52 ms·

Higher quality audio makes people sound smarter

920 points by tdmckinlay 6y ago

dvnguyen 6y ago
Folks using usb mics: how do you solve the keyboard noise problem? I use a mechanical keyboard and it’s super noisy.
- sebdufbeau 6y ago
  A software solution like Krisp is an easy solution that goes a very long way.
- delgaudm 6y ago
  If its a cardioid pattern mic (it probably is), they are less sensitive from the back -- so if you can have the back of the mic point at the keyboard, that would help. If you don't mind that I self post to a youtube video, but this segment shows how the pattern and placement of the mic can reduce pc fan and keyboard noise. https://youtu.be/7WyNIQlOFIA?t=858 https://youtu.be/7WyNIQlOFIA?t=858
- tyingq 6y ago
  Some virtual camera software comes with audio noise reduction. I use SplitCam on Windows. It doesn't eliminate keyboard noise entirely, but it does help. And it has the advantage of working on Teams, Zoom, etc, so that I have one place to set it.
- ghaff 6y ago
  I type on a different computer. I use a desktop system for video conferencing (which has a mechanical keyboard) and do any typing, e.g. for note taking, on a separate laptop.
- pa9am 6y ago
  Get the mic close to your mouth and turn down the gain. This will also increase the quality
- andrewzah 6y ago
  As others have mentioned, keeping the mic closer to you and turning down the gain helps. You can also run the mic through a signal chain and use a noise gate. So audio only gets sent when it reaches a certain threshold. On linux you can do this with pulseeffects if you're using pulseaudio. The other hack is just mute yourself. I use a shortcut to do that when I'm typing and not actually talking.
- ZoomZoomZoom 6y ago
  First of all, there's nothing special about USB mics in terms of picking up ambient noise. Two main types of mics are dynamic and condensers, and there are models with USB-connectivity of both those types. Secondly, hearing typing when someone types is ok, so please don't treat it as a problem in itself. Obnoxious noise level is a problem, which can be solved by increasing SNR: bringing the mic closer to the sound source, swapping a mic for another transducer type or another polar pattern, putting some kind of dampening on the line of sight between the mic and the noise source. I've written a guide for voice recording which covers most of the basics. Hope you'll find it helpful: https://indiscipline.github.io/post/voice-sound-reference/ https://indiscipline.github.io/post/voice-sound-reference/
- chromaton 6y ago
  Headworn dynamic mic.
- gxqoz 6y ago
  I have enough space on my desk to be able to fit a second wireless keyboard when I need to type and talk at the same time during meetings. This keyboard is much quieter than my mechanical keyboard. One thing I need to get around to doing is to configure somewhat to let me mute with a keyboard shortcut when Zoom/Teams/etc. is not the active window. Why there isn't a built-in universal shortcut is very confusing to me.
diarrhea 6y ago
People vastly undervalue good audio quality. It also often makes the difference (given equal visuals) between great amateur and pro in e.g. the YouTube scene. I didn't have data to back this up before, but I bought a good microphone specifically for this purpose. People will simply like the audio, and by extension what I am saying and also me as a person, better. Meanwhile, my ears will continue to bleed from the awful audio people broadcast into this world. I wonder, most people must notice how terrible everyone in e.g. video conferences sounds; why don't they make the connection that they themselves have it in their hand to improve the situation? Maybe it's like wearing masks.
- ghaff 6y ago
  I think a lot of people get wrapped around the axle of having the "right" $500 microphone whereas there are a ton of decent USB mics under $100 that will make a big difference. Also consider a good external webcam and doing something about lighting if you can. I realize that not everyone has a great physical environment to work with. But I'm struck by how many people who seemingly haven't made any real effort after a year+.
  - shoto_io 6y ago
    I have noticed with colleagues the insane improvements in video and audio after their amazon shopping sprees. At the same I haven’t updated my camera because I don’t have a nice room to work from and I feel a bit ashamed to show my tiny box with a high resolution... sounds weird, I know, but that’s how I feel
    - ghaff 6y ago
      There are things you can do with hangings and screens and so forth if you want to. I do have an office but my background includes some ugly file cabinets so I got a fabric print to hang over them. You can also do virtual backgrounds with a lot of software if you rig up a green screen. (That's not absolutely necessary but it tends to look bad otherwise.)
      - 6y ago
thesumofall 6y ago
I guess, as unfortunate as this is, this comes as no surprise. Related, I witnessed a lot of very smart people struggle with the basics of conducting a video conference (sharing documents, inviting, …) It is absolutely avoidable and hence automatically raises questions on the professionalism and preparedness of the person. Honest mistakes happen and might even make a person more relatable - but this is a different story
greenwich26 6y ago
The audio quality of the inbuilt microphone on my laptop is much worse in Linux, than on Windows. I've tried some fixes on StackExchange but it doesn't really help. Has anyone encountered this? And if I buy an external microphone: how do I know it won't have the same problem? Has anyone had good experiences with microphones on Linux (specifically Ubuntu 20.10?) Is it some sort of driver/firmware problem? Nowadays I have to switch to Windows (dual boot) when I have an important presentation or call, which is really annoying. But I've literally had people spontaneously tell me my audio is crap (on Linux) or great (on Windows).
- hanikesn 6y ago
  I can recommend USB speaker phones/headsets like the Jabra Speak series. Anker recently released their own series as well and there's also beyerdynamic phonum. The big benefit is that noise cancellation is builtin and USB sound is sufficiently standardized that there shouldn't be any issues. Though I went to the trouble recently to configure builtin pulseaudio noise cancellation and got quite good results as well.
- ryankrage77 6y ago
  Likely just a driver issue. I actually had the opposite situation with Ubuntu 20.04 on my desktop, got a lot less noise from my mic port under Ubuntu for some reason.
  - hutzlibu 6y ago
    "just a driver issue" Oh. Just a driver issue on Linux. Well then, problem solved.
    - gkbrk 6y ago
      "Just a driver issue", unless it's a temporary regression in the Linux drivers, basically means the hardware manufacturer didn't use standard interfaces or write a good-enough spec for interoperability. Solutions are calling your manufacturer and filing a support request, or voting with your wallet and picking another manufacturer next time.
stephvd 6y ago
What are some decently good mics that don't break the bank but do the work?
- gkbrk 6y ago
  Heard good things about the Behringer C-1U.
  - pachydermballet 6y ago
    My daughter uses one for recording songs; very clear, and was (IME) slightly simpler to set up under Linux than Windows as the latter took some fiddling to sort out low gain on that platform.
    - stephvd 6y ago
      thank you!
- m12k 6y ago
  Snowball or Yeti consistently get good reviews.
  - imeron 6y ago
    Yeti picks up too much background noise.
- ahelwer 6y ago
  I have a Samson Q2U and have had a few people tell me I sound like a podcaster.
  - Someone1234 6y ago
    I, too, have the Q2U. The great thing about the setup, aside from the microphone being solid, is that it gives you an upgrade path but works right out of the box fully (mic, stand, pop-filter, USB or XLR). Phase 1: Plug it in via USB, use the included stand. GO! Phase 2: Upgrade the stand to a desk-isolating one (e.g. arm/freestanding, etc). Phase 3: Upgrade to XLR instead of USB (e.g. buy an audio interface/mixer). Phase 4: Upgrade the microphone at some point. You can literally buy it and stop at Phase 1 forever, but if you wish you can use it as a jumping off point to a higher end setup and won't have to buy it all at once (easily $300 or more total, for arm/audio interface/pro grade microphone).
andy_ppp 6y ago
It would be interesting to hear how bad the audio actually was...
- tdmckinlay 6y ago
  Here's how they describe it in the paper: First experiment (science conference talks from YouTube): "We selected two conference talks (in physics and engineering) from YouTube and altered their acoustic features using iMovie software. The good audio quality version of each talk was created with an audio filter called “small room,” which reduces the echo and increases the clarity of the speaker; the poor audio quality version was created with an audio filter called “Large Room,” which does the opposite, increasing the echo and decreasing the clarity of the speaker." The second experiment (NPR interviews) was again using iMovie and they describe it like this: "The good audio quality version of each talk was created with no audio filters so that participants heard the interview as it was originally recorded. The poor audio quality version was created with audio filters that made it sound as if the researcher had called in on a bad phone line."
  - tgv 6y ago
    I must say I'm not convinced that those approaches are valid. "Large Room" introduces a lot of reverb and that can make people stop listening, instead of changing their perception of the speaker. Of course that still means bad audio may influence the effect of your presentation, but not in the way suggested in the linked article.
    - andrewzah 6y ago
      "and that can make people stop listening" That's what bad audio does. Echo is one part of that, but audio that cuts out or has crackles has a similar effect. I disagree that the approaches are invalid. Bad audio is bad audio, and it shows that people's perceptions do change when audio is good and clear.
jarenmf 6y ago
I'm struggling with audio quality over zoom on Linux. Anyone could recommend a good microphone that sounds reasonably fine. Preferable something below 100$.
- ruph123 6y ago
  I bought the fifine condenser microphone and it is really nice. I use it on Linux and it only costs about 30 bucks, depending on which version. I got the slightly more expensive version for 40 dollars which has a detachable cable and a backchannel for headphones (so you hear directly what comes from the mic). The benefit: Linux uses the mic as a audio interface and also gives you sound through the port of the mic: https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-FIFINE-Computers-Podcasting-K670/dp/B079HRFH2Y/ https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-FIFINE-Computers-Podcastin...
- adrianolek 6y ago
  I'm really happy with Fifine K678. Plus it has a headphones ouput & a mute button. https://fifinemicrophone.com/collections/microphones/products/fifine-usb-microphone-k678 https://fifinemicrophone.com/collections/microphones/product...
ruph123 6y ago
A cheap and usable condenser mic costs 30 bucks (e.g. Fifine), a lavalier mic costs between 2 bucks on aliexpress and 50 for e.g. from Rode. (I found that the ultra cheap aliexpress are the exact same like the no-brand 10 bucks on amazon, like so many things) I got both but mostly use the condenser mic and it is an absolute game changer. If you want to explain something it is so noticeable in the eyes of your conference participants how good they can hear you. And it makes a huge difference if you finally feel like what you are saying is not painful for others to endure. Check out this very lovely video series on how to pimp up your conferencing setup. Especially this episode about mics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOx4hZKmOs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOx4hZKmOs Edit: And this is the mic I can recommend using on Linux: https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-FIFINE-Computers-Podcasting-K670/dp/B079HRFH2Y https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-FIFINE-Computers-Podcastin...
- arbitrage 6y ago
  Pimps aren't admirable people.
  - ruph123 6y ago
    I am not a native english speaker, to me "pimp up" means to "upgrade" something. Sorry if that came off wrong.
    - acqq 6y ago
      I even know where your environment got that belief. Blame MTV, since 2004: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimp_My_Ride https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimp_My_Ride A lot of non-natives then miss that the meaning of the word is not about an "upgrade" but about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procuring_(prostitution) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procuring_(prostitution) which was on MTV glorified as the part of the "Afro-American" "pop culture" which is also... not a really nicest approach. But... it was supposed to be a "fashion." And relativised as "the thing of certain culture." Postmodernism and all that. And therefore.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_gustibus_non_est_disputandum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_gustibus_non_est_disputandu... ...and "acceptable" for MTV. Edit: also, 2008: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/msnbc-reporter-begrudging_n_85706 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/msnbc-reporter-begrudging_n_8...
benkuhn 6y ago
