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Could some of you guys post a recording of your mic from the transformer. Like music or something. I just can't believe the horible mic quality
That's because it's not made for Drake to use in the studio. You can't really expect anything decent for a tablet at $400.00. You're looking at the wrong market, it's made for voice recognition and it works superb in combination with Google's Voice-related API's. Have you tried Voice Actions with this thing? It works near perfectly even with a ****ty voice.
It could use a boost though, the girlfriend has trouble hearing me when chatting. Ive thought about a plug in directional mic for that.
Just bought a $2 plug in mic for iphone that people said improved its capture of voice from a conference room. Hopefully it works because its about the size of a piece of candy, would be easy to carry for chatting.
The mic is, hardware-wise, the sole lemon for me on the Transformer. It's close to useless, because it is so insensitive.
Using Skype on the Transformer, I literally have to have the tablet within about a foot of me, and turned sideways so the mic points directly at me (and I can't see the screen). And it's not the specific tab -- I've got both 16GB and 32GB units, and the mic performance is equally terrible on both.
I'm hoping it turns out to be a firmware issue and the gain can be adjusted, either by Asus or a third party, because as-is it's simply not useful, and I can't really take advantage of basic OS features like voice search because of that. (And yes, Tubular, I've tried it. With my clearest possible voice, I have so far only been able to manage one successful search in total. 99% of the time it searches for completely the wrong thing, or nothing at all.)
knoxploration said:
The mic is, hardware-wise, the sole lemon for me on the Transformer. It's close to useless, because it is so insensitive.
Using Skype on the Transformer, I literally have to have the tablet within about a foot of me, and turned sideways so the mic points directly at me (and I can't see the screen). And it's not the specific tab -- I've got both 16GB and 32GB units, and the mic performance is equally terrible on both.
I'm hoping it turns out to be a firmware issue and the gain can be adjusted, either by Asus or a third party, because as-is it's simply not useful, and I can't really take advantage of basic OS features like voice search because of that. (And yes, Tubular, I've tried it. With my clearest possible voice, I have so far only been able to manage one successful search in total. 99% of the time it searches for completely the wrong thing, or nothing at all.)
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Click to collapse
Sounds like a defect: the mic is bad, but not that bad. Can you RMA it?
Or just up the gain in Skype. Anyhow, people have been telling me I sound like I'm in a vaccum when I talk on Ventrilo, but it is to be expected of a mic on a tablet.
knoxploration said:
The mic is, hardware-wise, the sole lemon for me on the Transformer. It's close to useless, because it is so insensitive.
Using Skype on the Transformer, I literally have to have the tablet within about a foot of me, and turned sideways so the mic points directly at me (and I can't see the screen). And it's not the specific tab -- I've got both 16GB and 32GB units, and the mic performance is equally terrible on both.
I'm hoping it turns out to be a firmware issue and the gain can be adjusted, either by Asus or a third party, because as-is it's simply not useful, and I can't really take advantage of basic OS features like voice search because of that. (And yes, Tubular, I've tried it. With my clearest possible voice, I have so far only been able to manage one successful search in total. 99% of the time it searches for completely the wrong thing, or nothing at all.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have a defective unit. The microphone in the Transformer is similar to that on low-end netbooks, etc. It's made to work for voice chatting and for voice search. It will not record high end audio... However, plug in mics work, iirc.
I'm getting my Asus Transformer today. Given some of the manufacturing defect concerns, I've been starting a list of things to checkout when I get mine. I guess it's worth while to check to see that the mic works, at least OK enough for voice commands.
Tubular said:
That's because it's not made for Drake to use in the studio. You can't really expect anything decent for a tablet at $400.00. You're looking at the wrong market, it's made for voice recognition and it works superb in combination with Google's Voice-related API's. Have you tried Voice Actions with this thing? It works near perfectly even with a ****ty voice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, it shines where my cappy fails! Nice voice recognition.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
quarky42 said:
Sounds like a defect: the mic is bad, but not that bad. Can you RMA it?
