We record conversations on Samsung smartphones. Ways to record a telephone conversation on a Samsung smartphone

How to Record a Phone Conversation on Android Without an App

How to record a phone conversation using the application

Modern Samsung smartphones have the widest functionality. With their help, you can do what some time ago could only be done using individually a huge number of different techniques. And despite the fact that the devices have become more compact, the quality of their actions has only become higher. If you encounter a problem with your gadgets, then contact the Samsung helpers service center to receive qualified assistance.

Sometimes situations happen that the user, for certain purposes that are important to him, needs to record a telephone conversation. To perform this action, you no longer need to contact private detectives or intelligence agencies. For this, there are special software components and applications on a smartphone, running operating system"Android".

Ways to record a telephone conversation on a Samsung smartphone

Depending on the version of the operating system and firmware, as well as the features of the phone model, there are two ways to record a conversation on the phone. Both methods are very simple and do not require additional preparation.

All you need to do is, during an active call, find a button on the phone screen that is responsible for additional features during a call. Most likely, this button is called "MORE", or something similar. After pressing the button, an additional menu will open in front of you, in which there will be a “voice recorder” button. By clicking it, you will start recording the conversation.

If there is no such button, then perhaps on your phone model or Android version, the function of opening an additional menu during a conversation is performed by holding down the “Menu” button, which is located at the bottom of the screen.

After you have recorded a conversation, you can immediately listen to it, or find it on your phone’s memory card in the “recording” folder. If you have any difficulties, you can always contact a Samsung smartphone repair shop.

In some Samsung models, this function is blocked by the manufacturer, because in the manufacturing country the law prohibits recording personal conversations. That is, turn on the voice recorder during a conversation on " Samsung Galaxy» is only possible by installing a special application.

Therefore, in addition to standard methods, you can also record a conversation using additional applications downloaded from the official Play Market or other sources. In some applications, you will also get additional options for recording conversations and editing the finished audio file.

The new voice recorder from Samsung cannot be called a pocket spy, since its dimensions do not allow the device to be compactly hidden in clothing. The thickness and length of the voice recorder are quite large compared to similar models. But it is precisely thanks to these parameters that the device can offer modern functionality. There is always a power button under your finger; two buttons are located at the end. They are responsible for setting bookmarks, changing the recording folder, as well as deleting unnecessary information and looping a fragment of a file. The operating mode allows you to define the function that needs to be handled using a specific button. This allows you to refuse large number buttons on the ends.

On the front panel we find a screen and several more buttons. 9 buttons arranged in 3 rows. 4 buttons form a four-way navigation block. The remaining 5 buttons are made smaller so that when operating the voice recorder you do not have to constantly touch them. On the left side of the end surface there is a lever that allows you to select one of two modes: Meeting or Interview. The USB cable connector is hidden under the protective cover. You won’t be able to connect mini USB cables; you will have to use the cable included in the kit.

The built-in speaker is located on the back of the recorder. Special cutouts at the ends of the device will allow you to clearly distinguish the sound even if the device is lying on the back cover. The volume of the speaker is pleasing; in a normal room you can easily understand speech. The sound quality leaves much to be desired. The direct competitor's sound is much richer and better quality. The built-in 0.3 megapixel camera is located above the speaker.

The voice recorder model is available in two colors: black and silver. For power we use not a battery, but regular batteries. Apparently, the manufacturers decided that the battery could turn off at the most inopportune moment, while batteries can be purchased at any store. According to the manufacturer, the device operates for about 30 hours while recording files, about 20 hours when playing a recording, about 50 hours when listening to a recording through headphones.

The compact display has a resolution of 128 by 128 pixels. Such display parameters and its dimensions allow you to display the necessary information. In the sun you will have to look closely at the data, but you can still discern the image. The developers tried to please customers by prudently releasing the voice recorder in two versions: with 4 and 8 GB memory.

Even a child can control the voice recorder. If you have ever worked with Samsung players, then intuitively you will be able to understand the controls of this device. The buttons allow you to return to the menu, lock the device, and call the context menu.

