Hi everyone! I bought a DVR last week because I have a few shops next week that would require quite a bit of details. It's a Sony PX312 FROM Best Buy. I tried it this past weekend by placing it in the outside pocket of my handbag and when I replayed the recording,I couldn't really hear the conversations except for the noises and my walking. If I get an external microphone, it'll still have to be attached to the unit, right? I would appreciate some advise as to where and how I should place the DVR to get the optimal recording without being noticed. Thank you.

Yappy,

What I do is place my digital recorder in a cell phone holder and clip it to my belt loop with the microphone end facing up. Most cell phone holders are partly open on the top so the mic can pick up fine.

If you are female...I took the advise of another member here and put it between the girls in your bra. Works great and so far I can hear both sides of the conversation.

For guys; buy a cheap necklace that will allow the recorder to hang just below your neckline, under you shirt. You can also use the breast pocket of your shirt/jacket, though I had to put a small piece of electrical tape over the recording light when doing that, since it would show through light colored shirts.

Works the same as the positioning for women. Oh, and don't wear tight shirts.....even if don't have a recorder on you!

I have done the "put between the girls" trick which works, but in the summer there can be sweat. Yuck.

If you are doing the recorder itself between the girls, put a folded paper towel between skin and the recorder. Don't wrap the recorder as that will muffle the sound. If you are doing an external microphone, flip it over the center of the bra so it hangs on the outside. Do a double check that the blouse is not so tight that there is a telltale bulge between the girls. Meanwhile, once the external mic is plugged in the microphones on the recorder itself should automatically be disregarded by the recording.

Easy option: wear a blazer with a regular long-sleeve dress shirt and place the DVR in your left breast pocket. The blazer will obscure the DVR from appearing bulky in your pocket.

Try it!

So now I have a question...how do you keep it from shutting off? I've tried an Olympus and a Sony and for both, the "record" button is so sensitive, that it just shuts itself off once it's placed in a loose pocket, or a pocket of my purse.

I try to be extra careful, but still only get results about half the time since the darn thing shuts off.

I went to Staples and looked around...all had the same design with the "record" button on the front.

Any suggestions? Thanks...

I've never had a problem with that unless it was on a 'voice activated' setting. Make sure you have the voice activation turned off as it will turn on only after a conversation or note is already begun. If the problem is actually hitting the record button and pausing it, I would get something small that would cover the buttons without touching them and rubber banding it into place. A match box comes to mind but those are hard to come by any more. Look around the house for something small and shallow that will fit. My DVR will shut off if the battery is weak, so I do make sure I have good batteries in it. (I use rechargeables so usually just switch out with the batteries in the recharger before I head out.)

The newer Olympus ones have a "Lock" setting the prohibits from being turned off.

Does anyone know the best DVR available for not too much $? I can upgrade when MS $ comes rolling in. ;0)

My dog probably knows more about these electronic gadgets than I do. LOL

Ruby,

I picked up a DVR for $29.99 at Walmart. It's a little Sony, on the back it has, "ICD-BX112". I just checked Amazon, and it is listed for $34.99.

I like it, it's easy to use, fits perfectly in my purse. My husband has the same one, he just slides it into his cell phone holder, works perfectly there. I've only had one instance where it shut off, but that was because I hit the counter. (Very embarrassing, because it started to play!) I have a short handled purse. I take everything out of one of the pockets and slide my DVR into the outside pocket. I leave it unzipped. The only thing in my purse is my wallet and a pen. I even keep my cell phone locked in my car. I do this so I don't accidentally hit my recorder.

Also, I've learned to keep an extra set of batteries in my little "file box" in my car.

I was actually able to pick up all of our conversations in VERY loud restaurants and bars.

Now, my state is a 1-party recording state not sure about yours.

I really like my Sony DVR. It is kinda the big brother to this one and it does allow file upload to my PC so playback can be on the computer. That I find to be a very valuable feature.

Hmm, I guess I don't need to worry about video or audio recording. California is a 'two party' consent state.

I'm not trying to stir up a hornet's nest, but don't employers have their employees sign something giving consent to 'being spied on' when they're hired on? I just don't want to end up with unnecessary legal bills over MS. LOL.

Any CA attorneys lurking on this board? ;0)

I'm in CA (obviously) and rarely use the recorder because of the laws here, but I also travel quite a bit and will utilize it when I'm away.

I have also worked for a company that requires the recordings and has employees sign consent forms. In that case, I have seen the consent forms required of employees and spoken with the client representatives regarding the recordings, so I feel comfortable doing that.

In CA, I would be VERY careful of using a recorder on any integrity shops or interactions that could get an employee fired. There is precent for the shopper being called into court in such situations.

Steve, my thoughts exactly. I'll ask the company if there are signed consent forms before I do that.

You can actually ask to see the forms if you are being required to record the interaction. If you take someone else's word for it and break the law, you are still responsible.....

Point taken, Steve. Thank you.

I'm in NY so I don't have to worry about that. However, if I was using it just for my personal notes and was going to delete it after I wrote my report, I would probably still record in a two party state since I would certainly not be telling anyone. Yeah, I know, breaking the law. I also speed. A lot. So it wouldn't be the first (or worst) law I would've chosen to...oops...break.

Between the girls is always the best, from my experience. I've tried having it peep out of my purse, but it can slip or be too far away. I've tried holding it like a cell phone (when the phones looked similar to my DVRs), but that makes it difficult to keep it hidden if I need to hold something. I've slipped it up my sleeve (long sleeves) and taped or held it in place. I've tried using a microphone wrapping it around my bra strap but if the shirt rubs against the microphone or the purse strap gets in the way (like if I forget and switch shoulders) then there's a lot of scratching and not so much talking. I've tried hanging it down before and the microphone has peeped out of my shirt. Whoops!

