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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?

#261

Post by hardwaresofton »

tiborsaas wrote: post #192
hardwaresofton wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm curious as to why the author even thought that a throat mic would have good audio quality. Throat mics are designed for loud, high intensity situations. For the use case of a throat mic, "good audio quality" means the receiver can actually understand what you're saying, something that is pretty easy to achieve in a home office environment. The good audio quality I thought would come from it being viable in a "l…

> I use it on most of my calls now, and I don't get any complaints 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…

> 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.

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

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

#262

Post by hardwaresofton »

wpietri wrote: post #190
hardwaresofton wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey the article has been updated with an example! Direct link below https://vadosware.io/audio/hn-throat-mic-test.ogg (also .mp3 and .mp4 are there, praise be to ffmpeg)

I would not call that good quality. To my ears it sounds like you're trapped in a mayonnaise jar with somebody eating cheetos. 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/

> I would not call that good quality. To my ears it sounds like you're trapped in a mayonnaise jar with somebody eating cheetos.

A colorful and terrifying analogy, point taken!

> play around with Pink Trombone a bit: https://dood.al/pinktrombone/

Wow that’s is awesome

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

#263

Post by hardwaresofton »

aftbit wrote: post #203
hardwaresofton wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm curious as to why the author even thought that a throat mic would have good audio quality. Throat mics are designed for loud, high intensity situations. For the use case of a throat mic, "good audio quality" means the receiver can actually understand what you're saying, something that is pretty easy to achieve in a home office environment. The good audio quality I thought would come from it being viable in a "l…

I don't have much to contribute besides to say that I also run Arch and I also would love to use a high-quality throat mike. My use case is mostly for comms while riding eBikes, not office work. I have a Blue Snowball that I use for voice chat in my quiet, personal home office.

Mentioned this before but be careful to find one that snaps off easily if you’re using it on a bike just in case it gets caught on something! I guess it would be fine if it wasn’t fully closed

Also as many have noted, the sound quality isn’t the greatest!

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

#264

Post by digitallyfree »

fire wrote: post #253
digitallyfree wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Marketing has pushed a lot of Youtubers towards LDCs like the Blue Yeti, which are great in a studio setting but pick up lots of background noise. For some reason everyone considers the SM7B as the way around that (despite being overkill and overpriced for their applications), which is a broadcast dynamic. Dynamics can handle fan noise and busy streets no problem. There are less expensive handheld dynamics which are…

> 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. Do you have a link? "ENG dynamic microphone" doesn't bring anything useful up for me

They're the mics that news reporters use when interviewing people on the street. Popular models include the EV RE50 (omni) and Senn MD46 (cardioid). They're designed for intelligibility and cut down sound from distant sources well without much processing.

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

#265

Post by tgsovlerkhgsel »

pinum wrote: post #165

Honestly, your sample doesn't sound very good. It's a bit better than the other samples that have been linked in this thread, and you're perfectly audible, but it's very muffled and there are noises that sound like the throat-mic equivalent of cable noise. If I head this on a call I'd assume you were using a particularly bad laptop mic or gaming headset. Not bad enough that I'd comment on it, but if I knew you'd gone…

It's bad compared to normal microphones, but it's much better than I expected (especially if you turn the volume up a bit). If it actually avoids capturing background noise regardless of level, it's great as soon as you can't get a quiet environment.

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

#266

Post by GenerocUsername »

hackernewds wrote: post #250
spamuel wrote: post #233

We had them in the military and we preferred the boom mics. Throat mics, the exact ones pictured, did not pick up low-talking or whispering, which is a large amount of pre-contact traffic. 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 y…

Just wanted to say Hackernews is such a robust source of content and expertise. Perhaps almost as much as that-which-shall-not-be-named (reddit)

I'm a 10+ year Reddit account holder, and I get more informative info from here than Reddit these days.

Eternal September is eternal

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

#268

Post by philliphaydon »

newaccount74 wrote: post #103
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!

But the sound quality is really really bad! Every phone/laptop built-in mic or headset boom mic sounds better.

It actually sounds better than I was expecting. And cuts out a lot of background noise.

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

#269

Post by hackerlight »

jaywalk wrote: post #209
hackerlight wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which IEM and tip did you get? Do you know why the IEM was better given that the Airpods Pro also plugs the canal?

Shure SE215 and the default tip it comes with. I can only speculate on why the IEM is better, but I suspect it comes down to the tip material creating a better, more substantial seal. The outer shell is also physically larger, and that may also play a role in keeping more sound out.

I wonder if we can replace the tip on the Airpods Pro to create and IEM like seal. I suppose that should be the best of both worlds? But the outer shell would still be smaller so maybe not.

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

#270

Post by hackerlight »

numpad0 wrote: post #229
hackerlight wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you compared passive IEMs to Apple's noise cancelling headphones? I compared Apple's products to properly inserted earplugs and Apple's ANC was better for low to medium frequency sound, so I wonder how you arrived at the opposite conclusion when it comes to IEMs

With properly inserted hardcore isolating earphones, and with music playing at low volume(important), I just don’t notice any other sound. Including landline ringing. Perhaps fire alarms too. It’s an auditory anesthesia. Like if I’ve put on a VR goggle, but for my ears. 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…

I trust you, I'd like to delve a bit deeper into why this is the outcome to understand it better.

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

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