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going crazy about sound-modules — Parallax Forums

going crazy about sound-modules

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2001-12-15 00:04 in General Discussion
Hi Stampers,

I am trying to work on a project with a quqdravox module and it drives me
totally crazy.
The latest problem is that I cannot make it record my .wav-files in an
adequate volume. It is so low that Ican hardly hear it with the speaker and
that I have to turn up my pc-speakers to the limit and all I hear is a lot
of noise and some idea of the sound I wanted.
Besides whenever a new sound starts and ends there is a little hum (not the
usual click) that sounds a little bit like a feedback-sound.
I recorded the sounds at 22.000 Hz, 16 bit with the windows-recorder.Is
there something wrong with that? Or does anyone have another Idea what I
might be doing wrong?

Thanks for your help,

Uli


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Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2001-12-14 16:37
    Getting WAVs into the QV306 can be a bit tricky at first because each system
    (sound card) is a bit different. Here's some tips:

    (1) Make sure your WAV files are save as 11,025 Hz, 16-bit (Windows PCM),
    Mono. I use a piece of software called SoundFoge XP to normalize my WAV
    files to -6 db. This seems to be about right for the QV306.

    (2) Your system (PC) volume control affects the recording. The volume
    controls on the QV300 software only affect playback.

    (3) There will always be a slight amount of "noise" with audio recording of
    the files due to the mechanics of the ISD chip used in the module. The
    factory sounds are pristine because they are not recorded through the audio
    connection, they are digitally programmed into the ISD with a special
    programmer.

    (4) You may need to adjust the Start Delay on the QV300 software. The
    purpose of this value is to help the module sync to the way your sound card
    operates. On my PC, I have set this value to 0 since there seems to be no
    delay in my system.

    We (Parallax) are committed to our relationship with Quadravox. They make
    high quality products and work well with us. Right now we're in final
    testing of a new module called the QV356. This module is designed to fit
    onto our BOE-Bot and has a built-in speaker. It should be available in
    January.

    -- Jon Williams
    -- Applications Engineer, Parallax


    In a message dated 12/14/01 10:23:51 AM Central Standard Time,
    ulibasic@r... writes:


    > I am trying to work on a project with a quqdravox module and it drives me
    > totally crazy.
    > The latest problem is that I cannot make it record my .wav-files in an
    > adequate volume. It is so low that Ican hardly hear it with the speaker and
    > that I have to turn up my pc-speakers to the limit and all I hear is a lot
    > of noise and some idea of the sound I wanted.
    > Besides whenever a new sound starts and ends there is a little hum (not the
    > usual click) that sounds a little bit like a feedback-sound.
    > I recorded the sounds at 22.000 Hz, 16 bit with the windows-recorder.Is
    > there something wrong with that? Or does anyone have another Idea what I
    > might be doing wrong?
    >




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  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2001-12-15 00:04
    Speaking of sound, if you want to pump up your Basic Stamp, check out the 2
    1/2 watt amplifier kit Ramsey Electronics sells. I built it without the
    preamp and hooked it up to a BS1 and a retired external speaker for a CB.
    Its loud as heck, even powered off a 9-volt battery. I'm sure the battery
    will have limited life at higher volumes, but I can live with that.

    You do have to use a 10:1 voltage divider to reduce the signal from the
    stamp a bit, but you don't need anything fancy.

    I'm hoping Santa will shop at Parallax this year and I can snag a sound card
    to go on my robot.

    Original Message
    > > I am trying to work on a project with a quqdravox module and it drives
    me
    > > totally crazy.
    > > The latest problem is that I cannot make it record my .wav-files in an
    > > adequate volume. It is so low that Ican hardly hear it with the speaker
    and
    > > that I have to turn up my pc-speakers to the limit and all I hear is a
    lot
    > > of noise and some idea of the sound I wanted.
    > > Besides whenever a new sound starts and ends there is a little hum (not
    the
    > > usual click) that sounds a little bit like a feedback-sound.
    > > I recorded the sounds at 22.000 Hz, 16 bit with the windows-recorder.Is
    > > there something wrong with that? Or does anyone have another Idea what I
    > > might be doing wrong?
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