Belkin TuneTalk Stereo for iPod 5G, 5.5G (Black)

by Belkin

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 2 inches ; 5.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000F9LRYO
• Item model number: F8Z082-BLK
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (154 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The new Belkin F8Z082-BLK TuneTalk Stereo for iPod Videos (Black) features two high-quality omni-directional microphones for recording memos, lectures, interviews, or conversations in full stereo, letting you turn your iPod into your own personal assistant. At any time, you can review your CD-quality stereo recordings later by using your earbud headphones or your computer.

The Belkin TuneTalk features real-time adjustable gain for changing noise levels, one-touch navigation for quick memos, and includes a clipping indicator. This unit comes with an external 3.5-millimeter, stereo microphone adapter, can charge your iPod while recording when plugged in with the included cable, and fits easily with most cases. Compatible with iPod videos, such as the iPod 5G/5.5G Video, the Belkin F8Z082-BLK has a sleek black finish, and is backed by a manufacturer's 3-year warranty.

What's in the Box
Belkin F8Z082-BLK TuneTalk, power cable, user's guide and warranty information.

Product Description

With two high-quality omnidirectional microphones, the new Belkin TuneTalk Stereo lets you record memos, lectures, interviews, or conversations in full stereo. You can then review your CD-quality audio notes later by using your earbud headphones or computer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

167 of 169 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best additions for an iPod, September 4, 2006

By	ksuwildkat "ksuwildkat" (Monterey, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belkin TuneTalk Stereo for iPod 5G, 5.5G (Black) (Electronics)

I had previously used the Griffin iTalk for the G3 an G4 iPods and while an excellent product, the sound quality was 8 bit and the range was approximately 6 feet.

The Tune Talk is a significant a step as the change from the original iPod to the video iPod.

Sound Quality - Excellent. With the autogain off the recording is completely hiss free. With autogain on some his and distortion is introduced but it is acceptable. Stereo separation is good, excellent when you consider how small the microphone is. The two quality settings - high and low - correspond to 44.1 kHz (CD quality) and 22 kHz.

Format - the files are in the WAV format and run about 10MB per minute I high quality mode. These can easily be converted in to mp3 or any other format.

Features - The built in Autogain makes recording in large rooms or even outdoor settings practical. I have used it in small classrooms (10 person), large auditoriums (90 person) and outdoor theaters (200+ people). The quality is exceptional considering the small size. There is also an external input for either an microphone or line input (1/8th inch stereo) that allows your iPod to serve as a storage device for a higher quality recording setup. I used a direct input from one iPod to another using a male/male cable and there was no noticeable loss of quality. I am sure if you put the recordings on an analyzer you would see a difference but my ears couldn't tell. I have used this to digitize old analog tape recordings with excellent results.

Controls are minimal. Plug it into the dock connector and your iPod automatically goes to the record menu. Press the Play/pause button and you begin recording. Once recording begins the center button acts as a pause. Once your are done, scroll the clickwheel to "Stop and Save." When the save is complete, you go to a menu with your recording. File names are a date/time stamp. If you have the Tune talk already attached but you are doing something else (listening to music) you can go straight to the recording menu by pressing a button on the left of the Tune Talk. On the bottom along with the autogain and line input is a mini USB connector that allows you to power your iPod while recording. Recordings eat battery life fast. At full power you can get about 90 minutes of recording from a battery. After hat you run the risk of running out of juice during the disk write operation. Belkin includes the cable (nice) and a plastic holder that allows hands free recording (also nice).

The uses for the Tune Talk are only limited by your imagination. I use them in an education setting for spoken homework and recording lessons. I have also used them to record meetings, record plays and even notes to myself. The Tune Talk would make an excellent device for an on the fly Podcast. Combined with Apples GarageBand you could record, mix and post a podcast in a matter of minutes.

Highly recommended.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome improvement on sound quality, kills battery though, November 26, 2006

By	LSLLSL "LSL" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belkin TuneTalk Stereo for iPod 5G, 5.5G (Black) (Electronics)

I have a first generation iPod and now acquired an iPod with video. I record all of my lectures on the first generation iPod with two different devices, one a Griffin and one a Belkin. I can hear the lectures just fine, but have to strain my ears sometime once the lecturer starts pacing. I acquired the Belkin Tunetalk Stereo for iPod Video and wow! what a great difference. I played the recording and the quality is spectacular. I could actually hear the the whole lecture, very clearly.

The only thing is, it drains the battery. It does come with a cable that you can plug in into a USB port that charges the iPod's battery while it records. For longer lectures I would have to take my laptop to be able to keep the battery alive.

I love it, just a pity about the short life.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Great For Lengthy Recordings, January 24, 2007

By	Sarah Silvermann - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belkin TuneTalk Stereo for iPod 5G, 5.5G (Black) (Electronics)

I recently purchased the Belkin Tunetalk for my 5G Video iPod. I bought it for the purpose of recording lectures. For shorter recordings, the Tunetalk works great. The sound quality is excellent. However, when I try recording anything above 30minutes, the audio starts skipping. What's worse is that after lecture is over (almost an hour of recording), I hit the 'Stop and Save' button, the screen stays on the 'Saving' screen for a couple minutes, and then loads up the 'Voice Memos' screen. Assuming the recording was successly saved, I then try to play the recording, and the iPod completely freezes. It takes a complete reset just to get the thing to turn off.

When I do finally play the recording I find that even though the length of the recording is listed as 50 minutes long, when I try to play anything past the 30 minute or so mark, the recording stops and takes me right back to the 'Voice Memos' screen. This is especially frustrating because throughout recording the red light remains on leaving one to believe it's still recording what its supposed to. So I guess the issue comes when the Tunetalk tries to save such a lengthy file. Which leaves me out of luck, and missing crucial take home points made at the end of lecture.

I thought this might have been a battery issue, as I've read that the Tunetalk will cut off the last 25 minutes of a recording if the battery is too low. So I tried recording with the Tunetalk connected to my desktop via the USB cable. The same problems persisted. Skipping audio and missing the last 20 minutes of my hour long recording.

While the sound quality is excellent, I found the Belkin Tunetalk useless for longer term recordings such as lectures, which is unfortunate especially considering "records lectures" is specifically listed under the product description.