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EeePCs are still useful machines today. Need something that spits or receives packets for network testing? Grab a used one with decent battery life and you're d

EeePCs are still useful machines today. Need something that spits or receives packets for network testing? Grab a used one with decent battery life and you're done. Want to listen to online radio in the lab but don't want to use your phone? Again, get a used EeePC for peanuts and connect it to a pair of speakers. And what about a small IoT controller to be put in each room? Pair it with a networked VoIP terminal and voila, instant communications too. They're small, their power supply is small, the audio i/o capabilities are more than enough for some uses (1) and they have a physical Ethernet port which makes them perfect for network testing and other uses (web server testing, emergency on-the-fly file serving, etc). (1) Before I bought a Zoom recorder, I used my Samsung NC10 to record my former band using Audacity. I had to build an external stereo mic preamp because I wanted to use two dynamic mics to keep noise low as the internal mic and circuitry weren't built with the sound pressure of a rehearsal room in mind, and the input expected a higher level than a dynamic capsule could produce. I later built a stereo mic using two Panasonic WM61a electret capsules so I could get rid of the preamp; today I would use a pair of AOM-5024L-HD-F-R capsules, which are super cheap and super silent.

marttt 4y ago
I recorded an almost 2-hour live radio show with a Dell Mini 9 + Tiny Core Linux + Avid Mbox 2 audio interface + 2 dynamic mics + a small console recording program just two weeks ago. I configured a huge swapfile just in case, but everything worked flawlessly. Since the Mini 9 is fanless and SSD-equipped, it makes a really nice, completely silent machine for audio recording. Interestingly, I also have a bunch of Panasonic WM61a capsules (I intended to do binaural recordings, but didn't). And, before the Dell, I often used a Zoom H1 as audio interface for an old Thinkpad T42 (hey, it had that keyboard and an IPS screen, so it was really hard to give up on!). :) Also, thanks for the reference to the AOM capsules. I didn't know about these, but had wondered whether there are any current replacements for the WM61a-s. A Mini9/NC10/T42 + Zoom H1 + homemade WM61a/AOM-based microphones would make an awesome setup for a frugal, but somewhat knowledgeable audio geek. Given some skills and minor time for tinkering, you can really do pretty much everything with 10-15-year old hardware, or even ridiculous widgets like those microphone capsules. I think this is an extremely relevant point or realization, considering climate change and the still widespread throw-away-culture. We are drowning in old electronics. It is an incredible time to live in.
- squarefoot 4y ago
  > Also, thanks for the reference to the AOM capsules You're welcome. I read some reports of them around a while ago and looking at the data sheet was amazed about their s/n ratio: 80dB! From a €3.03/pc at Digikey capsule! I'll be relocating in a couple months so with half the gear already packed I'm not going to start new projects right now, but my 1st use case will be small clip-on mics for a acoustic drumset; the physical construction will probably represent a bigger challenge than the electronics itself. > We are drowning in old electronics. It is an incredible time to live in. And some of it is still convenient to use. All my PCs but one are used or refurbished, including the NAS. It's amazing how much one can save by doing in the meantime also a service to the planet.

marttt 4y ago

I recorded an almost 2-hour live radio show with a Dell Mini 9 + Tiny Core Linux + Avid Mbox 2 audio interface + 2 dynamic mics + a small console recording program just two weeks ago. I configured a huge swapfile just in case, but everything worked flawlessly. Since the Mini 9 is fanless and SSD-equipped, it makes a really nice, completely silent machine for audio recording. Interestingly, I also have a bunch of Panasonic WM61a capsules (I intended to do binaural recordings, but didn't). And, before the Dell, I often used a Zoom H1 as audio interface for an old Thinkpad T42 (hey, it had that keyboard and an IPS screen, so it was really hard to give up on!). :) Also, thanks for the reference to the AOM capsules. I didn't know about these, but had wondered whether there are any current replacements for the WM61a-s. A Mini9/NC10/T42 + Zoom H1 + homemade WM61a/AOM-based microphones would make an awesome setup for a frugal, but somewhat knowledgeable audio geek. Given some skills and minor time for tinkering, you can really do pretty much everything with 10-15-year old hardware, or even ridiculous widgets like those microphone capsules. I think this is an extremely relevant point or realization, considering climate change and the still widespread throw-away-culture. We are drowning in old electronics. It is an incredible time to live in.

squarefoot 4y ago
> Also, thanks for the reference to the AOM capsules You're welcome. I read some reports of them around a while ago and looking at the data sheet was amazed about their s/n ratio: 80dB! From a €3.03/pc at Digikey capsule! I'll be relocating in a couple months so with half the gear already packed I'm not going to start new projects right now, but my 1st use case will be small clip-on mics for a acoustic drumset; the physical construction will probably represent a bigger challenge than the electronics itself. > We are drowning in old electronics. It is an incredible time to live in. And some of it is still convenient to use. All my PCs but one are used or refurbished, including the NAS. It's amazing how much one can save by doing in the meantime also a service to the planet.