Why don't more people use throat mics?
vadosware.io
vadosware.io
The tl;dr:
> tl;dr - Don’t chuck the Sony 1000XMs/AirPods just yet. Throat mics are an improvement over a standalone wired microphone (if that’s what you are using), and have better background noise reduction but in a quiet room your usual bluetooth headset is still way more convenient.
The new thing the DOD has spent an UNGODLY amount of time and money on is called TCAPS. They were even worse. They're noise-canceling earbuds with a bone-conducting microphone that sits inside of your ear.
Sounds great - but when you start shooting and moving (and pouring sweat) the earbuds slip out slightly, breaking contact with your ear. Every. Damn. Time. And you can't feel it happen. The way you find out is you key up to speak and no one responds to you. All anyone hears is dead air. After a while someone figures it out and says "last station, check your mic". They went straight into the pile of useless "good idea fairy" nonsense we keep in the arms room, only pulling it out for inventories. And there is a lot if that. We have monocular eye pieces in there that have a heads-up display. Some nerd thought they would be a good idea. Put it on an actual fighter and it is of no added benefit.
The only headset I have used that consistently works are Peltor COMTACs and their recent competitors. Over-the-ear noise cancelling ear muffs with a boom mike. Never had a problem with wind noise. Biggest issue was the mike being pulled away from your mouth when it gets snagged, or people who think they need to yell into the mike. They also had a compatibility issue with PRC-119Fs/ASIPs/RT-1523s where you need to keep the volume setting at 8 or below otherwise you get a high pitched squeal when you key up and no traffic goes out.
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Eternal September is eternal
And I'm sure that it's possible to make a throat mic that has great audio quality. But I think the overlap of "people who want throat mics" and "people who want good audio quality" consists solely of the author of this article.
The good audio quality I thought would come from it being viable in a "loud, high intensity situation". I thought quite simplistically that there must be something there if people are depending on throat mics in warzones.
To be clear though, the throat mic certainly has "good audio quality" -- I use it on most of my calls now, and I don't get any complaints -- tested with a friend beforehand and he didn't know the difference until I asked.
> And I'm sure that it's possible to make a throat mic that has great audio quality. But I think the overlap of "people who want throat mics" and "people who want good audio quality" consists solely of the author of this article.
Would sure like to find some more people (maybe ones that like to do kickstarters or have manufacturing connections) because I'd sure like to expand this niche!
It's probably because people you are talking to are nice. It's a bit awkward to ask someone to invest a little in a better mic.
I did complain however to a colleague that his room is somehow generating a low-end feedback or standing wave. I measured the peak frequency and asked him to measure his room, but I couldn't confirm 100% if that's the reason :) Probably nobody else noticed it, it just annoyed me because I have studio monitors, I had to unplug them to understand him better.
If you are curious if it really has good audio quality, render a spectrogram of the throat mic and a professional podcasting mic and compare the image. The richer the image, the better it is.
Yeah that’s probably a large part of it.
> It's probably because people you are talking to are nice. It's a bit awkward to ask someone to invest a little in a better mic.
This is a great idea, thanks. I looked at some while I was testing (trying to figure out if the mic was working versus the built in laptop mic) but this would have been an easy way to compare
Thanks! :)
The reason they're used is because they're particularly good at rejecting background noise - so that you can hear someone over the sound of nearby gunfire. Throat mics are obviously right at the source of audio vibrations and aren't picking up vibrations from the air (at least not on purpose) so they have high ratio between signal (voice) and noise (unwanted background).
In general, you'll get better sound from something like an Antlion mic with its passive rejection from a built-in omnidirectional mic opposite the cardiod mic pointed at your mouth.
https://vadosware.io/audio/hn-throat-mic-test.ogg
(also .mp3 and .mp4 are there, praise be to ffmpeg)
Which is about what I'd expect from a throat mic given how much of the human voice is produced above the throat. And for those who want a refresher, play around with Pink Trombone a bit: https://dood.al/pinktrombone/
A colorful and terrifying analogy, point taken!
> play around with Pink Trombone a bit: https://dood.al/pinktrombone/
Wow that’s is awesome
Also as many have noted, the sound quality isn’t the greatest!