Functionality

Naturally, the voice recorder function is predominant for this device. However, the developers decided to go further and supplemented the recorder with various gadgets. Everyone decides for himself whether he should purchase a device that combines numerous functions that are not fully implemented.

Press the button on the end of the recorder to activate recording. Whatever function the voice recorder is currently performing, it can start recording immediately after pressing this button. Even when turned off, the device is capable of recording files if you urgently need to record something very important. If you pressed the button completely by accident, you can duplicate the press: the file will not be saved, since the recorder refuses to save recordings less than three seconds long. All recorded information is stored in a folder, which is divided into directories with letter designations. To change the directory for saving data, use the FOLDER button located on the right side panel. It is useless to create your own folders for saving data: the recorder only recognizes its own directories in which you can perform various manipulations with recordings.

The user has the opportunity to make a number of settings that, depending on the recording conditions, will allow them to achieve maximum sound purity. The recording quality setting has 6 bitrate values, the maximum limit is 192 kbps. Many people will find the spy function useful, which allows you to record when a sound occurs at a certain volume level. Recording in this mode is only possible indoors in a quiet room, because the microphone will not be able to pick up a specific sound among other noise. It's disappointing that this noise level cannot be set; it is a value set by the developers.

If desired, the user can set the noise reduction function or disable it. Automatic gane control or AGC function allows you to adjust the sensitivity of the microphone according to the input signal level. You can set the sensitivity manually. When you select a mode, you can set the recorder to Interview or Meeting mode. The coverage radius is greater in Meeting mode. When choosing the Interview mode, you should prepare for the fact that the background noise will fade into the background and the interlocutor’s voice will become clearer.

The voice recorder comes with an external microphone, which will come in handy during recording. If necessary, it can be fixed on clothing, while it can be hidden from the eyes of the interlocutor. For higher-quality, professional recording, you should look for another microphone, because the included microphone will only offer you monophonic recording.

To record telephone conversations, a special adapter is used, which proved its functionality during testing. The kit is completed with a line cable with two jacks at the ends of the wire.

In order for the user to remember what we're talking about in a specific file, you can take advantage of the highlight of the model - the built-in camera. At the end of recording, the recorder will prompt you to take a photo. The image will be automatically saved in the folder where the newly recorded information was placed. The photo is embedded in the tag. Therefore, it is impossible to mix up images or lose them. Files can be listed or in the form of a mosaic with images, which sometimes makes it much easier to find data. The resolution of the saved image is 208 by 200 pixels.

During recording, the user has the opportunity to change the mode, which may be useful in that case. If you have to enter or leave the premises or transport. The recording is not interrupted. While playing a recording, you can speed up your speech to skip through unnecessary parts without missing out on important information.

Undoubtedly, many can seriously compete with this model in terms of recording quality. But it’s unlikely that any of these models has as many settings and modes as this device. One of the advantages of using this voice recorder is the ability to use it as a music player. It is not necessary to listen to only recorded files. Although the main menu does not have a section that allows you to think about the musical orientation of the gadget, the file browser will allow you to listen to your favorite compositions. The most popular formats WMA and MP3 are available to the user. The screen displays information about the file, a small image of the album cover, equalizer settings, and playback mode. To configure the sound, you need to go to the context menu.

The recorder allows you to make bookmarks, and the number of bookmarks per file is limited to one. On the right side you need to find the corresponding button. The main menu contains a list of existing bookmarks. This function will be relevant when listening to audiobooks, which is quite suitable for the modern user as an alternative to listening to music. Connoisseurs of FM broadcasts can find their favorite program thanks to the built-in FM receiver. Three dozen stations can be stored in the device’s memory. Auto search will allow you to easily find your favorite programs. An additional function is the recording of radio broadcasts.

When you connect the recorder to a PC, the system recognizes the device as a removable disk. This allows you to abandon proprietary programs. But there is one available: EmoDio. If you wish, you can easily download the program from the manufacturer’s official website. It will make it possible to create playlists and quickly exchange data. When connected to a computer, you can remove the batteries, the device will still work. If batteries are installed in the recorder, they will not be able to be recharged from the computer; they require special charging.

