Re: Sound recording with xwave 5.0

[turnbull@example.com (Stephen J. Turnbull)]

>>>>> "Craig" == Craig Oda <craig@example.com> writes:

    Dennis> What's the problem here?  I know that the microphone I'm
    Dennis> using is OK with a cassette recorder.  Is this most likely
    Dennis> a hardware problem or have I missed something in
    Dennis> configuring the sound drivers? Is there a fix for this?  I
    Dennis> should add that I'm working in this case with /dev/dsp ->
    Dennis> /dev/dsp0.

    Craig> I had this same problem working with karaoke microphones
    Craig> and a variety of other microphones that were made for
    Craig> keitai-denwa.  I could only get it to work with a QuickShot
    Craig> PC microphone.  The input jack is the same, but there
    Craig> appears to be some type of amplifier in the PC microphone.

    Craig> I can use the dsp device fine on my system now.  I can talk
    Craig> in a normal voice and it records fine.  Output is fine at
    Craig> normal volume levels.

Audio hardware jocks will realize I'm talking through my hat, but
basically ...

... what's going on is what's known as "impedence mismatch".  Some
microphones produce high signals, which are expected to be directed
into high-resistance inputs.  Others produce low signals, and should
go into low-resistance inputs.  The high-impedance system is used with
relatively high-quality general-purpose mikes, I believe.  This is
what you want with a general-purpose sound sampling system.  Low
impedance mikes are cheaper, but quite effective for special purposes,
like keitai denwa or karaoke.  They needn't be "low quality" if used
for their design purposes.

You can get similar effects by mistaking your phono (for those of you
who have a stereo preamp old enough to be phono-compatible) inputs for 
your tape or CD (aux) inputs on your stereo preamp.

Presumably your sound card has documentation on what kind of mike is
compatible....

By the way, thanks for having this problem ... although I know wht's
happening, it wouldn't have occurred to me to worry about it until too
late, and I'm going to try to get the "fun stuff" working on my system 
soon.  :^)

Ciao

Steve

-- 
                            Stephen J. Turnbull
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences                    Yaseppochi-Gumi
University of Tsukuba                      http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp/
Tel: +81 (298) 53-5091;  Fax: 55-3849              turnbull@example.com
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