new idea for open mic

[Kalle]

Hi James,
is it possible in VC to add a feature that reduces the system volume when the prefixmodus is used? (Similar to the AmuletUSB.exe)
Example: prefixmodus active in VC (prefix: computer) -> When I say "computer" -> VC reduces the system volume automatically to a preset value and wait for a command -> when the command was recognized, VC set volume back to the old value.
This function would be well suited for boundary microphones or any other open mic to pick up many background noise at all the time

Kalle

[jitterjames]

Yes this is a very good idea.  There are different ways to do it and I will have to think about the best way to implement this so that it will be flexible enough to work the way the user wants.  I have two ideas of how it could be done and I will probably do both.

If you don't see this in the next version please remind me.  I am in the middle of a lot of changes and additions right now for a major release that is coming soon (I hope)!

[Kalle]

Yes this is a very good idea.  There are different ways to do it and I will have to think about the best way to implement this so that it will be flexible enough to work the way the user wants.  I have two ideas of how it could be done and I will probably do both.

If you don't see this in the next version please remind me.  I am in the middle of a lot of changes and additions right now for a major release that is coming soon (I hope)!

Cool 

[abrenoch]

This sounds like an awesome idea, but just wanted to note ahead of time that, if possible, it would be great to be able to choose what playback device the 'muting' is actually taking place on instead of the just the default device.  This would be important to me personally because my XBMC runs off a separate display from my main PC, and uses a separate sound card, but everything else is ran through some USB speakers for my computer it's self.

Just a thought!

[Kalle]

This sounds like an awesome idea, but just wanted to note ahead of time that, if possible, it would be great to be able to choose what playback device the 'muting' is actually taking place on instead of the just the default device.  This would be important to me personally because my XBMC runs off a separate display from my main PC, and uses a separate sound card, but everything else is ran through some USB speakers for my computer it's self.

Just a thought!

You're right, I have not thought of this possibility   - very good idea - but I'm not sure if this is possible, if the media application running on another computer.

Kalle

[jitterjames]

Yes, I had the same thought.  No worries.  It will function the same way as the Amulet remote.  That is we will be generating events and you can assign them to whatever command you want, and edit the actions in that command to do whatever works for you.

So you could adjust system volume, use xbmc.softmute, mediamonkey.softmute, send an event to eventghost, adjust the volume on your receiver etc.  If you want you can dim or brighten the lights etc.  For me, I would need to adjust my receiver's volume directly because when it is in full digital pass through mode the volume on XBMC or my system volume have no effect.

It won't be a problem as long as you can already do it via VC or eventGhost

[TeDeV]

hi guys, i recently installed voxcommando, ok yes i like it, but the whole thing with the microphone truly sucks.

i tried desktop mic, my android using skype, but oh buy it is hard to get it going.

ok when there is NOTHING playing, i get about 80% of success, but the moment a movie starts playing or a song, hell comes.

Vox is going crazy, and bye bye experience. I am trying to stand to different places, nothing. The ONLY thing that might make vox work properly is an amulet control for one good reason... it can lower the voice of the htpc.

The point is that people don't want to use another remote. I am already using my Android as a control and my harmony too. I was thinking that it would be perfect if we could have an application that could work exactly as the amulet control. which means that if i have my phone looking vertical up, music goes down, and the pc can understand me (finally). (or even if we pressed a hardware button mapped).

The problem is that if i want to listen to music or movies at high volume, i must close vox and this is annoying. Yes i am using the prefix thing, (which by the way someone mentioned that it would be nice to lower the voice when the prefix word is detected), but still....

An another problem is the xbmc with fullscreen. When vox detects commands, it displays below a black box with the command, so you know what is going on. The problem is that if i use my xbmc with fullscreen, i cannot see the black box and the whole thing is getting harder and harder. 