It's also really easy to have high quality audio! The author recommends a "podcasting" microphone, but a $35 standalone headset mic[1] is almost as good and much easier to use. If you want to hear a comparison, I got kind of obsessed with this problem at one point and took some comparison recordings here[2]. (You need a standalone mic since most headsets, even really nice ones, have really bad mics because most headset buyers don't care about or even know how good their mic sounds. The one I linked is wired because wireless is evil[3] and in particular, Bluetooth will silently degrade your audio quality. If you want a pair of wired headphones, I like these[4] which are "open back" and therefore sound more natural + cool your ears better, although the open back also means they "leak" sound and are only suitable for working without people next to you. But you shouldn't be having calls with people next to you anyway!) [1]: https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Comm... [2]: https://www.benkuhn.net/vc/#get-a-better-microphone https://www.benkuhn.net/vc/#get-a-better-microphone [3]: https://www.benkuhn.net/wireless/ https://www.benkuhn.net/wireless/ [4]: https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-H...
- ballenf 6y ago
  Physical mute button with red LED mute status is a killer feature. Got a wired Plantronics headset with USB-C that I'm happy with. Not sure if the above products have this feature, but I recommend checking for it.
  - GuB-42 6y ago
    The best system for me is the one on the Sennheisser Game One I have and probably many others. There is a microswitch in the mic boom, so that it is disconnected when you lift it away. I mean, you can't get more simple: when it is in front of your mouth, it is on, when it isn't, it is off. No need for a LED. Also, the headset is passive, with a good old jack connector, I consider it a plus.
    - gkop 6y ago
GuB-42 6y ago
It doesn't surprise me the least. The media industry is extremely careful about that. And when sometimes, successful streamers/youtubers/... talk about their setup, it is clear that audio is given a lot of attention. But I'm sure the simplest thing you can do before getting better equipment, soundproofing, acoustics and hiring a sound engineer is simply to get louder. Just up the volume, and if you are feeling fancy, use a compressor. It is well known that louder sounds higher quality, and for ABX tests, great care is taken so that the levels are equal since the bias appears even when the difference is minor. Extreme compression is also the secret behind the booming voice of radio presenter, and that effect also started what is known as the loudness war.
montroser 6y ago
This is fascinating! Makes me wonder about whether machine learning audio filters like Krisp[1] could actually take high quality audio and enhance it further to make you sound _even smarter_? Like as if you had the infamous NPR mic setup... This phenomenon does kind of seem obvious in retrospect. I was at a Socialhour[2] event recently where they had a few presentations happening simultaneously and you could bounce between them, or just move from table to table in a newnetworking lounge -- and thinking back, the presenters with the biggest audiences did sound like they had superior audio. [1]: https://krisp.ai https://krisp.ai [2]: https://socialhour.com https://socialhour.com
- lr4444lr 6y ago
  I literally searched NPR on this page and came across your comment. I have had a sneaking suspicion I cannot shake since once about 5 years ago I was listening to an interview with a pop musician on my local NPR affiliate that I may have been wrongly biasing my sense that their guests were smarter as compared to talk show guests on more right leaning radio stations on the AM dial. Not even as a matter of their political beliefs; just when it's subject matter experts or non-political celebrities. They always sound more intellectually deep or thoughtful on NPR than on those AM stations. Wonder if it's this effect...
- eliseumds 6y ago
  I use Krisp on a daily basis from Brazil (a very noise country, terrible build quality) and it works incredibly well, better than most hardware-based solutions I've tried.
paulpauper 6y ago
why are so many people so cost conscious about mics and other consumer goods but have no hesitation about putting tons of money in the stock market , which sometimes drops 30% or more, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars or more of losses. Psychologically, it seems people are much more unnerved about overpaying $100 on a mic or laptop, versus potentially much larger losses on investments such as stocks or real estate.
- wombatmobile 6y ago
  Good question, although the stock market is something else again. Possibly your question/comment would resonate more with people if you compared the spend on a microphone with the spend on a suit, or a pair of shoes. It's easy to see the value of quality there, for appearance, comfort and health. In the case of a microphone, the purpose is to communicate your thoughts, and to make a good impression, so the investment keeps working and giving you a return on investment for longer than the first few moments. And a good mic will last longer than an article of clothing. A good mic is a great investment.
- loa_in_ 6y ago
  That's because we're still animals, not some abstract economical agents.
- BostonEnginerd 6y ago
  Long term the market has always come back up. A laptop only depreciates.
- viraptor 6y ago
  That seems like a weird generalisation since there's many more people buying laptops than stock and there's only a few specific groups that overlap. Do you have some real data here, or just subjective feeling?
- ghaff 6y ago
  Well, it's consumption vs. investment. With investments, people do get unnerved when there are big drops, but you (should) diversify, accept that you win some and lose some, but hopefully come out with decent gains over the long term. If you have a heart attack every time the market drops a few percent you're going to make yourself crazy. That said, I think everyone pinches pennies on some things and thinks nothing of spending money on other things in ways that often aren't rational.
cblconfederate 6y ago
If you have a vocal fry or another annoying voice, the clarity is to your detriment, i 'll turn you off immediately!
vanderZwan 6y ago
My partner thought I was being a bit excessive when I bought a high-quality external webcam last year when she was applying for work, but I'm pretty sure it helped her during job interviews. Or maybe it would be better to say prevented her laptop's webcam+mic from getting in the way of presenting herself.
- ghaff 6y ago
  I was fortunate that, at the beginning of the pandemic when such things were essentially unavailable, to have a high-end external Logitech webcam. I had bought it a few years earlier for a project that ended up not panning out. I subsequently set up my DSLR as a webcam but, while it worked, it's more trouble than it's worth for most purposes. (I do use it for video sometimes but the webcam is just more foolproof for day-to-day conferencing use.)
- splintercell 6y ago
  Which can did you buy?
  - ghaff 6y ago
    Not the OP but I have an older model of the Logitech 920 and it works well for me. (I don't use its microphone though; I have a desktop one for that.)
  - vanderZwan 6y ago
    I would also have gone for one of the Logitech C920 variations, like the other commenter, but at the time those were sold out due to the pandemic (also mirroring their remark of being lucky to already own one). So I ended up getting a Logitech Streamcam - which as far as I can tell just adds a hundred dollars to the price because it has a nicer looking design and can handle 60fps. ... now that I'm typing it out I guess she might have meant that deciding to go for a more expensive camera was unnecessary.
ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
I just use a pair of Bose QuietComfort III headphones. The audio from the built-in mic is very good. Zero background noise. I suspect a really good condenser mic, with a filter, would be better, but these headphones work great. I have noticed that people that use earbuds (in particular, Apple AirPods Pro), seem to also supply a lot of background noise. That does not happen with my headset.
- cbreuel 6y ago
  If you're using them with Bluetooth, you're not only sounding worse than you could but also the audio that you get is much worse, because Bluetooth audio in bidirectional more is very low quality. I also use a QC3, but I bought a good desk USB mic and use the headphones just for output. I can hear people much better and vice-versa, and I'm even less tired throughout the day.
  - mciancia 6y ago
    Tbh it's kind of strange that it's 2021 and we still can't have good quality bidirectional audio over bluetooth. WHY?
    - ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
      Mostly because of the need to keep BT a low-energy medium. Bluetooth was designed for embedded devices that need to conserve power. That said, I know that there's active work going on, to improve this exact thing. Might be a while before we see video over BT, though.
      - hiq 6y ago
        > Might be a while before we see video over BT, though. In which case would that be useful? There seems to be a range of broadcasting features, but if I'm not mistaken they mostly use WiFi.
        6y ago
Roritharr 6y ago
I've recently bought a Samson Meteor. Is it considered HQ already?
- AhtiK 6y ago
  Yes, if you don't type frantically at the same time on your mechanical keyboard and keep it at the right distance by stacking ~20 cm worth of books :) In all seriousness I had it, the sound is good but had the physical usability issues. Had two, the USB port seemed to die after ~1-2 years of active use but that's the lifespan of these devices anyway.
pbw 6y ago
One thing I find really awkward with podcasts is if the guest has better audio quality than the host. It skews my mental model of who is "calling in" and it makes the host feel much less authoritative.
wombatmobile 6y ago
Audio carries 80% of the intellectual content on television. That's why when the news does a live cross and the sound doesn't work, they go back to the studio until the technical problem is resolved, even though the vision is faultless.
- darkerside 6y ago
  Does the opposite hold true? Do newscasts that carry audio but have lost video tend to continue? Just realizing I've never really seen that that I can think of.
  - the-dude 6y ago
    Reporters calling in on a phone when the regular connection could not be set up? I have seen those.
  - dijit 6y ago
    Yes, it does, usually they show B-roll or a static image with the audio.
  - globular-toast 6y ago
    Not sure about an unintentional loss of picture, but it's fairly normal to have an audio-only feed when video isn't available.
  - Macha 6y ago
    Yes, all the time. You get a static picture of the reporter, or shots of the presenter or studio, or b-roll, or an animation of a waveform.
fooblat 6y ago
It is amazing to me that we still have such a distance between people on this. Some people have basically created a tv studio at home with a nice set, good lighting, nice background, quality camera, and mic. Having a video call with these people is a nice and smooth. And somehow we still have people that think sitting in a noisy, messy room with the sun at their back and using their laptop's built-in mic/speakers is fine. Calls with these people are torture!
- ghaff 6y ago
  On the one hand, I'm sympathetic that not everyone has a place to create a TV studio at home. On the other hand, there are easy ways to block out the light from a backlighting window and to add a key light.
  - Aerroon 6y ago
    Perhaps those people don't want to use a camera in the first place? It seems like camera usage isn't always optional. It wouldn't make sense for a person like that to put in effort to make it look nicer.
  - bytematic 6y ago
    You don't need space, you can get cheap stands to put a keylight and mic above your monitor attached to a desk, wall, or with a stand. A simple hd logitech webcam can be attached to nearly any monitor.
    - ghaff 6y ago
      You do generally need space to get your background in order though. And if you're working from a kitchen table you may not have a permanent setup. I agree with the basic point that there is low-hanging fruit that many people can address for not much time and money.
  - gwbas1c 6y ago
    > On the other hand, there are easy ways to block out the light from a backlighting window and to add a key light. It's a case of empathy. Do you have enough empathy to check how your video looks and do simple changes?
AdamCraven 6y ago
If you’re on Mac a fairly cheap way (around $300/£250) to get a great sounding voice is to buy an ok microphone and Logic Pro. This will sound better than buying a microphone of the same price. In Logic add an equaliser to counteract microphone and room deficiencies. Then finish off with a compressor to add extra “warmth” Once done, output logic audio to a virtual sound card (eg sound flower) and use that as an input for your audio conferencing. Great audio, for not too much money.
- pta2002 6y ago
  For that you can probably just use Garage Band, which is effectively just Logic with less features, and free.
- happyhardcore 6y ago
  Reaper [1] is a good alternative to Logic that's platform agnostic (Windows / Mac / Linux) and is cheaper at 60 USD (plus the software doesn't enforce any restrictions at the end of the free trial, but you should still buy the thing if you can afford it!) [1] http://reaper.fm/ http://reaper.fm/
  - viraptor 6y ago
    Or https://ardour.org/ https://ardour.org/ for free - but that's trading money for sanity of the UX.
- Mauricebranagh 6y ago
  I have been playing around with this using Ableton live - windows really needs a native way of doing this like sound flower. I experimented using a second sound card and routing the out of my main to that - but I had ground loops. I wanted this for TTRPG streaming so I could treat my voice to fit with the character better.
  - tnzm 6y ago
    >windows really needs a native way of doing this like sound flower. https://vb-audio.com/Cable/ https://vb-audio.com/Cable/ might interest you.
Aissen 6y ago
I wish we could be freed from the horrendous bluetooth HSP audio designed during the last millenium. The A2DP codec wars and lack of bi-directionnal implementations in the wild do not make me optimistic.
stunt 6y ago
It really bothers me that I can't lock mic gain on macOS. You can adjust it, but then it will self adjust itself automatically. Somehow some background noises in my room trigger it to increase the mic sensitive to 100% after a few minutes. It's much worse with iPhone EarPods.
