jack that allows you to monitor your voice recording, or simply listen to your music without having to remove iTalk. You can also download your recordings to your computer to play back, but iTalk's speaker is so good you may not have to. The iTalk's built in speaker is amazingly loud for its size. You can clearly hear it across an office. In fact, you can use iTalk as a mini-speaker system for your iPod. Play your favorite audio book through iTalk or listen to a downloaded seminar. You'll never realize how much you've missed a built-in speaker - until you have one. Make your iPod so much more than just an MP3 player. Make it a portable, dockable dictation machine with a built in high quality speaker. Now with iTalk - your iPod will listen to you.
In its bid to make the iPod the handiest device on the planet (right up there with the Swiss Army knife), Griffin created the iTalk voice recorder, a combination microphone/speaker that attaches to your iPod's headphone and remote outputs. Griffin suggests using the iTalk for any number of tasks, from recording personal memos and interviews to archiving class lectures to listening to an audiobook on the speaker without wearing your headphones. And because the iPod offers such a large storage capacity, iTalk users can literally record thousands of hours of voice audio without running out of memory, making the device far more convenient than a portable cassette recorder.
Design and Setup
Griffin has been designing Apple accessories since 1992, so it's no stranger to the sleek styling encouraged by Steve Jobs and crew. And the iTalk--with its smooth, white housing and slick, silver-colored speaker--fits in perfectly. It also pays tribute to the Apple ethos by requiring no setup: just plug it in and start recording (the recording functions appear automatically on the iPod screen). Once the device is connected, a user relies on the click wheel to record, pause, play, save, and delete files. The iPod then stores the files in a Voice Memos folder within the Extras menu. Each time you sync your iPod to iTunes, the files transfer into an iTunes playlist also called Voice Memos, where you can listen to them on your computer or transfer them to other multimedia programs (they're saved as WAV files).The iTalk includes a couple of features that help it stand out above competitors' products. The first is an automatic gain control, which instinctively adjusts the signal level to achieve the best possible recording. The second is a multifunction pass-through jack located on top of the unit. This lets users plug their headphones directly into the iTalk rather than removing the device to access the iPod's headphone output. Users can also connect an external microphone to the iTalk to enjoy additional recording options. In addition, the iTalk archives the date and time of the recording--a plus for people working on date-specific material.
Features and Performance
At its best, the iTalk performs solidly. The recordings are clear and easy to decipher, and the microphone picks up sounds from all over the room. We tested the iTalk's microphone at distances of a few inches, a foot, 5 feet, and 20 feet, and each time it performed admirably. It also picks up TV speakers and some ambient noise, depending on the situation. Playback quality is mixed, however. It's decent through the built-in speaker when played at high volumes (the sound can be somewhat scratchy), but very good through the headphones. Anybody using the iPod to transcribe recordings should definitely use the latter, as the audio is much crisper.Unfortunately, the iTalk isn't always at its best. For unknown reasons, it often fails to play recordings it just made through the built-in speaker. The files play for a few seconds, and then the menu inexplicably returns to the recording screen. Occasionally, you can play the file by trying again, but other times the file stubbornly refuses to open. The same files often played just fine through the headphones, indicating that the problem originates in the speaker rather than the microphone. However, anyone using the iTalk for important recording tasks--something more than archiving grocery lists, say--should test the iTalk thoroughly to verify that the files are recording properly. Users should also be aware that the iTalk doesn't actually start recording until three or four seconds after the light turns on, which is somewhat aggravating at first, although you adjust quickly.
The problems with the built-in speaker extended to other forms of playback as well. Griffin touted the iTalk as a great way to listen to audiobooks without headphones, but it refused to play Jon Stewart's America (the Audiobook). Many users have complained that the iTalk often locks up their iPods, especially if the iTalk is installed when the iPod turns on. We suffered through a single lockup, which required a quick reset, but didn't experience the problems described by other users. It's possible that the latest iPod software updates have resolved the freezing issues, but the glitch appears at least common enough to mention.
The iTalk is a mixed bag overall. The concept is terrific, and when Griffin releases the next generation of iTalk, it'll likely be a great buy. But in the meantime, users should proceed with caution. If you can afford to re-record your memos on the occasions that playback fails--or if you can test the microphone to make sure the speaker is the only source of the problem--the iTalk can be quite handy. However, if reliability is a major concern, such as when recording one-time lectures or interviews or archiving song ideas, iPod owners might want to take a pass. --Rivers Janssen
Pros
- Recording quality is quite good
- Sleek, attractive design complements iPod perfectly
- Pass-through jack lets user connect headphones or external mic
Cons
- Playback often fails through built-in speaker
- Many iPod owners have experienced lockups when iTalk is connected
- 3- or 4-second delay before recording starts
What's in the Box
iTalk microphone/speaker, user's manual.If you thought your Apple iPod was just an MP3 player, you're in for a surprise: Griffin Technology's tailor-made iTalk plugs into the top of your iPod and turns your digital music player into a world-class voice recorder with literally thousands of hours of recording time.
With iTalk you can record seminars, meetings, classes, notes in your car, songs in the woods, whatever your life or imagination dictates. iTalk's built-in monaural microphone is designed to record crystal-clear audio from sources up to 100 feet away, and onboard Automatic Gain Control ensures optimal recording levels. You can even connect an external microphone directly to iTalk for greater flexibility.
iTalk's built-in speaker is great for playback of voice memos. You can also use iTalk as a mini-speaker for your iPod's music files. Play your favorite audio book through iTalk or listen to a downloaded seminar. You'll never realize how much you've missed a built-in speaker--until you have one.
There's a stereo headphone jack too, of course. It includes an iPod passthrough circuit so you can monitor your voice recording or listen to your music without removing iTalk. You can even download your recordings to play back on your computer.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0 
Killed my iPod: 
It cooked my iPod Classic. Apparently it really doesn't like anything other than 5th Gen iPods.
A Best Buy representative sold me an iTalk Pro and an 80GB iPod Classic as a way to record my DJ mixes and music made on my drum machine. It never worked right, and eventually committed seppuku. First, my recordings would be either too low to hear, so loud that clipping occurred every other second, or filled with noise. A direct line recording from my line out would be stuttered and useless. I never got a...more info
Randomly skips large sections of recorded lectures: 
I was using the iTalk to record my classes until I realized that my 50 minute files only have about 30 minutes of actual audio content. Although iTunes reports a file being 50 minutes long, it plays for only 30 minutes with random jumps in the middle leaving out large portions of the lectures.
Sigh. All those wasted recordings.
Wrong product sent:
I specifically checked photos in additon to the model name and number when shopping for this product because I wanted to make sure I got the correct model...a slightly older one that is compatible with my iPod and sits ON TOP of the iPod.
The model number and pictures displayed by the retailer indicated I had was ordering the correct model.
However, the newer model was sent and it is not what I ordered. Assuming the retailer knew its products well and shipped one that was compatiable with the same...more info
Easy to use and works great!: 
I can't believe what a great value this little gem is! I purchased it new for only $20. You just attach it to your iPod and bingo! your iPod becomes an easy-to-use, high-capacity voice recorder. It really couldn't be any easier to use. You're literally up and running in seconds, and the sound quality is terrific--crystal clear! It records very nicely, whether you're right up close to the microphone, or even 6 feet away or more. The sound is mono, of course, but a stereo version was not available for my...more info
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