Let's sum it up

You cannot call a voice recorder a professional journalistic or spy gadget, which many manufacturers are trying to create. The number of settings is quite large, but many will want to expand this range. For those who purchase the device as a voice recorder, the set of settings and modes will be to their liking. But the FM receiver and player are implemented without any frills. I'm pleased with the device's packaging, which contains a large number of accessories: line cable, headphones, lanyard, external microphone, adapter for recording from a phone.

Everyone knows that the functionality of multimedia players today goes far beyond playing music. As bonuses, the user gets the opportunity to watch videos and pictures, read books, play games, listen to the radio, and sometimes surf the Internet. And the vast majority of devices are equipped with a built-in microphone, which allows you to use your player as a voice recorder. Moreover, both small players and huge PMP devices are equipped with it, which you wouldn’t dare use as a voice recorder. But, as a rule, the implementation of this function in non-core devices leaves much to be desired - both functionally and sometimes qualitatively, it lags behind “professional” voice recorders - individual devices whose direct purpose is to record sound. Today the hero of our review will be a “pure” voice recorder. Yes, not a simple one, but with a camera. Meet Samsung YP-VP1.

Appearance, control

When creating this device, the developers clearly did not strive for miniature size; the device is quite large both in length and thickness. In this particular case, these features are only advantages: what is important, first of all, is convenience, not miniature size.

When you hold the recorder in your hand, the microphone hole always remains open. If you hold it in your right hand, the most necessary button to turn on and off recording is always under the thumb and is convenient to press.

Along with it, on the right side there are two more keys: the first for setting a bookmark and changing directories for recording, the second for looping a section of the recorded file and deleting from memory unnecessary files. Each button can be used for two different purposes, depending on the included this moment functions. Thanks to this, the device is not overloaded with unnecessary buttons on the side panel.

On the front of the device there is a screen, which I will talk about later, as well as other buttons. There are as many as 9 of them, they form a grid of three rows, each with three buttons. Four of them stand out, making it easy to locate the rest, which are hidden under the front panel, but it is worth noting that these hidden buttons are not touch sensitive, which is very convenient and practical. They respond to moderate pressure and respond with a dull click.

The four-position navigation block is represented by the protruding buttons described above. But this does not mean that in order to hit them you need to somehow contrive and dodge no, you can simply press with the entire surface of your finger without fear of missing, adjacent buttons will not be affected.

On the left side there is a slider that switches the recorder to one of two modes: “Meeting” or “Interview”. Next to it there is a plug, under which a socket for a USB cable is hidden. At first it seems that it is standard for a mini-USB cable, but it is not. The necessary cable, of course, is included in the kit, but it is still unforgivable to use non-standard solutions in this type of device.

On the back wall there is a very necessary element in a voice recorder - a built-in speaker. It should be noted that even when the recorder is on the back wall, you will still hear the external speaker; for this purpose, there are special cutouts in the side ends through which the sound will flow. The speaker is relatively loud, just right for a quiet room. The playback quality is not at the highest level; in some players (Creative Zen Stone with Speaker, and even Samsung K5) the sound through the speaker was more pleasant and bassy. But in general, it is quite enough for your needs.

Above the loudspeaker is the highlight of our hero - a built-in 0.3 megapixel camera. Why is it needed, what is the quality of the images, and so on - all this is ahead.

The developers managed to make the controls very clear and simple. All buttons are in the right places and are easy to press. You can turn on the device either using the corresponding button, which is located on the front panel, or by immediately holding down the record button. In the first case, you will enter the main menu; in the second, recording will begin immediately. The delay between pressing the REC button and starting recording is about 3-4 seconds.