- jimsmart 6y ago
  I'm pretty sure that macOS doesn't do this by default at all, based upon over a decade of experience. This StackOverflow seems to agree — but it also offers suggestions to help find the actual culprit (a lot of third-party software seems to auto-level the mic volume), and also offers a further suggestion of configuring an Aggregate Audio Device (using the default Audio MIDI Setup app) which doesn't have a mic-level control that apps can mess with. Perhaps one of the solutions discussed here might help you. https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/97810/mac-osx-microphone-input-volume-level-auto-adjusts-can-it-be-disabled https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/97810/mac-osx-micr...
  - stunt 5y ago
    You were right. I tested it and it turns out that Microsoft Teams is doing that.
    - jimsmart 5y ago
      Glad to hear you managed to find the culprit!
tmaly 6y ago
I have been using a Blue Yeti usb condenser mic for all my team calls. I paired it with a nice set of computer speakers. It does make a difference.
jmkr 6y ago
I picked up a GLS es58 on Amazon a while back because I got an audio interface and figured might as well get a mic. Chose it because it's a shure 58 clone. It's made quite a difference and importantly it makes you feel better to use. I've been convincing my friends to pick up dynamic mics to lower their surrounding noise and sound clearer. There's an Audio Technica that's usb/xlr. So you can start with usb and upgrade to xlr when you get a preamp.
8bitsrule 6y ago
Somebody tell this to "smart" TV makers.
teekert 6y ago
I would add that an up-nose-webcam and showing-more-neck-than-you-have-in-reality also don't help. Still waiting for someone to prove that as nicely as this as well ;)
qwertox 6y ago
In the Linux Unplugged podcast (Episode 401 "Own Your Mailbox") they said that PipeWire now allows you to use your smartphone as a Bluetooth microphone (A2DP, first 30 seconds of the episode). https://linuxunplugged.com/401 https://linuxunplugged.com/401 https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/pipewire/-/releases/0.3.25 https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/pipewire/-/releases/... ("Make it possible to use an A2DP source as an input device. You can then use your phone as an A2DP microphone, for example.")
- scaladev 6y ago
  This thing has been working fine for many years https://wolicheng.com/womic/wo_mic_linux.html https://wolicheng.com/womic/wo_mic_linux.html although it is proprietary.
vonwoodson 6y ago
file sizes intensify
MrBuddyCasino 6y ago
check out what interests the HN crowd placed first: "$X makes you sound smarter" closes tab
unethical_ban 6y ago
Radio hosts vs. the wacky people that call in. Being on a phone in 2021 on a radio program just sounds subpar. Like what other people have said, if you're having issues, get a decent wired microphone (with a cardioid pattern if available), and possibly some good noise cancelling software like Krisp, nvidia RTX, etc. And totally optional, but VoiceMeeter on Windows can be a kind of equalizer for an input which can give a bit more clarity and bass if desired.
zeptonaut22 6y ago
While condenser microphones with a boom arm are nice for a home office, they're not portable enough for a setup that will work after returning to a hybrid office/WFH life. Ideally, that portable setup would have no boom arm, no pop screen, no huge microphone. The best candidate I've found so far is the Audio Technica ATH-G1 Gaming headset (reviewed by the excellent Podcastage here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMgyh7Ne5ng https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMgyh7Ne5ng). In my opinion, the sound quality isn't quite comparable to high quality condenser microphones like the Blue Yeti (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2BNAF3u5lc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2BNAF3u5lc) or dynamic microphones like the Samson Q2U (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjCJbhjFYiA&t=6s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjCJbhjFYiA&t=6s), but it's 90% of the way there and significantly more portable.
- tauntz 6y ago
  I can recommend the Samson Go Mic if you want something portable but decent audio quality (http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/microphones/usb-microphones/gomic/ http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/microphones/usb-mi...)
  - randomopining 6y ago
    Nice thanks. Howdoes it compare to Blue Yeti etc?
wombatmobile 6y ago
Why you don't like the sound of your own voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtOc4Bdmog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtOc4Bdmog
auiya 6y ago
Sure nice gear helps immensely, but also remember to high-pass filter your vocals, and test for harsh frequencies using subtractive EQ. A slight dip in the 300-600Hz range helps eliminate hollow, boxy sounds, and a top end shelf will help consonants sound more clear. Some people will also low-pass filter the extreme top ends, but it's not always needed. Using a good compressor in your vocal chain will help immensely also to keep spikes and transients more level and not hurt your audience's ears.
Hitton 6y ago
The paper doesn't say that higher audio makes people sound smarter. It basically says that it high fidelity audio makes smart people sound smarter than they do with low fidelity audio. It's quite possible that it just allows people digest content better or perceive more subtle nuances and that high fidelity audio would make dumb people sound dumber than low fidelity audio.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
jakebasile 6y ago
I have no evidence to back this up, but I strongly believe that video quality would have similar effects. I am a hobbyist photographer and began using my gear to improve my video quality on calls 6-8 months ago and people have continually commented on it, from executives to regular schmucks like me. We're a visual species and having a better view of the person you are talking with will help form connections. It doesn't take a lot, but it will take a bit more cash outlay than improving your audio. You can get a cheap camera capture card for ~$15, a tripod for ~$50, a quality camera that supports running indefinitely on power with clean HDMI out (I use a Nikon Z5), and of course a compatible lens (I use a Nikon 50mm/f1.8 Z). The camera and lens you use will vary considerably in cost and quality, so you'll need to do some research to see if it will work for this. The result is amazingly clear video.
- umeshunni 6y ago
  But for video quality, it goes beyond the camera but also lighting, having a clean background and so on.
- etblg 6y ago
  Even just better lighting alone is a big step up. I started using this cheap desk-mounted mini ring light (with a slightly warm light) for calls, lighting the shade side of my face, and it makes your video look a lot more professional and flattering.
- s_dev 6y ago
  >I have no evidence to back this up, but I strongly believe that video quality would have similar effects Any dating website will have this as basic advice. Thats evidence enough for me. Higher quality images are associate with better looking people -- however this is counter intutive, you would think that a lower quality image would leave more to the imagination.
  - Nasrudith 6y ago
    That brings to mind questions about how non-good their appearence would have to be to look worse with rising image quality. I say non-good because one could look hyperboring as opposed to ugly.
lmilcin 6y ago
I think there is a bunch of factors which are used as a proxy for whether a person is or isn't "professional". And being "professional" is itself a proxy for whether somebody is smart and possibly trustworthy. In lack of better information (and even in presence of) our minds use a lot of shortcuts (biases) to guess some important information that you can't get directly. Almost all people will instinctively think about well groomed, well clothed people as more professional and trustworthy. I think the same goes for how we present on a remote call and so I invested a little bit into making my audio/video setup and a more professionally looking office/background. Pretty sure it will pay for itself over time.
Strilanc 6y ago
I looked at the paper's abstract [1], and this is a conclusion made from just two talks/interviews by the authors of the study? Should probably replicate it before telling millions of people to buy hundreds of dollars of audio equipment... I wasn't able to find an open access copy of the study, though I suppose there's always sci-hub. 1: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1075547018759345 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1075547018759345
- gwern 6y ago
  Yes, Sci-Hub works fine here. Since you apparently don't deign to use it, I've mirrored it here: https://www.gwern.net/docs/design/2018-newman.pdf https://www.gwern.net/docs/design/2018-newman.pdf
  - Strilanc 6y ago
    Oh no I love sci-hub but I second-guess linking it. Thanks for the mirror! So, reading the paper proper, I was wrong about it being the authors' talks. They picked existing engineering talks and interviews. It'd be nice to be able to actually see the clips to get a sense of how much they changed the quality. They say they put the clips on youtube for the test but don't take the opportunity to link the clips. In the Science Friday graph all the error bars overlap so meh. For the combined technical talks the error bars don't overlap and they're all in the same direction, which is way more encouraging, though I really wish they'd tried it with a pool of more talks to remove that systemic effect. I also worry about the fact that random mechanical turks may differ from the usual audience for a technical talk in important ways (e.g. not knowing the subject and so having nothing to go on besides audio quality). They say in a note at the end of the paper that they tried filtering by correctly answering a question at the end, and that the effect was still there, but they don't show the data for it or say if it affected the strength. Overall I feel it's a reasonable methodology and certainly suggestive results, if a bit lacking in the exact methodological details and the number of talks they tried it on. And it's not like I have a prior that audio quality doesn't matter...
    - gwern 6y ago
bytematic 6y ago
Rode NT-1 Mic, some interface, some stand. I positioned it coming above my monitor and I never think about it anymore. Too bad my voice sounds terrible, that is harder to fix
chromaton 6y ago
I realized after many Zoom calls that a good presentation in both audio AND video are very important. My choice for audio is a Shure headworn XLR dynamic microphone. These are the type used by professional singers, public speakers, etc. Being headworn means that you don't have to worry about talking directly into the mic; you can move around a bit. This type of mic also has great noise rejection. We use it for livestreaming from our workshop which is VERY noisy, with compressors, waterjet cutters, and other loud machines running. Voice audio is quite clear despite all this. To complement this, I got a Shure XLR to USB adapter. It turns out that the DAC in my Thinkpad is TERRIBLE, so upgrading to a USB adapter was a no brainer. For video, I got an Osbot Tiny, which was great for a while, but seems to be broken now.
- sofal 6y ago
  I'm curious about how portable your setup is. Currently at home I have a giant dynamic mic (EV RE20) on a boom arm, but that's not going to be something I can use at the actual office when I hop into a little enclosed pod for a Zoom meeting or something. Does your setup work for that kind of thing?
  - chromaton 6y ago
    It's not too bad. I'd get a small case for the stuff if I wanted to move it around regularly. It's a little pricy and might be delicate, so I leave it at my desk. Watch today's livestream to hear it in action: https://www.facebook.com/events/303545994740352 https://www.facebook.com/events/303545994740352 In my bag, I keep a USB lavalier mic, which is smaller, but not quite as good quality.
- emilburzo 6y ago
  What do you use for headphones? (I'm assuming the Shure is just a microphone)
  - chromaton 6y ago
    The USB adapter has a headphone jack so I plug my Samsung headphones into that.
nicholasjon 6y ago
The gem of this article is: "Messages that are difficult to process are less compelling." The best thing we can do when communicating is make it easy -- in both message and medium (with apologies to McLuhan) -- for the folks we want to consume it to consume it.
spdustin 6y ago
The Audio-Technica ATR-2100x-USB [0] is probably the best budget mic I’ve ever used. Podcasting, Zoom calls, voiceover work…this mic’ll surpass your expectations. It’s got a great response, great off-axis rejection, and built-in monitoring from an on-mic 1/8” headphone jack. This model has USB-C and mini-XLR outputs, too. For $99, it cannot be beat. [0]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPBFVKK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPBFVKK (not an affiliate link, either. I just love this mic)
geopsist 6y ago
A lot of people are posting links to microphones/headphones/stream-decks/etc... My personal experience from a series of podcasts at home and with 2 kids, a super duper mic would not solve my problem. A lot of the audio issues you see at events and streams like these stem from bg noise, echo, no pop-filter, stream lag. It's usually a case of repair, not replacing equipment. New microphones bring risk potential with excessive gain, headphones can make you too self-conscious or focus on the wrong thing. Like, rather than spending X amount on a new setup, just use some tools/plugins in post - most can be ran through OBS live, despite initially seeming like a post-production technical thing. I lost a lot of time repairing my audio in various tools when software plugin bundles like this - https://accusonus.com/products/audio-repair/era-bundle-standard https://accusonus.com/products/audio-repair/era-bundle-stand... -gave me a way better recording upgrade, as opposed to a new mic.
