4. Belkin TuneTalk Stereo

Helps Turn An iPod Into A Portable Recording Studio

By: Ed Tittel

Belkin is a well-known manufacturer of networking and PC gear of all kinds, from wired and wireless switches and routers to USB hubs and all kinds of other stuff. In recent years, some of that "other stuff" has included an interesting foray into personal entertainment gear. Where the iPod is concerned, in fact, Belkin also offers FM radio add-ons, cases, and even external power supplies. They also produce accessories and add-ons for satellite radio receivers, Zune personal audio players, and more.

The TuneTalk Stereo is a compact device that docks into the bottom of a video iPod or second-generation iPod nano. It includes two built-in microphones offset at 45 degree angles from a central axis, and is designed to capture high-quality human voice input. The primary application seems to be for those who want to use a suitable iPod to record podcast material on location. This explains why this tiny, lightweight gizmo - it's 2.375" x 1.5" x 0.75" (6.03 x 3.81 x 1.9 cm), and weighs just 0.7 ounces (20 g) - draws its power from the iPod to which it's attached, while also accepting input through a standard mini-RCA line-in jack.

To be more specific, the TuneTalk Stereo permits its users to record high-quality 16-bit audio right onto an iPod, either using its built in microphones or through the USB cable you can attach to its bottom edge. That edge is where you'll also find an on/off switch for automatic gain control, as well as a USB connector and the mini-jack for external audio input.

The Belkin TuneTalk plugs into the dock connector on the bottom of a video iPod or iPod nano.

This diminutive device is easy to transport, and equally easy to use: simply connect it to an iPod or click its record button, and a recording screen pops up on the iPod display. From there you can record input with a single click, after which you can toggle between controls to pause or to stop and save your recording. When it comes to long recordings, saving can take a while, so please be patient - if you use this for live concert capture, save during breaks, and edit the audio back together later.

The automatic gain control (AGC) feature - accessed via the button on the bottom of the device - lets users switch between flat-volume recording and autonormalization. When turned on, this feature does a good job of boosting quiet passages; it even works with the line-in jack, though you'll get better sound quality if you set volume properly by doing a short test when you start recording, and then leave AGC turned off. The device saves recordings as 16-bit, 44.1 kHz WAV files, for quality that is close to that of CD audio. iPod battery life will suffer somewhat with the TuneTalk attached, so please be aware than an hour to and hour-and-a-half is the best you can expect when recording audio on a battery-only iPod with a TuneTalk in tow.

This is a great little piece of gear that will be appreciated by any dad or grad with an ear for sound and a yen to use his or her iPod for laying down voice or audio. At an MSRP of $70 it's nicely priced, and you can find discounted prices as low as $50 at online outfits such as The Nerds. For more information on this dandy device, check out its Belkin