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doc:appunti:linux:audio:audio_recording [2019/04/09 11:58] – [Electret] niccolodoc:appunti:linux:audio:audio_recording [2019/04/23 12:52] – [Web References] niccolo
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-====== Audio Recording With Linux ======+====== Audio Recording With GNU/Linux ======
  
 ===== Choosing the right jack ===== ===== Choosing the right jack =====
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 ==== Electret ==== ==== Electret ====
  
-Unlike capacitor ones, electret microphones **do not require polarizing voltage**, but generally they contain an integrated preamplifier that **does require power**. In this cases a **TRS jack** can be used, where the ring carries power via a resistor from, normally, a 5 V supply in the computer (often incorrectly called //polarizing power// or //bias//). Generally these microphones built to be plugged into computers and electronic audio devices, have a **TRS 3.5 mm jack**, carrying the mic signal and the bias current.+Unlike capacitor ones, electret microphones **do not require polarizing voltage**, but generally they contain an integrated preamplifier that **does require power**. In this cases a **TRS jack** can be used, where the ring carries power via a resistor from, normally, a 5 V supply in the computer (often incorrectly called //polarizing power// or //bias//). Generally these microphones built to be plugged into computers and electronic audio devices, have a **TRS 3.5 mm jack**, carrying the mic signal and the required current.
  
 ===== External mic on the Acer Travelmate B113-E ===== ===== External mic on the Acer Travelmate B113-E =====
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 Now you can also measure a **bias current of 2.85 V** between the ground (**sleeve**) and the **ring** or the **tip**. Now you can also measure a **bias current of 2.85 V** between the ground (**sleeve**) and the **ring** or the **tip**.
  
-Is not clear **how to disable the external microphone**: even setting **Pin 0x19** to **Not connected** does not generate the ACPI microphone unplug event, and the bias current is not cleared. FIXME May be after a reboot? +Using **alsamixer** you can control the capture device (hit F6 to select the **HDA Intel PCH** sound card), it is advisable to set **Mic Boost** as low as possible (eventually zero) and **Capture** level to 100. 
-===== Wireless microphone =====+ 
 +Is not clear **how to disable the external microphone**: re-setting **Pin 0x19** to **Not connected** does not generate the ACPI microphone unplug event, and the bias current is not cleared. The bias power disappears from the jack after a poweroff or an hybernation, so the external microphone seems to be "unplugged" after these events. 
 + 
 +===== Problem: silence gaps using a cheap USB dongle ===== 
 + 
 +I was **unable to use the microphone connector** on my Acer TravelMate, so I tried to use an USB dongle, marked **LinQ**. The device was detected by the Linux Kernel 4.9.0: 
 + 
 +<code> 
 +usb 2-1.3: new full-speed USB device number 9 using ehci-pci 
 +usb 2-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=0c76, idProduct=1607 
 +usb 2-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=1, SerialNumber=
 +usb 2-1.3: Product: USB Headphone Set 
 +input: USB Headphone Set as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0 
 +    /usb2/2-1/2-1.3/2-1.3:1.3/0003:0C76:1607.0004/input/input92 
 +hid-generic 0003:0C76:1607.0004: 
 +    input,hidraw2: USB HID v1.00 Device [USB Headphone Set] 
 +    on usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.3/input3 
 +</code> 
 + 
 +{{ linq-usb-audio.png?direct&100|LinQ USB audio dongle}} 
 +The USB audio adapter worked quite nicely at playing audio, I use it on a QNAP TS-120 NAS, transformed into a media player installing Debian GNU/Linux on it. The Linux kernel and the **ALSA audio subsystem** works well on setting the levels for **playback**. 
 + 
 +Once started Audacity, I was able to select the microphone line of the USB dongle as a **capture device**: 
 + 
 +{{audacity-select-usb-audio.png?direct&260|}} 
 + 
 +Recording a sample track revealed an annoying problem: about **every 0.4 seconds** you can see a **gap of silence** in the audio track of about **two hundredths of a second**. The audio track is unusable! 
 + 
 +{{audacity-track-gaps.png?direct&400|}}
  