nickjj 6y ago
If anyone is looking it improve the quality of their audio for home recordings I put up a 10,000 word blog post + 90 minute video (no ads) on this topic recently at: https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/how-to-record-great-sounding-high-quality-audio-at-home https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/how-to-record-great-sounding-... It covers everything from general tips to room layouts to hardware / software suggestions. It really doesn't take a lot to get pretty decent sounding audio. At minimum a $50-70 USB dynamic mic and following the tips will work well enough as a baseline, along with picking up a decent pair of headphones to make sure you can hear yourself properly. This is based on having recorded over 400+ screencast videos and 75+ group podcast episodes over the years.
freedomben 6y ago
Any advice for someone who wants to learn to use audacity or similar to improve the audio of a recording after it's recorded? I use the Levelator with wine but I'd love to learn how to do some of that stuff myself.
gwbas1c 6y ago
One thing I notice is that when I'm hearing "bad" audio, like lower-quality cell phones, is that I have to think a lot more to understand it.
ThomPete 6y ago
not just that it makes video look clearer.
squarefoot 6y ago
Recording gear is not the most important part: a decent mike paired with a good and properly set up preamp/compressor will do. What is extremely important is the ambient noise and reflections that will be picked up by the microphone in a far from ideal environment. In other words, be prepared to spend more in sound proofing than in recording gear.
ZoomZoomZoom 6y ago
As usual, a lot of people here discuss and suggest some microphone models to improve their sound quality, but I think this is not the biggest factor. Specific models are mostly irrelevant as long as the recording conditions and personal preferences are not known. Some people just hate keeping the mic just in front of their faces, but it's often the only reasonable way to achieve tolerable signal-to-noise ratio (in noisy or/and reverberant environments). You need to decide where are you going to use the mic, how are you going to place yourself and the mic in the room, how free in your movements do you need to be while recording, and then choose the type of the mic accordingly. After that, the budget is often the deciding factor so you can seriously narrow down the options. Anyway, I also highly advice using separate vocal/podcasting microphone (the kind you buy at music stores) and the headphones of you choice over headsets or, god forbid, internal laptop mics. Don't know how many times you can link you own article, but it's relevant to the topic and I think it covers most of the information one needs to understand the basic processes and techniques: https://indiscipline.github.io/post/voice-sound-reference/ https://indiscipline.github.io/post/voice-sound-reference/
- rectang 6y ago
  And then there's always some jackass on the call who refuses to use headphones, causing an echo due to the feedback loop between their speakers and their microphone, which makes everybody else sound terrible.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    It really depends on the setup. I've tested by asking people with both computer speakers and wearing headphones and been told they didn't hear any difference.
    - rectang 6y ago
      It doesn't affect your own voice! So asking, "do I sound different now" doesn't tell you anything! Refusing to wear headphones only spoils it for everybody else.
azinman2 6y ago
While the results seem believable, what was the sample size? The p values? None of this is cited either on the blog or the paper abstract, and I don’t have an account to be able to pull up the actual paper.
- gwern 6y ago
  https://www.gwern.net/docs/design/2018-newman.pdf https://www.gwern.net/docs/design/2018-newman.pdf
analog31 6y ago
An often overlooked issue is background noise. As a musician, I'm familiar with microphones, recording, etc. I always give people the following advice: If you can hear it, the microphone can hear it. This includes HVAC noise that is ridiculously hard to get rid of in most office and home locations. If at home, you can always temporarily turn off the HVAC while you record yourself. In fact, I've recorded at a commercial studio where, after getting everything set up and checked out, the final step is they turn off the HVAC.
- robbrown451 6y ago
  "If you can hear it, the microphone can hear it." Not great advice if there is a chance they want you to hear it.
  - analog31 6y ago
    What I mean is if you can hear background noise in your room, it will be audible in your recording.
- kingsuper20 6y ago
  "If you can hear it, the microphone can hear it." As an aside, I can't tell you how many times I've played in venues with mics scattered around and the sound guy will leave them on between sets. Every...single...thing you say if you wander around the stage (or slightly off-) will get booted out to the audience. Hilarity ensues.
- Mashimo 6y ago
  That's why Nvidia Broadcast is such a nice app. I recommended it to a work mate who just got a newborn and more or less only one room. It removes the background from the webcam and all background noises, including other humans, from the audio. It's impressive how good it works. Not perfect. But impressive.
chrshawkes 6y ago
I use a 1200.00 mic setup for my recordings for https://www.codehawke.com/ https://www.codehawke.com/ I can't tell that much of a difference between it and a blue yeti. The yeti, is definitely cheaper.
aendruk 6y ago
If I’m set on wireless is there a better option than low quality Bluetooth? Something proprietary with a dongle?
yosito 6y ago
Interesting that this it the top story on HN the same day that Zoom is promoting "professional" quality audio. And there also seems to be a user in the comments working really hard to promote Zoom. Seems like a marketing campaign to me.
- gxqoz 6y ago
  Link?
gxqoz 6y ago
I attended a conference last August where almost all audio was terrible fidelity. It made the conference like 3x worse than usual. I think one of the main issues here is it's hard for people to realize what they sound like on the other end. I've been playing a lot of online trivia tournaments in the past year. During these tournaments, people read questions aloud. It's really important to be able to hear all words clearly. It's astounding how many people think that they're coming through clearly when using a microphone built into the laptop--even after repeated messaging before the tournament that this audio quality sucks.
bredren 6y ago
This has important implications for TTS.
Blikkentrekker 6y ago
My problem with the data and how it's given is that it's quite useless and the result, while not the null hypothesis, is the expected result. Namely, it can be expected that no man would find a speaker dumber with superior audio, so let us assume that only 1% of the sample found the speaker more intelligent with superior audio, and for 99% it makes no difference, then the “average result” is still that “people” as a collective average find a speaker with better audio more intelligent, even though 99% of people don't. This is my problem with such research. — I am far more interested in the percentage of “people” onto whom this has an effect or how large the effect is in distribution. It goes without saying that this effect exists with some “people”, but I would like to know what percentage. It's entirely possible that the effect only exists with 20% of “people” and 80% are not biased, but the research is incapable of showing this. Such research, which does not, and cannot due to it's methodology make any claim as to the percentage of “people” it applies is often taken to apply to all “people”.
ravenstine 6y ago
Shameless plug; I recently wrote a blog post about suggestions on improving your audio for remote teamwork: https://dockyard.com/blog/2021/02/08/improve-your-audio-to-boost-remote-team-efficiency https://dockyard.com/blog/2021/02/08/improve-your-audio-to-b... Although I do suggest the Shure MV7 mic, which I use, there are example of really cheap ways to immediately improve how you sound over conference calls. Another tip I talk about us using RNNoise, which does an excellent job at cutting out background noise while preserving your voice. It's built in to OBS if you ever want to try it.
chenxiaolong 6y ago
For those who have a Valve Index (and have it plugged into a work computer...), the mic is surprisingly excellent on it. I set it upside-down on my desk and it picks up my voice just fine.
xiii1408 6y ago
I was lucky enough to realize, a month into the pandemic, that I would be having all meetings on Zoom for at least 3-4 months. I did three things, which seemed a little excessive at the time, but turned out to be great investments, since I've been working for home for over a year since then. 1) I bought a reasonably nice Logitech C920 Webcam. At the time, it was a $100 on AliExpress, which seemed like a crazy markup over the MSRP of $70. This turned out to be a great investment, given how much higher the prices went. Most people will probably still be working from home for at least 3-5 months, and you can buy one now for $70! 2) I bought a cheap USB condenser mic with a boom arm. This was a $70 package deal, and from a cheap Chinese brand Fifine, but the audio quality is truly amazing, and having the mic close to your mouth makes a huge difference. Probably my best investment. Seriously. Go buy a podcast mic and a boom arm. Now. If you want something more portable, the same company also makes very decent lavalier mics (lapel mics) for ~$20. Those are more omnidirectional, so they pick up more background noise than condenser mics, but they are imminently more portable. 3) I wired my bedroom with Ethernet. This was a bit of a hassle, since I had to run the cable down the side of the house and then underneath, and it also required crimping my own cables. However, it was totally worth it, since I knew connection issues were never my problem. I don't understand how other people suffer through constant drops over WiFi. I guess they're just accustomed to dealing with it, and don't think of switching to Ethernet as an option.
- angrais 5y ago
  @xiii1408 - just to add to this. I've went and bought the mic that you and others in this thread recommended. I've used it for a few hours now and compared it with BoseQ35 mic and of course it's amazing. For anyone else reading: do it. Buy it. You'll sound more real on teleconference calls and. As for (1), I'm not bothered about video too much so use 720p webcam. Either way, thanks again!
vikiomega9 6y ago
Is there a name for this effect? It sounds similar to what women experience when they don't wear makeup for example (makes them come across as less competent).
beiller 6y ago
I got a nice microphone but it's not directional and it picks up way too much ambient noise. Also I think it might echo (MacBook pro) so I just switched back to the internal microphone cause it seems to noise cancel correctly. Does anyone know a solution for that? I use MBP speakers for output.
asimpletune 6y ago
I’m just going to add that people should check out apogee if they want best of the best for mics and the like (converters, preamps, etc...)
pbreit 6y ago
How about speaking faster (or slower)?
messo 6y ago
Anyone here that have experience with the Sennheiser PC 5 heaphones with a mic? Would appreciate your comments!
trhway 6y ago
with Zoom/etc. one can also add voice cleaner/improver similar to that software that makes a pop-star singer out of a nobody. Instead of bubbling you will be delivering into the ears of your team like the Voice was delivering the Commandments to Moses.
tedk-42 6y ago
I'm surprised at the tune of HN about advocating towards higher quality audio input tech. If anything, we should be actively fighting this trend and instead focus on training ourselves to listen carefully rather than relying on 'good audio' to hear a message.
- pkroll 6y ago
  You're talking about a training effort of unknown structure and length, for millions of people, who are already mostly confident they're "listening carefully." Better quality audio tech, is much cheaper and easier.
wuwuno 6y ago
$18 WI-C310 Sony Bluetooth earbuds and $49 Movo vxr10-pro shotgun microphone. The earbuds are hardly noticeable, and the shotgun microphone can be kept off camera with outstanding audio and no concern of feedback.
neya 6y ago
Author nowhere mentions about the bitrate or what constitutes as "high quality" and what constitutes as "low quality". Would be helpful to have this info.
gregoriol 6y ago
What kind of "automated" test could check one's audio quality? Is there some website or tool that can give a score of how you sound?
tomcam 6y ago
I’m gonna need a bigger bitrate
slver 6y ago
It's a simple correlation. Our brain does this all the time. And not always in sense of "better quality" -> "smarter". For example, we're so used to cheap TV content, that when a movie is played at higher TV framerate, it looks "cheap" to us. I've heard a few attempts to explain this as "in higher framerate you can see the sets are fake", but that makes no sense, especially if the set is not moving.
ashleigheharris 6y ago
This blog post has a bunch of headset and mic recommendations across a variety of price points: https://www.highfidelity.com/blog/the-best-headphones-headsets-and-microphones-for-developers https://www.highfidelity.com/blog/the-best-headphones-headse...
gkanai 5y ago
[Lady] "Gaga singing into the wrong side of a $20k microphone live on 3 networks is the single greatest example of the importance of audio engineers there may ever be." https://www.instagram.com/p/B_JHzRsFnIA/?igshid=12n08cbb2bqo4 https://www.instagram.com/p/B_JHzRsFnIA/?igshid=12n08cbb2bqo...
rsanek 5y ago
I often wonder how explanatory these studies based on Mechanical Turk workers really are.

