Abstract: An automatic telephone recorder includes a computer equipped with a sound signal handling feature and a digital recording medium such as a disk drive. The sound signal handling feature includes an audio input, an audio output and programmable means for selectively effecting digital recording on the recording medium of an audio signal applied to the sound signal handling means input. A line transformer is connected between a telephone line pair and the sound signal handling means audio input. The sound signal handling means is programmed to periodically test the sound signal handling means audio input to determine if audio or a predetermined transient signal, indicating that the telephone line has gone from an on-hook condition to an off-hook condition, is present. If the audio or transient signal is present, the sound signal handling means is programmed to institute recording of any audio signal present at the sound signal handling means audio input for as long as such audio remains.