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Click to collapse
dorino1 said:
You have a defective unit. The microphone in the Transformer is similar to that on low-end netbooks, etc. It's made to work for voice chatting and for voice search. It will not record high end audio... However, plug in mics work, iirc.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the replies, but note that I have *two* Transformers (one early-production 16GB, one almost brand new 32GB) and both are identical in terms of recording levels.
With no case or anything to block the mic, Skype is usable so long as the microphone faces towards me and is within 1-2 feet, but if I turn the tablet so the screen faces towards me, the person I'm Skyping can no longer hear me properly.
Voice search is probably further complicated by my accent (somewhere between British, American, and Australian, and I use pronunciations from all three accents near-interchangeably). It is, in a word, useless. Well, perhaps worse than useless. But that's likely half down to the weak mic, and half down to my accent.
But I really don't think the mic in both of my units is faulty, tbh -- the audio is too similar in both, and they're not from the same production run.
Alright. I'm confused, though. Is it harder to hear in portrait (long end on top/bottom) or landscape? (short end on top/bottom)
Anyway, if you want better quality, attach a headset.
agree..the mic on the TF is ****...til I root, install chems kernel mod, install voodoo control, and volumn plus...now it just ok.. not good.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
dorino1 said:
Alright. I'm confused, though. Is it harder to hear in portrait (long end on top/bottom) or landscape? (short end on top/bottom)
Anyway, if you want better quality, attach a headset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not portrait versus landscape, but rather, screen facing me, or screen facing to my left.
Imagine the TF sitting in front of you on a small table with dock attached, in netbook mode. Now imagine you've turned the whole thing 90 degrees so that the person sitting on the side of the table to your left can use it. That's the position I have to place the netbook in so that the mic can pick me up reasonably...
If I sit in front of the screen, the person I'm calling can barely hear me just two feet from my tablet (and as my long-suffering wife will tell you, I'm not a quiet speaker!) ;-) It's not specific to the person I'm calling -- I've tried doing a loopback test in Skype and even with the volume turned up all the way, I can hardly hear myself when sitting in front of the tab's screen.
Unfortunately I don't have the correct type of headset to test the mic jack. All my headsets either have separate mic / headphone cables, or a smaller size of jack.
Okay, I'm really pretty positive you have a bad unit, then. My mic at least works with the screen facing me!
Anyway, a coupler for dual 3.5mm headsets costs like 2 dollars
Thanks, guess I'll add it to my list of things to do -- call Asus and see if I need to get both tabs serviced...
That's immediately after I get my Creative speakers serviced. (Crackle on left channel.) And my Logitech mouse. (Left button double-clicks with a single click). And my Corsair power supply (started making a continuous ticking noise like a bearing's going).
*sigh* ;-)
has anyone tried using a bluetooth headset ? ive got a Nokia BH-109 paired with my TF, but no ones on skype for me to test it
dorino1 said:
You have a defective unit. The microphone in the Transformer is similar to that on low-end netbooks, etc. It's made to work for voice chatting and for voice search. It will not record high end audio... However, plug in mics work, iirc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why then would you include the ability to record hi-def video,with absolutely horrendously bad audio recording...I can't believe this Mic is not defective...RMAing back to Amazon for a new unit.
Chas
knoxploration is right. my tf mic is terrible. there's nothing wrong with it...just really hard to hear for people on the other end. I do the same thing and turn the tab to the side so i'm facing the mic. person on the other end hears me better but then they can't see me. i guess it's time to use one of those usb ports for a 3rd party mic. anyone tested any?
I have the OG Droid as phone and have gotten quite used to speech input, particularly with Vlingo. THe recognition is surprisingly good.
So I was disappointed (probably my only disappointment) when the speech input on my A500 wasn't producing equivalent results.
Part of the problem, I thought, was that Vlingo doesn't run yet on the A500. Part of the problem might be the tiny little microphone in the crevice between glass and frame (I think), which is coverec by the Acer case that came with the A500.