The girls offer a valley where no clothing is as the bra goes straight across in the front. So there is minimal scratching against the microphone. My DVRs have straps so I loop the strap around the center of the bra and slip the DVR through it (no slipping out if I bend over) and make sure the red recording light is facing towards my skin or put electical tape over it so there's no telltale red glow from inside my shirt. So yes, I've done this many, many times. Works like a charm. Let's hear it for the girls! Holla!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/2012 06:52AM by AlwaysAngie.

@Angie -

I also erase all of my recordings after I submit the survey. Since I'm not doing any required Audio or Video shops, I don't really need to keep the recording. I do save every single survey as a "html" file first, and then when I have a little bit of free time go back and re-save it as a PDF file from Word.

I may try taping my recorder to my arm, but I'm not sure about the Bra & Girls trick! Using cleavage, I just don't see how a recording would not turn on accidentally! Could you see that? I bet the employees being shopped would find a reason to stare harder at the "boobs"... "Uh, your boobs, they're TALKING TO ME!" LMAO!

Let's also not forget that you have to have boobs that are big enough to create cleavage! Not everyone is so lucky.

I'm also in a one party consent state so it's not illegal, but even if it was two party I would do it because I am only doing it for my own purposes as a way to make sure I get my facts straight during a shop. So far I haven't had too much of an issue with putting it in an outer pocket of my purse... I usually get a decent recording. It's an Olympus VN-8100PC. I also have an Olympus ear piece for recording both sides of a telephone conversation. I've only put it between the girls when I had a sweater on. When I put it in with just a shirt it seemed kind of noticeable.

I've also used the record feature of my phone and just hold it in my hand. This works great for the printer shop where you have to list all the printers and projectors of a certain brand on display. When no one is too close I just pretend I'm talking on the phone or hold it closer to my face and act as if I'm scratching my face or thinking. This way I can just say the model numbers and note if there is/isn't a price or the marketing sticker on top.

I don't delete immediately in case there is a question about the shop. This has come in handy on at least a couple occassions. I've had MSs come back to me wanting a blow by blow of the entire conversation... like I could give that much detail weeks after the call especially after making several of the same type!

My old Olympus is pale gray and doesn't show through my tops from between the girls (my cups runneth over, so there's no cleavage problem). I put correction tape over the battery light. But it doesn't have a USB connection, so I recently got a new SONY which is solid black. I've been trying to think of a good way to disguise it, but otherwise, I'll have to go back to using shirts with pockets on any jobs where I have to upload the audio.

How about sew up a little light colored (like white or beige) pouch to slip it in? A single layer of fabric should not significantly muffle sound. Of course you can bypass the entire issue with an external microphone and just keep the recorder in your pants pocket.

r@inyDayZ3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @Angie -
>
> I also erase all of my recordings after I submit
> the survey. Since I'm not doing any required
> Audio or Video shops, I don't really need to keep
> the recording. I do save every single survey as a
> "html" file first, and then when I have a little
> bit of free time go back and re-save it as a PDF
> file from Word.

I save all my reports to file, too. It's helpful if I have to refer back to the report for clarification.


> I may try taping my recorder to my arm, but I'm
> not sure about the Bra & Girls trick! Using
> cleavage, I just don't see how a recording would
> not turn on accidentally! Could you see that? I
> bet the employees being shopped would find a
> reason to stare harder at the "boobs"... "Uh, your
> boobs, they're TALKING TO ME!" LMAO!

I have two DVRs, one newer and one that's about 10 years old. Both have a "hold" button on them. So I get it ready, start recording, then slide the button to hold. That way, there's no worries about your conversation from five minutes ago echoing through your shirt. LOL

CheeChild Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let's also not forget that you have to have boobs
> that are big enough to create cleavage! Not
> everyone is so lucky.a

They don't have to be huge. My bra does not runneth over but I have snuck in a digital camera into concerts back before everyone had cameras on their phones and the venues gave up on banning them. This was an earlier version with a large lens in the front because it had awesome zoom. It was a matter of positioning it just right...and knowing that if someone tried to frisk me there, I'd slap them.

I should clarify, for the DVR between the girls, I usually tuck most of it under the left one but still in the bra. So nestled between my breast and myb bra, leaving just enough out so the microphone won't be muffled. This takes care of any odd rectangular shaping in the middle of my shirt and it also takes care of the issue with the black of my newer DVR showing through my shirt. (My old one is also a light gray, too.) Since the DVR is relatively small, I don't have to worry about one being significantly higher than the other.

Wow! Some great ideas here. Unfortunately my girls do not runneth over as well but I will try it out and see what happens. I think it'll be hard when the weather gets warmer. But thank you so much for all this valuable advise.

Angie, thank you...I too, have the "hold" button but did not think it would "hold" while recording.

After seeing your post, I tried it and it does work! Wonderful! Solves my problem of it shutting off!

Thanks!!

Absolutely must use a microphone. However, for drive throughs I have found if I put the unit in the door well that has my door lever (to open the door) it sits right below the open window with its built in mike facing up. It picks up me (facing the window) and the employee talking through the speaker or directly just fine.
In winter I can't just put it in my shirt pocket; it picks up the swishing noise of my coat so loudly that I can't hear anything else. And without a mike the background noises seem to cover everything pretty much.
The mike does the trick.
Of course, I do studio recording and editing, so I can always load up a session in Blaze Audio and screen out various sounds, clip levels, boost frequencies I want, etc. and get timing to thousandths of a second.
Answer: get a mike and clip it somewhere facing forward. Done.

Funny, when I used to do drive throughs I found putting the recorder under the sun visor with the microphone aimed towards the window gave the best recording for me. It even did a pretty decent job with the remote order speaker box.