All About Call Recording

Trillium provides convenient and cost effective call recording solutions for all business and home applications.

Our call recording solutions are ideal for recording calls on all types of Telephones, Telephone Systems and PABXs.

Also see: Telephone Recording Adaptors and CallRecorder Software.

Recording phone calls can assist your business operations by:

Helping you monitor customer service quality and implementing appropriate training programs.
Allowing you to verify details of orders and conversations.
Recording telephone interviews for review, transcriptions or pod casting.
Collecting valuable sales and marketing data.
Recording of important conversations for later reference.
Complying with legal requirements.
Reducing the risk of liability.
Deterring nuisance and offensive calls.

We offer a range of Telephone Recording Adaptors which allow you to quickly start recording your calls with the minimum of fuss. Our recording hardware solutions are suitable for recording phone calls when using analogue, digital, cordless or VoIP telephones to your computer, network server, tape recorder, dictaphone, digital or MP3 recorder. They provide high quality recordings of your telephone calls.

DIY installation allows you to connect the unit and start recording in just a few minutes without the need for a technician, tools or special wiring.

Our extensive range of telephone recorders is complemented by our easy to use but powerful CallRecorder software which allows you to manually or automatically record calls to your PC's hard disk drive or network server.

All our solutions are backed by our prompt and expert telephone and e-mail support. Our products are covered by a one year warranty covering manufacturing defects, and our money back guarantee if you are not totally satisfied with their performance.

What do I need to record telephone calls?

Firstly, you need a method of connecting to your telephone or telephone line, so that you can tap the telephone signal and connect it to your recording device.

If you are using an analogue telephone (standard telephone) you can use a telephone recording adaptor (telephone tap) that either connects directly to the telephone line (see diagram - Connection method 1) or one that connects between your telephone handset and your telephone base (see diagram - Connection Method 2).

If you are using a Digital, VoIP or a PABX telephone extension you will need to use the handset connect type (see diagram - Connection Method 2.)

Connection Method 1- Line Connect

Recording Adaptor- Line Connect Diagram

Connection Method 2- Handset Connect

Secondly, you need a recording device such as a tape recorder, Dictaphone, digital recorder, MP3 recorder or a computer with a sound card or USB port to record the signal. If you intend to recording to your PC you will also have to consider what recording software you will use to control the recording.

Do I need a technician to install my Telephone Adaptor?

The Recording Adaptors are very easy to install. They can be installed by anyone in a few minutes without the need for tools, special skills or a technician. For most telephones and telephone systems all you need to do, is unplug the handset on your phone, plug it into the Recording Adaptor, plug one lead from our Recording Adaptor into your telephone's handset socket and then connect the other lead to your PC or recording device.

How do I set up to record phone calls?

Step 1 Choose the best recording adaptor for your application.
Step 2 Choose the best software for your application.

How do I determine which Telephone Recording Adaptor best suits my call recording application?

Simply follow the guide below to help you chose. If you are still unsure please call Support on +613 8413 0400 or email support@trillium.com.au

Do you want to play pre-recorded messages or play recorded calls to the person on the other end of the telephone call?

YES

Select from:

REC/ANN-ADPT-A
REC/A-ADPT-USB

Select from:

REC-ADPT
REC-ADPT-LC
REC-ADPT-A
REC-ADPT-USB
REC-ADPT-USB-LC

Do you have an Analogue Telephone or Digital, VoIP or Telephone System(PABX) Telephone?

Analogue

Digital/VoIP/PABX

Select from:

REC-ADPT
REC-ADPT-LC
REC-ADPT-A
REC-ADPT-USB
REC-ADPT-USB-LC

Select from:

REC-ADPT
REC-ADPT-A
REC-ADPT-USB

Refer to the Compatibility Chart for best unit for your telephone.

Do you want to record phone calls while using a Cordless Telephone, a Conference Unit or a Handsfree Telephone (while using handsfree mode)?

YES

Select from:

REC-ADPT-LC
REC-ADPT-USB-LC

Why are there so many different Recording Adaptor models?

A number of models are required to cater for the needs of different recording applications and telephones. These are split into basic Varieties; Line Connect and Handset Connect. The table below provides a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the various models:

Product

Advantages/Disadvantages


	Line Connect Varieties

	Telephone Recording Adaptor Line Connect REC-ADPT-LC		Advantages Low Cost. Suitable for all analogue telephones including, Standard Telephones (handset & handsfree mode) Cordless Telephones and Conference units. Records calls on any phone connected to the telephone line. Suitable for use with a Computer or Tape Recorder. Disadvantages Level of far-end voice can be affected by distance from Telephone Exchange Not suitable for Digital, PBX or VoIP Phones.

	Telephone Record Adaptor USB –Line Connect REC-ADPT-USB-LC		Advantages Suitable for all analogue telephones including, Standard Telephones (handset & handsfree mode) Cordless Telephones and Conference units. Automatic Gain Control to automatically balance the level of far-end and local end voice. Records calls on any phone connected to the telephone line. Does not require external power or batteries –powered from USB Port. In-built sound card Disadvantages Not suitable for digitial, PBX or VoIP phones. Requires a PC - not suitable for use with tape recorders or MP3 recorders with mic socket.


	Handset Connect Varieties

	Telephone Recording Adaptor REC-ADPT		Advantages Low Cost. Suitable for most analogue, and digital phones with a detachable handset. Suitable for use with a Computer or Tape Recorder. Does not require external power or batteries. Disadvantages Level of local end voice can be low on some VoIP telephones and PBX phones. Not suitable for Cordless phones, conference units or recording handsfree calls.