I've only configured a handful of throat mics, but they actually are designed to be used when you're speaking at a whisper. That's one of the main features, you're not grabbing a handset and shouting into a directional microphone off your shoulder.
The very first time I watched the movie "Speed." I've wanted one ever since. Keanu Reeves made it look so "tacticool" it hurt.
Not bad enough that I'd comment on it, but if I knew you'd gone to the trouble of a custom setup with elaborate extra adapters etc, I'd expect it to sound excellent (like a podcast mic or similar).
> Not bad enough that I'd comment on it, but if I knew you'd gone to the trouble of a custom setup with elaborate extra adapters etc, I'd expect it to sound excellent (like a podcast mic or similar).
That (used to be) the best part! No one knew how much trouble I went through for this subpar setup!
I'd definitely comment that you need to move your mic from your clothes or something if I was on a call with you and had to suffer that cable noise.
In my testing, all of these technologies intended for stealth (primarily) were uncomfortable for long periods of wear/use, and traditional options were massively more comfortable. I wear headphones all day, for instance, as I listen to music when I’m not in meetings.
If that't not what you want, and when you are working from home, it is usually the case, then bone conduction headphones are not for you. When working from home, I am using a more traditional headset (Sennheiser Game One), which has much better sound quality.
For the microphone, I use the built-in headset mic, which is acceptable but not great. Best result I have heard on the receiving end is with a dynamic microphone, namely the Shure SM58, which is by far the most popular microphone for live vocals.
Static mics are great in a studio, but most people don't have studios. Dynamic mics do a great job at rejecting background noise, that's why they are so popular in live performances, and that's why they are also great in a noisy room. One logical constraint that goes with it is that you need to put it very close to your mouth, if you are doing video calls, you can't have it out of the frame, you will look like a rock singer ;)
Also for anyone in an office who doesn’t want to put headphones on/off or in/out to interact with present people interspersed with remote people.
The all day “nothing on or in your ears” aspect is comfortable and healthy too.
They don't cover my ears at all, so obviously they are only good in situations where I don't want to block out sounds from the environment. I tend to use them on a low volume, partly also because when I use them I don't want to block out other sounds, and partly because I don't like loud music most of the time. Within those parameters, I'm very happy with them.
YMMV
There are tons of different mic options which are designed for different applications--lavalier mics, headset mics, shotgun mics, omni mics, throat mics, boundary mics, and ordinary cardioid mics.
An ordinary cardioid mic is cheap, durable, and gives high-quality audio for one person. It's hard to beat. If you're trying to hide the microphone so it's less visible on-camera, you end up spending more money for worse audio.
The humble headset microphone is also a good option--a bit more utilitarian.
To me, reasonably affordable throat mics sound terrible, which is a big factor.
I've thought about getting some Ultimate Ears custom-fits, but it's a lot of money for something I probably won't like wearing.
And that is natural, after all it’s 40dB advertised isolation with ~15dB? sound on top. There’s no way those ANC earphones with small drivers powered from a toothpick batteries and thin rubber cap sealing the ear canal can beat that.
I also have a SONY WF-1000X, and an SE215 for that matter, both with Comply tips. They are nice, but no match against proper Etymotic dead silence.
I hear people sometimes use Etymotics with Comply tips. Wouldn't that create the same seal as using WF-1000X with Comply tips?
Also do you have a recommendation of an Etymotic IEM model plus a tip I can try for maximum effect
ER4SR is the most classic/standard Etymotic model currently sold, other models complementing in both direction of prices. Perhaps more important than tip selection is correct insertion, or Practice and patience, which is unbelievably the exact wording used in their instruction manuals at least for my ER-6i. It is definitely not the healthiest earphones in the market.
Ear protection in the wood shop doesn't give me the same vibe, but I'm also not listening to anything through it.
Obviously, YMMV
It's a series of tradeoffs, and finding a headphone that is right for you and your situation is far from trivial.
In my experience they work well if you only connect it to a single device, but if you use the two device mode then the mic is useless.
https://drop.com/buy/drop-epos-pc38x-gaming-headset
A good wired microphone absolutely destroys the sound quality from bluetooth headsets.
I have, however, moved to a Jabra bluetooth. The wireless freedom is top-notch.
