Open Source voice recording problem

[sound_]

Hi all,

Here's a problem I'm having that I would appreciate your assistance with.

In my organisation, I have multiple digital telephone lines (several for each member of staff) running to a server. This server uses tweaked Oreka voice recording software (Open Source version) to automatically start recording at a certain hour in the morning and automatically stop at a certain hour in the evening. There are several problems with this arrangement:
(1) the recordings are done in WAV format rather than a compressed format (ineffecient use of resources),
(2) most of the recorded voice files contain silence because most of the time the staff are not on the phones but the system is setup to record regardless of whether the phone is in use or not (inefficient use of resources),
(3) the voice files are inaccessbile until the next day, as they are in use until the system automatically stops recording.

An ideal solution would enable:
(1) recording directly in MP3 (or equivalent) format,
(2) recording will only start once a phone is picked up and stop once a phone is hung up,
(3) real time access to files for reviewing.

Any ideas about open source software I can use to help me achieve this ideal setup?

Regards,

Martin S.

[kozikowski]

<<<(3) real time access to files for reviewing.>>>

That one puts Audacity out of the running. You don't get a sound file until you stop the program and export one.

Koz

[kozikowski]

You are the classic job for a surveillance program, not an audio production program. Review while capturing, auto rotation and auto archiving.

Koz

[sound_]

Thanks all. I figured Audacity wasn't the right piece of software for the job.

Any suggestions for an open source "surveillance program"?

[kozikowski]

Nobody ever wants to spend any money on surveillance systems, so I can't imagine they would be very expensive. Probably not Open-Source, however, since only cool and sexy becomes open source, and surveillance isn't cool or sexy.

Google time.

Koz

[sound_]

Thanks Koz,

Here's all I could find: http://www.vanheusden.com/listener/

If anyone can post alternatives, it would be appreciated.