 ===== Ugreen USB audio adapter ===== ===== Ugreen USB audio adapter =====
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 Launching **alsamixer** and hitting F6 you can select the **USB Advanced Audio Device** sound card. Hit F4 to view the only one capture device, i.e. the microphone input line. Press **Space** to enable/disable the **capture** and **Up/Down arrows** to increase/decrease the **gain**. Launching **alsamixer** and hitting F6 you can select the **USB Advanced Audio Device** sound card. Hit F4 to view the only one capture device, i.e. the microphone input line. Press **Space** to enable/disable the **capture** and **Up/Down arrows** to increase/decrease the **gain**.
 +
 +It seems that the best setting for audio recording through the mic, is to keep the **capture mic gain to 100**:
 +
 +{{usb-advanced-audio-device-alsamixer.png?direct&300|USB Advenced Audio Device in Alsamixer}}
  
 The **microphone socket** is a **3.5 mm TRS type** (three poles), it provides a bias current of **2.6 V** on both the **tip** and the **ring**, so it is advisable, as reported in the device manual, to **NOT use a simple two poles mono jack** (TS type), because it will short-circuit the bias current on the ring with the ground on the sleeve. The **microphone socket** is a **3.5 mm TRS type** (three poles), it provides a bias current of **2.6 V** on both the **tip** and the **ring**, so it is advisable, as reported in the device manual, to **NOT use a simple two poles mono jack** (TS type), because it will short-circuit the bias current on the ring with the ground on the sleeve.
  
 +===== Wireless UHF microphone =====
  
-===== Problemsilence gaps using a cheap USB dongle =====+We have purchased an **UHF wireless microphone** on Aliexpress.com for about 25 €. It is composed by:
  
-I was **unable to use the microphone connector** on my Acer TravelMate, so I tried to use an USB dongle, marked **LinQ**. The device was detected by the Linux Kernel 4.9.0:+  * The **transmitter** powered by **two AA batteries**, featuring: 
 +    * A **[[wp>Lavalier microphone|lavalier microphone]]** on a clip. 
 +    One small **wire-antenna**. 
 +    * Frequency range: **610-675 MHz** (53 channels spaced by 1.25 MHz each). 
 +    * Modulation system: DQPSK 
 +    * Frequency response: 60-16000 Hz 
 +    * Transmitted power: 10 dBm 
 +    * Working current%%<=%% 100 mA
  
-<code> +  * The **receiver** powered by **two AAA batteries**featuring
-usb 2-1.3: new full-speed USB device number 9 using ehci-pci +    * A 1/4" (6.35 mm) mono jack
-usb 2-1.3: New USB device foundidVendor=0c76, idProduct=1607 +    * One small **telescopic antenna**
-usb 2-1.3New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=1, SerialNumber=0 +    * Receiving sensitivity-94 dBm 
-usb 2-1.3: Product: USB Headphone Set +    * Working current%%<=%% 100 mA
-input: USB Headphone Set as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0 +
-    /usb2/2-1/2-1.3/2-1.3:1.3/0003:0C76:1607.0004/input/input92 +
-hid-generic 0003:0C76:1607.0004: +
-    input,hidraw2USB HID v1.00 Device [USB Headphone Set] +
-    on usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.3/input3 +
-</code>+
  
-{{ linq-usb-audio.png?direct&100|LinQ USB audio dongle}} +{{wireless-mic-trasmitter.jpg?direct&240|}} 
-The USB audio adapter worked quite nicely at playing audio, I use it on a QNAP TS-120 NAS, transformed into a media player installing Debian GNU/Linux on it. The Linux kernel and the **ALSA audio subsystem** works well on setting the levels for **playback**.+{{wireless-mic-receiver.jpg?direct&240|}}
  
-Once started Audacity, I was able to select the microphone line of the USB dongle as a **capture device**:+To connect the **UHF receiver** to the **Ugreen USB audio adapter**, we built an adapter cable with this pinout:
  
-{{audacity-select-usb-audio.png?direct&260|}}+^ 1/4" TS female jack  ^ Signal         ^ 3.5 mm TRS male jack  ^ 
 +| **Tip**              | Microphone     | **Tip**               | 
 +|                      | Not connected  | **Ring**              | 
 +| **Sleeve**           | Ground         | **Sleeve**            |
  
-Recording a sample track revealed an annoying problem: about **every 0.4 seconds** you can see a **gap of silence** in the audio track of about **two hundredths of a second**. The audio track is unusable!+The **2.6 volt** current provided by the USB adapter on th **jack ring** will go nowhere (not connected). The **2.6 volt** current provided on the **jack tip** is probably not required by the UHF receiver, but **it should not harm**. **No infromation** is available about **microphone impedence** expected by the USB adapter, on the other hand no information is available about the **impedence of the mic interface** of the UHF receiver.
  
