Griffin Technology’s iTalk Pro

Posted on 21 August 2008, at 12:52 pm, by David Goodspeed

I first became acquainted with Griffin Technology several years back when putting together a Digital Video kit for myself.
I found their iMic accessory the perfect interface for a newbie like myself to interface audio options into my novice desktop nonlinear editing setup.
I now find myself adopting another of their Apple-friendly devices – the iTalk Pro.

iTalk Pro is a nifty little unit that plugs into the bottom of your iPod enabling users to turn their audio “playing” device into a digital recorder.

This is the perfect solution for those (like me) who have already made an investment in a video iPod but find themselves needing a digital recorder for lecture notes, interviews or just capturing additional audio for video or slideshow projects.

Griffin Technology provides this unique item for those of us who do not want to purchase another digital device – instead, take advantage of what is already in our digital toolkit, in this case the iPod.

iTalk Pro plugs into the dock connection in the bottom of the iPod (so no using external power while recording) and features one large function button bordered by a pair of built-in microphones. Audio can be recorded in stereo or mono, selectable by the user via the central button. Gain levels (low, high or automatic) can also be controlled through the same interface.

A feature that I believe makes the iTalk Pro most valuable is the external microphone jack at the bottom of the unit.
The 3.5mm (1/8″) stereo input jack allows for any type external microphone or audio source to be connected be digitized by the iPod.

Those audio signals are recorded as 16-bit WAV files (stereo at 44.1 khz sampling rate and mono at 22.05 khz) and saved in a Voice Memo folder, which is easily accessible through iTunes.

Recording times are limited only by battery life and disk space of the iPod being used.

Suggested pricing is $49.99. More information (as well as the full line of Griffin Tehcnology iPod and iPhone accessories available) can be found by visiting the manufacturer’s website at www.griffintechnology.com.