1 Nov
2007
1 Nov
'07
12:27 p.m.
Hi group,
I wish to thanks all of you for the responses about 'better mics'.
I think I need to clarify what I am looking for.
I'm writing a suite of programs to be used for a 'Voice Messaging
System'. The system will be used during field events where communication
from PC to PC will take place. There by the need for inexpensive hardware.
We are dealing with cheap HAMs here after all! So supplying everyone with
a mic is going to be costly to begin with. A preamp, which is the best
solution, will be too costly. So I need to build a software fix.
My next question for the group, are there any URLs dealing with sound
software algorithms? Routines to increase volume, building filters.
removing noise, etc. I have done a Google search but I guess I am not
using the right search strings? I'm not looking for programs but just
the code to do it.
Thanks again to all of you for your time. This group has been very helpful.
--
William Estrada
MrUmunhum(a)popdial.com
Mt-Umunhum-Wireless.net ( http://Mt-Umunhum-Wireless.net )
Ymessenger: MrUmunhum
1 Nov
1 Nov
12:50 p.m.
On Thu, 2007-11-01 at 08:27 -0700, william estrada wrote:
Hi group,
I wish to thanks all of you for the responses about 'better mics'.
I think I need to clarify what I am looking for.
I'm writing a suite of programs to be used for a 'Voice Messaging
System'. The system will be used during field events where communication
from PC to PC will take place. There by the need for inexpensive hardware.
We are dealing with cheap HAMs here after all! So supplying everyone with
a mic is going to be costly to begin with. A preamp, which is the best
solution, will be too costly. So I need to build a software fix.
you're confused.
a preamp is not required for sound processing. its required to get the
analog electrical signal level up to a point where the input side of
your audio interface can deal with it. along the way, any preamp will
add a certain coloration to the signal. this coloration could be
minimal, it could be very obvious, it could be very desirable or it
could be awful. however, regardless of the coloration, which is what you
could simulate in software, its critical job is the signal boost. you
cannot do this in software.
this means that you either have an explicit preamp, or you have a preamp
built into some other device (e.g. the audio interface, which may have a
connector specifically for mic-level signals).
--p
2 Nov
2 Nov
6:35 a.m.
Paul Davis wrote:
On Thu, 2007-11-01 at 08:27 -0700, william estrada
wrote:
> Hi group,
>
> I wish to thanks all of you for the responses about 'better mics'.
> I think I need to clarify what I am looking for.
>
> I'm writing a suite of programs to be used for a 'Voice Messaging
> System'. The system will be used during field events where communication
> from PC to PC will take place. There by the need for inexpensive hardware.
> We are dealing with cheap HAMs here after all! So supplying everyone with
> a mic is going to be costly to begin with. A preamp, which is the best
> solution, will be too costly. So I need to build a software fix.
I think what you need is to use cheap computer mics, not music-quality
ones, that should only need to plug in to an 1/8th-inch audio in
connection on a sound card. I don't think those kinds of mics require a
preamp of any kind.
--
David
gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com
authenticity, honesty, community
10:21 a.m.
On 11/2/07, david <gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
Paul Davis wrote:
Yes, they do. The preamp is built-in to any soundcard with a "mic"
input. A sound card mic input will be high impedance (a.k.a. Hi-Z)
and have an amplifier (called a preamp in this case) on it in order to
bring the signal up to line level (before it hits the ADC).
But I agree that is what the OP wants, assuming the computers in
question will have mic inputs (I think most motherboards have them
integrated these days).
On Thu, 2007-11-01 at 08:27 -0700, william
estrada wrote:
> Hi group,
>
> I wish to thanks all of you for the responses about 'better mics'.
> I think I need to clarify what I am looking for.
>
> I'm writing a suite of programs to be used for a 'Voice Messaging
> System'. The system will be used during field events where communication
> from PC to PC will take place. There by the need for inexpensive hardware.
> We are dealing with cheap HAMs here after all! So supplying everyone with
> a mic is going to be costly to begin with. A preamp, which is the best
> solution, will be too costly. So I need to build a software fix.
I think what you need is to use cheap computer mics, not music-quality
ones, that should only need to plug in to an 1/8th-inch audio in
connection on a sound card. I don't think those kinds of mics require a
preamp of any kind.
3 Nov
3 Nov
4:02 a.m.
Paul Coccoli wrote:
On 11/2/07, david <gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
I should've thought of that. What about those computers that have mics
built in to them?