	Telephone Recording Adaptor Amplified REC-ADPT-A		Advantages Suitable for all analogue and digital phones with a detachable handset. Suitable for use with a Computer or Tape Recorder. Amplified to allow the level of far end and local end voice to be balanced. Available in Announce version to allow pre-recorded messages to be played to the telephone line (see below). Disadvantages Not suitable for Cordless phones, conference units or recording handsfree calls. Requires an external power (Plug Pack supplied)

	Telephone Record/Announce Adaptor Amplified REC/ANN-ADPT-A		Same as Telephone Recording Adaptor Amplified but offers additional benefit that prerecorded messages such as beep, recording warnings or contract terms and conditions can be played from your PC to the telephone line.

	Telephone Recording Adaptor USB REC-ADPT-USB		Advantages Suitable for all analogue and digital phones with a detachable handset. Has inbuilt sound card. Amplified to allow the level of far-end and local end voice to be balanced. Does not require external power or batteries –powered from USB Port. Available in Announce version to allow pre-recorded messages to be played to the telephone line. Disadvantages Not suitable for Cordless phones, conference units or recording handsfree calls. Requires a PC - not suitabled for use with tape recorders or MP3 recorders with mic socket.

	Telephone Record/Announce Adaptor USB REC-ADPT-USB		Same as Telephone Recording Adaptor USB but offers the additional benefit that pre-recorded messages such as beep, recording warnings or contract terms and conditions can be played from your PC to the telephone line.

How do I determine which CallRecorder Software best suits my call recording needs?

CallRecorder software comes in two versions: Manual or Automatic.

The Manual version relies on the user to start and stop call recording by pressing a Keyboard function key (F1-F12) or using your mouse. This version is suitable for situations where only specific calls calls need
to be recorded.

The Automatic version detects when a telephone conversation has commenced and automatically starts recording. It also detects when the phone call has ended and automatically stops and saves the recording. This version can also be run in manual, semi-automatic or automatic modes.

	Call Recording Control		Recommended CallRecorder Software
	Start	File Name and Save

Auto	Auto	REC-S/W-A
Auto	Manual	REC-S/W-A
Manual	Manual	REC-S/W-M

* Note REC-S/W-A can be operated in Auto, Semi-Auto or Manual mode.

What other features does CallRecorder Software offer?

CallRecorder Sofware Features Include:

Selectable recording quality.
		Allows you to minimise the disk space used, by the temporary file, created during recording. This is particularly useful when recording very long conversations.

Selectable output file format.
		Allows you to select the format and attributes of the saved recording file, enabling you to reduce the file size by reducing the record quality.

Time and date stamping of recordings.
		Each recording is automatically stamped with time and date of recording when saved.

Auto naming incrementing file name.
		Automatically creates File name with incrementing name. If required this can be changed when saving the file.

Playback select window.
		Quickly select and playback recordings through your PC Sound card to speakers or headset.

Announcements.
		Manually or automatically play pre-recorded announcements or “Beeps” during the call or at specific points of the recording (e.g. at the start of a recording).

Real time indication of recording in progress.
		A flashing green circle in the CallRecorder system tray Icon provides confirmation that recording is in progress.

Post processing of files.
		Write your own script using Windows Command Lines to move, compress or zip the saved file.

Can I use Windows Media Player or other software to record my phone calls?

Yes, but these can be quite clumsy to use and may limit the length of the recording (e.g will only allow recordings of less than 1 minute).

What will be the quality of my call recordings?

As telephones and telephone networks have a restricted frequency band, your recording will at best be at telephone quality. This quality of your recording will be further affected by the format and attributes of the saved recording file (compression) selected.

What format are my phone recordings saved in?

CallRecorder allows you to select the output format of your recording files from the audio codec's already installed on your computer (this may include codecís such as .Mp3, etc). Audio Codec's are used to compress the final size of your recordings.

Why are all my call recordings saved with the file extension .wav?

When using audio codec with CallRecorder most files will be saved with the .wav extension. This is done because the .wav format is what is called a container format, which allows other format types to be contained within it. These files can be played as a normal .Mp3 or other format.

How much disk space will my call recordings take?

The disk space required for your recordings is determined by the quality of recording that you require. CallRecorder Software allows you select various Audio Formats (Codecs) and Attributes (levels of compression), which allows you to trade off voice recording quality and the required disk space. Typically a 1 minute recording at best quality will require approx 2,600KB of disk space. This can be reduced down to 63KB depending on Audio Format and Attributes Selected.

The table below provides examples and file sizes of one minute recording using various Audio Format and Attributes.

Audio Format

Attributes

File Size

Demo

PCM (Raw Recording)	22KHz, 16 bit.wav	2,553KB
DSP Group TrueSpeech(TM)	8,00KHz, 1 bit mono.wav	66.4KB
MPEG Layer 3	16kBit, 8000Hz, Mono	122KB
MPEG Layer 3	8kBit, 8000Hz, Mono	62,7KB

Where are my call recordings saved?

By default calls are saved to your hard disk drive. You can change this in CallRecorder setup to have your calls saved to a specified location either on your hard disk or on your server.

How do I know if a call is being recorded?

When recording is in progress a flashing green circle will appear in the CallRecorder Icon in the system tray, which is normally in the bottom right hand corner of your screen

What are the legal requirements for recording calls?

The legal requirements for recording telephone calls varies from country to country and from state to state. We recommend that you investigate the local requirements to determine what your obligations are in relation to recording calls.