You know what is crazy, those microphone guns[0] mics might actually be amazing.
I know that people (youtubers) actually have problems with being able to turn their A/Cs on because of the background noise... Rather than trying to remove that noise with AI/post processing or turning the A/C off maybe people should be looking into microphone guns.
[0] https://www.amazon.com/Sony-ECMGZ1M-Zoom-Microphone-Black/dp...
There are less expensive handheld dynamics which are suitable for Youtubers, like the SM58 (very few of them use that, but it's ubiquitious in live sound and with processing can sound very decent). Sennheiser and AKG also make good stuff. If those don't provide enough isolation there are ENG dynamics that are designed to handle interviews in the middle of loud protests and such.
I considered making a box that accepts inputs from dynamic mics, adds some warmth, and has a USB output, to make it easier to get the LDC sound from something like an SM58, but I think nobody would buy it.
What I find sad is that Youtubers who aren't that popular are spending nearly a grand on a SM7B, a 286, a phantom preamp, and an interface for that "look". In reality, you could get similar sound with less than $200 (interface and handheld dynamic) and most viewers would not hear the difference.
Do you have a link? "ENG dynamic microphone" doesn't bring anything useful up for me
Antlion and Sennheiser make good passive rejection mics.
There's a kickstarter in here, I know it! I just need someone on HN that is crazy about hardware to see this post.
Forget v1, I'm more excited for v5 though -- would love to see people push the boundaries on throat mics.
On the throat mic itself: what does it sound like? I need a sample. I’m having difficulty finding any not-obviously-bad audio samples (e.g. not recording the microphone, but rather the output of a speaker after radio transmission!).
> Good mic sound quality, switch was not detectable to people on the other end, and was clear.
From the impressions I’m getting, I’d be surprised if “not detectable” was accurate—rather, people are used to lousy audio and are not likely to comment on it unless you ask them or it’s just too bad. But yeah, I’d rather like a sample to judge myself.
I did! Pipewire is working awesome -- I'm using pipewire-pulseaudio actually, there's a package on arch that IIRC bridges the two so I can use pavucontrol etc.
> On the throat mic itself: what does it sound like? I need a sample. I’m having difficulty finding any not-obviously-bad audio samples (e.g. not recording the microphone, but rather the output of a speaker after radio transmission!).
Just put up a I'm going to put one up right now -- just updated the blog and it's deploying, should be up within 3 min or so.
> From the impressions I’m getting, I’d be surprised if “not detectable” was accurate—rather, people are used to lousy audio and are not likely to comment on it unless you ask them or it’s just too bad. But yeah, I’d rather like a sample to judge myself.
This definitely might have been the case, but the friend I was talking with I most certainly have run bad audio by before -- so he's seen worse and better.
That sounds very bad. Not quite as bad as any samples I had found, and still reasonably understandable, which some lousy device microphones (especially laptops’) aren’t—it’s bad in a somewhat different way. But I would strongly dislike having to talk to you with that as your microphone, especially if you were in a context where you could have used almost any other microphone. If I knew that you had put me through such a thing for no good reason (which could be context, physical disability, lack of possession of an alternative), I would be very likely to resent that fact.
Frankly, even if others don’t comment on it, you’re making talking with you far more stressful (whether consciously or subconsciously), because people are having to put a lot more effort into understanding you.
> Could Throat mics be the ultimate in high quality audio for cheap? (not really).
No. Absolutely not. Any podcast using such a microphone will bomb hard.
I don’t think it’s so bad but people definitely have strong (mostly negative) feelings towards this experiment!
The reactions after adding the audio sample are also pretty negative…
> No. Absolutely not. Any podcast using such a microphone will bomb hard.
Well I wouldn’t go as far as to say it would tank a podcast — but I agree that they are not the ultimate in high quality audio for cheap!
I would. It seems like you have a rosier impression of how this sounds than anyone else who listens. It's not completely unintelligible, but it's worse than "not good" to me. It just sounds plain bad.
If I started listening to a podcast, and it sounded like this, I would just turn it off. Unless I was keenly interested in the subject material. Subpar audio recording is a peeve of mine, particular in a medium that's all about information via audio.
But thanks for publicizing this. It's good to know that it exists, and what it sounds like.