Paul Davis wrote:
Yes, they do. The preamp is built-in to any soundcard with a "mic"
input. A sound card mic input will be high impedance (a.k.a. Hi-Z)
and have an amplifier (called a preamp in this case) on it in order to
bring the signal up to line level (before it hits the ADC). On Thu, 2007-11-01 at 08:27 -0700, william
estrada wrote:
> Hi group,
>
> I wish to thanks all of you for the responses about 'better mics'.
> I think I need to clarify what I am looking for.
>
> I'm writing a suite of programs to be used for a 'Voice Messaging
> System'. The system will be used during field events where communication
> from PC to PC will take place. There by the need for inexpensive hardware.
> We are dealing with cheap HAMs here after all! So supplying everyone with
> a mic is going to be costly to begin with. A preamp, which is the best
> solution, will be too costly. So I need to build a software fix.
I think what
you need is to use cheap computer mics, not music-quality
ones, that should only need to plug in to an 1/8th-inch audio in
connection on a sound card. I don't think those kinds of mics require a
preamp of any kind.
But I agree that is what the OP wants, assuming the
computers in
question will have mic inputs (I think most motherboards have them
integrated these days).
The assorted desktop PCs around here all have mic inputs. So does my
Toshiba laptop. With the popularity of Internet telephony like Skype and
Vonage, I suspect it's probably almost mandatory in laptops now.
--
David
gnome(a)hawaii.rr.com
authenticity, honesty, community
2 Nov
2 Nov
11:23 a.m.
william estrada wrote:
I'm writing a suite of programs to be used for
a 'Voice Messaging
System'. The system will be used during field events where communication
from PC to PC will take place. There by the need for inexpensive hardware.
We are dealing with cheap HAMs here after all! So supplying everyone with
a mic is going to be costly to begin with. A preamp, which is the best
solution, will be too costly. So I need to build a software fix.
It's been a long time since I was at all active in Amateur Radio.
But from my memory, which is mostly washed away by gin and vermouth,
some, if not all, Hams are avid electronic tinkerers. The web is filled
with little preamp circuits you can build with three transistors and
a 9v battery, and can put in an Altoids tin. Wouldn't this be a better
solution than fooling with software. How many of them to you need,
after all?
Here's a list of some you might look at:
http://www.till.com/articles/GuitarPreamp/
http://www.passdiy.com/
http://www.record-producer.com/learn.cfm?a=3062
($5 mic preamp, which the article claims competes
favorably with a $1500 preamp. I have no idea
if it is smoke or mirrors or both.)
http://www.record-producer.com/learn.cfm?a=3080
(Related to the previous)
I got these by searching for "preamp" on digg.
P.S. After I wrote this reply I actually looked at the
other replies, so this is not completely relevant.
2:10 p.m.
Bill,
Thanks for the pointers and the reply.
I think the software solution will work, I have done some testing. I will
still investigate those URLs you provided. I will keep you posted.
ps
All options are relative. That's way I ask for them.
William Estrada
MrUmunhum(a)popdial.com
Mt-Umunhum-Wireless.net ( http://Mt-Umunhum-Wireless.net )
Ymessenger: MrUmunhum
Bill White wrote:
william estrada wrote:
I'm writing a suite of programs to be used
for a 'Voice Messaging
System'. The system will be used during field events where communication
from PC to PC will take place. There by the need for inexpensive
hardware.
We are dealing with cheap HAMs here after all! So supplying everyone
with
a mic is going to be costly to begin with. A preamp, which is the best
solution, will be too costly. So I need to build a software fix.
It's been a long time since I was at all active in Amateur Radio.
But from my memory, which is mostly washed away by gin and vermouth,
some, if not all, Hams are avid electronic tinkerers. The web is filled
with little preamp circuits you can build with three transistors and
a 9v battery, and can put in an Altoids tin. Wouldn't this be a better
solution than fooling with software. How many of them to you need,
after all?
Here's a list of some you might look at:
http://www.till.com/articles/GuitarPreamp/
http://www.passdiy.com/
http://www.record-producer.com/learn.cfm?a=3062
($5 mic preamp, which the article claims competes
favorably with a $1500 preamp. I have no idea
if it is smoke or mirrors or both.)
http://www.record-producer.com/learn.cfm?a=3080
(Related to the previous)
I got these by searching for "preamp" on digg.
P.S. After I wrote this reply I actually looked at the
other replies, so this is not completely relevant.
6231
days inactive
6233
days old
linux-audio-user@lists.linuxaudio.org
6 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
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Bill White -
david -
Paul Coccoli -
Paul Davis -
william estrada