So I tried my Motorola S305 stereo headphones on bluetooth and imagine it was a little better, but still not like the old droid.
So I am wondering if someone can guide me on what to do to improve speech input on the A500. Also find myself wondering if there is a really good headset (stereo + good mic) that works well with voice input.
I'm having similar mic issues. I find the mic to be sub par in talk and absolutely awful with skype. So far after almost 2 months solid use this I my only gripe with this lovely device. I'd also love to have a recommendation on a headset to use with the A500.
Thanks.
I've been wondering this too... for use with GTalk and/or GrooVe IP.
mic is sub standard.
i got my a500 replaced and found the mic on the new one much more effective.
Where is the microphone exactly?
If you hold the tablet with the multiport at the bottom, the mic is just above the screen where the black glass part of the bezel meets the metal part... there's a tiny hole you can see there, and that's the mic. I vaguely remember reading in the dev section that someone took it apart and there is some noise cancelling thingy that's causing issues. I even tried recording using a high quality recording app like PCM Recorder (set at 44.1KHz), and it sounds like it was recorded off of someone's old landline telephone... kind of a shame.
excuse my stupidity but I still can't find the mic.
By "multiport" you mean the dock port at the bottom?
I'm new to this tablet, only had it a week and relized people cant hear me when i Skype with them. So before i purchase a head phone set with a mic on it i wanted to ask here to find out what is the best solution ??
I use a stereo headphone (make Wesc - more or less 50 €) with a little microphone which is located on the cable (close to the headphone). The sound is crystal clear.
I didn't find any other solution for using voip (skype, google) with this tablet.
I use it in three ways.
1- like castafiore do.
2- using only a headphone, no mic. (use the internal mic)
3- using speakers conect to heatphone plug. (use the internal mic)
I think that the "plug" disconect something internal in reference with the "cancel noise system."
Please excuse my bad english.
tabasco22 said:
I use it in three ways.
1- like castafiore do.
2- using only a headphone, no mic. (use the internal mic)
3- using speakers conect to heatphone plug. (use the internal mic)
I think that the "plug" disconect something internal in reference with the "cancel noise system."
Please excuse my bad english.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So are you saying that all I need is head phones no mic?
Yes.
If you want better results, you can install: "volume control"
market.android.com/details?id=com.revsodev.volumecontrol&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5yZXZzb2Rldi52b2x1bWVjb250cm9sIl0.
and high the "in-call volume".
Try skype test.
I talk with my son every night and he hear me wery well.
Unlike tabasco22 even though the noise is reduced when there is something plugged into the headphone jack, the internal mic is not usable for skype.
it seems that there are many headphone/mic sets that work, though i have tried 2 iphone sets that do not .
bullyspud said:
Unlike tabasco22 even though the noise is reduced when there is something plugged into the headphone jack, the internal mic is not usable for skype.
it seems that there are many headphone/mic sets that work, though i have tried 2 iphone sets that do not .[
So should i not buy headphones with a mic that are for apple ipod or iphone?
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Click to collapse
I use SONY headphones ,speakers.
using a $1.50 headset with mic i got from ebay. works great. actually it works way better then it should for that price.
yo all have been thanked
I was gonna just drill a bigger hole in mine lol I guess I could be more logical ill try volume control + see if it helps any
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
Making a hole?
There is another solution: take off the back cover of the tablet. If you do a test with the two microphones totally uncovered (as I've done myself), you will notice that there is NO improvement at all.
Evidently, the problem doesn't come from there...
castafiore said:
Making a hole?
There is another solution: take off the back cover of the tablet. If you do a test with the two microphones totally uncovered (as I've done myself), you will notice that there is NO improvement at all.
Evidently, the problem doesn't come from there...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea figured thanks for the info:thumbup:
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
Anybody tried remove second mic? I mean sound canceling mic. Or maybe just cover it with tape.
I think it's a software problem, between the level of the microphone and cancel noise system level
This problem disappears when you insert any kind of plug into the speaker output., which cancels the "noise canceling system".
deepdelete, you phisicaly disconect the "sound cancelling mic" when you insert a plug.