That's what I was thinking! Most of the time people who stick with podcasts stick with it because of content and/or creators, so that's more the case I was thinking of.
The terrible mics would probably become a shared joke, if anything -- though you'd lose some people like you who really expect at least a good mic out of a podcast (which is a very reasonable expectation!)
> But thanks for publicizing this. It's good to know that it exists, and what it sounds like.
No problem! Glad it was useful
Do they? The audio sample sounds a lot worse than the high quality standalone mics. Does he mean something else?
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DCDKB2C
(Jabra makes something similar).
It has HW buttons for volume, answer, hangup, and mute - no hunting for the correct window to click a button.
It has noise filtering, good mic, and decent speaker quality. I've had many compliments on the audio quality. My keyboard sits 6" from the unit and nobody can hear me typing during calls (I'm a heavy-handed typist!).
Being free of a headset is wonderful. It can be BT or USB, I used USB so there's never any connection issues.
The thing is chucked away under my monitor, about 2-3 feet away, and yet the sound quality is about the same as what I get with my semi-pro boom mike. My (clicky mechanical) keyboard is also about 6: from the unit, and I have had no issues with typing sounds. The only downside is that the mike does not have any control buttons.
For use in a group setting in a conference room, I use the Anker Powerconf Bluetooth speakerphone, which does a fine job.
Awesome.
I'm glad OP wrote this up, though. I've always wondered how well those work.
You can get ones with a shorter boom that match your skin tone, and those aren't that noticeable on camera. That's what they use in musicals and concerts and they certainly sound much better than a throat mike.
Lavs are also an option but they do pick up more background noise due to the fact that the mic is much farther from the mouth. For computer use you may need an external preamp as most soundcards I've seen do not have adequate clean gain to drive a lav to acceptable levels.
Depending on your situation a shotgun mic above the monitor or a gooseneck (podium) mic are options as well. The gooseneck is basically a ECM on a flexible boom, and is relatively unobstructive. Note that these are starting to go into the more pricey territory, and you will need a preamp to drive them.
They made sense for people who need to talk over gunfire and explosions back in the day, but even they have moved onto normal microphones.
Edit: Shockingly 3M makes a thoat mic. That said, I've never heard of anyone using it, and the only reason to use it they state is for when you physically can't use a boom mic due to PPE.
That's one of the biggest reasons you don't see them in business settings apart from the tacticool tackiness. The point of a good microphone is not just to clearly hear the voice and to cancel out outside noise but also not to pick up the meat sounds.
Especially when using headphones, other people don't want to hear your meat sounds. They don't want to be constantly reminded that you're made of meat because they're trying their best to pretend that they aren't either.
A reference for people who just think this is worded weird:
https://www.mit.edu/people/dpolicar/writing/prose/text/think...
How can those microphones even capture fricatives or plosives in decent quality? Most of the vocal tract lies behind the throat. I looked for some examlpes and they all sound terrible.
If you want good and cheap audio, get an off-brand USB large diaphragm condenser mic, for example this:
People appreciate good sound when they have to listen, but rarely when other people have to listen to them.
Just buy an dynamic mic if you want a mic that work well even when there is people around you.
Crappy (i.e. cheap) microphones and wireless connections. I use a Sennheiser EPOS headset - wired USB connection and a microphone with a passive background noise rejection - and it's all but perfect. The quality is high, and it was under $100.
Non-headset mics, even shotgun mics, are going to be sensitive to background noise. That's just how they are. They have a lot of rejection around them, but it's not 0. Headset mics put the mic close enough to your mouth that rejecting other noise becomes a lot simpler.
Oh, and Google et.al. try too hard sometimes to "fix" audio that they'll screw a decent audio setup up by "fixing" the gain dynamically.
It's when everyone insists on video that it all breaks down.
Part of this is video chat applications insisting on VOX operation for the most part, leading to the totally unnecessary “you’re muted” problem. Push-to-talk is an afterthought in many of these products, but it’s absolutely the correct UX to avoid most of these problems.
I'm someone who still thinks Apple has not even solved the design of the AirPods/Pro. So, anything else that makes us like "Batman with a utility belt" is something I would find a more aesthetic alternative.
