Timed Reception recorder

[pete10uk]

Morning all.

 

I've been asked to provide a recorder on a reception desk to record the interaction between customer and staff.

 

Before I go down the route of trying to make something myself in bits and bobs of equipment, I thought it worth asking if anyone has come across a pre made unit to achieve what I'm after.

 

In essence it is a 4 bay reception with partial glass dividers between staff and customer, so ideally 4 or 8 mic inputs dependant on the mic results. I need the unit to record monday - friday 08:00 - 17:00 and be able to keep the recordings for 1 month with easy access to the files while maintaining the recording.

 

I would prefer a non PC solution i.e. something made for the job, I can mix down the mic inputs to a single recording if needs be. but I would like a unit with a timer and built in storage but with access to the recording via another method. I was thinking of a rack mount recorder with network access?

 

Any ideas

[cedd]

Daft question, but what about a CCTV DVR? Some have audio inputs per channel. You'd be wasting the video functionality, but you get a multi channel recorder with time stamping and first in first out recording. You just need to provide a pre amp per channel.

[pete10uk]

Not a daft question. You've hit the nail on the head. Exactly what is required with an upsell option.

 

Not sure why I didn't think of it myself. I Have one in stock to demo.

 

Top marks. Cheers v

[emsgeorge]

Exactly how we do it for job centres (the high risk bits with the 'no, you cant have any more money' conversation desks in)

 

Link from the mic system on the desks to cctv, using several single channel pre amps (so noise levels can be dialled up or down easily and provide multiple points of failure rather than one amp killing the entire system).

 

Some dvr's only have single or 2 audio inputs - we use qvis kit, which has audio from 16 inputs on 16 video channels.

 

Even putting the cheap mic units around the premises to record background noise has proven really worthwhile, wont pick up conversations from normal level voices enough to work out whats being said, but when someone comes in shouting, it will.

[dbuckley]

The term you want to google for is logging recorder. Though upselling to CCTV might be good too!