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[blaib]

Hello, I have noticed that my cheap walmart microphone is very picky about distance.  I would like to sit on my couch (only about 10' away from computer) and command BVC to perform.  I was noticed that some used baby monitors.  I really dont need a whole house set up but was wondering if I should get the baby monitor or buck up for a good microphone.  If I should get the mic what would you guy's reccommend? 
Thanks You
Brian

Having fun with AHP and BVC!!!!

[HA Dave]

I really dont need a whole house set up but was wondering if I should get the baby monitor or buck up for a good microphone. 

Having fun with AHP and BVC!!!!

Using a microphone with speech recognition only works well for limited uses (like dictating a letter). The Microsoft software will cause your PC to constantly adjust the audio gain... and you will to need to regularly manually adjust the audio input.

The only way to make voice input to work well over a period of time is to use the line-in input jack. Your microphone wouldn't work on the line-in. Line in is mean/designed for a slightly powered device like a CD player (or modified babymonitor or intercom).

I use the baby monitor setup, and have for about 3 years. It cost me about $18 a set for the baby monitors and they work well from 10, 20 or even 30 feet away. I normally only reboot my Home Automation computer every few weeks... and I never need to readjust the microphone.

You'll be much happier with a babymonitor or intercom setup using the line-in input than with any microphone in the microphone input.

[Knightrider]

OR
Some of us hard core BVC users use pro grade audio mics connected to a mixer and/or audio compressor/gate fed into the line-in jack.

My mics are all in the $40 range with xlr cable feeding into a $100 mixer and, according to davideinmd as of last night, my compressor runs at $99.

[Knightrider]

BTW,

The compressor limits audio getting through below a certain threshold.  This is a way of filtering out the background noise of the tv, dogs, kids, etc.  You have to elevate you voice a bit (about half as much as yelling at the kids to get off the phone), but my BVC hears me fine on the couch. (or in the bed, or at the computer, in the kitchen -- where ever I have a microphone)

Now if someone would just point me to  good water/moisture resistant mic, I could talk to the computer while in the shower.

[HA Dave]

..... Now if someone would just point me to  good water/moisture resistant mic, I could talk to the computer while in the shower.

Well the X10 wired cameras have a nice weather resistant [built in] microphone. But that would mean a camera in the shower..... hummm.

I have nothing against the "pro grade audio mics connected to a mixer and/or audio compressor/gate" setup like yours. Actually I had always meant to convert to a intercom setup... just never have as the Babymonitor works well. I was just trying to point out.. that a microphone by itself... in the microphone jack.. isn't usable for a BVC setup.

I think a lot of the new users have a hard time getting past the microphone input and using the correct line-in input jack.

[blaib]

Ok Dave, I understand what you are saying, but since I dont want to transmit my voice to another room I guess I will modify the transmitter (the one with the mic in it) and plug it into the line in on the sound card correct? And not use the receiver at all? Or am I looking at this the wrong way?

Thanks
Brian

[HA Dave]

Ok Dave, I understand what you are saying, but since I dont want to transmit my voice to another room I guess I will modify the transmitter (the one with the mic in it) and plug it into the line in on the sound card correct? And not use the receiver at all? Or am I looking at this the wrong way?

Well... I wouldn't know how to do that mod. The mic part of the babymonitor... sends the sound it hears via radio waves to the receiver. I don't think it has a "hackable point" in it where you could capture what you need.

Apparently. Your computer is in the room with you where you would want to use the automation. I would guess you can hear the computers speakers. Now you just want a reliable accross-the-room microphone. I would still concider the regular babymonitor mod. It's cheap and easy and will do a large room (or even most of an apartment... so I've heard).

[blaib]

Ok Dave, I did the mod and now I am stumped.  I cannot get BVC to respond to me, every once in a while it will accept the computer command but will not here anymore than that.  What really stumps me is that I have set up the mic and all seem's great.  I can do the set up mic and read the silly sentance and then I can read the "This papaya tastes perfect" and it plays back and sounds great!  Even while I watch the meter on BVC it all looks good (alot better than the mic did) but still will not respond.  Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?  I did mute the line in like you said.

