# Signal Recorder SR-7

> Signal Recorder SR-7 by Field Bureau + Werkstatt is a personal voice recorder for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It transcribes on the device with Apple's speech framework and, with Apple Intelligence, writes a title and a one-sentence summary for every recording with Apple's on-device models. On the Mac it can keep every recording as a markdown file with YAML front matter and run a local MCP server for AI tools. $7.99 once, one purchase for all three devices, no subscription, no account.

SR-7 is a dictaphone for your own voice. It is not a meeting recorder: it does not join calls or label speakers.

- Price: $7.99, one-time purchase on the App Store. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad and Mac. No subscription, no in-app purchases. Family Sharing for up to six people.
- Requires: iOS 26, iPadOS 26 or macOS 26. The Mac app needs Apple silicon (M1 or later). Titles and summaries need Apple Intelligence; transcription does not.
- Transcription: on the device, with Apple's speech framework (SpeechTranscriber). Starts automatically after recording and, by default, on import. Languages: those Apple's on-device transcription supports; Automatic uses the device language.
- Recording: AAC, pause and resume. Each recording stops at a maximum length set in Settings, 60 minutes by default and up to 180.
- Search: file names, titles, summaries and full transcripts. Projects, favorites and typed notes too. A deleted recording stays in Recently Deleted for 30 days and is then removed permanently, unless the user empties it sooner.
- Sync: optional iCloud sync through CloudKit, off by default, switched on per device; audio files optional.
- Import: WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A, AAC, CAF, FLAC, ALAC. iPhone and iPad through the Files app; Mac by drag and drop or File > Import Audio. Works with recorders such as the teenage engineering TP-7. MP3, M4A and AAC are kept as they are; other formats are converted to AAC.
- Markdown library (Mac only): a folder the user picks, with a folder per project and a markdown file per recording. Front matter keys: uuid, created, duration, audio, favorite. SR-7 manages the folder; treat it as read-only.
- MCP server (Mac only): off by default, listens on 127.0.0.1 port 19750, 20 tools, four of them off by default (delete_project, delete_recording, empty_trash, get_library_info). Connect Claude Code with `claude mcp add --transport http sr7 http://localhost:19750`.
- Privacy: no account, no analytics, no telemetry. Nothing goes to the developer except feedback the user chooses to send. App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected.
- Short name after first mention: SR-7.

## Pages

- [Signal Recorder SR-7](https://signalrecorder.app/): what it does, where recordings go, the markdown files and the MCP server on the Mac, how it compares, price and FAQ
- [App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/signal-recorder-sr-7/id6760318857)

## Comparisons

- [Apple Voice Memos alternative: Signal Recorder SR-7 compared](https://signalrecorder.app/vs/voice-memos): Voice Memos is free, already on your iPhone and transcribes on the device. SR-7 costs $7.99 once and adds a title and summary for every recording, and on the Mac a markdown file per recording and an MCP server for AI tools.
- [Otter.ai alternative: Signal Recorder SR-7 compared](https://signalrecorder.app/vs/otter): SR-7 transcribes on the device for $7.99 once. Otter.ai transcribes in the cloud, trains its AI on recordings and transcriptions, and charges monthly once you go past its free tier.
- [MacWhisper alternative: Signal Recorder SR-7 compared](https://signalrecorder.app/vs/macwhisper): SR-7 is a personal recorder for iPhone, iPad and Mac. MacWhisper is a Mac workbench you feed audio and video files into for transcription.
- [Just Press Record alternative: Signal Recorder SR-7 compared](https://signalrecorder.app/vs/just-press-record): Two one-time purchase, on-device recorders a dollar apart in price. Just Press Record stops at transcription; SR-7 adds a title and summary for every recording, and on the Mac a markdown file and an MCP server.

## Docs

- [Getting started with Signal Recorder SR-7](https://signalrecorder.app/docs/getting-started): Install Signal Recorder SR-7, make your first recording, and see how transcription, titles, projects, search and iCloud sync work. Markdown: https://signalrecorder.app/docs/getting-started.md
- [Transcribe TP-7 recordings with Signal Recorder SR-7](https://signalrecorder.app/docs/importing-from-hardware): How to bring recordings from the teenage engineering TP-7 and other hardware recorders into Signal Recorder SR-7, which transcribes, titles and summarizes them like recordings made in the app. Markdown: https://signalrecorder.app/docs/importing-from-hardware.md
- [Connect Signal Recorder SR-7 to Claude Code and other MCP clients](https://signalrecorder.app/docs/mcp-server): Signal Recorder SR-7 on the Mac runs a local MCP server with 20 tools, so Claude Code and other AI clients can search your recordings, read transcripts and create notes on your machine. Markdown: https://signalrecorder.app/docs/mcp-server.md
- [Voice notes as AI context: use cases for Signal Recorder SR-7](https://signalrecorder.app/docs/use-cases): Practical ways to use Signal Recorder SR-7: a daily voice journal, recaps you speak after a meeting or interview, an archive your AI tools can search, and a folder of notes for Obsidian on the Mac. Markdown: https://signalrecorder.app/docs/use-cases.md
- [Voice capture best practices for Signal Recorder SR-7](https://signalrecorder.app/docs/best-practices): Habits that make Signal Recorder SR-7 a thinking and capture tool: record first and process later, group with projects, star what matters, and let the titles do the filing. Markdown: https://signalrecorder.app/docs/best-practices.md

## Legal

- [Privacy policy](https://signalrecorder.app/privacy): recordings stay on the user's devices; iCloud sync is optional and uses the user's own iCloud; only feedback the user sends reaches the developer.
- [Terms of service](https://signalrecorder.app/terms): what the app does, its requirements (iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 on Apple silicon) and how the one-time purchase works.

## Publisher

- [Field Bureau + Werkstatt](https://fieldbw.com): the studio that makes SR-7, Markdown Library ML-42 and Chaos Studies
- [Contact](https://fieldbw.com/contact)