Apple's software only uses the iPhone mic to make calls. Why not include a recorder to capture lectures, bootleg concerts, and spy on your siblings? App Store developers have filled the void, but there's clutter between a dozen competing apps. We've picked nine noteworthy tools to capture audio. Follow along as we highlight the best.

The iPhone still has its recording limits. You can't capture phone calls, adjust the level of incoming sound, or capture stereo sessions. And you might notice some mild hiss in the background, be sure to test the recorder before capturing a chance-of-a-lifetime interview. But even with those drawbacks, you're sure to find a favorite to capture audio anytime.

Griffin iTalk Recorder

Griffin drops ads into its voice-recording app, iTalk Recorder. When touched, the ads shut down iTalk and launch App Store or Safari pages. The ads do intrude somewhat, but Griffin also offers an ad-free version for a dollar.

On iTalk's main page, you choose from three audio-quality grades, touch the big Record button to record, and you can name the audio before or after recording. A library screen, where you can replay or delete files, lists all your recordings by name along with date and file size. Griffin's free iTalk Sync for Mac or Windows lets you transfer your recordings from the handheld to a computer over a Wi-Fi network.

Check out the full review of Griffin iTalk Recorder

BIAS iProRecorder

If all you need is easy one-touch recording, iProRecorder has you covered, but it also piles on a lot of extras: three playback speeds, seven category folders, pause and resume during recording, adding on to old recordings, photo tagging, three-second countdown before recording, and timed recordings from one minute to 24 hours. The app records in three quality grades (up to CD-quality), and you can email recordings up to 10MB to any address. Larger files are downloadable to a computer via Wi-Fi network.

While iProRecorder rules as far as features go, buggy performance holds it from its lofty potential. We ran into occasional crashes while playing back, fast-forwarding, and rewinding.

Check out the full review of BIAS iProRecorder

PlumAmazing Plum Record Audio, Photo and Text Recording

Plum Record exceeds in organization. You can create and name any number of color-coded folders in which to place audio. You can tag each recording with text and photos later, but Plum Record even lets you operate the iPhone’s camera within the app, which is really cool.

To transfer your recordings to a computer over a Wi-Fi network, download the free Plum Record Server software (Mac-only), which also can convert Plum Record's AIFF audio files to several audio file types, including MP3 and AAC That’s another great great bonus feature.

Check out the full review of PlumAmazing Plum Record Audio, Photo and Text Recording

Retronyms Recorder

In the two most most important traits for a simple recorder--sound quality and stable operation--Recorder notches ahead of the competition. Its audio--available in two settings, with CD-quality AIFF as the highest--sounds just a bit clearer than most competitors. And while we didn’t experience flawless operation, Recorder does better than most similar apps on average.

Recorder aims for simplicity. With one-touch record, you can pause and then resume recording smoothly. Saved files are namable, but there are no category folders for organization. For the last, crucial feature--transferring audio to a computer--Recorder lets you email files of up to 10MB to any address or transfer larger items over a Wi-Fi network through a Web browser.

See more recorder apps, including our winning picks after the break.