Help External Mic for video?

[fearfeasog]

hey all,

we all know that the audio on the op v's videos is pretty bad. is there a way to use an external mic for this? i tried a pair of headphones with a built in mic and the mic didn't work for video, though it works with skype etc.

thanks, ff

 

[AndyOpie150]

You headphones with mic were not compatible with the "V".
I use a single earpiece and mic by PointMobol that records audio notes for my Note Everything app.
Sound quality is pretty darn good.
I found it at Radio Shack.

 

[fearfeasog]

You headphones with mic were not compatible with the "V".
I use a single earpiece and mic by PointMobol that records audio notes for my Note Everything app.
Sound quality is pretty darn good.
I found it at Radio Shack.

actually, the headphones i tried were not the ones that came with the phone, now i think of it. they're Sonys. maybe using the other ones would make a difference. I'll try it out and report back.

ff

 

[brotherswing]

Something like this?

 

[fearfeasog]

Something like this?

maybe. i think the issue is not that the mic on the headphones isn't working though (both headphone mics worked on skype, just not on the camcorder app) --it seems to be more that the camera software doesn't give you the choice to use anything but the handset's mic. do you think a bluetooth rig could get around that?

 

[tli]

I've been looking at this videocam audio issue too. I find the recorded volume to be too low, and there does not seem to be any means to increase/amplify the built-in microphone's volume. I would be curious to learn what solution(s) or workaround(s) you might find. Thanks.

I thought that the videocam audio recording was fixed in a previous BACKside build? However, I find that there's no recorded audio when the shutter sound is enabled. Am I mistaken, or missed a setting?

 

[brotherswing]

I recorded my daughter's Christmas Pageant with mine, it has sound. I'm lucky, though, because my shutter sound is on, and I managed to get the audio of her singing.

 

[fearfeasog]

I recorded my daughter's Christmas Pageant with mine, it has sound. I'm lucky, though, because my shutter sound is on, and I managed to get the audio of her singing.

you mean that you were able to capture audio with the bluetooth mic while recording video? or just the audio?

I would love some developer to come up with a "mixer" of sorts for android (froyo, for sure--if one hasn't already) that would allow you to choose the audio input/outputs globally. does this exist on a stock OV?

 

[tli]

I recorded my daughter's Christmas Pageant with mine, it has sound. I'm lucky, though, because my shutter sound is on, and I managed to get the audio of her singing.

I rebooted the OV, cleared the Camera app's data, and the videocam audio is now working again--without having to disable the shutter sound. However, the recorded volume is still too low so I'm still interested in what the OP finds. Thanks.

 

[fearfeasog]

I've been looking at this videocam audio issue too. I find the recorded volume to be too low, and there does not seem to be any means to increase/amplify the built-in microphone's volume. I would be curious to learn what solution(s) or workaround(s) you might find. Thanks.

i recorded a vid in the mall the other day and the audio was TOO loud. distorted. whatever kind of limiter is on the preamp in this phone isn't really designed to be vidcam friendly, imo.

 

[tli]

i recorded a vid in the mall the other day and the audio was TOO loud. distorted. whatever kind of limiter is on the preamp in this phone isn't really designed to be vidcam friendly, imo.

Odd indeed, I recorded some test videos of the TV in a silent room. I tried turning up the TV's volume but I think you're right about the limiter being flakey because it made no difference in the recorded audio level.

 

[brotherswing]

you mean that you were able to capture audio with the bluetooth mic while recording video? or just the audio?

I recorded the concert with just the built in mic. It didn't sound great, and the audio level dropped quite a bit about two thirds of the way through. I'm just pointing out that even with the shutter sound enabled, my phone still captured the audio.

I would love some developer to come up with a "mixer" of sorts for android (froyo, for sure--if one hasn't already) that would allow you to choose the audio input/outputs globally. does this exist on a stock OV?

There is DSP manager, which is pretty much what you're requesting, but it won't help you. It's for 2.3 and up. As for one that works with your phone right now, I don't think you're going to find one. It isn't a matter of it being stock, it's because of froyo. One of the big differences from froyo to gingerbread was the audio api's. Android was severely limited in it's audio processing capabilities prior to GB. That's a huge part of why I decided to root, so I could get gingerbread. Trust me on this one, I'm a musician and I've been hunting for good audio apps on this since I got it last February. It is getting better, but it's still not quite there.

 

[fearfeasog]

so @brotherswing, are you suggesting that rooting and flashing GB may get me what i want--that is, to be able to choose inputs manually, specifically to be able to use an external mic to record audio with the camcorder app? cuz that would be yet ANOTHER reason for me to root. (my list is getting longer, and it's starting to outweigh the risks!)

 

[brotherswing]

so @brotherswing, are you suggesting that rooting and flashing GB may get me what i want--that is, to be able to choose inputs manually, specifically to be able to use an external mic to record audio with the camcorder app? cuz that would be yet ANOTHER reason for me to root. (my list is getting longer, and it's starting to outweigh the risks!)

Whoops! Misread you there! Not that I know of, I've never seen anything to give us that kind of flexibility with inputs like that. Man, I wish though! For your specific needs, a bluetooth mic is about the only solution I can think of, short of just using an actual video camera. The mic is much cheaper.
The risks really aren't that bad, the V is quite difficult to truly brick. Just follow the guides carefully. Even if you did nerf the process, there's lots of help and good advice to be found. Not that I'm trying to talk you into it, just don't feel intimidated by it.