The control scheme generally follows that of Samsung players: there is a context menu button, a return button, and a lock button. The latter is not a mechanical slider, but simply a button, the same as all the others. The first press turns the lock on, the second press turns it off, this is indicated by the picture on the screen. Accordingly, only the player that is turned on can be blocked. This can be done when recording, for example, to avoid accidentally pressing something at the wrong moment. In some ways this is more convenient than a mechanical slider, but there is a risk of spontaneous recording, since the record button is pressed quite easily and does not require too long a press to activate.

Memory

Digital voice recorders have always had relatively little memory compared to the same players. Even now, new models with a memory capacity of 256 or 512 MB are often found. VP1 is available with 2 and 4 GB of built-in flash memory, and, in my opinion, this is enough for a voice recorder. At the highest quality, 4 GB is enough for 40 hours of recording, at medium quality for 132 hours, at the lowest quality for as much as 1060 hours. Since our hero has not only pure voice-recording functionality, but can also be used as a very good player, some part of the memory may well be dedicated to your favorite music.

Display

A voice recorder, in principle, does not need a large display, and given the small width of the device, it is simply impossible to make it one. The color TFT display with a resolution of 128×128 pixels, used in the Samsung VP-1, is quite enough to display the necessary information. The viewing angles are not very wide, but that doesn't matter. In the sun, the image, of course, fades, but the information is discernible. In browser mode, the screen can accommodate up to 5 lines.

Dictaphone part

Of course, working as a voice recorder is the main purpose of this device, despite the presence of pleasant bonuses. We will talk about the quality and capabilities of this function in this section of the review.

So how does it work. There is a button on the side panel that, when pressed for a long time, immediately activates recording. Moreover, it can be pressed while in any function, and even when the device is turned off - this is convenient when you urgently need to record something important. If you accidentally press this button, nothing unpleasant will happen; you can immediately press it again, because the player does not save recordings of less than 3 seconds in memory. When testing, I generally used the REC button to turn on the player, because it seemed to me more convenient than using the standard method of turning on.

The folder in which the recorded files are stored contains 5 directories with the names A, B, C, D, and E. Before recording, by pressing the FOLDER button, which is located on the right side, you can quickly change the directory to the desired one it will be easier to understand later, where is which file? Unfortunately, the player does not react in any way to folders created by itself; it only shows its “native” 5 directories.

In recording mode, when it is not yet enabled, you can call up a context menu that allows you to make settings. Let's discuss each in order.

The first is setting the recording quality. 6 values ​​available LP, SP, HQ, SHQ, UHQ. These abbreviations mean respectively the bitrates of 8, 32, 64, 128, 192 kbps MP3 files. The upper limit is not so outstanding, now voice recorders even in players can write at 256 kbit/s, but increasing the bitrate will not give too much gain in speech intelligibility.

Next is a setting called “Record when sound occurs.” Its purpose is quite clear from the name: recording is carried out only if the microphone picks up some distinguishable sounds. In fact, the function really works, but it makes sense to use it only when recording in a quiet room, because if there is constant noise in the background, there will be no stops during recording. There are no settings for the signal level threshold at which recording should begin.

Next comes “Noise Reduction”, in the settings of which there are only two positions “On” and “Off”. It also works, but the voice and other sounds become muffled when using it. Computer noise, street noise - all this is removed when recording, and if you are talking in a quiet room where there is some kind of noise, you can turn on this function.

A function called AGC (Automatic gane gontrol). The essence of its work is that the sensitivity of the microphone automatically adjusts to the level of the input signal. The signal is amplified more or less depending on the volume of the sound source. The function behaved very adequately in operation, you can use it.

Sensitivity can also be set manually; “Low” and “High” levels are available. If you want to record something loud and bassy, ​​the first mode, with low sensitivity, will come in handy. If something is quiet, or the sound source is very far away, then it is better to use high level sensitivity. If you confuse the modes and record a loud source too close with the recorder's high sensitivity, the sound will be rattling; at a low level this does not happen.

The last setting that can be made is selecting the voice recorder operating mode from the “Meeting” and “Interview” options. To quickly switch between these two modes, use the slider located on the left side of the device. In the first case, the microphone coverage radius is wider than in the second. In meeting mode, all surrounding noise is recorded; in interview mode, the voice of the interlocutor sitting opposite the recorder is more clearly heard, while background noise is less noticeable.

