Develop Bugs

[Q] Any audio recording enthusiasts using EVO's!

Hey fellow EVO's!
I'm looking for a solution to the poor audio quality when recording in a high volume setting (concerts, jam sessions) when using the internal microphone.
Yes, I know that it is not the phone's main use as a personal recorder for this sort of scenarios, but as we all know, the iPhone does it a lot better and I'd really like to show up the iPhone geeks if possible by using an external mic with a recording app.
There's this multifunction audio cable from HTC that I've been thinking about buying and it's called an HTC YC A300 Multifunction audio cable. You can find it on Amazon.com
Any experience, creative ideas, development or anything of that sort that would help me out would be great as I'm sure other people would be able to benefit from the info as well!
Thanks in advance...

I haven't done it, but there is a microphone input in the headphone jack -- it's intended to support a wired headset. With the right cable you should be able to use an external mic.

The app Tape Machine records uncompressed wav files. Even with the internal microphone, it actually makes very decent recordings.

Thanks for the reply guys.
Do you think trying a Sony ECM DS30P might work? it's a direct connection compressor microphone.
I will definitely check out Tape machine. I've got the lite version now and i'm eager to try it now! Is it successful in loud environments?

Do you think trying a Sony ECM DS30P might work? it's a direct connection compressor microphone.
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Click to collapse
It's better than the built in mic of the phone. Far, far from decent though.
Is it successful in loud environments?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That completely depends on the quality of the microphone, and how sensitive it is.

Well, I just bought myself one of those nifty little Sony compressor mics and I'm going to see how that works out. I may need a convertor to go in to the headphone jack so it recognizes the input, but I'm not sure.
Another way you could go possibly would be to us one of those multifunction cable things. The model is called: HTC P6300 Multifunction Audio Cable YC A200. There's also a YC A300 as well but I'm not sure of the difference between the two is besides the size.
Any new findings?

sitlet said:
It's better than the built in mic of the phone. Far, far from decent though.
That completely depends on the quality of the microphone, and how sensitive it is.
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Click to collapse
So i got that sony mic and a convertor so the phone thinks i'm using a headset...and with some apps, with the convertor it works and some, without, it works too. The only issue i'm having is that the internal mic is still on and working while recording. I want the external mic that I'm plugging in to be the ONLY mic it's using and I'd like to control the input volume.
Any insight as to how we could do that?

I have been looking for a solution to this for over a year. It really sucks that everything else about the device is great except this one feature. As for the iPhone, it sounds like Apple has utilized some kind of filter to reduce the bass the phone records (in my experience, the bass is what causes the distortion in the recording).
If Apple can do it, why can't HTC? :?

External Microphone for Video recording.

I searched through the forums and found some posts that said in order to use your external Mic you need a Y adapter. And that it doesn't support stereo, and some other issues.
Can someone link me to a Y adapter that would work along with a good value microphone that I can use during video recording on my Galaxy S III?
I'm surprised that a company hasn't made a product for this yet where you just plug it in and it works. The camera and video quality are great, but the sound is lacking greatly.

You can also get an OTG cable then you can use the yeti and have digital hd stereo
Sent from my SGH-T999V using xda app-developers app

oreo said:
You can also get an OTG cable then you can use the yeti and have digital hd stereo
Sent from my SGH-T999V using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
would it work while recording a video?

If I find a mic with a 3.5mm jack can't I just plug it in? the ear buds that come with the phone have a microphone where the volume controls are and it picks up sound during video recording.

enz660 said:
If I find a mic with a 3.5mm jack can't I just plug it in? the ear buds that come with the phone have a microphone where the volume controls are and it picks up sound during video recording.
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Click to collapse
the headphone jack can only output a limited amount of power to drive a mic device, any non mobile mic is not going work. if you want high quality sound you must do so with the usb using either an external usb soundcard with analog 3.5mm inputs or just a usb mic like the yeti which is the best you can really get. and yes s3 has native support for almost any kind of usb device so it will work like if you plug in usbdevices to your desktop/laptop as long as it is Plug and play compatible. whether there are good apps for these usage scenarios though is another story.
oh and you are welcome...