920 points by tdmckinlay 6y ago

dvnguyen 6y ago

Folks using usb mics: how do you solve the keyboard noise problem? I use a mechanical keyboard and it’s super noisy.

sebdufbeau 6y ago
A software solution like Krisp is an easy solution that goes a very long way.
delgaudm 6y ago
If its a cardioid pattern mic (it probably is), they are less sensitive from the back -- so if you can have the back of the mic point at the keyboard, that would help. If you don't mind that I self post to a youtube video, but this segment shows how the pattern and placement of the mic can reduce pc fan and keyboard noise. https://youtu.be/7WyNIQlOFIA?t=858 https://youtu.be/7WyNIQlOFIA?t=858
tyingq 6y ago
Some virtual camera software comes with audio noise reduction. I use SplitCam on Windows. It doesn't eliminate keyboard noise entirely, but it does help. And it has the advantage of working on Teams, Zoom, etc, so that I have one place to set it.
ghaff 6y ago
I type on a different computer. I use a desktop system for video conferencing (which has a mechanical keyboard) and do any typing, e.g. for note taking, on a separate laptop.
pa9am 6y ago
Get the mic close to your mouth and turn down the gain. This will also increase the quality
andrewzah 6y ago
As others have mentioned, keeping the mic closer to you and turning down the gain helps. You can also run the mic through a signal chain and use a noise gate. So audio only gets sent when it reaches a certain threshold. On linux you can do this with pulseeffects if you're using pulseaudio. The other hack is just mute yourself. I use a shortcut to do that when I'm typing and not actually talking.
ZoomZoomZoom 6y ago
First of all, there's nothing special about USB mics in terms of picking up ambient noise. Two main types of mics are dynamic and condensers, and there are models with USB-connectivity of both those types. Secondly, hearing typing when someone types is ok, so please don't treat it as a problem in itself. Obnoxious noise level is a problem, which can be solved by increasing SNR: bringing the mic closer to the sound source, swapping a mic for another transducer type or another polar pattern, putting some kind of dampening on the line of sight between the mic and the noise source. I've written a guide for voice recording which covers most of the basics. Hope you'll find it helpful: https://indiscipline.github.io/post/voice-sound-reference/ https://indiscipline.github.io/post/voice-sound-reference/
chromaton 6y ago
Headworn dynamic mic.
gxqoz 6y ago
I have enough space on my desk to be able to fit a second wireless keyboard when I need to type and talk at the same time during meetings. This keyboard is much quieter than my mechanical keyboard. One thing I need to get around to doing is to configure somewhat to let me mute with a keyboard shortcut when Zoom/Teams/etc. is not the active window. Why there isn't a built-in universal shortcut is very confusing to me.

diarrhea 6y ago

People vastly undervalue good audio quality. It also often makes the difference (given equal visuals) between great amateur and pro in e.g. the YouTube scene. I didn't have data to back this up before, but I bought a good microphone specifically for this purpose. People will simply like the audio, and by extension what I am saying and also me as a person, better. Meanwhile, my ears will continue to bleed from the awful audio people broadcast into this world. I wonder, most people must notice how terrible everyone in e.g. video conferences sounds; why don't they make the connection that they themselves have it in their hand to improve the situation? Maybe it's like wearing masks.

ghaff 6y ago
I think a lot of people get wrapped around the axle of having the "right" $500 microphone whereas there are a ton of decent USB mics under $100 that will make a big difference. Also consider a good external webcam and doing something about lighting if you can. I realize that not everyone has a great physical environment to work with. But I'm struck by how many people who seemingly haven't made any real effort after a year+.
- shoto_io 6y ago
  I have noticed with colleagues the insane improvements in video and audio after their amazon shopping sprees. At the same I haven’t updated my camera because I don’t have a nice room to work from and I feel a bit ashamed to show my tiny box with a high resolution... sounds weird, I know, but that’s how I feel
  - ghaff 6y ago
    There are things you can do with hangings and screens and so forth if you want to. I do have an office but my background includes some ugly file cabinets so I got a fabric print to hang over them. You can also do virtual backgrounds with a lot of software if you rig up a green screen. (That's not absolutely necessary but it tends to look bad otherwise.)
    - 6y ago

thesumofall 6y ago

I guess, as unfortunate as this is, this comes as no surprise. Related, I witnessed a lot of very smart people struggle with the basics of conducting a video conference (sharing documents, inviting, …) It is absolutely avoidable and hence automatically raises questions on the professionalism and preparedness of the person. Honest mistakes happen and might even make a person more relatable - but this is a different story

greenwich26 6y ago

The audio quality of the inbuilt microphone on my laptop is much worse in Linux, than on Windows. I've tried some fixes on StackExchange but it doesn't really help. Has anyone encountered this? And if I buy an external microphone: how do I know it won't have the same problem? Has anyone had good experiences with microphones on Linux (specifically Ubuntu 20.10?) Is it some sort of driver/firmware problem? Nowadays I have to switch to Windows (dual boot) when I have an important presentation or call, which is really annoying. But I've literally had people spontaneously tell me my audio is crap (on Linux) or great (on Windows).

hanikesn 6y ago
I can recommend USB speaker phones/headsets like the Jabra Speak series. Anker recently released their own series as well and there's also beyerdynamic phonum. The big benefit is that noise cancellation is builtin and USB sound is sufficiently standardized that there shouldn't be any issues. Though I went to the trouble recently to configure builtin pulseaudio noise cancellation and got quite good results as well.
ryankrage77 6y ago
Likely just a driver issue. I actually had the opposite situation with Ubuntu 20.04 on my desktop, got a lot less noise from my mic port under Ubuntu for some reason.
- hutzlibu 6y ago
  "just a driver issue" Oh. Just a driver issue on Linux. Well then, problem solved.
  - gkbrk 6y ago
    "Just a driver issue", unless it's a temporary regression in the Linux drivers, basically means the hardware manufacturer didn't use standard interfaces or write a good-enough spec for interoperability. Solutions are calling your manufacturer and filing a support request, or voting with your wallet and picking another manufacturer next time.

stephvd 6y ago

What are some decently good mics that don't break the bank but do the work?

gkbrk 6y ago
Heard good things about the Behringer C-1U.
- pachydermballet 6y ago
  My daughter uses one for recording songs; very clear, and was (IME) slightly simpler to set up under Linux than Windows as the latter took some fiddling to sort out low gain on that platform.
  - stephvd 6y ago
    thank you!
m12k 6y ago
Snowball or Yeti consistently get good reviews.
- imeron 6y ago
  Yeti picks up too much background noise.
ahelwer 6y ago
I have a Samson Q2U and have had a few people tell me I sound like a podcaster.
- Someone1234 6y ago
  I, too, have the Q2U. The great thing about the setup, aside from the microphone being solid, is that it gives you an upgrade path but works right out of the box fully (mic, stand, pop-filter, USB or XLR). Phase 1: Plug it in via USB, use the included stand. GO! Phase 2: Upgrade the stand to a desk-isolating one (e.g. arm/freestanding, etc). Phase 3: Upgrade to XLR instead of USB (e.g. buy an audio interface/mixer). Phase 4: Upgrade the microphone at some point. You can literally buy it and stop at Phase 1 forever, but if you wish you can use it as a jumping off point to a higher end setup and won't have to buy it all at once (easily $300 or more total, for arm/audio interface/pro grade microphone).

andy_ppp 6y ago

It would be interesting to hear how bad the audio actually was...

tdmckinlay 6y ago
Here's how they describe it in the paper: First experiment (science conference talks from YouTube): "We selected two conference talks (in physics and engineering) from YouTube and altered their acoustic features using iMovie software. The good audio quality version of each talk was created with an audio filter called “small room,” which reduces the echo and increases the clarity of the speaker; the poor audio quality version was created with an audio filter called “Large Room,” which does the opposite, increasing the echo and decreasing the clarity of the speaker." The second experiment (NPR interviews) was again using iMovie and they describe it like this: "The good audio quality version of each talk was created with no audio filters so that participants heard the interview as it was originally recorded. The poor audio quality version was created with audio filters that made it sound as if the researcher had called in on a bad phone line."
- tgv 6y ago
  I must say I'm not convinced that those approaches are valid. "Large Room" introduces a lot of reverb and that can make people stop listening, instead of changing their perception of the speaker. Of course that still means bad audio may influence the effect of your presentation, but not in the way suggested in the linked article.
  - andrewzah 6y ago
    "and that can make people stop listening" That's what bad audio does. Echo is one part of that, but audio that cuts out or has crackles has a similar effect. I disagree that the approaches are invalid. Bad audio is bad audio, and it shows that people's perceptions do change when audio is good and clear.

jarenmf 6y ago

I'm struggling with audio quality over zoom on Linux. Anyone could recommend a good microphone that sounds reasonably fine. Preferable something below 100$.

ruph123 6y ago
I bought the fifine condenser microphone and it is really nice. I use it on Linux and it only costs about 30 bucks, depending on which version. I got the slightly more expensive version for 40 dollars which has a detachable cable and a backchannel for headphones (so you hear directly what comes from the mic). The benefit: Linux uses the mic as a audio interface and also gives you sound through the port of the mic: https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-FIFINE-Computers-Podcasting-K670/dp/B079HRFH2Y/ https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-FIFINE-Computers-Podcastin...
adrianolek 6y ago
I'm really happy with Fifine K678. Plus it has a headphones ouput & a mute button. https://fifinemicrophone.com/collections/microphones/products/fifine-usb-microphone-k678 https://fifinemicrophone.com/collections/microphones/product...

ruph123 6y ago

A cheap and usable condenser mic costs 30 bucks (e.g. Fifine), a lavalier mic costs between 2 bucks on aliexpress and 50 for e.g. from Rode. (I found that the ultra cheap aliexpress are the exact same like the no-brand 10 bucks on amazon, like so many things) I got both but mostly use the condenser mic and it is an absolute game changer. If you want to explain something it is so noticeable in the eyes of your conference participants how good they can hear you. And it makes a huge difference if you finally feel like what you are saying is not painful for others to endure. Check out this very lovely video series on how to pimp up your conferencing setup. Especially this episode about mics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOx4hZKmOs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOx4hZKmOs Edit: And this is the mic I can recommend using on Linux: https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-FIFINE-Computers-Podcasting-K670/dp/B079HRFH2Y https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-FIFINE-Computers-Podcastin...

arbitrage 6y ago
Pimps aren't admirable people.
- ruph123 6y ago
  I am not a native english speaker, to me "pimp up" means to "upgrade" something. Sorry if that came off wrong.
  - acqq 6y ago
    I even know where your environment got that belief. Blame MTV, since 2004: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimp_My_Ride https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimp_My_Ride A lot of non-natives then miss that the meaning of the word is not about an "upgrade" but about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procuring_(prostitution) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procuring_(prostitution) which was on MTV glorified as the part of the "Afro-American" "pop culture" which is also... not a really nicest approach. But... it was supposed to be a "fashion." And relativised as "the thing of certain culture." Postmodernism and all that. And therefore.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_gustibus_non_est_disputandum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_gustibus_non_est_disputandu... ...and "acceptable" for MTV. Edit: also, 2008: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/msnbc-reporter-begrudging_n_85706 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/msnbc-reporter-begrudging_n_8...

