External Mic Works on the Fire!

[SCION]

Originally Posted by grvthang

Here's a stand-alone mic (not a headphone/mic combo) that should work: I just ordered one - for $1.44+free shipping I don't think you can go wrong:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=5336653508-20

The type of plug needed is called a TRRS plug - it has four conductors on it, rather than the three conductors found on the (TRS) plug on normal stereo headphones. If the plug has three "stripes" on it, it's a TRRS.

Thanks, I'll give it a shot at that price.

I'll hit you with some karma when I can. I've given too much in the last 24 hours.

[grvthang]

I don't have Skype, and I don't have Google Voice, so I don't know whether those apps work on the Fire. All I know is that I tried plugging in a headphones/mic combo and was able to successfully record audio using an audio recording app.

I tried unsuccessfully to use two speech-to-text apps (Vlingo and Speech to Text), but I installed and successfully used a guitar tuner app that required a working microphone.

Anything beyond that is conjecture - I'm on three different Kindle Fire forums, and evidently nobody else but me has experimented with this.

[SCION]

All I'm seeking is voice recording. I appreciate the disclaimer though.

[weatherman]

grvthang: can you test the recording ability when playing music in the background? that would answer a big question in my mind.

I just tested a mic with speakers that has the single 1/8" plug with 3 stripes. No go as far as speakers. Didn't work. This is an expensive mic for a ham radio so if this were possible it should have worked. I don't have an app to test the mic recording though. I remain extremely skeptical.

EDIT: Upon closer examination I've determined the speakers do work but the sound volume is almost too low to hear even when turned as high as possible. Note that a pair of Sony stereo headsets with 2 stripes on the plug work well and deliver loud volume. When I attach an adapter that changes the plug to 3 stripes the sound volume drops to almost nothing. As I feared the 3 striped plug will be very problematic if you also need sound.

[grvthang]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I just tested a mic with speakers that has the single 1/8" plug with 3 stripes. No go as far as speakers. Didn't work. This is an expensive mic for a ham radio so if this were possible it should have worked. I don't have an app to test the mic recording though. I remain extremely skeptical.

what is it that you're testing? What are you trying to do?

[grvthang]

Originally Posted by weatherman

grvthang: can you test the recording ability when playing music in the background? that would answer a big question in my mind.

I just played the Stones' Honky Tonk Women in the background while I recited the lyrics. When I played it back, the music was playing in the background and my recitation was louder than the music. Was there something other than that you were expecting?

Originally Posted by grvthang

what is it that you're testing? What are you trying to do?

See my edited post above about extreme audio attenuation (loss) using a 3 stripe plug.

[grvthang]

I don't know what a mic/speakers combo is for; I've never seen one. A stereo headphone/mic is a pretty common piece of equipment - it's a headset meant to be plugged into a smartphone so that you can listen to stereo music and speak on the phone when needed.

When I recorded with it, it recorded loud and clear - not the best quality audio for music, but certainly fine for speaking. If I could attach the file to this posting, I would. If someone would like to hear it, PM me your email address and I'll send it to you. If you think I would go to the trouble of making all this up and continue to stay on this forum, you've got problems that I can't help you with.

[Blossom]

For external speakers you will need mp3 player type speakers. Mine work fine on the fire but not needed if you ask me.

It's good to know a microphone works somewhat on a Fire. Thanks for letting us know!

[weatherman]

Originally Posted by grvthang

I just played the Stones' Honky Tonk Women in the background while I recited the lyrics. When I played it back, the music was playing in the background and my recitation was louder than the music. Was there something other than that you were expecting?

Yes, that is different from what I expected, and I think its good news. I'm no audio expert, but I think that means the headphone jack must have three channels - one for left audio out, one for right audio out, and a third for audio in (aka mic). This would require a connector in the device that supports the three-banded (four metal connector) headset jacks since each band carries one channel, and returns it via a common ground rather than the standard headphone jack, which has two bands (three metal connectors).

