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Welp, didn't see a general microphone thread in tge furst four pages (via Awful app), so here goes: Looking for a decent cheaper mic (  pick one) for Discord/gaming use, and possible readings of assorted texts for audio/video use. *Possible* but unlikely use for speech-to-text. (Dargun Natcharruhly Spppikink or whatever.)Would either be bluetooth or BT-via-dongle, and an optional USB mode would be nice but not vital. Output would be to (Android) tablet or (Win10) desktop PC. Something I can connect to a mic stand (or a springy boom arm when lying in bed) would be nice. Disclaimer: I know jack poo poo about mics, other than "the one on my refurb Razer headset blows dead goats", but all the ones I see streamers/musicians/et cetera using appear to be shock-mounted with pop filters, and *they* sound good, so I guess I might want that kind of thing, except... Price range: $25-50, maybe a bit more if stonking good deal. (We now pause for your gales of laughter.) Seriously, this is Babby's First Real Microphone, and I don't want to drop a wad on something that might only end up being used to poo poo-talk other players. However, I'm a bit leery of most of the "best mics of 202x" reviews online (sponsored much?) and *definitely* not up for Chinesium Roulette. I figured that someone here might have knowledge, even if it's "avoid the UF420/69, the UF stands for Used Food" or suchlike.
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Mar 3, 2024 00:56
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I have a pair of the Mackie CR3 monitors that have the annoying issue where the lovely switch on the back causes one of them to drop out a lot. There is a fix on YouTube that involves cutting a pin, but I'm not convinced this is going to work for my version of the issue. So I guess I'm in the market for a set of powered speakers for my desk. The thing I liked most about these is the ext input on the front that you can run in parallel to the proper L/R RCAs on the back, as it doesn't require switching between sources and allows playback from both my computer and my iPad at the same time, so whatever I get really needs to have this. I know Mackie have a replacement set of speakers that I believe still include this, but if this anything else in the price range (around $100) that's worth looking into, I'm all ears. These are only the 3" versions and the sound is perfectly fine as I run them quiet most of the time anyway.
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Mar 22, 2024 18:30
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EL BROMANCE posted:I have a pair of the Mackie CR3 monitors that have the annoying issue where the lovely switch on the back causes one of them to drop out a lot. There is a fix on YouTube that involves cutting a pin, but I'm not convinced this is going to work for my version of the issue. Depending on your budget, you could get an inexpensive and small mixer/interface that would do that switching/mixing for you. Then you could also get a pair of “real” monitors like LSRs or ADAMs or KALI or something similar and use the mixer/interface as your preamp. It’s a sizable step up in budget (like $300-$400), but you’d have a nicer and much more durable setup. Not to be elitist or to diss some speakers that you like or your buying decisions, etc, but those Mackies are pretty renowned for being unreliable and poor quality. It’s not a question of if they fail but when. I don’t recommend jumping back onto the ownership boat with them, because at a certain point you’re just buying future e-waste when you could invest in something much longer lasting. I’d also recommend Audioengine or Kanto if you want something less expensive and fiddly than monitors but still much better than the Mackies. Both brands come in at the mostly $150-$500 range across lots of products and both have multiple inputs, not sure about your requirement for source blending tho. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Mar 22, 2024 |
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Mar 22, 2024 21:29
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Ha when I had the space for it all, I used to have a 16 channel Yamaha mixer in my rack. It’s not a life I really have a desire to return to, but a smaller setup is a possibility esp if it doubles up as an interface so I’ll see what options exist. Annoyingly I have a Focusrite interface I bought a few years ago from Reverb that seemed DOA, but I didn’t realise in time. I don’t need anything amazing, I edit video sometimes but it’s all a hobby rather than paid work. I’ve heard good things about the Kantos so I’ll take a look into those and your other recommendations too. There might also be a way of running my iPad into the 3.5mm input on the Mac and see if there’s a way to permanently.
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Mar 23, 2024 03:30
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I see no car audio thread. I’ve recently bought a new vehicle and it’s got two of these things in it. They’re 10cm speakers, which is apparently 4”. I’m not expecting much out of tiny speakers, and there’s no way to fit anything larger, but I’d like something a little less tinny sounding if possible. Is that possible? I haven’t done any car audio poo poo in like 20 years so I have no idea what I’m doing. 
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Mar 27, 2024 02:02
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dc3k posted:I see no car audio thread. I’ve recently bought a new vehicle and it’s got two of these things in it. They’re 10cm speakers, which is apparently 4”. I’m not expecting much out of tiny speakers, and there’s no way to fit anything larger, but I’d like something a little less tinny sounding if possible. Is that possible? I haven’t done any car audio poo poo in like 20 years so I have no idea what I’m doing. Eclipse made good speakers back in the day.
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Mar 27, 2024 02:26
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Yeah, Eclipse was about as good as it got from the car audio places where I lived other than maybe Focal. They could be 30 years old though tbf.