oreo said:
the headphone jack can only output a limited amount of power to drive a mic device, any non mobile mic is not going work. if you want high quality sound you must do so with the usb using either an external usb soundcard with analog 3.5mm inputs or just a usb mic like the yeti which is the best you can really get. and yes s3 has native support for almost any kind of usb device so it will work like if you plug in usbdevices to your desktop/laptop as long as it is Plug and play compatible. whether there are good apps for these usage scenarios though is another story.
oh and you are welcome...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good info, thanks. Looked up the yeti mic you mentioned, but it's kinda pricey at $109 and not exactly portable either. Do you use it?
(EDIT: too bad most jack mics suck)

oreo said:
the headphone jack can only output a limited amount of power to drive a mic device, any non mobile mic is not going work. if you want high quality sound you must do so with the usb using either an external usb soundcard with analog 3.5mm inputs or just a usb mic like the yeti which is the best you can really get. and yes s3 has native support for almost any kind of usb device so it will work like if you plug in usbdevices to your desktop/laptop as long as it is Plug and play compatible. whether there are good apps for these usage scenarios though is another story.
oh and you are welcome...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! So something like this then would be good?
http://www.amazon.com/CAD-Audio-U9-...d=1343280726&sr=1-3&keywords=CAD+9+microphone

I was looking for something like this too to go with my SGS3.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app

I was looking at these earlier and thought about getting the edutige http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XC6KHS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER. A few of the reviews mention it working with a couple of android phones. Only issue is it seems to pick up alot of background noise. If anyone decides to get this for their s3 please tell us how it performs.

Not really sure what you want a dedicated microphone for taking videos on a cell phone. If you are looking to make quality videos, you might as well get a decent external microphone and syncing up audio in post production. I know my brother uses this in conjunction with a 60D. Will probably sound a lot better than the $30 options posted above. http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H1-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B003QKBVYK/ref=pd_cp_MI_0

I want to record videos with decent sound quality at concerts, etc.. I don't want distorted bass and good audio picture. Recommend me ext. microphone for my SGS3, thanks!

Video with an external mic?

I went to see a local band a while back and tried to record a video with my cell. The video turned out okay, but the audio was bad distorted. I rigged up a mic that would attenuate the volume before it went to the phone, but from what I can tell, the phone is still using the internal mic to record video. Is there an app/rom/mod that will allow you to record video with an external mic?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

This looks like it might get you there. Splits a 3.5mm female 4-pole TRRS audio I/O port into two female 3.5mm TRS ports, one for headphones, the other for microphone. That's assuming your mic has a 3.5mm plug. If it's XLR you could either use an adapter or make your own cable:
http://www.startech.com/Cables/Audi...dset-Splitter-Adapter-Male-to-Female~MUYHSMFF
This camcorder app can supposedly take audio input from an external mic:
https://market.android.com/details?...sMSwxLDEsInJ1YmJlcmJpZ3BlcHBlci5sZ0NhbWVyYSJd

Hey thanks for the tip on that app. Hopefully that will work. I'm pretty sure the stock video recorder wasn't using the external mic. Also, good idea with the splitter. I might could try some different mics with that approach.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

So how did that camcorder app work out for you?
I've read in a couple of different places that there is a second built-in mic on the GNex, and it's used for video recording. It's supposedly tucked away internally in the upper right corner of the GNex, as you look at it from the back. The back cover has a tiny notch in the top edge about the size of a pinhole, near the right corner. That's supposed to be for the mic.
There have been a lot of complaints that it's too sensitive to record concerts, etc. I'm wondering if it would help to just stuff some sound-deadening material under the back cover, right where the little notch is. Might help in a pinch if you don't have your external mic handy.

strumcat said:
So how did that camcorder app work out for you?
I've read in a couple of different places that there is a second built-in mic on the GNex, and it's used for video recording. It's supposedly tucked away internally in the upper right corner of the GNex, as you look at it from the back. The back cover has a tiny notch in the top edge about the size of a pinhole, near the right corner. That's supposed to be for the mic.
There have been a lot of complaints that it's too sensitive to record concerts, etc. I'm wondering if it would help to just stuff some sound-deadening material under the back cover, right where the little notch is. Might help in a pinch if you don't have your external mic handy.
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Click to collapse
I downloaded that app. It has an option for microphone and camcorder in the audio options. Both options work with nothing plugged in, but I get no sound with my mic plugged in with microphone selected as source. Being that my mic is a homemade deal, I'm not sure if it's a problem with the app or the mic. I may have to use the splitter idea you gave me and try some different mics.
I tested the little mic on the back of the phone you were talking about. After covering it up with my finger you can tell a difference in the tone but not really in the volume. I'm a try putting it with something anyway when I can get something loud to record. Thanks for the ideas though. I'll figure something out with a little experimentation.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Yeah the igcamera app is garbage. My videos were all corrupted and impossible to open. "Camcorder" and "mic" don't mean anything. They're all mics. One app with a meter would be nice so I can at least tell which mic it's using.

