Audio surveillance has always been an extremely important evidence and intelligence gathering medium. Here we examine the possibility that video may make pure audio monitoring a thing of the past

In an Age of Video Audio Recorders Still Prove a Hit

The modern age is dominated by video. Everything is geared towards visual display screens, whether its the TV, the PC or hand-held portable video display devices. Now we have high definition everything and 3D is certainly now making its presence felt. In an age where visual display units are king, it may come as somewhat of a surprise to discover that in the spy world, audio recorders still reign supreme. Audio surveillance by electronic means came first. Audio recorders used to be in the form of tape recorders, but now everything is digital and much more versatile and compact than ever before.

Hidden camera technology has also become extremely advanced with spy cameras being concealed to great effect in every day objects such as clock, smoke detectors, PIR’s to name but a few, so why is the audio recorder still such an important evidence gathering tool? Some would argue that video and audio together is the best solution. I don’t think anybody can argue with that, but when both these formats are used in unison the focus is generally geared towards the video aspect with audio being second best. The fact remains that is many situations it is not what people are doing that is so important, but what they are saying. As such, an audio surveillance device is more versatile because it requires less power to use, does not need to be pointed at a subject and because of these two factors can be hidden out-of-sight disguised as compact everyday items.

Disguising audio recorders really is only limited by the imagination and an engineers ingenuity. Many come in the format of pens, key fobs, key rings or are even hidden in such things as calculators. The latest innovation enables audio recorders to be incorporated into working multi-plug mains power adapters and even work double wall sockets. Powered from the mains, with sound activation and high capacity memory, these latest recording devices provide an incredibly powerful audio surveillance tool. Audio monitoring will always be a crucially important part of surveillance, so you can be absolutely sure that smaller and more powerful devices will still be the spy tools of the future.