I think sensitivity of sound canceling mic must be lower, or it must be placed somewhere else.
Sure there is also possibility to correct things with software mod.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise-canceling_microphone
deepdelete said:
Anybody tried remove second mic? I mean sound canceling mic. Or maybe just cover it with tape.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did try that as well. But it doesn't make any difference neither.
I think you could be right, deepdelete. The second microphone on the a500 faces the back of the tablet (opposit the user).
But the 2 microphones are so closed to each other that the desired effect (as explained on the link you give), the "noise-cancelling", doesn't work properly. It's just a guess but it sounds logical (to me, anyway ).
Surprised nobody mentioned, removing the tab from the cover if you use one.
Found this out the hard way. Tab's cover, actually covered the mic! And, if I held it in my hands, it actually picked up the residual sound my fingers made when holding it. Resulted in a "garbled" sound on the other end.
I found with skype, the best thing, was to remove it from the cover, and place it on the covers "stand".
Where is the microphone located? I can't even use the voice search function with mine.
STUPID MIC locations... AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN
There are two mics..
ONE is dead center in the grove between the glass and case at the top of screen. you will see a tiny slot..
the second one.. on the right of the sd card door you will see a tiny hole.. Its right under there.. This one is for background noise canceling. Like from the a500s own speaker.. and does not work well.. The mic works ok with yahoo messenger.. if YOU HAVE NO BACKGROUND NOISE AROUND or you cover that back mic..on not well BUT BETTER THEN IT DOES WITH GTALK OR skype ..
it just sucks is all there is to it.. I tried replacing the mic with a high end known to work well mic . NO LUCK So its either a hardware chip.. or software issue.. Do not think this will ever be fixed .. USE HEADPHONES
Hi, guys Ive been looking for microphone fix on my A500 , when i record any video it has this loud background noise...which in fact my room is silent , also when I'm recording videos outside & using Skype . Im using HC 3.2.1 rooted with thor's CMW ver 1.5 . I been searching the forum for a fix but i cant find it or so as I read that they will fix this issue on HC 3.2, but still i get this issues . Is this a Hardware problem or OS issue?
Also can I still return this tablet to walmart & get a refund? I already exchange the first 1 cuz It got a charging issue. SO basically I'm returning an exchange tablet. It hasn't been 14 days yet. as they mentioned for returns & refunds.
Thanks.
hatyrei said:
Hi, guys Ive been looking for microphone fix on my A500
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Click to collapse
Funny, I was coming here to ask for help about something similar...
In my case, I have a refurbished A500 which has been awesome so far, with the exception of the microphone. It records terribly, lots of noise and distortion in any recording I make (using Recorder as the test app I made a short .amr recording which I attach 7zip-compressed).
A friend has an A500, and it doesn't seem to display this issue. While it's no deal-breaker (I can live without recording audio...playback of tv shows loaded on the card works better-than-fine!), I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to fix it, or at least make it a little less...noisy.
I believe the culprit has to do with the speakers creating feedback. The workaround is to use headphones. Hope this works for you.
Take a look here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1065219
tabasco22 said:
Take a look here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1065219
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did read that entire thread, which only tells me there are multiple unrelated issues around audio recording on the A500...these issues seem to get all mixed-together in that thread, with people who only care about Skype focusing on that and cross-talking to people who have completely different recording issues. I was hoping this thread could avoid the whole need-to-use-Skype distraction and focus on the specific issue of seemingly over-driven recordings. (With the refurb, I'm also out of the whole keep-complaining-to-acer-until-they-do-something-to-fix-it focus there seems to be on that thread. I can't really complain, and any warranty I had expired a while ago.)
The earlier suggestion to use a headset is, however, something I should have considered first (even read in the earlier Skype-centric thread), and am a little embarrassed I didn't. Sometime this weekend I'll pick up a cheap 3.5 mic/headphone set and see if that makes any difference. If it does, and the recordings though it are cleaner, I can be more comfortable it will work for one thing I care about...using the A500 with the SquareUp CC processor.
