Meeting and conference recording

Meeting and conference microphones are useful when a recorder’s built-in microphone is not close enough to all speakers. They are commonly used for boardroom discussions, interviews, group consultations, committee meetings, training rooms and recorded conversations.

Boundary and table microphones may help capture voices across a wider area, but room size, speaker distance, table layout and recorder quality will still affect the final recording.

Telephone and interview recording

Telephone pickup microphones are used to record phone conversations through a compatible recording device. They are often used for interviews, research calls, professional notes and phone-based conversations that need to be documented.

Phone recording requirements vary by location and use case. Always check consent and compliance requirements before recording a telephone conversation.

• The exact recorder, computer or mobile device model you want to use.
• Whether the device has a microphone input, headset input or USB input.
• Whether the microphone uses 3.5 mm, 2.5 mm, USB, USB-C or another connection type.
• Whether the microphone needs plug-in power from the recorder or device.
• Whether you need mono or stereo recording.
• Whether the microphone is for one speaker, a phone call, a small meeting or a larger conference room.
• Whether any adapter, extension cable or recorder setting is required.
• Whether the microphone will be used with dictation software, transcription software or general audio recording software.
• Whether phone recording consent or compliance requirements apply to your situation.

For digital voice recorders

Many external recording microphones are designed to connect to selected digital voice recorders through a microphone input. Check the recorder model, input type and microphone compatibility notes before ordering. Some professional recorder setups may support meeting microphones, telephone pickup microphones or lapel microphones depending on the model.

For PCs and mobile devices

Some microphones can be used with computers or mobile devices, but connection requirements vary. A microphone may need a USB adapter, USB-C adapter, TRRS adapter or compatible recording application. Always check the device input and intended recording software before purchase.