benkuhn 6y ago

It's also really easy to have high quality audio! The author recommends a "podcasting" microphone, but a $35 standalone headset mic[1] is almost as good and much easier to use. If you want to hear a comparison, I got kind of obsessed with this problem at one point and took some comparison recordings here[2]. (You need a standalone mic since most headsets, even really nice ones, have really bad mics because most headset buyers don't care about or even know how good their mic sounds. The one I linked is wired because wireless is evil[3] and in particular, Bluetooth will silently degrade your audio quality. If you want a pair of wired headphones, I like these[4] which are "open back" and therefore sound more natural + cool your ears better, although the open back also means they "leak" sound and are only suitable for working without people next to you. But you shouldn't be having calls with people next to you anyway!) [1]: https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Comm... [2]: https://www.benkuhn.net/vc/#get-a-better-microphone https://www.benkuhn.net/vc/#get-a-better-microphone [3]: https://www.benkuhn.net/wireless/ https://www.benkuhn.net/wireless/ [4]: https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-Headphones/dp/B00ENMK1DW/ https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP9500S-Precision-Over-ear-H...

ballenf 6y ago
Physical mute button with red LED mute status is a killer feature. Got a wired Plantronics headset with USB-C that I'm happy with. Not sure if the above products have this feature, but I recommend checking for it.
- GuB-42 6y ago
  The best system for me is the one on the Sennheisser Game One I have and probably many others. There is a microswitch in the mic boom, so that it is disconnected when you lift it away. I mean, you can't get more simple: when it is in front of your mouth, it is on, when it isn't, it is off. No need for a LED. Also, the headset is passive, with a good old jack connector, I consider it a plus.
  - gkop 6y ago

GuB-42 6y ago

It doesn't surprise me the least. The media industry is extremely careful about that. And when sometimes, successful streamers/youtubers/... talk about their setup, it is clear that audio is given a lot of attention. But I'm sure the simplest thing you can do before getting better equipment, soundproofing, acoustics and hiring a sound engineer is simply to get louder. Just up the volume, and if you are feeling fancy, use a compressor. It is well known that louder sounds higher quality, and for ABX tests, great care is taken so that the levels are equal since the bias appears even when the difference is minor. Extreme compression is also the secret behind the booming voice of radio presenter, and that effect also started what is known as the loudness war.

montroser 6y ago

This is fascinating! Makes me wonder about whether machine learning audio filters like Krisp[1] could actually take high quality audio and enhance it further to make you sound _even smarter_? Like as if you had the infamous NPR mic setup... This phenomenon does kind of seem obvious in retrospect. I was at a Socialhour[2] event recently where they had a few presentations happening simultaneously and you could bounce between them, or just move from table to table in a newnetworking lounge -- and thinking back, the presenters with the biggest audiences did sound like they had superior audio. [1]: https://krisp.ai https://krisp.ai [2]: https://socialhour.com https://socialhour.com

lr4444lr 6y ago
I literally searched NPR on this page and came across your comment. I have had a sneaking suspicion I cannot shake since once about 5 years ago I was listening to an interview with a pop musician on my local NPR affiliate that I may have been wrongly biasing my sense that their guests were smarter as compared to talk show guests on more right leaning radio stations on the AM dial. Not even as a matter of their political beliefs; just when it's subject matter experts or non-political celebrities. They always sound more intellectually deep or thoughtful on NPR than on those AM stations. Wonder if it's this effect...
eliseumds 6y ago
I use Krisp on a daily basis from Brazil (a very noise country, terrible build quality) and it works incredibly well, better than most hardware-based solutions I've tried.

paulpauper 6y ago

why are so many people so cost conscious about mics and other consumer goods but have no hesitation about putting tons of money in the stock market , which sometimes drops 30% or more, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars or more of losses. Psychologically, it seems people are much more unnerved about overpaying $100 on a mic or laptop, versus potentially much larger losses on investments such as stocks or real estate.

wombatmobile 6y ago
Good question, although the stock market is something else again. Possibly your question/comment would resonate more with people if you compared the spend on a microphone with the spend on a suit, or a pair of shoes. It's easy to see the value of quality there, for appearance, comfort and health. In the case of a microphone, the purpose is to communicate your thoughts, and to make a good impression, so the investment keeps working and giving you a return on investment for longer than the first few moments. And a good mic will last longer than an article of clothing. A good mic is a great investment.
loa_in_ 6y ago
That's because we're still animals, not some abstract economical agents.
BostonEnginerd 6y ago
Long term the market has always come back up. A laptop only depreciates.
viraptor 6y ago
That seems like a weird generalisation since there's many more people buying laptops than stock and there's only a few specific groups that overlap. Do you have some real data here, or just subjective feeling?
ghaff 6y ago
Well, it's consumption vs. investment. With investments, people do get unnerved when there are big drops, but you (should) diversify, accept that you win some and lose some, but hopefully come out with decent gains over the long term. If you have a heart attack every time the market drops a few percent you're going to make yourself crazy. That said, I think everyone pinches pennies on some things and thinks nothing of spending money on other things in ways that often aren't rational.

cblconfederate 6y ago

If you have a vocal fry or another annoying voice, the clarity is to your detriment, i 'll turn you off immediately!

vanderZwan 6y ago

My partner thought I was being a bit excessive when I bought a high-quality external webcam last year when she was applying for work, but I'm pretty sure it helped her during job interviews. Or maybe it would be better to say prevented her laptop's webcam+mic from getting in the way of presenting herself.

ghaff 6y ago
I was fortunate that, at the beginning of the pandemic when such things were essentially unavailable, to have a high-end external Logitech webcam. I had bought it a few years earlier for a project that ended up not panning out. I subsequently set up my DSLR as a webcam but, while it worked, it's more trouble than it's worth for most purposes. (I do use it for video sometimes but the webcam is just more foolproof for day-to-day conferencing use.)
splintercell 6y ago
Which can did you buy?
- ghaff 6y ago
  Not the OP but I have an older model of the Logitech 920 and it works well for me. (I don't use its microphone though; I have a desktop one for that.)
- vanderZwan 6y ago
  I would also have gone for one of the Logitech C920 variations, like the other commenter, but at the time those were sold out due to the pandemic (also mirroring their remark of being lucky to already own one). So I ended up getting a Logitech Streamcam - which as far as I can tell just adds a hundred dollars to the price because it has a nicer looking design and can handle 60fps. ... now that I'm typing it out I guess she might have meant that deciding to go for a more expensive camera was unnecessary.

ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago

I just use a pair of Bose QuietComfort III headphones. The audio from the built-in mic is very good. Zero background noise. I suspect a really good condenser mic, with a filter, would be better, but these headphones work great. I have noticed that people that use earbuds (in particular, Apple AirPods Pro), seem to also supply a lot of background noise. That does not happen with my headset.

cbreuel 6y ago
If you're using them with Bluetooth, you're not only sounding worse than you could but also the audio that you get is much worse, because Bluetooth audio in bidirectional more is very low quality. I also use a QC3, but I bought a good desk USB mic and use the headphones just for output. I can hear people much better and vice-versa, and I'm even less tired throughout the day.
- mciancia 6y ago
  Tbh it's kind of strange that it's 2021 and we still can't have good quality bidirectional audio over bluetooth. WHY?
  - ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
    Mostly because of the need to keep BT a low-energy medium. Bluetooth was designed for embedded devices that need to conserve power. That said, I know that there's active work going on, to improve this exact thing. Might be a while before we see video over BT, though.
    - hiq 6y ago
      > Might be a while before we see video over BT, though. In which case would that be useful? There seems to be a range of broadcasting features, but if I'm not mistaken they mostly use WiFi.
      - 6y ago

Roritharr 6y ago

I've recently bought a Samson Meteor. Is it considered HQ already?

AhtiK 6y ago
Yes, if you don't type frantically at the same time on your mechanical keyboard and keep it at the right distance by stacking ~20 cm worth of books :) In all seriousness I had it, the sound is good but had the physical usability issues. Had two, the USB port seemed to die after ~1-2 years of active use but that's the lifespan of these devices anyway.

pbw 6y ago

One thing I find really awkward with podcasts is if the guest has better audio quality than the host. It skews my mental model of who is "calling in" and it makes the host feel much less authoritative.

wombatmobile 6y ago

Audio carries 80% of the intellectual content on television. That's why when the news does a live cross and the sound doesn't work, they go back to the studio until the technical problem is resolved, even though the vision is faultless.

darkerside 6y ago
Does the opposite hold true? Do newscasts that carry audio but have lost video tend to continue? Just realizing I've never really seen that that I can think of.
- the-dude 6y ago
  Reporters calling in on a phone when the regular connection could not be set up? I have seen those.
- dijit 6y ago
  Yes, it does, usually they show B-roll or a static image with the audio.
- globular-toast 6y ago
  Not sure about an unintentional loss of picture, but it's fairly normal to have an audio-only feed when video isn't available.
- Macha 6y ago
  Yes, all the time. You get a static picture of the reporter, or shots of the presenter or studio, or b-roll, or an animation of a waveform.

fooblat 6y ago

It is amazing to me that we still have such a distance between people on this. Some people have basically created a tv studio at home with a nice set, good lighting, nice background, quality camera, and mic. Having a video call with these people is a nice and smooth. And somehow we still have people that think sitting in a noisy, messy room with the sun at their back and using their laptop's built-in mic/speakers is fine. Calls with these people are torture!

ghaff 6y ago
On the one hand, I'm sympathetic that not everyone has a place to create a TV studio at home. On the other hand, there are easy ways to block out the light from a backlighting window and to add a key light.
- Aerroon 6y ago
  Perhaps those people don't want to use a camera in the first place? It seems like camera usage isn't always optional. It wouldn't make sense for a person like that to put in effort to make it look nicer.
- bytematic 6y ago
  You don't need space, you can get cheap stands to put a keylight and mic above your monitor attached to a desk, wall, or with a stand. A simple hd logitech webcam can be attached to nearly any monitor.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    You do generally need space to get your background in order though. And if you're working from a kitchen table you may not have a permanent setup. I agree with the basic point that there is low-hanging fruit that many people can address for not much time and money.
- gwbas1c 6y ago
  > On the other hand, there are easy ways to block out the light from a backlighting window and to add a key light. It's a case of empathy. Do you have enough empathy to check how your video looks and do simple changes?

AdamCraven 6y ago

If you’re on Mac a fairly cheap way (around $300/£250) to get a great sounding voice is to buy an ok microphone and Logic Pro. This will sound better than buying a microphone of the same price. In Logic add an equaliser to counteract microphone and room deficiencies. Then finish off with a compressor to add extra “warmth” Once done, output logic audio to a virtual sound card (eg sound flower) and use that as an input for your audio conferencing. Great audio, for not too much money.

pta2002 6y ago
For that you can probably just use Garage Band, which is effectively just Logic with less features, and free.
happyhardcore 6y ago
Reaper [1] is a good alternative to Logic that's platform agnostic (Windows / Mac / Linux) and is cheaper at 60 USD (plus the software doesn't enforce any restrictions at the end of the free trial, but you should still buy the thing if you can afford it!) [1] http://reaper.fm/ http://reaper.fm/
- viraptor 6y ago
  Or https://ardour.org/ https://ardour.org/ for free - but that's trading money for sanity of the UX.
Mauricebranagh 6y ago
I have been playing around with this using Ableton live - windows really needs a native way of doing this like sound flower. I experimented using a second sound card and routing the out of my main to that - but I had ground loops. I wanted this for TTRPG streaming so I could treat my voice to fit with the character better.
- tnzm 6y ago
  >windows really needs a native way of doing this like sound flower. https://vb-audio.com/Cable/ https://vb-audio.com/Cable/ might interest you.