The external microphone that comes with the recorder may well be useful, but the increase in recording quality from its use is small. It can be attached to the collar, or even hidden somewhere under clothing, if necessary. For these purposes there is a clothespin on it. If recording quality is critical to you, you can purchase a higher quality microphone. It should be noted that the VP1 only supports monophonic recording, the external microphone included in the kit is monaural, and there is only one microphone on the recorder itself (don’t be confused by the presence of two holes).

The adapter for recording telephone conversations was also tested and works. The kit includes a line cable for it with two “jacks” at the ends, one is inserted into the recorder, into the line-in jack, the other into the adapter. The box itself is connected in series to the telephone network and does not create any problems.

Well, almost until last I left the most interesting part - the operation of the built-in camera. The point is this: after you have finished recording the sound, the machine prompts you to take a picture, looking at which in the future, you could remember the content of a particular recording. Picture, filmed by camera, is written to the folder with the recorded file, and is also sewn into the tag, so it will be impossible to lose it. In the browser for files recorded from the recorder, you can configure their display either as a list or as a mosaic of images captured with the camera.

The camera has a matrix capable of capturing 0.3 megapixels. But the picture that is saved along with the recording has a resolution of only 208 by 200 pixels. The quality and size of the output file are quite acceptable for its purposes, you can see this for yourself:

Below are some observations. Background noise is present in recordings in any mode, sometimes quite strong. A running refrigerator, wind, noise from the system unit - all this is very clearly audible in the recording. The next observation is that you can change the “Meeting” mode to “Interview” and vice versa without interrupting the recording, which can be useful in some cases.

When listening to a recording, you can increase or decrease the tempo of speech, and the timbre of speech is not distorted, which is very good. This means that when the playback speed increases, for example, the voice does not become squeaky, but simply speeds up. Although you can still have fun :)

What would you like to say about the quality of the recording and the advisability of purchasing this device? Many players can easily compete with the recorder presented in our article in terms of recording quality. But at the same time, unfortunately, for the most part they lack many settings and modes that this model is equipped with. That is, for example, the same Cowon S9 showed itself very well as a voice recorder, but weak functionality can manifest itself in some situations. Samsung's voice recorder lacks some useful functions, such as: the ability to create your own directories for recording, timer recording, adjusting the sampling frequency, sensitivity settings could also be wider, the possibility of stereo recording and the presence of an appropriate stereo microphone in the kit would not hurt. But he copes with his responsibilities, what he has works quite well.

Music player

The possibility of using the Samsung VP1 not only for its intended purpose - voice recording - but also as an ordinary player is not particularly hidden, but nevertheless is not put on display. Even on the box, when listing the functions, there is no icon indicating the possibility of using the voice recorder as a player. And even in the main menu there is no item a la “Music”. There is only a file browser from where you can find any folder and file. There are no tag-based libraries, just this file browser. Some will consider this more of a plus than a minus - no hassles with tags, you just found the file, opened it and listen to your pleasure.

Only WMA and MP3 formats are supported, that is, the main and most “popular” ones. There are now plenty of even ordinary players that support only these two, so we can say “thank you” to the developers for including support for WMA files in the voice recorder.

During playback, the display shows a small album cover, file name, progress bar, equalizer settings, speed and playback mode. The context menu hides the settings for all of the above. You can change the playback mode, select one of 10 preset equalizer modes (you cannot create your own), and also increase or decrease the playback tempo. When you listen to recorded files rather than your own uploaded music, the VOP item becomes available. When it is turned on, only the voice is reproduced, extraneous noise is suppressed - not during recording, but during playback. But I didn’t like this function because when there is no voice, the noises “bulge out” and put pressure on the ears.

Next I would like to say about the ability to make bookmarks. There can be one of them per file. There is a corresponding button on the right side for this. The item that displays the list of created bookmarks is located right in the main menu. Coupled with progressive rewind and the ability to listen to MP3 and WMA files, the VP1 looks like a good player for audiobooks.