I am thinking of using a bluetooth microphone, i am sure that i will have the same problems, but there might be a solution there. Bluetooth mics have a button on them, when you press that button it sends the command to the pc. Maybe vox can capture that and in that case mute music - movie, and start listening to the command? That way it would be GREAT. i will not have to carry anything with my hands, and the computer will always listen to what i say correctly.

thanks

[Kalle]

Hi TeDeV and welcome to VoxCommando Forum and a happy new year.

i tried desktop mic, my android using skype, but oh buy it is hard to get it going.

ok when there is NOTHING playing, i get about 80% of success, but the moment a movie starts playing or a song, hell comes.

A desktop mic to using from a larger distance at 1-2 meters is no solution, these devices are built only for short distances, take a look here: http://voxcommando.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Microphones

Vox is going crazy, and bye bye experience. I am trying to stand to different places, nothing. The ONLY thing that might make vox work properly is an amulet control for one good reason... it can lower the voice of the htpc.
The point is that people don't want to use another remote. I am already using my Android as a control and my harmony too. I was thinking that it would be perfect if we could have an application that could work exactly as the amulet control. which means that if i have my phone looking vertical up, music goes down, and the pc can understand me (finally). (or even if we pressed a hardware button mapped).

The problem is that if i want to listen to music or movies at high volume, i must close vox and this is annoying. Yes i am using the prefix thing, (which by the way someone mentioned that it would be nice to lower the voice when the prefix word is detected), but still....

There is a possible solution when you use an IR-Transceiver (eg. USB-UIRT) with eventghost or your smartphone and eventghost with a webserver plugin. With USB-UIRT and eventghost you can use any button on your IR-remote ->USB-UIRT pickup the IR-command and send it to eventghost ->eventghost trigger any command which you placed in there (mute HTPC or HTPC volume to level xyz or something else).
When you use the webserverplugin in eventghost, you can create your own remote surface via html, that send all commands from your smartphone over WLan to eventghost. By the way, all these things require additional hardware or a little more effort.

I am thinking of using a bluetooth microphone, i am sure that i will have the same problems, but there might be a solution there. Bluetooth mics have a button on them, when you press that button it sends the command to the pc. Maybe vox can capture that and in that case mute music - movie, and start listening to the command? That way it would be GREAT. i will not have to carry anything with my hands, and the computer will always listen to what i say correctly.

A good mic solution to control XBMC with VoxCommando (for me) is "RF-AudioBox" http://voxcommando.com/forum/index.php?topic=595.msg4263#msg4263 or a wireless headset with 2,4 GHz Wifi. All tests with bluetooth devices that I have make, were not satisfactory for me.

I hope I do not now have confused 

Kalle

[TeDeV]

hey kalle, happy new year.

even with a wireless headset we will still have the same problem. when i sit to my couch, my speakers are like 2-3 meters away from me. So if i try to use any kind of mic, still i will have a lot of noise. The only solution is the amulet thing, but i don't want another control in my house.

[jitterjames]

hey kalle, happy new year.

even with a wireless headset we will still have the same problem. when i sit to my couch, my speakers are like 2-3 meters away from me. So if i try to use any kind of mic, still i will have a lot of noise. The only solution is the amulet thing, but i don't want another control in my house.

This sound like an assumption you are making.  Even with the Amulet, I don't really find it is necessary to lower the volume to use the Amulet because it is designed to pick up only sounds that are relatively close to the microphone.  A good noise canceling headset should be able to perform even better than the Amulet in this regard.  The problem is finding a good quality headset that is comfortable to wear, is good quality (i.e. probably not bluetooth) and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  Even then some people simply won't want to wear one.  The RF device that Kalle has posted about looks like a pretty good solution, other than the fact that you would have to change the batteries quite often.

It sounds like you've already made up your mind that there is no solution for you.  That is fine, but it doesn't mean that others can't find a setup that works for them.  I happen to use my Amulet remote almost exclusively.  Between the buttons and the voice commands, I just keep my other remotes and mouse/keyboard nearby for emergencies.  Unfortunately the ultimate solution with no remote, or only one remote is probably a long way off, but with the Amulet I feel that I have come about as close to it as possible, and the pursuit of that goal is part of the fun.

