Embodiments are directed to capturing data associated with an occurrence of an event via a battery-powered recorder, comprising: storing analog data in a delay circuit while a recording circuit is powered off, detecting, by a trigger circuit, the occurrence of the event while the recording circuit is powered off, powering-on the recording circuit based on the detection of the event, converting samples of analog data associated with the event provided by the delay circuit to a digital format while the recording circuit powers on, and storing the converted digital samples after the recording circuit has powered on, wherein a time delay associated with the delay circuit is greater than a time it takes for the recording circuit to power-on.