Mic - Solution for me.
Problem: Microphone recordings sound terrible. Soft, Choppy, Mechanical, like a bad cell call, bathroom (NOT the severe helicopter sound as others have reported). My hypothesis like others have suggested, seems to be noise cancellation issues. Especially since the issues vary app to app. These mics are right beside each other and I assume they're pretty much hearing the same thing, and the rear is trying to cancel what it hears, which is the same as the front! End result being filtering what it hears, ie filtering everything? FAIL.
Test 1: Using Recorder and Skype Test call, I tested different distances talking to the front/back, covering front mic, covering back mic, case on, case off, headphones plugged in/out, etc. In some instances you could hear some, and other hear nothing, some sound ok, some sound horrible. I wasn't satisfied with ANY.
Test 2: Popped off back of tablet and disconnected REAR facing mic. They are side/side, make sure you disconnect the correct one, the one with the diaphragm pointing out. Simple connector. Then tried Recorder/Skype Test call and both sounded Excellent. I have not tried a call with Skype, just the test. EDIT: Tested a real Skype call last night. No sound issues on my end or other end.
Conclusion: Removal of rear mic provided the best quality. There is zero filtering/cancellation/etc.
Gotta try this
Hmm!
Should of thought of this myself. Going to give it shot and post back later!
Unhooked the rear mike --it helps the front m ike is usable now. Not perfect but works.
So for me
1 Run Flexreaper ICS by Civato = better mike
2 Drill hole for front mike = not as muffled
3 Disconnect rear mike= almost as good as a phone but not as sensitive.
Okay on recording and search but Skype still noisy without headset.
Damn connectors were a pain to unhook.
appoaf said:
Problem: Microphone recordings sound terrible. Soft, Choppy, Mechanical, like a bad cell call, bathroom (NOT the severe helicopter sound as others have reported). My hypothesis like others have suggested, seems to be noise cancellation issues. Especially since the issues vary app to app. These mics are right beside each other and I assume they're pretty much hearing the same thing, and the rear is trying to cancel what it hears, which is the same as the front! End result being filtering what it hears, ie filtering everything? FAIL.
Test 1: Using Recorder and Skype Test call, I tested different distances talking to the front/back, covering front mic, covering back mic, case on, case off, headphones plugged in/out, etc. In some instances you could hear some, and other hear nothing, some sound ok, some sound horrible. I wasn't satisfied with ANY.
Test 2: Popped off back of tablet and disconnected REAR facing mic. They are side/side, make sure you disconnect the correct one, the one with the diaphragm pointing out. Simple connector. Then tried Recorder/Skype Test call and both sounded Excellent. I have not tried a call with Skype, just the test. EDIT: Tested a real Skype call last night. No sound issues on my end or other end.
Conclusion: Removal of rear mic provided the best quality. There is zero filtering/cancellation/etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did and I agree this is a fix if you want to use recorder, Skype, talk, tango, etc. But I also learned to forget using the video camera UNLESS you have it using the rear camera (this is one you use by default when you Skype). Looks like it uses the microphone that points in the direction of the active camera.
So I would suspect the noise cancelling algorithm settings are to blame for poor sound recordings.
I solve this issue by using my stereo earphone with mic that came with my Nokia phone. I have tried a bluetooth stereo headset with mic and another wired earbuds with mic, there was either still a lot of noise or the sound level was very low. Basically, it is the same as using a headset. Finally I found one earphone with mic that works well. I actually have two of the same earbuds from 2 identical Nokia 5230. I tested them on two Iconia A500 with voice chat and video chat, it works very well both ways. I have also tried to turned off the Dolby Mobile as suggested by someone. It actually makes it worse and the sound level went down a lot.
acer a501 microphone fix
hi all
today i finally got to the bottom of the microphone issue
versions 3.x had some issues with the mic that cant be fixed - tried different internal and external mics but no good - i thought it was a hardware issue
and not able to solve but after ota update of ics the external mic is perfect - crystal clear and no noise and heaps of level.
the internal mic is crap so i decided to change the microphone with anything i could find - it has to be electret mic.
