Saving a voicemail as an audio file.

February 22, 2005 8:24 PM

I need assistance in saving a voicemail message as an audio file.

Somehow my cellphone number has been linked with an escort named Michelle via an ad in a local skin magazine. It's not the same number but close. I keep receiving messages, some quite funny, and would like to share them with friends, family, aquaintances, and random strangers. Is there a way to save it without holding a microphone to the earpiece? Phone is a Samsung SPH-A680 using the SprintPCS network.

posted by karmaville to technology (10 comments total)

Does your service provide online access to your messages? That would make things easier.
posted by odinsdream at 8:31 PM on February 22, 2005

Unfortunately not. I already tried that as well as forwarding the message to a phone number that does (Vonage). I can't forward the message to any number other than another Sprint PCS phone number.
posted by karmaville at 8:41 PM on February 22, 2005

how about the analog method of plugging a wire into headphone jack of the phone to the microphone jack of your computer?
posted by filmgeek at 10:05 PM on February 22, 2005

even better, I think you can by a wire with a small pre-amp at Radio Shack that'll allow you to boost the volume, because using a simple conversion wire may not be loud enough (but maybe you should try it first if you have one, and save $20 or so).
Or maybe a phono pre-amp would work?
posted by hellbient at 10:44 PM on February 22, 2005

Thanks, I'll stop by Radio Shack tomorrow and see if that works.
posted by karmaville at 10:48 PM on February 22, 2005

A couple of related previous questions: how to record from a digital answering machine and digital voice recorder that can also be hooked to a phone.

I like the idea of a coil tap, but I've never used one.
posted by Chuckles at 5:11 AM on February 23, 2005

Karmaville, when you get this done, put 'em online - I"m sure it'll be enjoyable.
posted by notsnot at 6:00 AM on February 23, 2005

I helped a friend save a voicemail form his brother announcing the birth of their first child. He had one of those suction cup phone tap thingies one can buy at Radio Shack, and I connected it to my minidisc. Worked like a charm.
posted by terrapin at 7:13 AM on February 23, 2005

I second the telephone pickup option. It plugs right into the mic jack (pink on a PC) of your soundcard. You can record the message directly with Sound Recorder in Windows, or whatever basic included sound recording program Macs use these days.

Now, there is one caveat that no one in any of the threads have mentioned- cellphones often use Piezo speakers, which cannot be picked up by a magnetic pickup such as this one. It's not a big deal though- just plug a headset into the headset jack, and place the pickup on the speaker of the headset. It will work. I've done it.

It's possible, too, to go from the headset jack of the phone to the soundcard mic input directly using an adapter like this one and an 1/8" stereo cable in to the mic jack of your sound card. (though if it's too loud, you'll have to move it to the line-in jack).

Hope this helps.
posted by fake at 8:07 AM on February 23, 2005

I had the same problem: my daughter's voicemail at work that she'd lost her first tooth (on my birthday no less). I kept it on my phone for 3 years while I tried to figure out a way to record it (each month I had to key into the phone that I wanted to save it).

Finally, I just used a good mike hooked up to my digital videocam and put it to the phone's receiver. Worked very well. I did a bit of post production and that was that.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 9:54 AM on February 23, 2005