This camcorder app lets you use a headset microphone on Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4:
Ultra Video Camera
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.multimediainternational.ultravideocamera

Thanks to the op, I was about opening a thread for this question till I found this.
I downloaded the lgcamera and Boom! I could record audio with external mic.
Problem is that the dev website is not opening and I can't find a way to buy the add free app.
The only downside is if you take video or pictures in portrait mode it's upside down once captured
---------- Post added at 11:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 PM ----------
Open camera did it all - external mic recording for video, free and no ads

SGSIII External Microphone - Suggestions?

So I've gone to several concerts with my Samsung Galaxy S3 and I've noticed... Every single video recording with the stock app is absolutely terribad. The video portion is okay (Great for a smartphone) but the audio is absolutely horrendous. I've lately been wanting to find an external microphone that could possibly connect via the 3.5mm jack and serve as the primary mic for picking up sound.
I've scoured the Interwebs for little success on a good external mic that fit my needs. Here are my findings - correct me if I'm wrong in an area:
1. The mic, in order to be recognized by the SGS3 as a mic, needs to have an impedance of over 1000 omegas and has a TRRS 3.5mm jack.
2. There are actually very few compatible mics that would work with the SGS3. One example is the Edutige ESM 01O, which is overpriced and the specs and reviews do not show that it's a good live music recorder.
3. All other vaguely compatible mics are also not good at recording live music, especially bass heavy music (Which is what I frequent). The compatible lavalier mic I found is not what I need.
4. I actually found a mic that is designed for recording live music - the Edutige EIM-004 - BUT it's not compatible with the SGS3, to my dismay. It also costs $80.
So here's my problem - I need a good external microphone that's compatible with my SGS3 that is capable of recording live music with little distortion. Preferably, I'd like a low cost (Ballpark of $20-$50)I've already got the software covered, there are a few apps that I've looked up that fit my needs.
Here's my phone specs:
AT&T Samsung Galaxy SIII i747 running Cyanogen Mod 10.0.0
I'd really appreciate any help. Posting here is probably the last thing I can try, considering how there's almost nothing out there to help me resolve my situation. Thanks guys.

I really need an answer, guys. Above & Beyond is coming to town in a few days and I'd really like to record them with my SGS3.

Mecronmancer said:
I really need an answer, guys. Above & Beyond is coming to town in a few days and I'd really like to record them with my SGS3.
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Click to collapse
I'm also interested. :good:

I'm still looking for a solution myself as I also do concerts recording with my S3. The audio recording sounds much better when you aren't as close up to the speakers. I know it would also help if we could block some of the sound coming in. Like ear plugs to block some of the dB.

Agent3 said:
I'm still looking for a solution myself as I also do concerts recording with my S3. The audio recording sounds much better when you aren't as close up to the speakers. I know it would also help if we could block some of the sound coming in. Like ear plugs to block some of the dB.
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I've heard of a few apps that reduced the mic's gain and applied a few filters to clean up the sound, but I don't know how much the sound quality improves.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=390-810
Here's a calibration mic might work.

I like this mic, David. The only problem is the impedance. The mic is 200 ohms but the SGS3 needs a mic of at least 1000 ohms in order for the mic to be recognized as a mic. Otherwise it'll only be recognized as a headset.

For concert recording try the negative mic gain in Boeffla kernel.
I9300XXEMD3, Boeffla 2.12, Earsonics SM3v2

i know this isnt going to help much, but i simply cover the mic's slightly with my hands. when i have my phone in the air recording something, phone horizontal, i place my hands in front of the mic holes, so it only records sound from behind my hands. this helps ALOT.
and what do you know...i'm also an A&B fan. recorded last weekend with the above trick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q11VCIyLB3g

ExTREmE99 said:
i know this isnt going to help much, but i simply cover the mic's slightly with my hands. when i have my phone in the air recording something, phone horizontal, i place my hands in front of the mic holes, so it only records sound from behind my hands. this helps ALOT.
and what do you know...i'm also an A&B fan. recorded last weekend with the above trick:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice! Hope you had a good time at the show haha. I think this is going to be my temporary fix to the problem (Considering how A&B is coming to town tomorrow I've lost all hope of finding a mic in time), but I'll still need a solution for when I go to Ultra... Because their Funktion One systems are definitely too powerful for this fix.