The device is very pleasant to use as a music player. Yes, even if there are no player features a la music collections, advanced equalizer settings, but the basic ones are present, and you can even set bookmarks, so keep this in mind.

FM receiver

In addition to the player, they decided to equip the recorder with a receiver. There are all the features that this function has in Samsung players: auto search with storing 30 stations in memory, manual search mode and manual recording of stations in memory, changing the region (including to Japanese, where the range starts at 76 MHz), changing sensitivity during auto search. There is also a recording from the radio, and its quality can be adjusted to 129 or 92 kbps. Reception quality is standard good.

Nutrition

The recorder is powered by two pinky batteries. Of course, this is the only thing the right decision V in this case. After all, we have before us a device that should be practical. Built-in batteries are undoubtedly very convenient and good, but the profession of a journalist is quite extreme, and a dead built-in non-removable battery can ruin the whole job, while batteries are sold almost every 100 meters. According to statements on the manufacturer's website, VP1 can last up to 30 hours in recording mode, up to 50 hours when playing sound through headphones, and up to 20 hours when playing sound through the built-in speaker. In fact, when testing recording with a bitrate of 128 kbps, with noise reduction and AGC turned off, and at low sensitivity, the recorder recorded for approximately the same 30 hours. During testing, two Samsung Pleomax alkaline batteries were used.

Connecting to a computer

The voice recorder is determined by the system as removable drive, so there will be no need to use proprietary software. The recorded files are stored in the Voice folder, which, as I already said, is divided into several subfolders. The memory write speed is just under 3 MB/s, which is standard and not the worst result. More clearly: an album of 152 MB in size is recorded in the recorder’s memory in a minute.

There is still a proprietary program, probably known to many as EmoDio. It can be downloaded from the official Samsung website. It is a multimedia library capable of many other functions, described in more detail. It calmly identifies the voice recorder as a “native” device and allows you to exchange files, as well as create playlists.

I would also like to note that although the VP1 runs on pinky batteries, when connected to a computer their charge is not consumed, and you can connect the device to the computer without them at all. If you use batteries, you will have to buy a charger for them separately from the computer; being in the recorder, they will not be charged.

Equipment

The article kept mentioning the various included devices. Now we invite you to look at them (the picture is a link and leads to an enlarged image).

Prices

The voice recorder is available in only two colors: silver and black. in Moscow for models with different amounts of memory, relevant at the time you read this article, you can find out from the table:

Conclusion

The device turned out to be not entirely “professional”. There are a number of settings, but there could be more. It is suitable for those who primarily need a voice recorder part. Nevertheless, the music player and FM receiver are implemented quite well, albeit simply. Replaceable batteries mean you don't have to worry about running out. critical situation they can be purchased anywhere and almost any time.

The presence of many additional accessories in the kit - an adapter for recording from a telephone line, an external microphone, a line cable, as well as headphones, a lanyard - gives additional freedom to the user, and the voice recorder receives our “Excellent Package” award for this.

• Voice recorder - USB cable
• Hand strap
• Two AAA batteries
• Headphones
• Cable 3.5-3.5 mm
• External microphone
• Adapter for recording from a phone

What’s going on in the digital voice recorder market – who knows. Let's say, here I am, in principle, a representative of the target audience. I often use an old Olympus voice recorder, and even more often I use voice recorders in players and phones. From time to time, in the wake of a thirst for updating, I want to spend money on some new model, but then... Then the understanding comes that, well, these voice recorders. We can do without them; the old Olympus will suffice. But when they offered to test a new voice recorder from Samsung, I happily agreed. Moreover, the preliminary acquaintance was quite surprising; it seemed that the company was trying to create a kind of mega-dictaphone for more than reasonable money. Let's see what this thing is for more than three thousand rubles.