[TeDeV]

hi james,

i don't believe that there is no solution. this is why i am here to find one. the RF solution you mention, it means that i need to use an actual microphone am i wrong? if i understand correctly, i need to connect the usb to the pc, and then use the other box, connect a microphone on it and use it? am i correct?

as for the noise cancellation microphone, i will try to find something.

right now i am using my pda as a control and at the same time a microphone. i am trying to find a solution between those two . I really don't want to pay 140-150 euros (if i remember correctly) for another remote.

i have also read the other topics, but it seems like everyone is looking for something cheap and good. i am sure that there is a cheap - protable mic out there that will work nicely

[Kalle]

hi james,

i don't believe that there is no solution. this is why i am here to find one. the RF solution you mention, it means that i need to use an actual microphone am i wrong? if i understand correctly, i need to connect the usb to the pc, and then use the other box, connect a microphone on it and use it? am i correct?

as for the noise cancellation microphone, i will try to find something.

right now i am using my pda as a control and at the same time a microphone. i am trying to find a solution between those two . I really don't want to pay 140-150 euros (if i remember correctly) for another remote.

i have also read the other topics, but it seems like everyone is looking for something cheap and good. i am sure that there is a cheap - protable mic out there that will work nicely

Hi DaTeV, the RF-AudioBox need a seperate mic, you can use a headset or lavalier-mic or any other with a 3,5 mm jack.
To brought a amulet in europe is a problem, when you have a friend in USA, and he can ship you one, it cost ~100 EUR with a coupon from a  VoxCommando license.

Kalle

[jitterjames]

Hi TeDev,

I don't mean to give you a hard time, but your first couple of posts have come across as a bit negative IMO.  Also, when you say "even with a wireless headset we will still have the same problem." it sounds like you are stating a fact, but I think you are incorrect, and I think it is just a false assumption on your part. I'm wondering what your statement is based on.

the RF solution you mention, it means that i need to use an actual microphone am i wrong? if i understand correctly, i need to connect the usb to the pc, and then use the other box, connect a microphone on it and use it? am i correct?

I'm not sure what you are asking exactly, but I think the answer is "yes".  If you are asking about the  "RF-AudioBox" that Kalle posted a link to, I don't know any more than you for certain but it looks like that is how it works.  I can only look at what Kalle posted.  If you have a specific question about it you should ask Kalle or post a question in the thread where he talks about the device.

right now i am using my pda as a control and at the same time a microphone. i am trying to find a solution between those two . I really don't want to pay 140-150 euros (if i remember correctly) for another remote.

i have also read the other topics, but it seems like everyone is looking for something cheap and good. i am sure that there is a cheap - protable mic out there that will work nicely

As for cheap and good solutions, I think they will come.  There are some good ones.  The Amulet will probably get cheaper and other solutions will surface as time goes by.  There are good open air usb mics that will also work well at a reasonable range if you use a button on one of your existing remotes, or your pda to initiate a "mute and listen" sequence.

The Amulet is $150 US, but with VoxCommando you get a $40 discount coupon.  $150 - $40 = 110 U.S. dollars = about 85 Euros (not including shipping / tax)

How exactly are you currently using your pda as a microphone and control?  It would be great to have an app designed specifically to be used as a microphone for VoxCommando with some media type buttons as well, but I don't currently have the setup or experience to create iPhone or Android apps myself.

[TeDeV]

hey james, if i want to use my pda for voice control and remote control it is very easy.

first you place a call with skype, and then you leave it running in the background. Open xbmc and use the remote from there. That way, skype is running and xbmc remote is running too. So you have an all-in-one solution.

if i could only have my pda to lower the voice on its own when i turn the phone vertically, it would be PERFECT, exactly as the amulet control.

There is the option from skype to mute the microphone, but that would mean that you have to change focus to skype, and this makes it difficult.

I don't know james if you can talk to the people at xbmc and ask them to include a "don't listen - listen" button in their android app. This would lower the voice, say the command and go back to action

Most of us have an android or an iphone already. There is no need for an amulet. (My 2 cents )

[jitterjames]

which app do you use to control xbmc?