For most of the video call needs, I have tried boom/condenser and XLR microphones. Right now, an XLR is the best that stays away from my desk (mounted on an extended arm) while I continue to keep a desk Microphone as a backup. The last resort is the trusty Bose Quietcomfort 35-II.
While on the move, a wireless bud such as the AirPods would be OK.
I have been working remotely since the early 00s, and have used the early Jabra Bluetooth with phones, and now, if I can take back that flaunt, I would.
These days, I drive past busy social hangout areas or visit diners with the family; I see people wearing AirPods or AirPod-like knockoffs as an always-on ornamental addition even while not talking (on phone). My brain always cries in silence, "Batman."
I don't see this throat mic fitting in any sensible scenario, and from the article, the ROI of audio quality over anything else is not worth the roll-eyes that will you will gain from your audience. Nonetheless, I would love to try this with a walkie-talkie in the jungles when I'm working with the planters for the natural decarbonization projects I'm involved with.
Could they be listening to something?
Uhhh, you are aware that talking on the phone is a very moonier use case for most folks these days, right? We listen to music, podcasts, audiobooks, YouTube videos, etc - all on our headphones?
Imagine being able to use an audio interface without speaking, just by subvocalizing. It'd be like magic, you could basically think something and get the answer.
I'm more and more seriously hoping someone who is of the right bent will see this on HN and go make a better one...
> Imagine being able to use an audio interface without speaking, just by subvocalizing. It'd be like magic, you could basically think something and get the answer.
Love this.
You want it to be off camera. This means that a dynamic broadcast microphone is not a good choice. However, a condenser microphone might still work. They do pick up a lot of room noise, though.
For your requirements (which you might want to reconsider), the usual choices would be:
- A shotgun mic directed at your mouth from outside the camera. For example, the Sennheiser MKH 416 is often used ($800-$1000), the Rode NTG5 would be a cheaper but still expensive option.
- A hidden or hard to spot Lavalier microphone. These are the little microphones you see on TV that are clipped to the clothes. Good ones are rather expensive, too.
That being said, if it is for Skype calls, then I wouldn't recommend spending more than about $100-$150 on a mic, and I'd recommend either a dynamic microphone or a condenser microphone and getting as close to it as possible. I used a Rode M3 outside the camera angle for a long time and it had quite good quality, although spoken voice is certainly not it's primary use.
If you want higher quality, then you really need to say more about the purpose, your budget, and the room situation. Some reporters used to literally speak their voiceovers inside a closet full of clothes, which makes for excellent echo cancellation. Even a very cheap microphone can sound excellent without background noise and without room reverb (or in a room with good natural reverb).
Since you ask "best sounding" by the way: At a certain level this also depends a lot on your voice. The same mic can flatter one speaker's voice and make another speaker's voice sound ugly.
Final advice: Microphones are similar to headphones. Below $80 most of the stuff is crap. There are a few exceptions but be careful. Then there is a mid category between $100 to $300 that is a sort of sweet spot for non-professional users, and above that prices go up indefinitely. Once you know your price range and requirements, you can find some more affordable and even better alternatives to the well-known brands and choices with a bit of research, but you generally get what you pay for.
The first is taken on an iPhone in Voice Memos with the built-in mic, as a reference.
The second is taken on the same iPhone in Voice Memos, using a Jabra headset w/ boom over bluetooth.
(The voice quality of the headset is better when the background is quiet)
edit: Yeah dude - your co-workers are being NICE man. I listened to it again. I am seriously telling you - that sounds really really bad and muffled. I can barely make out what you're saying. I'm spending more time trying to understand you than getting your drift.
I'm surprised not to read about this in the article. Perhaps I did it wrong or I had a really bad microphone.
> People can hear me gulp
Imagine being on a video call with people constantly gulping. That and people looking like they are wearing some kinky gear.
Found this video which demonstrates the usage of a throat mic in an operating room. It's not perfect but it works quite well. I had never heard of this thing before but it's rather cool!
https://www.webbikeworld.com/iasus-stealth-throat-microphone...
Another use case that's almost the polar opposite of the other use case.