Previously I had thought it might be possible that the device was just using one of the standard two channels as a mic channel, or even that the earbud was acting as a mic itself (a microphone and a speaker are essentially the same). But if you can listen to music at the same time you're recording, I believe it eliminates those options. I could be wrong though.

Just to be perfectly clear, I tried two accessories with my Fire.

The first was a speakers/mic combo similar to those used for wired talking on phones, like the OP suggests, but a much better quality than those cheap throw away models. This speakers/mic combo had a built in 3 stripe 1/8" plug. I was unable to test the mic due to not having an app that will record, but plugging the speakers/mic combo into the Fire deactivates the internal speakers and causes the speakers on the speakers/mic combo unit to have extremely low sound volume. Normally the speakers are quite loud, but they are greatly attenuated when used with the Fire. In other words, there is a huge loss of volume.

The second was a standard Sony speaker headset with a built in 2 striped 1/8" plug. This headset is speakers only--no mic. When plugged in using the built in 2 striped 1/8" plug the speakers in this headset are quite loud. When I add an adapter to the plug to convert it to a 3 stripe 1/8" plug and plug it into the Fire it deactivates the internal speakers and causes the speakers on the Sony headset unit to have extremely low sound volume. Once again there is a great amount of sound attenuation (loss).

Has anyone else noticed this attenuation or are you so interested in the mic recording sound that you haven't even checked the sound level and quality of the external speakers? If you are merely going to use a mic, then perhaps this is acceptable. However plugging a mic into the headset jack will deactivate the internal speakers. so if you need speaker sound and mic at the same time, you are probably out of luck. In other words, Skype will be difficult, if not impossible,when the speaker volume is so low. BTW, I'm talking about 90% to 95% attenuation (loss) of volume making the speakers nealy impossible to use even at full volume.

[asb2164]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Just to be perfectly clear, I tried two accessories with my Fire.

The first was a speakers/mic combo similar to those used for wired talking on phones, like the OP suggests, but a much better quality than those cheap throw away models. This speakers/mic combo had a built in 3 stripe 1/8" plug. I was unable to test the mic due to not having an app that will record, but plugging the speakers/mic combo into the Fire deactivates the internal speakers and causes the speakers on the speakers/mic combo unit to have extremely low sound volume. Normally the speakers are quite loud, but they are greatly attenuated when used with the Fire. In other words, there is a huge loss of volume.

The second was a standard Sony speaker headset with a built in 2 striped 1/8" plug. This headset is speakers only--no mic. When plugged in using the built in 2 striped 1/8" plug the speakers in this headset are quite loud. When I add an adapter to the plug to convert it to a 3 stripe 1/8" plug and plug it into the Fire it deactivates the internal speakers and causes the speakers on the Sony headset unit to have extremely low sound volume. Once again there is a great amount of sound attenuation (loss).

Has anyone else noticed this attenuation or are you so interested in the mic recording sound that you haven't even checked the sound level and quality of the external speakers? If you are merely going to use a mic, then perhaps this is acceptable. However plugging a mic into the headset jack will deactivate the internal speakers. so if you need speaker sound and mic at the same time, you are probably out of luck. In other words, Skype will be difficult, if not impossible,when the speaker volume is so low. BTW, I'm talking about 90% to 95% attenuation (loss) of volume making the speakers nealy impossible to use even at full volume.

You really seem to be over thinking this the quality of your headset/mic has nothing to do with if it will work on the Fire it is all about the correct plug.
I am using the "Throw away" ones with the correct plug and it just works no loss of volume or any of the problems you are having and yes the mic and headphones both work.

Like I said, I'm still skeptical. I'm using the proper plugs but my results are way different from yours. I'm no slouch when it comes to electronics, especially radio communications, so I wonder if your results are typical or whether you are hearing what you want to hear. Have you actually tried listening to music on this headset with mic (3 striped plug) and compared the same music listening to a headset with speakers only (2 striped plug)? If so, are these experiences actually that similar or is there quite a bit of attenuation on the headset with mic compared to the headset with speakers only?

[afv011]

Originally Posted by Jessica Lares

I got Square to install... