UKVoIPTalk.com

lowering sample rate in windows sound recorder eliminates some of noise
so -can you make skype downsample from supposedly 16Khz and who should
be responsible for background noise suppression -cheap pc mic,
soundcard or skype?

<j_slobo@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163076260.346930.151990@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> lowering sample rate in windows sound recorder eliminates some of noise
> so -can you make skype downsample from supposedly 16Khz and who should
> be responsible for background noise suppression -cheap pc mic,
> soundcard or skype?
>[/color]


Hi,

Interesting. Unless it is a "strange" scenario (older laptop [may even apply
to newer ones too]or even / much older desktop) it is unlikely to be the
soundcard or PC itself (unless with regard to this latter part [the PC
itself] you have some curious configuration going on their - odd, legacy or
malconfigured hard/software). The best candidates to be at fault are not
Skype (but I do believe they don't use the most delicate codecs [voice
compression / carriage systems]) but more likely in some rough order of
likelihood bad cabling / connections, local interference (other electrical
equipment), bad microphone, feedback / trying to operate handsfree or like a
speakerphone (this one should probably be at the front of the list - but it
is assumed that if you are trying to operate like this you are aware of the
inherent difficulties and general need to be a sound engineer almost
constantly monitoring your equipment [certainly if their are cheap parts in
the setup {read microphone}] to get this to even begin to consistently
provide anything like "reasonable" / passable audio quality; other (I will
let someone else finish this list!)... lol ... (p.s. a cheap microphone not
being used in a "handsfree" / speakerphone - open mic / feedback loop set-up
can actually provide very good or passable audio [but to be fair they are
usually pretty dire! - it is finding the "good" cheap microphone that seems
a bit like the holy grail - probably worth going "up" a couple of £ to the
next model [or preferably just using a genuine bt handset [note - not
necessarily the whole phone - just the handset - they tend to have some
extremely well specced and engineered microphones / speakers! {or just use
an ATA {or possibly high quality headset or other "VoIP" phone or just a
good microphone is you happy holding on to that [and using headphones -
really kind of necessary], etc.})... Someone else please feel free to carry
on in this vain / area (hard / software causes, contributors - good and bad,
etc.).

Further - generally reducing sample rates should reduce quality (markedly /
significantly). It may be that there is something working so poorly with
your current configuration that the "high fidelity" hum is almost or just is
that much worse to listen to when so clear, etc. that the muffling and
distortion of a lower sample rate actually aesthetically / acoustically
feels better, nicer, etc.


Best wishes,




News Reader

[email]j_slobo@hotmail.com[/email] wrote in news:1163076260.346930.151990
@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
[color=blue]
> lowering sample rate in windows sound recorder eliminates some of noise
> so -can you make skype downsample from supposedly 16Khz and who should
> be responsible for background noise suppression -cheap pc mic,
> soundcard or skype?
>[/color]

Wouldn't it be easier to turn off Skype's automatic volume control and just
turn down the mic volume in the RECORD (not playback) screen of your
Windoze audio control?

On Skype, click TOOLS - OPTIONS - SOUND DEVICES and uncheck "Let Skype
adjust my sound device settings" to turn off the AGC. Then adjust the
volume yourself while listening to the mic in on your headphone until the
background noise isn't objectionable...

I do it manually on my notebook so the restaurant noises don't interfere
with the conversation. Skype's automatic volume control kept resetting the
level so my buddy in Japan could hear the guy at the next table....(c;

Skype - Gotta love it....Thanks, Ebay!


Larry
--
Halloween candy left over.....
Is there a downside?

the majority of noise seems to be 'generated' by the integrated
soundchip or power supply
so there is this real time filter software called Solicall but they do
not have the win98 version.Is the standard soundcard designed for
electret mic-i.e.has approx 5volts on mic jack?
Larry wrote:[color=blue]
> [email]j_slobo@hotmail.com[/email] wrote in news:1163076260.346930.151990
> @i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
>[color=green]
> > lowering sample rate in windows sound recorder eliminates some of noise
> > so -can you make skype downsample from supposedly 16Khz and who should
> > be responsible for background noise suppression -cheap pc mic,
> > soundcard or skype?
> >[/color]
>
> Wouldn't it be easier to turn off Skype's automatic volume control and just
> turn down the mic volume in the RECORD (not playback) screen of your
> Windoze audio control?
>
> On Skype, click TOOLS - OPTIONS - SOUND DEVICES and uncheck "Let Skype
> adjust my sound device settings" to turn off the AGC. Then adjust the
> volume yourself while listening to the mic in on your headphone until the
> background noise isn't objectionable...
>
> I do it manually on my notebook so the restaurant noises don't interfere
> with the conversation. Skype's automatic volume control kept resetting the
> level so my buddy in Japan could hear the guy at the next table....(c;
>
> Skype - Gotta love it....Thanks, Ebay!
>
>
> Larry
> --
> Halloween candy left over.....
> Is there a downside?[/color]

[email]anglomont@yahoo.com[/email] wrote in news:1163336332.998501.219740
@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:
[color=blue]
> the majority of noise seems to be 'generated' by the integrated
> soundchip or power supply
> so there is this real time filter software called Solicall but they do
> not have the win98 version.Is the standard soundcard designed for
> electret mic-i.e.has approx 5volts on mic jack?
>[/color]

No, I've never seen DC on the mic jacks....

A good solution to this problem may be to bypass the problem and get a
Skype phone, either USB direct or one like my Linksys CIT200:
[url]http://tinyurl.com/okyet[/url]
(to preview the monsterous Linksys URL use:
[url]http://preview.tinyurl.com/okyet[/url]

The CIT200 has a base station that plugs into your USB port and handler
software that redirects the wav data to the base repeater on 1900 Mhz.
Mine works 2 houses away just fine, letting you carry the little handset
like you would a house phone portable, making and answering Skype calls
wherever you may be. Audio is perfect, as is the LOUD speakerphone in
the handset. Uses common AA Ni-Mh batteries and the little stand
recharges them without overcharging them just fine.

If you get a CIT200, don't boot Skype. Boot the CIT200 handler and let
it boot Skype so it configures it properly. Works great and you're not
tied down to your computer or have to wear a headset around.

I did a Google search and the street price has dropped to between 60-65
US dollars. CompuPlus has it for $US62. Retail is $99.


Larry