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Mar 27, 2024 02:41
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I'd keep them and put them in the rear doors, and then I'd recommend getting a pair of component speakers (woofer and tweeter separate but attached to a common crossover unit) that will fit like the Alpine S2-S40C , and use a Dremel or something to install the tweeters up in your top-front dash or in the plastic panel on the inside of where the car door mirror attaches(just below the A-Pillar). Your mid range frequency response will be much better if the woofer doesn't have to cover the high range and the mid range. Don't be spooked by the cutting into plastic, it's easy if you're careful, and if it makes you feel better, you can order a pair of those bolsters or whatever the heck they're called from a junkyard or rockauto and do the work on them. I'd also recommend an 8" sub with it's amp's crossover point fairly high, it's a smaller sub than what most people would install, but you're using the sub to bridge the mid-low frequency gap that a 4" speaker is necessarily going to leave. E: if you post a picture of the car door and upper dash area we may be able to make more specific recommendations on placement and suitability, etc. and a budget+music preferences would help as well Mederlock fucked around with this message at 03:04 on Mar 27, 2024 |
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Mar 27, 2024 02:55
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Mederlock posted:I'd keep them and put them in the rear doors, and then I'd recommend getting a pair of component speakers (woofer and tweeter separate but attached to a common crossover unit) that will fit like the Alpine S2-S40C , and use a Dremel or something to install the tweeters up in your top-front dash or in the plastic panel on the inside of where the car door mirror attaches(just below the A-Pillar). Your mid range frequency response will be much better if the woofer doesn't have to cover the high range and the mid range. Don't be spooked by the cutting into plastic, it's easy if you're careful, and if it makes you feel better, you can order a pair of those bolsters or whatever the heck they're called from a junkyard or rockauto and do the work on them. I should have clarified prior that this is not a typical vehicle. Some details: - there are no rear doors, it's a 2-door truck - there is no way to install speakers in the doors that do exist, at least not anything I'm willing to do at this point. It would require cutting a hole in the door card, and I'm not sure if there are cutouts/space within the door itself that could accommodate anything. The current speakers are mounted in the dash. - there physically is no possible way to fit an 8" sub inside My options are: keep these, or get some other 4" speakers that give a little more mid/low response. Those Alpines might do the trick, but I'll have to check on how much room there is on top of the dash for tweeter placement. If it turns out that sticking with what I have is the best option, then that's totally fine. I'd be okay spending around $100 (CAD) per speaker. Photo (not mine, but same model) of the interior. You can see the speaker grills on the driver's side below the cupholder and buttons, and on the passenger side just above the glovebox.  edit; music taste is relatively varied, but mainly EDM (house, techno), pop punk, punk, metal. dc3k fucked around with this message at 06:46 on Mar 27, 2024 |
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Mar 27, 2024 04:02
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if there are never passengers in the vehicle, sheesh, get a nice bluetooth speaker and set it on the seat or secure it to the dash with velcro or something.
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Mar 27, 2024 06:01
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That looks like a job for a bazooka tube
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Mar 27, 2024 10:07
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dc3k posted:I should have clarified prior that this is not a typical vehicle. Some details: Yeah, I'd get the Alpine 's or something similar, and mount the tweeters on the top of the dash in cups or pods, or directly into the A pillar. I can give more specific advice on how and where if you do actually go with a component 2 part speaker system like the Alpine. You can also get self-contained under seat subwoofers for tight interiors like yours, or you could mount it on the walls of the cab behind a seat or something. Something like this, they work pretty decently. https://www.amazon.com/10-Inch-Low-Profile-Amplified-Subwoofer-System/dp/B09MDLZLSS/
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Mar 27, 2024 18:32
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dc3k posted:I see no car audio thread. I’ve recently bought a new vehicle and it’s got two of these things in it. They’re 10cm speakers, which is apparently 4”. I’m not expecting much out of tiny speakers, and there’s no way to fit anything larger, but I’d like something a little less tinny sounding if possible. Is that possible? I haven’t done any car audio poo poo in like 20 years so I have no idea what I’m doing. Car audio thread is over in AI: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3520908
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Mar 27, 2024 19:06
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Mederlock posted:Yeah, I'd get the Alpine 's or something similar, and mount the tweeters on the top of the dash in cups or pods, or directly into the A pillar. I can give more specific advice on how and where if you do actually go with a component 2 part speaker system like the Alpine. Thank you, this is all very useful info. I'll post up here again, or in the actual car audio thread (I forgot to check AI, oops) that mariooncrack posted, if I decide to make the upgrade. I'm going to see what my local car audio place has and go from there. Under seat anything is also a no-go. Under the seats is the engine 
dc3k fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Mar 28, 2024 |
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Mar 28, 2024 03:05
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dc3k posted:Thank you, this is all very useful info. I'll post up here again, or in the actual car audio thread (I forgot to check AI, oops) that mariooncrack posted, if I decide to make the upgrade. I'm going to see what my local car audio place has and go from there. Ok, I have to ask. What model is that truck? I guess it’s a right hand drive but I can’t tell what it is from that pic and now I’m curious, and it would also help with recommendations.