Aissen 6y ago

I wish we could be freed from the horrendous bluetooth HSP audio designed during the last millenium. The A2DP codec wars and lack of bi-directionnal implementations in the wild do not make me optimistic.

stunt 6y ago

It really bothers me that I can't lock mic gain on macOS. You can adjust it, but then it will self adjust itself automatically. Somehow some background noises in my room trigger it to increase the mic sensitive to 100% after a few minutes. It's much worse with iPhone EarPods.

jimsmart 6y ago
I'm pretty sure that macOS doesn't do this by default at all, based upon over a decade of experience. This StackOverflow seems to agree — but it also offers suggestions to help find the actual culprit (a lot of third-party software seems to auto-level the mic volume), and also offers a further suggestion of configuring an Aggregate Audio Device (using the default Audio MIDI Setup app) which doesn't have a mic-level control that apps can mess with. Perhaps one of the solutions discussed here might help you. https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/97810/mac-osx-microphone-input-volume-level-auto-adjusts-can-it-be-disabled https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/97810/mac-osx-micr...
- stunt 5y ago
  You were right. I tested it and it turns out that Microsoft Teams is doing that.
  - jimsmart 5y ago
    Glad to hear you managed to find the culprit!

tmaly 6y ago

I have been using a Blue Yeti usb condenser mic for all my team calls. I paired it with a nice set of computer speakers. It does make a difference.

jmkr 6y ago

I picked up a GLS es58 on Amazon a while back because I got an audio interface and figured might as well get a mic. Chose it because it's a shure 58 clone. It's made quite a difference and importantly it makes you feel better to use. I've been convincing my friends to pick up dynamic mics to lower their surrounding noise and sound clearer. There's an Audio Technica that's usb/xlr. So you can start with usb and upgrade to xlr when you get a preamp.

8bitsrule 6y ago

Somebody tell this to "smart" TV makers.

teekert 6y ago

I would add that an up-nose-webcam and showing-more-neck-than-you-have-in-reality also don't help. Still waiting for someone to prove that as nicely as this as well ;)

qwertox 6y ago

In the Linux Unplugged podcast (Episode 401 "Own Your Mailbox") they said that PipeWire now allows you to use your smartphone as a Bluetooth microphone (A2DP, first 30 seconds of the episode). https://linuxunplugged.com/401 https://linuxunplugged.com/401 https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/pipewire/-/releases/0.3.25 https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/pipewire/-/releases/... ("Make it possible to use an A2DP source as an input device. You can then use your phone as an A2DP microphone, for example.")

scaladev 6y ago
This thing has been working fine for many years https://wolicheng.com/womic/wo_mic_linux.html https://wolicheng.com/womic/wo_mic_linux.html although it is proprietary.

vonwoodson 6y ago

file sizes intensify

MrBuddyCasino 6y ago

check out what interests the HN crowd placed first: "$X makes you sound smarter" closes tab

unethical_ban 6y ago

Radio hosts vs. the wacky people that call in. Being on a phone in 2021 on a radio program just sounds subpar. Like what other people have said, if you're having issues, get a decent wired microphone (with a cardioid pattern if available), and possibly some good noise cancelling software like Krisp, nvidia RTX, etc. And totally optional, but VoiceMeeter on Windows can be a kind of equalizer for an input which can give a bit more clarity and bass if desired.

zeptonaut22 6y ago

While condenser microphones with a boom arm are nice for a home office, they're not portable enough for a setup that will work after returning to a hybrid office/WFH life. Ideally, that portable setup would have no boom arm, no pop screen, no huge microphone. The best candidate I've found so far is the Audio Technica ATH-G1 Gaming headset (reviewed by the excellent Podcastage here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMgyh7Ne5ng https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMgyh7Ne5ng). In my opinion, the sound quality isn't quite comparable to high quality condenser microphones like the Blue Yeti (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2BNAF3u5lc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2BNAF3u5lc) or dynamic microphones like the Samson Q2U (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjCJbhjFYiA&t=6s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjCJbhjFYiA&t=6s), but it's 90% of the way there and significantly more portable.

tauntz 6y ago
I can recommend the Samson Go Mic if you want something portable but decent audio quality (http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/microphones/usb-microphones/gomic/ http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/microphones/usb-mi...)
- randomopining 6y ago
  Nice thanks. Howdoes it compare to Blue Yeti etc?

wombatmobile 6y ago

Why you don't like the sound of your own voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtOc4Bdmog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtOc4Bdmog

auiya 6y ago

Sure nice gear helps immensely, but also remember to high-pass filter your vocals, and test for harsh frequencies using subtractive EQ. A slight dip in the 300-600Hz range helps eliminate hollow, boxy sounds, and a top end shelf will help consonants sound more clear. Some people will also low-pass filter the extreme top ends, but it's not always needed. Using a good compressor in your vocal chain will help immensely also to keep spikes and transients more level and not hurt your audience's ears.

Hitton 6y ago

The paper doesn't say that higher audio makes people sound smarter. It basically says that it high fidelity audio makes smart people sound smarter than they do with low fidelity audio. It's quite possible that it just allows people digest content better or perceive more subtle nuances and that high fidelity audio would make dumb people sound dumber than low fidelity audio.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

jakebasile 6y ago

I have no evidence to back this up, but I strongly believe that video quality would have similar effects. I am a hobbyist photographer and began using my gear to improve my video quality on calls 6-8 months ago and people have continually commented on it, from executives to regular schmucks like me. We're a visual species and having a better view of the person you are talking with will help form connections. It doesn't take a lot, but it will take a bit more cash outlay than improving your audio. You can get a cheap camera capture card for ~$15, a tripod for ~$50, a quality camera that supports running indefinitely on power with clean HDMI out (I use a Nikon Z5), and of course a compatible lens (I use a Nikon 50mm/f1.8 Z). The camera and lens you use will vary considerably in cost and quality, so you'll need to do some research to see if it will work for this. The result is amazingly clear video.

umeshunni 6y ago
But for video quality, it goes beyond the camera but also lighting, having a clean background and so on.
etblg 6y ago
Even just better lighting alone is a big step up. I started using this cheap desk-mounted mini ring light (with a slightly warm light) for calls, lighting the shade side of my face, and it makes your video look a lot more professional and flattering.
s_dev 6y ago
>I have no evidence to back this up, but I strongly believe that video quality would have similar effects Any dating website will have this as basic advice. Thats evidence enough for me. Higher quality images are associate with better looking people -- however this is counter intutive, you would think that a lower quality image would leave more to the imagination.
- Nasrudith 6y ago
  That brings to mind questions about how non-good their appearence would have to be to look worse with rising image quality. I say non-good because one could look hyperboring as opposed to ugly.

lmilcin 6y ago

I think there is a bunch of factors which are used as a proxy for whether a person is or isn't "professional". And being "professional" is itself a proxy for whether somebody is smart and possibly trustworthy. In lack of better information (and even in presence of) our minds use a lot of shortcuts (biases) to guess some important information that you can't get directly. Almost all people will instinctively think about well groomed, well clothed people as more professional and trustworthy. I think the same goes for how we present on a remote call and so I invested a little bit into making my audio/video setup and a more professionally looking office/background. Pretty sure it will pay for itself over time.

Strilanc 6y ago

I looked at the paper's abstract [1], and this is a conclusion made from just two talks/interviews by the authors of the study? Should probably replicate it before telling millions of people to buy hundreds of dollars of audio equipment... I wasn't able to find an open access copy of the study, though I suppose there's always sci-hub. 1: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1075547018759345 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1075547018759345

gwern 6y ago
Yes, Sci-Hub works fine here. Since you apparently don't deign to use it, I've mirrored it here: https://www.gwern.net/docs/design/2018-newman.pdf https://www.gwern.net/docs/design/2018-newman.pdf
- Strilanc 6y ago
  Oh no I love sci-hub but I second-guess linking it. Thanks for the mirror! So, reading the paper proper, I was wrong about it being the authors' talks. They picked existing engineering talks and interviews. It'd be nice to be able to actually see the clips to get a sense of how much they changed the quality. They say they put the clips on youtube for the test but don't take the opportunity to link the clips. In the Science Friday graph all the error bars overlap so meh. For the combined technical talks the error bars don't overlap and they're all in the same direction, which is way more encouraging, though I really wish they'd tried it with a pool of more talks to remove that systemic effect. I also worry about the fact that random mechanical turks may differ from the usual audience for a technical talk in important ways (e.g. not knowing the subject and so having nothing to go on besides audio quality). They say in a note at the end of the paper that they tried filtering by correctly answering a question at the end, and that the effect was still there, but they don't show the data for it or say if it affected the strength. Overall I feel it's a reasonable methodology and certainly suggestive results, if a bit lacking in the exact methodological details and the number of talks they tried it on. And it's not like I have a prior that audio quality doesn't matter...
  - gwern 6y ago

bytematic 6y ago

Rode NT-1 Mic, some interface, some stand. I positioned it coming above my monitor and I never think about it anymore. Too bad my voice sounds terrible, that is harder to fix

chromaton 6y ago

I realized after many Zoom calls that a good presentation in both audio AND video are very important. My choice for audio is a Shure headworn XLR dynamic microphone. These are the type used by professional singers, public speakers, etc. Being headworn means that you don't have to worry about talking directly into the mic; you can move around a bit. This type of mic also has great noise rejection. We use it for livestreaming from our workshop which is VERY noisy, with compressors, waterjet cutters, and other loud machines running. Voice audio is quite clear despite all this. To complement this, I got a Shure XLR to USB adapter. It turns out that the DAC in my Thinkpad is TERRIBLE, so upgrading to a USB adapter was a no brainer. For video, I got an Osbot Tiny, which was great for a while, but seems to be broken now.

sofal 6y ago
I'm curious about how portable your setup is. Currently at home I have a giant dynamic mic (EV RE20) on a boom arm, but that's not going to be something I can use at the actual office when I hop into a little enclosed pod for a Zoom meeting or something. Does your setup work for that kind of thing?
- chromaton 6y ago
  It's not too bad. I'd get a small case for the stuff if I wanted to move it around regularly. It's a little pricy and might be delicate, so I leave it at my desk. Watch today's livestream to hear it in action: https://www.facebook.com/events/303545994740352 https://www.facebook.com/events/303545994740352 In my bag, I keep a USB lavalier mic, which is smaller, but not quite as good quality.
emilburzo 6y ago
What do you use for headphones? (I'm assuming the Shure is just a microphone)
- chromaton 6y ago
  The USB adapter has a headphone jack so I plug my Samsung headphones into that.

nicholasjon 6y ago

The gem of this article is: "Messages that are difficult to process are less compelling." The best thing we can do when communicating is make it easy -- in both message and medium (with apologies to McLuhan) -- for the folks we want to consume it to consume it.

spdustin 6y ago

The Audio-Technica ATR-2100x-USB [0] is probably the best budget mic I’ve ever used. Podcasting, Zoom calls, voiceover work…this mic’ll surpass your expectations. It’s got a great response, great off-axis rejection, and built-in monitoring from an on-mic 1/8” headphone jack. This model has USB-C and mini-XLR outputs, too. For $99, it cannot be beat. [0]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPBFVKK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPBFVKK (not an affiliate link, either. I just love this mic)

geopsist 6y ago

A lot of people are posting links to microphones/headphones/stream-decks/etc... My personal experience from a series of podcasts at home and with 2 kids, a super duper mic would not solve my problem. A lot of the audio issues you see at events and streams like these stem from bg noise, echo, no pop-filter, stream lag. It's usually a case of repair, not replacing equipment. New microphones bring risk potential with excessive gain, headphones can make you too self-conscious or focus on the wrong thing. Like, rather than spending X amount on a new setup, just use some tools/plugins in post - most can be ran through OBS live, despite initially seeming like a post-production technical thing. I lost a lot of time repairing my audio in various tools when software plugin bundles like this - https://accusonus.com/products/audio-repair/era-bundle-standard https://accusonus.com/products/audio-repair/era-bundle-stand... -gave me a way better recording upgrade, as opposed to a new mic.

nickjj 6y ago

If anyone is looking it improve the quality of their audio for home recordings I put up a 10,000 word blog post + 90 minute video (no ads) on this topic recently at: https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/how-to-record-great-sounding-high-quality-audio-at-home https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/how-to-record-great-sounding-... It covers everything from general tips to room layouts to hardware / software suggestions. It really doesn't take a lot to get pretty decent sounding audio. At minimum a $50-70 USB dynamic mic and following the tips will work well enough as a baseline, along with picking up a decent pair of headphones to make sure you can hear yourself properly. This is based on having recorded over 400+ screencast videos and 75+ group podcast episodes over the years.

freedomben 6y ago

Any advice for someone who wants to learn to use audacity or similar to improve the audio of a recording after it's recorded? I use the Levelator with wine but I'd love to learn how to do some of that stuff myself.

gwbas1c 6y ago

One thing I notice is that when I'm hearing "bad" audio, like lower-quality cell phones, is that I have to think a lot more to understand it.

