Labtec versus DepoBook's mic

[Kerry F]

I just received this mic I bought for $7.99.  Tested it on my laptop though the sound recorder.  It is as good or better than the Labtec.  I don't know how long it will last, but it works great!!!  No battery.

Amazon wants more shipping than the cost of the mic, but I bought it from this seller and the shipping for ground was only $2.99

 

http://www.zzounds.com/item--AUTATR4600

[Janet]

 

Kelli, is it your Toshiba that you have to use a USB mic for?   I recently bought a Toshiba Satellite, and the audio was horrible, sounded like people under water in a tunnel.  I sent it back to them, and they replaced a board.  I haven't used it on a job yet since I got it back. 

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Yeah, that's the same computer I have.  It took me three months to get it to work correctly.  First of all, you cannot use a regular microphone; sound is horrible.  The USB microphone is wonderful.  You can also let the videographer connect through the mic jack and that sounds good too.

You need to go into recording settings and tweak stuff in there to get it right, also disable the Realtek microphone that is part of the computer.  Took me a while to get it right but now it's a wonderful computer.   Gotta be a bit patient.

The reason it sounds like people under water in a tunnel is you don't have the recording settings correct.  Sounded like that for me too at first.  Also, I use the SPEEX audio compression that also sounds really good and the files are much, much smaller.

If you need help setting it up, I can call you and go through what I have mine set at and also through Eclipse with the audio so they are the same.

[Eric Johnson]

Yeah, some of that bad sounding, underwater, tunnel, echo noise is caused by the internal sound card settings for voice recognition and noise cancellation.  You definitely need to turn off all sound enhancements and UNcheck the "Listen to this device" box.  Settings will vary by operating system, but almost every new laptop needs the sound settings tweaked to optimize for what we do.  I agree with connecting to the videographer - I always do.  I use a 12' male to male 3.5mm patch cord to make a direct connection to the videographer's output.  The sound is awesome, but the input recording level needs to be reduced by more than half or it's overpowered.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Unfortunately, half the videographers I encounter don't know what the hell they're doing.  You need to get one that knows to use "mic in" not "line in" or you'll be blown out of the water and distorted sound.

I've been reluctant to do that lately because the last couple, the sound was distorted and I didn't know till half way through the job.  Not good.

[Lisa Moskowitz]

Mic in and line in are the connections on the videographers mixer?  Or do you connect to the camera or DVD player?  I've been told you can also just plug into the line they usually give you with headphones.  The last videographer I worked with was kind enough to test this out with me.  I unplugged the headphones and plugged in my cord and plugged that into my USB mic.  I, of course, had to turn down my record level, and then it was pretty good sound.  I'd like to know also where else I can plug in on their mixer as an alternative.  I agree most of them have no clue what I'm talking about.  The headphone line seems the easiest because then it's all on me to plug in my cords and I don't need to explain myself to them.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

They just give me the cord and I plug it into my jack.  Not sure where it comes from.  I assume the mixer, though.

[Stacy Tegner]

Kelli, I have the Toshiba satellite A665 ~ had it about a year.  The Labtec mic doesn't sound any different than just using the internal laptop mic, so that's what I've been using.  Not the best for sure.  How do you disable the realtek mic?  I believe I've disabled all the noise compression, etc. options, but audio still isn't what I used to have.  I actually gave up tweaking a while ago thinking this was the best I could get. I think I need to buy the USB mic you're talking about, and then your Toshiba and Eclipse settings the same too.  I'm excited thinking I might get good sound again!

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Don't give up; you can get better sound quality.  To disable the internal microphone, which will override the USB you buy if you don't, is right click on your speaker in the bottom right corner of your computer, then hit "recording devices" and then right click on the Realtek internal microphone, then you will see a setting for "disable this device" and hit on that.  That's it.

I talked to Tech Support at Eclipse and he thought there was something wrong with my microphone jack because any microphone I used wouldn't work.  Jason at tech support suggested I try a USB microphone, so that's why I got one.  Glad I did or I would have had to toss this computer too.  He was right because now it sounds wonderful.  Eric is right, you need to go into recording settings and turn off  or uncheck  the listen to this device as well as the other boxes.  One I put a check in is the one that says "do nothing."  You should notice a huge difference in the quality after you make these minor changes.

[Stacy Tegner]

Thanks, Kelli (and Eric)!  One more question (I hope you don't mind:)  My wav compression is set to PCM, 11.025kHz, 8 bit mono, 10kb/sec.  You mentioned the SPEEX setting ~ did Eclipse support suggest that setting, or do you use it because of the USB mic?  If it's just a general preferred setting, will you let me know what you selected under the SPEEX, please.

Thank you!

Oh, also, do you use a sound card too?  I've been told that may help.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I use SPEEX 24 khz 8 bit mono.  SPEEX just sounded the best when I was trying them all out with this new Toshiba Satellite computer.  My old Toshiba, which I sometimes still use, I use Labtec mics and PCM setting, which sounds great. 

Every computer is different.  I so totally dread getting a new computer because it takes so long to get everything to work properly.  So time consuming.  I just hope someone can learn from the time I had to spend getting everything set up on this W7 Toshiba and they now won't have the same problems.

[Kerry F]

Kelli,

I thought if you disabled the realtek it would goof up your sound system?  Does that apply if you are using a USB mic or a jack plug-in mic or both that disabling realtek

improves the sound quality?

Thanks

[Kerry F]

Has any used this DepoBook mic Eric gives the link to?  How is it?