-{{audacity-track-gaps.png?direct&400|}}+Despite all this empirical approach, the **voice registration is quite satisfying**! 
 +====== Audio Recording With Android ====== 
 + 
 +Recording audio using an **external microphone** connected to an **Android device** can be a real nightmare. We tried the hard way using a Chinese, no-brand, **wireless UHF microphone**! 
 + 
 +We can group the problems you can face in three main categories: 
 + 
 +  * Physical connection 
 +  * Electrical compatibility and hardware autodetection 
 +  * Software capabilities and settings 
 + 
 +===== Physical connection ===== 
 + 
 +Most Android devices have a **3.5 mm jack** accepting a **TRRS connector in CTIA standard** and every brand of mobile phones produces **headsets** with their own standard. The vast majority of solutions uses **electret microphones** requiring a **bias current**, but use **some combinations of impedence** to detect the insertion of the microphone and to **handle the headset button** (or buttons). 
 + 
 +So, connecting an external microphone, can be as simple as making a cable that connects the **ring** and the **sleve** of the **CTIA connector** to (respectively) the **ground** and the **microphone line** of the microphone. The hard part is to guess, or empirically try, if the microphone **requires a bias current**, if the Android device is provinding such a current and if the microphone produces a sufficient **output level** (actually a voltage in the order of the millivolts) that can be used by the device. 
 + 
 +===== Electrical compatibility and hardware autodetection ===== 
 + 
 +As stated above, the first problem is **powering the microphone** itself, because generally we will use an **electret** one. It is a **common practice** to provide the power on the same line of the microphone signal, so **requiring just two wires** for both power (from the device to the mic) and for signal (from the mic to the device). The power, also called //bias current//, is generally in the range of **2.5** to **5.0 volt**. 
 + 
 +FIXME: How much current is provided in our testIs the current always present or switched-on only at jack insertion? 
 + 
 +Another parameter which should be considered is the **impedence** FIXME 
 + 
 +===== Software capabilities and settings ===== 
 + 
 +FIXME Complete the article! 
 + 
 +Wishing to connect the **UHF microphone** to an **Android smartphone**, we prepared an **adapter cable**. From 3.5 mm jack TRRS male to 1/4" jack TS female, with this pinout: 
 + 
 +^ 1/4" TS female jack  ^ Signal         ^ 3.5 mm TRRS male jack (CTIA) 
 +|                      | Not connected  | **Tip**                       | 
 +|                      | Not connected  | **Ring**                      | 
 +| **Sleeve**           | Ground         | **Ring**                      | 
 +| **Tip**              | Microphone     | **Sleeve**                    |
  
 +The smartphone **did not sensed the microphone**, there is not much documentation about it, but it seems that the **autodetection** of the microphone is **based upon the impedence** of the mic itself, if it is too low, it is not detected.
 ===== Web References ===== ===== Web References =====
  
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   * [[http://www.shure.com/americas/support/find-an-answer/will-bias-voltage-from-a-computer-effect-a-dynamic-microphone|Will bias voltage from a computer effect a dynamic microphone?]]   * [[http://www.shure.com/americas/support/find-an-answer/will-bias-voltage-from-a-computer-effect-a-dynamic-microphone|Will bias voltage from a computer effect a dynamic microphone?]]
   * [[http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/microphone_powering.html|Powering microphones]]   * [[http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/microphone_powering.html|Powering microphones]]
 +  * [[https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2072612|External Mic on Galaxy Devices]] 
 +  * [[https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19255908/android-forcing-external-microphone-jack-input-3-5mm-to-stay-on|Android: Forcing external microphone (jack input 3.5mm) to stay on]] 
 +  * [[https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1042051|App that turns off microphone AGC (Auto-Gain Control)?]] 
 +  * [[https://stackoverflow.com/questions/47394634/difference-between-voice-communication-and-mic-in-mediarecorder-audiosource|Difference between VOICE_COMMUNICATION and MIC in MediaRecorder.AudioSource]] 
 +  * [[https://stackoverflow.com/questions/47359587/what-is-the-best-audiosource-setting-for-calls|What is the best audiosource setting for calls?]] 
 +  * [[https://amp.reddit.com/r/androidapps/comments/4wo8sz/app_to_force_android_to_use_external_microphone/|App to force android to use external microphone when one is plugged in]]
doc/appunti/linux/audio/audio_recording.txt · Last modified: 2020/12/28 18:22 by niccolo