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mcable1004
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Joined: March 22 2007
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Posts: 15
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| Posted: May 21 2007 at 14:32 | IP Logged
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Hi Everyone,
I've been tinkering with HA (Insteon mostly) for the past couple of months. I'm starting to venture in to VR and am trying to find a solid (cheap, but still effective) microphone for picking up commands. I am thinking something that I could mount to the ceiling or some inconspicuous place that could listen to an an entire room - particularly the kitchen or bedroom.
A second related question I have - right now, I'm just using a desktop microphone plugged in to the microphone jack of my laptop to test and setup some initial commands. When I close the laptop, it no longer is responding to voice commands. I am using Powerhome. The other triggers I have setup continue to work correctly. Does anyone know if the mic input is disabled when the laptop is closed? If so, any way I can enable the mic even when the laptop is shut?
Thanks everyone for the help,
Matt
PS - I posted the same questions on CocoonTech, but thought the second question in particular may be PowerHome specific..
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Tomcat7194
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Joined: November 05 2006
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Posts: 24
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| Posted: May 23 2007 at 10:45 | IP Logged
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If your HA computer is within about 10 meters of the room that you want to have the mic in, I would recommend going with a USB mic. They are cheap, readily available, and have good enough quality to pick up commands in a normal room. Look for a desktop model with noise canceling. The only issue is their limited range; most have six foot cables, which you can extend using 1-2 USB extension cords. I use a Logitech model mounted on the ceiling.
Since your computer is a laptop, it would probably be more difficult to install a good sound card, so if you went with a non-USB mic, you'd need one of pretty good quality. Look for a shotgun model, or something else non-directional.
My new site has a section about choosing VR mics, located here: Voice Recognition Gadgetry. You might find that useful in choosing a particular model.
As for the laptop closing issue, try looking in your laptop's power settings. Some give you the option to disable certain features when the screen is closed. Try poking around in Control Panel (classic view).
Tom
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Do It Yourself Home Automation--My Home Automation site
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Topic: Microphones and VR