A decent dynamic mic on a boom and a bit of compression will approach broadcast quality sound and can be done using affordable commodity parts (that will hold their value at resale if selected wiesely)
Arguably a good mic setup adds credibility to the speaker. Partly because they sound clearer and more professional, and part because it looks like a professional pod/broadcast setup.
https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Comm...
I use it with ATH-M50x which can be modded to use it if you add a 3.5mm female to 2.5mm male adapter.
here's a clue that's probably not all they get exposed to. please don't inflict this on co-workers
> People can hear me gulp
Is it weird I'd have liked to hear a clip of this? Does it sound like the "gulp" noise from a cartoon? Or just like a regular old swallow? I have so many questions...
Everyone at work sounds better than that. Everyone. Most people just use the built in mics in their MacBooks and it sounds fine. Worlds better than whatever I just heard.
Bone conduction so there's nothing touching your ears, long ~8hr battery life, super duper light (26g).
I have a, possibly irrational, fear of bone conduction. I don't like the concept of the outer layer of my brain being subjected to the significant vibrations.
Technically better is not always sufficient, but it's interesting to see what's out there.
Some things never change!
Speaking for myself, because that looks uncomfortable as f....
Why would I use that if the one on my desktop works really well and I don't have to do anything but sit on my desk and start talking naturally?
article unfinished ... ?
Example condenser mic: Blue Yeti
You'll see a lot of streamers use these kinds of mics because you don't need to be right up on it.
Example dynamic mic: Shure SM58
Typically you'd see these kind of mics in performances or radio. They do require a pre-amp. I got a used ElectroVoice RE-20 (oft used in radio). Nobody can hear my kids yelling/playing/watching tv right behind me. Sound is phenomenal.
Sound quality was possibly better than some other options
Most people just see a wire protruding from below the chin, as my camera is positioned above my face/head and pointing downwards at me
I also use Arch btw.
I had a glitch plaguing me for a week on my work laptop. The left mouse click would get stuck. It turns out a Bluetooth mouse was powered on in my backpack! At least Ubuntu was reliably connecting with it...
The rolling release is great exactly because there's never a disruptive distribution update. Of course there's the occasional update glitch that requires manual intervention, but the community is very quick to document the solution.
I just wish pacman was smart enough to update the keyring package before trying to validate signatures on other packages.
In summary: this generates more problems than it solves (unless you're a navy seal).
That said, the assessment of pros and cons in the article is less stereotypically oblivious and more nuanced than the above would suggest.
> Be kind. Don't be snarky. Have curious conversation; don't cross-examine. Please don't fulminate. Please don't sneer, including at the rest of the community.
It would be nice if we could keep this kind of low-effort, Facebook-esque fluff out of Hacker News.
People only read the headline and get triggered, not even the tl;dr can reach these humans anymore.
But because it's a diy project, it somehow makes it laudable, even though it's a terrible idea and a waste of time and money when there are much better alternatives.
To be clear, I think "wasting time" in useless projects is not really a waste of time. But the title of the post implies that more people should waste resources in something awful.
I would disagree with you though on the 'DIY' nature of the article, it is certainly a creative solution but the author hasn't necessarily built anything.
That's kind of what hackers do though isn't it?
This idea might be useful for skiing. I do course control for kids ski races and you want to hold the skier in the gate when another crashes further down the course. Radio coms have to be very tight and clear. Wind and dealing with the elements and trying to push the mic button with gloves on is a pita. Maybe there's ideas here that could help. Makes me think at the very least.
it's already bad enough hearing people slurping/gulping with normal mics, this mic sounds horrible.
- Don't rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth
- Don't close your lips between words/sentences
> Throat mics are an improvement over a standalone wired microphone (if that’s what you are using)
I'll go as far to say that the author is making a completely false claim here and does the reader a disservice by not even attempting to back up this claim with a recording.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5_eI9ungGE&t=228s
I'll just go ahead and say it: throat mics sound like shit.
Compare that to a popular dynamic microphone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9bniJsyb1E&t=57s
The author doesn't seem to know that dynamic microphones only capture sounds directly in front of them, which makes them ideal for environments where there is background noise, especially if the background noise comes from further away.
The other thing about AirPods is that they sound better connected to Apple equipment where they aren't limited by A2DP, and most AirPods owners own other Apple products.