Mecronmancer said:
So I've gone to several concerts with my Samsung Galaxy S3 and I've noticed... Every single video recording with the stock app is absolutely terribad. The video portion is okay (Great for a smartphone) but the audio is absolutely horrendous. I've lately been wanting to find an external microphone that could possibly connect via the 3.5mm jack and serve as the primary mic for picking up sound.
I've scoured the Interwebs for little success on a good external mic that fit my needs. Here are my findings - correct me if I'm wrong in an area:
1. The mic, in order to be recognized by the SGS3 as a mic, needs to have an impedance of over 1000 omegas and has a TRRS 3.5mm jack.
2. There are actually very few compatible mics that would work with the SGS3. One example is the Edutige ESM 01O, which is overpriced and the specs and reviews do not show that it's a good live music recorder.
3. All other vaguely compatible mics are also not good at recording live music, especially bass heavy music (Which is what I frequent). The compatible lavalier mic I found is not what I need.
4. I actually found a mic that is designed for recording live music - the Edutige EIM-004 - BUT it's not compatible with the SGS3, to my dismay. It also costs $80.
So here's my problem - I need a good external microphone that's compatible with my SGS3 that is capable of recording live music with little distortion. Preferably, I'd like a low cost (Ballpark of $20-$50)I've already got the software covered, there are a few apps that I've looked up that fit my needs.
Here's my phone specs:
AT&T Samsung Galaxy SIII i747 running Cyanogen Mod 10.0.0
I'd really appreciate any help. Posting here is probably the last thing I can try, considering how there's almost nothing out there to help me resolve my situation. Thanks guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A quick answer for yah Mecronmancer.
- otg usb cable (couple of bucks)
- Digital to Analogue converter with USB (Appr $30) Behringer UCA222 is what I have.
- USB recording app...USB Audio Record or Audio Evolution. Both apps from Same guys.
- Microphone or analogue stereo inputs (Sky is the limit here)
- a rom that supports this arrangement. My i747m S3 with Stock ICS 4.0.4 works flawlessly with this arrangement.
You will get 16bit, 44.1k Stereo recording quality. Will it record while another app is recording Video? That I don't know. Thiis may be your one caveat. I might give it a shot sometime this week and report back.
UPDATE:
I simultaneously recorded USB Audio with the USB audio app and Video+mic audio with the built in ICS video app successfully. So if it was me, I would combine the 2 source recordings using a PC app and have HQ audio with Video. You just need to time align the 2 in sync very easily since you would have lofi mic audio and hifi usb audio sources.

themadproducer said:
- Digital to Analogue converter with USB (Appr $30) Behringer UCA222 is what I have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the power source for the ADC?
Can anyone comment on the audio quality recording stereo to a phone with this setup?

guy48065 said:
What is the power source for the ADC?
Can anyone comment on the audio quality recording stereo to a phone with this setup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@guy48065
The UCA222 can be powered from your Smart Phone, in my case, the SGS3. I had to buy a female-A-USB-to-Male-micro USB plug. They are inexpensive. I can't remember if this cable had to be an OTA version. (On The Go)
In my car, if my memory serves me well, I had the USB split with one end going to the SGS3 and the other into my USB cigarette lighter charger. I didn't end up using it in my car because it didn't interact well with the phone call audio stream etc. Lots of glitching.
RE-Recording Sound Quality
Unless your a professional audiophile or sound engineer with impeccable trained ears, the recording quality is flawless and blows away what I could do without it. An app like Audio Evolution Mobile is a great combo, especially if you have a larger and fast tablet.

Ok so it doesn't get power from the phone and it has no batteries. Darn. ..I was hoping it could be a handy mobile recorder.
A splitter usb + battery supply is borderline too cumbersome.
Price is great though -- I might tinker with it as a means to dub vinyl to files.
Does anyone make a $30 adc that includes a phono preamp? Lol.

guy48065 said:
Ok so it doesn't get power from the phone and it has no batteries. Darn. ..I was hoping it could be a handy mobile recorder.
A splitter usb + battery supply is borderline too cumbersome.
Price is great though -- I might tinker with it as a means to dub vinyl to files.
Does anyone make a $30 adc that includes a phono preamp? Lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@guy48065
You miss read.
YES...it CAN definitely be powered from the smartphone.
Read my reply post again.

I didn't think phones were capable if supplying usb power so when you wrote about the OTG cable *and* the splitter with power I assumed you needed both.

guy48065 said:
I didn't think phones were capable if supplying usb power so when you wrote about the OTG cable *and* the splitter with power I assumed you needed both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. It's a very small investment for what it can offer.

[Q] 3.5mm audio plug? Support TRRS w/Mic?

