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Why don't more people use throat mics?

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Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#91

Post by dawnerd »

hardwaresofton wrote: post #73
javajosh wrote: post #25

I should write up my solution using a parabolic dish that focuses sound from a relatively small zone where my head (usually) is, into a good cheap mic. You get good isolation (even from keyboard sounds) requires nothing on your head or throat, and ... physics! (You just need to accept a big dish in your field of view, and you also can't pace, walk around, as with bluetooth solutions.)

This actually sounds sick :) 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-Zoo…

Also known as shotgun mics.

Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#92

Post by hardwaresofton »

philliphaydon wrote: post #79

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rk79-Y6Nag 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!

Awesome thanks for finding this -- One of the pictures on the ASUS site was of people in an operating room... but none of them were wearing the throat mic so I was wondering...

Another use case that's almost the polar opposite of the other use case.

Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#93

Post by Timpy »

ramraj07 wrote: post #67
nend wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the most Hacker News comments every written. A dismissive comment about a diy home project because you'd rather be critical of someone else than build something yourself.

This isn’t a Lego ad, no brownie points for just building random things. I mean build them if you want but don’t judge others because they don’t want to?

>no brownie points for just building random things

That's kind of what hackers do though isn't it?

Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#94

Post by almog »

ecmascript wrote: post #18

The problem is not people using shitty external mics, the problem is people using internal laptop mics that is horrible. Any external mic would be a huge upgrade, just don't work from a noisy environment or at least don't take calls from one. 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 th…

To that I'll add another common problem: people don't monitor their own mic, thus even if they invest in a decent dynamic mic, it's easy to fall into bad mic technique, too much gain that results in clipping or insufficient gain (+ bad mic technique) that either result in low volume or as in many conferencing apps triggers some sort of make-up gain compressor which end up amplifying background noise as well.

Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#95

Post by fourneau »

The answer to the question is "because we also use cameras". That said, if this tech was made smaller and didn't give off cat-collar vibes, people might consider it.

Technically better is not always sufficient, but it's interesting to see what's out there.

Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#96

Post by closewith »

philliphaydon wrote: post #79

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rk79-Y6Nag 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!

I suspect the OP's throat mics weren't actual laryngophones like the one in use by the surgeon.

Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#97

Post by tristor »

Anderkent wrote: post #24
Bayart wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The headphones thing is very much a matter of morphology and personal preference. I know for instance anything other than IEMs is intolerable over any significant period of time for myself.

And choice of headphone! Open versus closed headphones lie much different on your head; clamp strength and weight vary hugely as well. I'm on my third set of AKG k702s as the only headphones I can wear for hours; finding the right pair for anyone takes time.

This is true. I had a leg up when I chose my setup, because I've been active in the headphone hi-fi community for a few decades and had a collection of various cans and some knowledge of what I was looking for. My WFH setup uses Beyerdynamic DT880s, which are generally known for being comfortable with low clamping pressure, minimal weight, and because they are open tend to not cause ear sweat as bad as some other options.

Obviously, YMMV

Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#98

Post by jaywalk »

eropple wrote: post #33
tristor wrote: post #6

I have a pretty serious audio setup for WFH. I assessed throat mics and bone conduction headphones and IEMs, I then ultimately decided against these options and instead went for a front-address microphone on a boom and open circumaural headphones. 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 comfo…

I tend to agree with you in the main - I use MDR-7506's and a sE Dynacaster as my normal setup - but you absolutely can get comfortable IEMs. But they really aren't cheap. If I need to do something that looks "cans free" at my desk I keep a set of Shure SE215s, which aren't super comfortable but they're tolerable for an hour or two. To me, reasonably affordable throat mics sound terrible, which is a big factor.

I've worn Shure SE215s for 4+ hours at a time countless times for professional broadcasts. I found them to be very comfortable, and actually do use them at home for conferencing. It's definitely a personal preference thing, although I'm sure the more expensive ones are even more comfortable.

Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#99

Post by hardwaresofton »

mindvirus wrote: post #20

Love it. Throat mics and subvocalization are a place that I think would really change how we use devices. Genuinely surprised there's not more investment in this area. 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 it. Throat mics and subvocalization are a place that I think would really change how we use devices. Genuinely surprised there's not more investment in this area.

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.

Re: Why don't more people use throat mics?

#100

Post by [deleted] »

rob_c wrote: post #52
hardwaresofton wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP here -- yes this was definitely not a serious recommendation for anyone! I just thought some others might have possibly thought of this before (and now they don't have to do it!) 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…

just buy a proper mic or a roaming mic unless the choker look is more your choice, but then I doubt arch supports your webcam so nobody gets to see it...

[deleted]
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