I had a few lying around and some worked well and some did not - i eventually found one that worked really well will heaps of level - the
only prob was that it was twice the size of the original.
i had to cut some of the plastic away but eventually got it installed.
The internal mic works great now - much better than the muffled one that came with the unit.
I left the second mic connected as it seems to make no difference in or out.
So what i have found -
firmware on 3.x no good for mic
ics makes mic work well if you use exeternal.
internal mic - get rid of it as it is useless.
hope this helps someone as i spent lots of time trying to fix this
OK but...
jzaiter said:
hi all
today i finally got to the bottom of the microphone issue
versions 3.x had some issues with the mic that cant be fixed - tried different internal and external mics but no good - i thought it was a hardware issue
and not able to solve but after ota update of ics the external mic is perfect - crystal clear and no noise and heaps of level.
the internal mic is crap so i decided to change the microphone with anything i could find - it has to be electret mic.
I had a few lying around and some worked well and some did not - i eventually found one that worked really well will heaps of level - the
only prob was that it was twice the size of the original.
i had to cut some of the plastic away but eventually got it installed.
The internal mic works great now - much better than the muffled one that came with the unit.
I left the second mic connected as it seems to make no difference in or out.
So what i have found -
firmware on 3.x no good for mic
ics makes mic work well if you use exeternal.
internal mic - get rid of it as it is useless.
hope this helps someone as i spent lots of time trying to fix this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HoneyComb 3.2 disconnected the rear microphone, Resulted in Better Quality without helicopter noise specially better for skype Etc.
Video recording still Just hardly acceptable. but quality is still bad.
Wont buy from acer anymore.
I moved from an iPad to the N7. When I first got it I accidentally and absent-mindedly pushed the SIM opener into the rather stupidly-placed rear mic hole (which is the same size as the tray opener hole) because I'm used to the removal hole being at the side of the tray and was rushing to get it up and running
I can't seem to get it to record anything, so can I assume that I've bust it or does it only kick in under certain conditions or in certain apps? I've tried downloading different voice recording apps but even the ones that allow you to switch mics don't seem to actually switch on the N7 - they just seem to use the mic on the top-right of the device.
Can someone on here test their mics and let me know if it records on both? I know that if I push my finger over the main mic I just get some ambient muffled sound (probably just being picked up by the covered mic).
I don't know how resistant the mic is to having a SIM opening tool pushed quite hard into it, stupid as I feel, I'm sure I'm not the only person to have made this mistake!
Thanks
leoni1980 said:
I moved from an iPad to the N7. When I first got it I accidentally and absent-mindedly pushed the SIM opener into the rather stupidly-placed rear mic hole (which is the same size as the tray opener hole) because I'm used to the removal hole being at the side of the tray and was rushing to get it up and running
I can't seem to get it to record anything, so can I assume that I've bust it or does it only kick in under certain conditions or in certain apps? I've tried downloading different voice recording apps but even the ones that allow you to switch mics don't seem to actually switch on the N7 - they just seem to use the mic on the top-right of the device.
Can someone on here test their mics and let me know if it records on both? I know that if I push my finger over the main mic I just get some ambient muffled sound (probably just being picked up by the covered mic).
I don't know how resistant the mic is to having a SIM opening tool pushed quite hard into it, stupid as I feel, I'm sure I'm not the only person to have made this mistake!
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not made the same mistake as you but my mic is not working either. Is working only the mic that is in the power button, but not the one on the Sim card tray...
Can any confirm that is a real mic and it´s working?
Thanks!
Mine too... not that loud compared to the main mic in power button.
Confirmed that the microphone is working only when the Nexus is on landscape mode.
I sent an RMA to Google thinking that the unit was faulty and then I came with the solution by myself. What a lack of knowledge of their own product!!