ThomPete 6y ago

not just that it makes video look clearer.

squarefoot 6y ago

Recording gear is not the most important part: a decent mike paired with a good and properly set up preamp/compressor will do. What is extremely important is the ambient noise and reflections that will be picked up by the microphone in a far from ideal environment. In other words, be prepared to spend more in sound proofing than in recording gear.

ZoomZoomZoom 6y ago

As usual, a lot of people here discuss and suggest some microphone models to improve their sound quality, but I think this is not the biggest factor. Specific models are mostly irrelevant as long as the recording conditions and personal preferences are not known. Some people just hate keeping the mic just in front of their faces, but it's often the only reasonable way to achieve tolerable signal-to-noise ratio (in noisy or/and reverberant environments). You need to decide where are you going to use the mic, how are you going to place yourself and the mic in the room, how free in your movements do you need to be while recording, and then choose the type of the mic accordingly. After that, the budget is often the deciding factor so you can seriously narrow down the options. Anyway, I also highly advice using separate vocal/podcasting microphone (the kind you buy at music stores) and the headphones of you choice over headsets or, god forbid, internal laptop mics. Don't know how many times you can link you own article, but it's relevant to the topic and I think it covers most of the information one needs to understand the basic processes and techniques: https://indiscipline.github.io/post/voice-sound-reference/ https://indiscipline.github.io/post/voice-sound-reference/

rectang 6y ago
And then there's always some jackass on the call who refuses to use headphones, causing an echo due to the feedback loop between their speakers and their microphone, which makes everybody else sound terrible.
- ghaff 6y ago
  It really depends on the setup. I've tested by asking people with both computer speakers and wearing headphones and been told they didn't hear any difference.
  - rectang 6y ago
    It doesn't affect your own voice! So asking, "do I sound different now" doesn't tell you anything! Refusing to wear headphones only spoils it for everybody else.

azinman2 6y ago

While the results seem believable, what was the sample size? The p values? None of this is cited either on the blog or the paper abstract, and I don’t have an account to be able to pull up the actual paper.

gwern 6y ago
https://www.gwern.net/docs/design/2018-newman.pdf https://www.gwern.net/docs/design/2018-newman.pdf

analog31 6y ago

An often overlooked issue is background noise. As a musician, I'm familiar with microphones, recording, etc. I always give people the following advice: If you can hear it, the microphone can hear it. This includes HVAC noise that is ridiculously hard to get rid of in most office and home locations. If at home, you can always temporarily turn off the HVAC while you record yourself. In fact, I've recorded at a commercial studio where, after getting everything set up and checked out, the final step is they turn off the HVAC.

robbrown451 6y ago
"If you can hear it, the microphone can hear it." Not great advice if there is a chance they want you to hear it.
- analog31 6y ago
  What I mean is if you can hear background noise in your room, it will be audible in your recording.
kingsuper20 6y ago
"If you can hear it, the microphone can hear it." As an aside, I can't tell you how many times I've played in venues with mics scattered around and the sound guy will leave them on between sets. Every...single...thing you say if you wander around the stage (or slightly off-) will get booted out to the audience. Hilarity ensues.
Mashimo 6y ago
That's why Nvidia Broadcast is such a nice app. I recommended it to a work mate who just got a newborn and more or less only one room. It removes the background from the webcam and all background noises, including other humans, from the audio. It's impressive how good it works. Not perfect. But impressive.

chrshawkes 6y ago

I use a 1200.00 mic setup for my recordings for https://www.codehawke.com/ https://www.codehawke.com/ I can't tell that much of a difference between it and a blue yeti. The yeti, is definitely cheaper.

aendruk 6y ago

If I’m set on wireless is there a better option than low quality Bluetooth? Something proprietary with a dongle?

yosito 6y ago

Interesting that this it the top story on HN the same day that Zoom is promoting "professional" quality audio. And there also seems to be a user in the comments working really hard to promote Zoom. Seems like a marketing campaign to me.

gxqoz 6y ago
Link?

gxqoz 6y ago

I attended a conference last August where almost all audio was terrible fidelity. It made the conference like 3x worse than usual. I think one of the main issues here is it's hard for people to realize what they sound like on the other end. I've been playing a lot of online trivia tournaments in the past year. During these tournaments, people read questions aloud. It's really important to be able to hear all words clearly. It's astounding how many people think that they're coming through clearly when using a microphone built into the laptop--even after repeated messaging before the tournament that this audio quality sucks.

bredren 6y ago

This has important implications for TTS.

Blikkentrekker 6y ago

My problem with the data and how it's given is that it's quite useless and the result, while not the null hypothesis, is the expected result. Namely, it can be expected that no man would find a speaker dumber with superior audio, so let us assume that only 1% of the sample found the speaker more intelligent with superior audio, and for 99% it makes no difference, then the “average result” is still that “people” as a collective average find a speaker with better audio more intelligent, even though 99% of people don't. This is my problem with such research. — I am far more interested in the percentage of “people” onto whom this has an effect or how large the effect is in distribution. It goes without saying that this effect exists with some “people”, but I would like to know what percentage. It's entirely possible that the effect only exists with 20% of “people” and 80% are not biased, but the research is incapable of showing this. Such research, which does not, and cannot due to it's methodology make any claim as to the percentage of “people” it applies is often taken to apply to all “people”.

ravenstine 6y ago

Shameless plug; I recently wrote a blog post about suggestions on improving your audio for remote teamwork: https://dockyard.com/blog/2021/02/08/improve-your-audio-to-boost-remote-team-efficiency https://dockyard.com/blog/2021/02/08/improve-your-audio-to-b... Although I do suggest the Shure MV7 mic, which I use, there are example of really cheap ways to immediately improve how you sound over conference calls. Another tip I talk about us using RNNoise, which does an excellent job at cutting out background noise while preserving your voice. It's built in to OBS if you ever want to try it.

chenxiaolong 6y ago

For those who have a Valve Index (and have it plugged into a work computer...), the mic is surprisingly excellent on it. I set it upside-down on my desk and it picks up my voice just fine.

xiii1408 6y ago

I was lucky enough to realize, a month into the pandemic, that I would be having all meetings on Zoom for at least 3-4 months. I did three things, which seemed a little excessive at the time, but turned out to be great investments, since I've been working for home for over a year since then. 1) I bought a reasonably nice Logitech C920 Webcam. At the time, it was a $100 on AliExpress, which seemed like a crazy markup over the MSRP of $70. This turned out to be a great investment, given how much higher the prices went. Most people will probably still be working from home for at least 3-5 months, and you can buy one now for $70! 2) I bought a cheap USB condenser mic with a boom arm. This was a $70 package deal, and from a cheap Chinese brand Fifine, but the audio quality is truly amazing, and having the mic close to your mouth makes a huge difference. Probably my best investment. Seriously. Go buy a podcast mic and a boom arm. Now. If you want something more portable, the same company also makes very decent lavalier mics (lapel mics) for ~$20. Those are more omnidirectional, so they pick up more background noise than condenser mics, but they are imminently more portable. 3) I wired my bedroom with Ethernet. This was a bit of a hassle, since I had to run the cable down the side of the house and then underneath, and it also required crimping my own cables. However, it was totally worth it, since I knew connection issues were never my problem. I don't understand how other people suffer through constant drops over WiFi. I guess they're just accustomed to dealing with it, and don't think of switching to Ethernet as an option.

angrais 5y ago
@xiii1408 - just to add to this. I've went and bought the mic that you and others in this thread recommended. I've used it for a few hours now and compared it with BoseQ35 mic and of course it's amazing. For anyone else reading: do it. Buy it. You'll sound more real on teleconference calls and. As for (1), I'm not bothered about video too much so use 720p webcam. Either way, thanks again!

vikiomega9 6y ago

Is there a name for this effect? It sounds similar to what women experience when they don't wear makeup for example (makes them come across as less competent).

beiller 6y ago

I got a nice microphone but it's not directional and it picks up way too much ambient noise. Also I think it might echo (MacBook pro) so I just switched back to the internal microphone cause it seems to noise cancel correctly. Does anyone know a solution for that? I use MBP speakers for output.

asimpletune 6y ago

I’m just going to add that people should check out apogee if they want best of the best for mics and the like (converters, preamps, etc...)

pbreit 6y ago

How about speaking faster (or slower)?

messo 6y ago

Anyone here that have experience with the Sennheiser PC 5 heaphones with a mic? Would appreciate your comments!

trhway 6y ago

with Zoom/etc. one can also add voice cleaner/improver similar to that software that makes a pop-star singer out of a nobody. Instead of bubbling you will be delivering into the ears of your team like the Voice was delivering the Commandments to Moses.

tedk-42 6y ago

I'm surprised at the tune of HN about advocating towards higher quality audio input tech. If anything, we should be actively fighting this trend and instead focus on training ourselves to listen carefully rather than relying on 'good audio' to hear a message.

pkroll 6y ago
You're talking about a training effort of unknown structure and length, for millions of people, who are already mostly confident they're "listening carefully." Better quality audio tech, is much cheaper and easier.

wuwuno 6y ago

$18 WI-C310 Sony Bluetooth earbuds and $49 Movo vxr10-pro shotgun microphone. The earbuds are hardly noticeable, and the shotgun microphone can be kept off camera with outstanding audio and no concern of feedback.

neya 6y ago

Author nowhere mentions about the bitrate or what constitutes as "high quality" and what constitutes as "low quality". Would be helpful to have this info.

gregoriol 6y ago

What kind of "automated" test could check one's audio quality? Is there some website or tool that can give a score of how you sound?

tomcam 6y ago

I’m gonna need a bigger bitrate

slver 6y ago

It's a simple correlation. Our brain does this all the time. And not always in sense of "better quality" -> "smarter". For example, we're so used to cheap TV content, that when a movie is played at higher TV framerate, it looks "cheap" to us. I've heard a few attempts to explain this as "in higher framerate you can see the sets are fake", but that makes no sense, especially if the set is not moving.

ashleigheharris 6y ago

This blog post has a bunch of headset and mic recommendations across a variety of price points: https://www.highfidelity.com/blog/the-best-headphones-headsets-and-microphones-for-developers https://www.highfidelity.com/blog/the-best-headphones-headse...

gkanai 5y ago

[Lady] "Gaga singing into the wrong side of a $20k microphone live on 3 networks is the single greatest example of the importance of audio engineers there may ever be." https://www.instagram.com/p/B_JHzRsFnIA/?igshid=12n08cbb2bqo4 https://www.instagram.com/p/B_JHzRsFnIA/?igshid=12n08cbb2bqo...

rsanek 5y ago

I often wonder how explanatory these studies based on Mechanical Turk workers really are.