I was very disappointed, when attempting to use my original Nexus 7 with Skype, to find that the 3.5mm headphone jack did NOT support headphones with integrated microphones in a single plug, such as those with a TRRS 4-pole adapter (ie Most Android and iOS devices that support a wired headset with mic for calls etc..). This is a silly oversight, especially considering the front-facing camera on the first N7 and the VOIP apps on Android. I hope it has been remedied with Nexus 7B / 2013.
Can anyone test this out to check for sure? Please check to ensure that audio output, mic/audio input, and if possible the multi-function button (usually used to pick up/hang up calls, or advance music tracks etc..) Thanks

RanceJustice said:
I was very disappointed, when attempting to use my original Nexus 7 with Skype, to find that the 3.5mm headphone jack did NOT support headphones with integrated microphones in a single plug, such as those with a TRRS 4-pole adapter (ie Most Android and iOS devices that support a wired headset with mic for calls etc..). This is a silly oversight, especially considering the front-facing camera on the first N7 and the VOIP apps on Android. I hope it has been remedied with Nexus 7B / 2013.
Can anyone test this out to check for sure? Please check to ensure that audio output, mic/audio input, and if possible the multi-function button (usually used to pick up/hang up calls, or advance music tracks etc..) Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it does not support audio input
Source: Anandtech's N7 review

pradeepvizz said:
No it does not support audio input
Source: Anandtech's N7 review
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Did I miss something on that Anandtech report? The quote I saw was " I know a lot of people were hoping for inclusion of line in on the 3.5mm audio jack but I can confirm it isn’t present. " referring to line-in, but does that mean a microphone won't work? Or just that it doesn't support a line-in feature? I don't see anything specific about a mic?

Noob
RanceJustice said:
Did I miss something on that Anandtech report? The quote I saw was " I know a lot of people were hoping for inclusion of line in on the 3.5mm audio jack but I can confirm it isn’t present. " referring to line-in, but does that mean a microphone won't work? Or just that it doesn't support a line-in feature? I don't see anything specific about a mic?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the newb question, but does this mean that I won't be able to use the Square credit card reading device? Thanks...

Kelkil79 said:
Sorry for the newb question, but does this mean that I won't be able to use the Square credit card reading device? Thanks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the sole 3.5mm jack does not support input, as it appears is the case, then you are correct - the Square reader will not work. It does not work on the original N7.

Looks like square works

denimjunkie82 said:
Looks like square works
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try to swipe a card to see if it reads?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Err... B&H seems to think it does support headphones with mics:
"The tablet features a 3.5mm combo audio mini-jack as well, so you can connect headphones and/or an external microphone."
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/indepth/asus/news/asus-announces-new-google-nexus-7-fhd-tablet

So I managed to get 4 successful credit card swipes on PayPal here. So it must work, I attached a screen shot.

Well, if Square works than that confirms it is a combo port and will support microphones. There is no way it could read credit cards without that.

Very promising indeed with Square.
It would be great if someone with Square (or a similar device) could try plugging in a 3.5mm headset w/mic and see if works as well. Bonus if you can test a headset's "multifunction button", to see if it picks up/hangs up/advances the song etc...

RanceJustice said:
Very promising indeed with Square.
It would be great if someone with Square (or a similar device) could try plugging in a 3.5mm headset w/mic and see if works as well. Bonus if you can test a headset's "multifunction button", to see if it picks up/hangs up/advances the song etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not promising - it's proof.
Square uses the mic input to send the card's magstripe data from the reader to the device. There is a 0% chance that it would be able to read the card without this ability.
Whether a multifunction button works or not is up in the air, but there is no question about the mic.

I used my gaming headset to make a call using GrooveIP the other night no problem on my original Nexus 7. Headset had a mic and worked like a charm.
I would assume the updated one would be the same.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

My new 7 says that the reader is connected but it won't acknowledge that I swiped my card. I also tested mic input using a app from the play store and my note 2 headphones and the mic didn't register on that either.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

RanceJustice said:
Very promising indeed with Square.
It would be great if someone with Square (or a similar device) could try plugging in a 3.5mm headset w/mic and see if works as well. Bonus if you can test a headset's "multifunction button", to see if it picks up/hangs up/advances the song etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried with my skullcandy headphones. The button successfully plays and pauses the music. I couldn't tell if the mic that was built in was relaying audio but this tablet sounds much better with audio quality.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

I made a test skype call using a headset that I know works with my android phone. The Mic works just fine, loud and clear.

I was going to test but I can't even seem to locate the PayPal Here app anymore...

Huh.... I test using the speech to text with stock key board and when I tap the mic with my finger is defiantly notices it. I wonder why it won't read my card with square? My reader works fine with my note 2
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

gksmithlcw said:
I was going to test but I can't even seem to locate the PayPal Here app anymore...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That explains that... I wonder how long it will take PayPal to fix that....