phone patch recording

Chris Camilleri · **Voice Talent** Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 19

Hey, John - I'm not absolutely sure of the model, but if the Rolls piece you're getting is the same one I got (and I think it is), it's not gonna do what you need. It will let you bring the phone signal into your rig, but doesn't return audio to the phone, so the director can't hear you. I'm on the road now, so can't check, but I'll confirm that when I get home...

I ended up getting a unit called the Excalibur (again, I think). Cost around $90, and works like a charm. Have used it on several jobs and radio interviews, and you can't beat it for the price...

Barry Seymour · **Voice Talent** Joined: 15 Sep 2004 Posts: 60

Chris: Where do you get this 'Excalibur?' Thanks...

Bobbin Beam

Chris Camilleri · **Voice Talent** Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 19

Barry, I don't recall exactly where I bought it, but if you Google Excalibur HC-1, you should come up with some choices...

The only drawback I've had (and it's really minor) is that, in order to keep the phone signal off the recorded track, you need to hard-pan the channel with the phone input, so you only get the director in one ear. Easy to get used to, and other than that, it's golden...

Chip Hinshaw · **Voice Talent** Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 65

BSW carries them.

http://www.bswusa.com/proditem.asp?item=HC-1

Stefan Chinell · **Voice Talent** Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 16

Retell 157. Great for online phone direction. You record at your end and play back the recorded sound via telephone line for monitoring. Flip a switch and you can also record the conversation. Cheap and easy to use.

Stefan Kinell
Sweden

Stacey Byrne · **Voice Talent** Joined: 30 May 2006 Posts: 13

That I wrote, "right" copy. What a goofus! And what a great testimonial about my copy skills - Doh! Is there any way to edit our posts after posting? I am a ridiculously quick typist and it just happens. Then again, maybe I'm missing a few brain cells since college.

Louis Tristan · **Voice Talent** Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 266

I do the same thing 2! The thoughts seem to flow naturally from my mind and I assume my hands are doing the same when they move across the keyboard. You should see me drive...

Sometimes when I go back to see replies I tend to ponder and wonder who wrote that.... It’s probably because there is no deadline and you no longer need Mavis Becon Teaches Typing plus it's fun here on the forum.

There is an edit button. If you are logged, in just click onyour post and look at the top right corner.

John Moore · **Voice Talent** Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Posts: 16

Chris, you are correct - too bad I didn't talk to you before I clicked on "checkout". the PI9 is only one way. I've been focused on other things and it hasn't been as critical as I thought to have the phone patch so far, but I'll look for the Excalibur - just for everyone's information, the PI9 is a one-way street.

Robert Jadah · **Voice Talent** Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 2627

Voicers:
I had stupidly opened this topic elsewhere before striking the motherlode of all the know-how I ever needed right here....
Your collective knowledge is astounding.
Methinks the JK Auto Hybrid sounds like a nice balance between cost and function, and can now be had for $158.
Before I order one, though, I need a Kindergarten explanation of whether it will work with my Digidesign M-Box2/Pro Tools/Bell Canada hi-speed internet set-up.
Am I correct in assuming I plug something into a phone jack and something into the computer and I'm good to go? That I can have a two- or three-way conversation while I'm recording?
Surely that cannot be, since Digidesign now rules my computer audio, having usurped the built-in Windows stuff.
If you are kind enough to slap me upside the head with explanation, please realize you are speaking with the Technically Dim here.
Obviously,
Robert Jadah

Russ McLamb · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Posts: 62

Robert,

Here's the there site says......

"When connecting AutoHybrid to a mixer, you may need to make a few adjustments. Make sure the XLR input on your mixer is a line level input, not mic level, and that phantom power is disabled. You should connect the Caller output of AutoHybrid to a line level input on your mixer. Next, be sure that you are sending a mix-minus signal to the Send jack of the AutoHybrid. Mix-minus is a mixer output that does not contain the Caller audio signal."

Basically this looks like it sets up like my Telos. Your phone line will plug into the hybrid, then your hybrid into your phone line. The input of the hybrid should be fed with an ALT feed from your mixer, the output of the hybrid to a regular insert on the board. Then whoevers on the phone will hear your feed and you'll hear them as well through your headphones.

Russ

Robert Jadah · **Voice Talent** Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 2627

Thanks for the explanation. To the technically-bewildered, it almost reached clarity.
At the risk of divulging absolute idiocy, would you say that my mixer in your explanation is actually my M-Box interface? Or is it the ProTools session which needs to be channeled out of the PC?
With thanks and timid apologies for block-headedness,
Robert Jadah

Russ McLamb · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Posts: 62

Robert,

No block-headedness involved, took me a while to figure it out myself. Trial and error. Smile

You could use the in's and out's of your interface but the ideal setup so you can control levels better is to have a mixer. Would make life alot easier. Nothing fancy, I had an old Behringer MX 1604A I pulled out of the closet just for that.

Russ

Stefan Chinell · **Voice Talent** Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 16

Strange that no one has observed the Retell 157. It is a cheap and easy to use phone patch unit that I use frequently. You connect one cord to your telephone and the other to the AUX out on your mixer.

The unit has a jack where you connect your regular phone headset. You then call the client, get directions via your headset and record audio at your end. Then play back via AUX out and down the phone line.

The sound quality is actually so good that I've had engineers record that audio at their end for pre-mixing purpose and then played back that mix to the agency/client sitting by a loudspeaker phone at some other location.

Also, just by flipping a switch and moving the plug from AUX out to LINE in on your mixer, you can record phone conversations simple and easy.

Retell 157 works just fine for me and is also small, about the size of two icecubes. Drop me a line if you need more info: sk@artecon.se

Colin Campbell · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007, 18:22 (GMT) Post subject:

I tried to draw it graphically but it just didn't post right. So I'll explain it. I come from the mic to a Symetrix preamp/processor that has both a main balanced output and an extra unbalanced output. I send the main output to the PC interface and the unbalanced to a tiny Behringer UB502 mixer. I then take the PC interface output and connect it to the mixer. This way I can montior while recording and still hear PC playback without any mouse clicks or switching. The main output of the Behringer is free to feed a phone patch and the return from the phone patch could go to one more input on the Behringer. The Behringer was only $39 and is simply a mixer for monitoring. Works well.