A little personal history

One of the first classes at the university was devoted to the technical means of journalism, including the teacher talking about voice recorders. This was almost twelve years ago, and many of the things said are still relevant today. Our “teacher” was a fan of voice recorders and suggested using this device as often as possible, not only to record interviews, but also to create notes, tasks, discuss plans with yourself, and so on. He followed all the new products in this area, I believe that he was one of the first in the capital to purchase a digital voice recorder. Accordingly, we also got hooked on this technical needle; my first recording device was from Sony, a voice recorder for ordinary cassettes. Actually, I still have this recorder, it works. True, not a single tape recorder remains. So, I happily used it for some time, until gadget mania set in, I bought Olympus on microcassettes. Lost, bought another one. Then came the time for the first digital voice recorder, which, because it was unusual and interesting, was used to its fullest. This was the period when I not only wrote an interview with its help, but also remembered everything the teacher said. Notes, personal notes, even PIN codes and other information. It was an excellent voice recorder, I don’t remember the brand, it wasn’t very branded. And finally, the last model was given to me by family members for some holiday. This is the Olympus DS-40, a beautiful, sensitive, cool and reliable (and reliable) gadget, which, unfortunately, I use quite rarely now.

As you can see, although the voice recorder is my professional tool, I use this thing quite rarely. Sometimes interviews were recorded on a phone, these were models from Sony Ericsson, and from Nokia, and even from Apple - I tried a voice recorder program for the iPhone. Of course, it would be more correct to record your voice only using a voice recorder, but, you know, sometimes you just don’t want to take an extra device.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, a digital voice recorder is an extremely useful and necessary thing that can come in handy in a lot of situations. Recording of negotiations, the already mentioned planning and personal notes, “note-taking” of lectures, hidden recording, and so on and so forth. I wonder if you have a digital voice recorder and how much do you need such a device in your life?

Design, construction

I'll start with the delivery set, it's extremely large, there's nothing else here. A special adapter for recording conversations from your phone? Eat. 3.5 - 3.5 mm cable for recording from a player or laptop? Eat. There is a small carrying strap, headphones and so on.

We tried our best. The recorder itself is quite large, like a block, quite heavy when the batteries are in place. Physical dimensions are 34.7 x 109.6 x 15 mm, weight – just over sixty grams. The entire front panel is made of textured plastic, which gives the impression that you can sharpen your nails. But the recorder does not slip in your hand, and it is problematic to drop it. The plastic on the back panel is normal; when squeezed, the battery compartment cover crunches. There is a gray insert along the ends, in general appearance strict, not to say very elegant, but strict. Not a toy, but a serious thing. On the left side there is a connector for connecting a USB cable, closed with a plug, and on the bottom there is a groove for a strap. At the top we find two connectors, one is for connecting headphones, the second is for an external microphone; let me remind you, this thing is included in the kit.

The light indicator located “in the forehead” lights up brightly, signaling the start of recording, and blinks during this process. Surely this was done for a reason, because before the interview begins, you must inform the interlocutor about the use of a voice recorder, ask whether it is possible to “record” his voice. It seems that this is what is written in the law on the media, if in your own words. It is not a problem to cover the indicator with a piece of adhesive tape - just thinking out loud.

Control

No touch buttons, all “mechanics”, which is very good. Under the display there is a block of functional buttons, we list them: going back to an item, calling up a list of additional options, locking, Play/pause, turning on the device. But these black pimples are nothing more than a joystick for moving through menus and lists. On the right we find the start recording button, below it there is a function key responsible for switching between folders. On the left is a lever for switching between recording an interview or a meeting; depending on your choice, the recorder will focus on one direction (and the voice of your interlocutor) or will carefully “process” all directions during heated debates. The record button is clearly designed for right-handed people; the finger rests directly on it, comfortably. In general, the controls are extremely good, the block of buttons on the front panel is a little stiff, and you won’t be able to press it accidentally.

Nutrition

I think you can get two “micro-finger” batteries anywhere on our planet. But finding an outlet or USB port is sometimes extremely problematic. I think that this conservatism on the part of the company is very correct; the official data on operating time is as follows: thirty hours of recording, fifty hours of playback through headphones, twenty through speakers.