Thanks alot
Brian Laib

[HA Dave]

... What really stumps me is that I have set up the mic and all seem's great.  I can do the set up mic and read the silly sentance and then I can read the "This papaya tastes perfect" and it plays back and sounds great!  Even while I watch the meter on BVC it all looks good (alot better than the mic did) but still will not respond.  Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?  I did mute the line in like you said.

Hummm... Off hand I can't think of anything. Unless you've used both the mic and the monitor to train the same profile. If the old profile was named "Brian"... name a new one "Laib" and train it with the monitor only.

Make sure you adjust the volume level so that the BVC bar doesn't go to high.... too loud and the sound card will shut down.

[blaib]

Ok I will do that now,  I hope I can get it to work it seems to be great testing the mic.  I have it a long way's from me and it picks up perfectly.  I will go and try to train it and report back.  Now I just have to get the kids to be quiet.

I have one more question I dont see where to set up a profile to train the computer, I just get a option to train it?
Brian

[HA Dave]

I have one more question I dont see where to set up a profile to train the computer,

Control panel/speech recognition.

[blaib]

We’ll I did get it working partially.  I spent a lot of time training and trying to adjust the volume of the baby monitor but it is too sensitive I think,  I have to turn it all of the way down and then up just a tiny bit to make it work.  It does not seem as accurate as the cheap microphone that I had.  I’m not sure what  I am doing wrong because you “Dave” seem to be having very good luck with the baby monitors.  I might have to bite the bullet and try to find a high end microphone.  Anyway if anyone has any more idea’s throw them at me,

Thanks Brian

[HA Dave]

... I spent a lot of time training and trying to adjust the volume of the baby monitor but it is too sensitive I think,  I have to turn it all of the way down and then up just a tiny bit to make it work. .........  I’m not sure what  I am doing wrong because you “Dave” seem to be having very good luck with the baby monitors. 

You have the adjustment right. The computer/BVC requires very little input/volume. Be sure to also adjust volume in the microphone setup and your soundcard software setup (see control panel). Then be sure to set the babymontor (the microphone part... not the receiver) away from you. I try to get mine accross the room when I can... and I turn them (the mic part) away from me... and pointed into a corner.

I know the mic setup/adjustment part is a pain... and the hardest part of voice control. But it does work.. I've done it with 3 monitors and 2 computers.

[davideinmd]

My 2 cents...
I tried the baby monitors. I tried the dynamic mic and mixer. I had better luck with the mic and mixer setup but as knightrider pointed out (and I think he is correct) a compressor is needed which I don't have. The reason I chose a dynamic mic was because they pick up from all directions. Restricted by time I had to put the project aside but plan to get back to it tomorrow.

[HA Dave]

.....I had better luck with the mic and mixer setup but as knightrider pointed out (and I think he is correct) a compressor is needed...

And that would [also] be my expectations. Generally speaking you get what you pay for. Knightrider's setup is the recommended configuration for a professional setup. Knightrider is much more knowledgeable about audio equipment than myself... and much of what he's done is [technically] over my head.
 
Getting good audio to the PC has always been the "perceived" major difficulty with speech recognition. A decade ago... I purchased Dragon's Natural Speaking... which came with it's own "special" microphone. That was Dragon's way of dealing with the public perception of required audio quality requirements.

When I found BVC (BXVC back then) the microphone setup was at the center of conversations. I decided to do some research as well as testing. What I learned was: All a PC (and BVC) needs... or can use.. for speech recognition is 8 bit mono sound. That is generally what is referred to as "telephone quality". I used different devices to get that phone quality voice to my PC. Handheld CB radios failed, but most tries were successful.

Although some fiddling and adjusting is required... most often this involves lowering the volume much more than would seem reasonable. I've posted all of my experiences and information and do what I can to help. Whatever method or devices you use is... of course fine with me.

I don't think anyone could do any better than to mimic Knightrider's microphone setup.