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Mar 29, 2024 07:41
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I have a Klipsch 2.1 system for my PC that's 20+ years old and one of the channels has gone out. There's some YouTube videos about just replacing it with some poo poo off amazon... should I just get a class D and bypass all the Klipsch crap? I was thinking something I could mount to the underside or top of my desk, or just cut out the of cabinet and replace. I'm an EE but never geeked out about audio circuits / haven't done power electronics in a looong time
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Mar 29, 2024 21:29
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I've used the speakers from one of those Klipsch 2.1 systems with a normal amp and worked fine but I didn't try to do anything with the sub
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Mar 29, 2024 21:52
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empty baggie posted:Ok, I have to ask. What model is that truck? I guess it’s a right hand drive but I can’t tell what it is from that pic and now I’m curious, and it would also help with recommendations. Engine under the seats kinda sounds like a cabover kei truck. 
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Mar 30, 2024 00:24
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I thought that might be the case, but I couldn’t tell what make it was. A friend of mine used to have a Honda Acty, and I remember that the engine access was in the bed but I never thought about whether there was any usable space under or behind the seats.
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Mar 31, 2024 03:37
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Hey quick question - if one has a 2.1 speaker setup connected to an AV receiver, is it better to use a PCM 2.0 or PCM 5.1 (which the receiver will down mix to 2.1) signal?
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Apr 2, 2024 01:40
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Ygolonac posted:Engine under the seats kinda sounds like a cabover kei truck. Yep. It’s a Daihatsu Hijet
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Apr 2, 2024 04:00
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SweetMercifulCrap! posted:Hey quick question - if one has a 2.1 speaker setup connected to an AV receiver, is it better to use a PCM 2.0 or PCM 5.1 (which the receiver will down mix to 2.1) signal? They should be roughly the same, difference is in surround content you’ll get the LFE channel instead of just the normal crossover point. Not sure if there’s much of a difference net net, I’d guess a lot of movie soundtracks can really lean on the LFE.
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Apr 2, 2024 06:41
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Our dispatch office has a radio software we use that is essentially a soft radio; you plug a microphone and speakers into a computer, and run a client for the software, it connects to a server that is connected to the repeater. We bought one of these for the speakers about a year ago: https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blasterx-g5 And it seems to have cleaned up the sound a bit. We're running into some issues with the microphone, which is one of these: https://essentialtradingsystems.com/product/vm-1s-usb-dispatch-microphone/ We're hearing distortion on the microphone, getting weird sound artifacts, etc. It's a USB microphone (USB-B out, specifically), they like that specific microphone, and it's the one recommended by the vendor. We're currently using a USB cable with ferrite chokes at both ends. Any recommendations for how we might clean up that signal at all? I'm downloading the latest firmware now to give that a try, but I'm not optimistic. To be clear, we're not running the microphone through the external sound card, just the speakers, I just wanted to give some context of what the setup is. Ham Equity fucked around with this message at 20:16 on Apr 3, 2024 |
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Apr 3, 2024 20:10
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The user guide for the microphone says to set the input level in the windows settings to 50%-70% to start with. I recommend trying something like Audacity to see if you actually get clipping and if lowering that level helps.
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Apr 3, 2024 20:31
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Flipperwaldt posted:The user guide for the microphone says to set the input level in the windows settings to 50%-70% to start with. I recommend trying something like Audacity to see if you actually get clipping and if lowering that level helps. Heh, when I was troubleshooting earlier today I dropped the mic level from 65 to 55. It maybe helped a little, but I did it at the same time as I was moving the cable around to get it away from other cables.
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Apr 3, 2024 20:54
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If you've already tried multiple cables I wouldn't worry much more about them. Unless your environment has weirdly high levels of electromagnetic interference the USB cable part of the connection is going to be pretty binary, either works or doesn't. It's just a mic with a button using standard USB class drivers for both, it might not even be using the 12mbit/sec "full speed" mode, that signal will run over any cable that isn't actively broken. Agreed with Flipperwaldt, test with some normal audio application like Audacity to take the soft radio app out of the equation. If it's still bad, then try a known good mic for comparison.
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Apr 4, 2024 15:38
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qirex posted:They should be roughly the same, difference is in surround content you’ll get the LFE channel instead of just the normal crossover point. Not sure if there’s much of a difference net net, I’d guess a lot of movie soundtracks can really lean on the LFE. Thanks. I actually didn't know that the .1 was sent as its own "channel". After experimenting with 2.0 and 5.1 PCM signals on Xbox, the sub is much more prominent with 5.1. Some low frequency effects are completely gone using 2.0 even though the crossover is set the same.
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Apr 9, 2024 05:30
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