Retrieve Voice Memos from device?
This answer by jmlumpkin is canonically correct, all existing memos sync over to a special "Voice Memos" playlist in iTunes. However, if you like to record voice memos that you will retrieve later on your computer, my suggestion would be to check out DropVox. Instead of having to go through iTunes, DropVox uploads your recordings to your DropBox folder as soon as you finish recording, which for me is far more convenient than syncing and dealing with iTunes. Personally, I have completely dropped Voice Memos and now completely use DropVox for everything.

 

Another avenue to avoid iTunes but still use the Voice Memo app is to use a software package like PhoneView to grab your existing memos directly from the device.