Connecting to a computer

There are two variants of the device, with two and four gigabytes of memory. There is no slot for memory cards, and they are not needed - after all, this is not a player, but a rather utilitarian device. When connected to a computer, we can use the recorder's memory as we wish - pull out all the files or “put in” something of our own. It plays MP3 and WMA exclusively, recording is in MP3, which is convenient. You can listen to it on anything.

Radio

There is an FM tuner with the ability to record (of course), it is possible to independently remember the desired frequencies, use auto-tuning, and select the recording quality. For anyone involved with radio, this could be an interesting tool.

View files

A regular browser, you see the folders Voice, Music, FM Radio, Playlists. Despite the presence of a Music folder, no one says that this is a player, although the playback quality is at a normal level, suitable for use in this quality. In the Voice folder we see something like a directory, five folders, from A to E. This is convenient for storing different recordings, say, in A - only interviews, in B - sounds of nature, in C - a secret recording of some conversation. While in the recording menu, you can quickly select a folder by clicking on the button on the right, this is convenient. By default, entries are displayed as icons, more on this in the next chapter.

Camera

Voice recorder with VGA camera? Like, what nonsense. But no, the camera is a very good assistant here, say, if you are working at an exhibition and there are five to ten interviews a day, then it is extremely difficult to analyze this material. If you focus only on the recording time in the file names. The YP-VR1 doesn't have this problem because after you finish recording, the player asks you whether to make a sketch. For example, you say “Yes!” The camera is activated, you “click” the desired person, place or thing you were talking about, the photo is recorded in the audio file tag - great. After that, say, in a hotel, when you go to folders, you see photo icons. Select the one you need and decrypt it.

For me, this is a great thing, extremely necessary. Nobody says that this is an addition for landscapes, even on the product page on Samsung.ru everything written above is chewed in even more detail.

Settings

In the settings you can change the date and time; you need to do this first thing after purchase, so as not to get confused in the records later. Also here are display settings, language selection, sleep time, turning the sound signal on or off, system information, and so on. I won’t go into detail, everything is transparent. Basically, after setting the time and fresh, quality batteries, you can start recording straight away.

Dictaphone

There were practical tests, it was necessary to record a meeting and conversations with two people in a quiet restaurant. A working moment, so to speak. It’s usually like this: at so-called “business” meetings, people talk a lot, get creative, and come up with ideas. And then, when they try to remember what was said so brilliantly, memory lapses begin. So, the cafe was quiet, in Meeting mode the recording is quite normal - here you have conversations, and the clanking of knives, forks, conversations with the waitress, discussion of business, conversations about life, leisure, women, places, gadgets and so on. A fruitful meeting, so to speak. And it's nice to listen to. There are no complaints about the YP-VR1, everything is fine. True, the microphone is either very sensitive, or vice versa - it records not only the voice, but also the surrounding space very well. A whisper test was carried out, in a quiet room the recorder lay three meters away from me, and I whispered all sorts of nasty things and complained about life. I listened. I did the same with the help of Olympus. The latter still caught my groans much better.

By the way, there is a good speaker here, loud, allowing you to completely do without headphones. True, I immediately remember the nightmare editorial work, when a couple of journalists simultaneously transcribe an interview without headphones - you can go crazy.

conclusions

The average price of a model with a memory capacity of 2 GB is less than four thousand rubles. Let's look at this thing as a simple voice recorder. The recording quality is normal, but not exactly amazing. Will go to work. That's why you have to love the model, the camera, which helps a lot in life - no problems with sorting out recordings. An excellent set of supplies, I hope that I will still have the opportunity to use both an external microphone and a device for recording from a phone - you never know when and what will come in handy. It’s very good that it runs on batteries, the eternal “Damn, I forgot to charge it!!!” it won't work here. Accordingly, we can recommend the YP-V1 for purchase to anyone who may need such a thing in their lives. Yes, I’ll also note convenient controls, a good speaker, this is also important.