Also, any recent laptop is likely to have multiple built-in microphones with noise cancelling, and if it's a recent Mac the quality is actually incredible.
The product I recommend that has been very flexible for my usage has been the Antlion ModMic Wireless. It has really amazing wireless quality without the need to mess with Bluetooth, as it uses a USB dongle. For PC gaming, I like to pair this with my over-ear Sony headphones, which are wireless headphones, but for my gaming purposes I plug in the wire and use the ModMic for input. Then, on the go, I can remove the microphone (mounted magnetically) and use my headphones as standard Bluetooth headsets.
For my Mac, the solution I like is to use AirPods for the output, but use the Mac built-in microphone as an input (only a good solution if you're typing on an external keyboard, or else people will hear you typing). It sounds a lot better than the AirPods microphone. It's so good that the only practical step up is a dedicated dynamic or condenser microphone.
I'm sure the dynamic mic sounds better than the troat mic, but this is not a fair comparison. Every mic sounds terrible through such a radio link.
Antlion ModMic Wireless looks nice. I'm using the usb version with my wired headset. I'd really like a proper bluetooth dongle to combine wired microphone with wired headset. But that's almost impossible, because transmitting voice over bluetooth means the receiving audio switches to a very crappy codec. A dongle could theoretically present 2 bluetooth devices, one for audio and one for voice, but I'm not sure a phone or computer would play nice with that.
>I'll go as far to say that the author is making a completely false claim
It's an opinion, they are neither true nor false. It's fair to disagree with it though.
Tomatoes are the best vegetable. Opinion. I'm sure I'll get plenty of disagreements and even some reminding me that a tomato is actually a fruit.
The addition of the sound clip definitely doesn't make me a believer.
I think a cheap Amazon microphone would beat this setup with far less complexity.
Hey you're right that was a pretty wild claim so I softened it -- I had a very specific (shitty, old) microphone in mind when I wrote that, but the article now has an audio sample, and a reworked tl;dr (it will be live in like... <2 mins).
> The author doesn't seem to know that dynamic microphones only capture sounds directly in front of them, which makes them ideal for environments where there is background noise, especially if the background noise comes from further away.
I certainly didn't know that, TIL!
Thanks for that link too, those are some very good mics, and definitely not what I meant to even suggest that a throat mic was better than!
> Antlion ModMic Wireless
https://antlionaudio.com/blogs/news/introducing-modmic-wirel...
Interesting, neve rheard of this before! I used to have a Corsair VOID that worked well, but this going anywhere is pretty nice -- could be used on helmets or other things.
I don't run a mac so can't do the other stuff, but thanks for the suggestions, hopefully someone else can use them. Apple sure does get consumer hardware correct a lot, don't they.
This video helped me figure out some microphone basics:
I thought the tl;dr would cover it:
> tl;dr - Don’t chuck the Sony 1000XMs/AirPods just yet. Throat mics are an improvement over a standalone wired microphone (if that’s what you are using), and have better background noise reduction but in a quiet room your usual bluetooth headset is still way more convenient.
Yeah I have/had a Sony 1000MX2, AirPods, a Corsair VOID (from a gamier time in my life), and a regular plug in headset+mic -- lots of redundancy in my audio setup.
Have to admit that the convenience of a bluetooth headset I can wear and walk around is still the most convenient right now. The throat mic only being wired (for now) is a real bummer.
> I doubt arch supports your webcam so nobody gets to see it...
Arch actually is not at fault 99% of the time! Arch Wiki is quite possibly the greatest distro wiki to ever exist -- I happily run pacman every day and mana falls from the gods and everything works great usually.
Webcam funnily enough has never been a problem :)
Some people are into that <_<
> Throat mics are an improvement over a standalone wired microphone
Seems like a claim to me!
> > tl;dr - Don’t chuck the Sony 1000XMs/AirPods just yet. Throat mics are an improvement over a standalone wired microphone (if that’s what you are using), and have better background noise reduction but in a quiet room your usual bluetooth headset is still way more convenient
Throat mics are absolutely not an improvement over a standalone wired microphone.
If you can find some that are wireless and are crescent (so not fully closed) maybe that would be safer!
>a self-generated problem (using Arch)
I would argue this is a good solution to the problem of using Windows or Mac. ;)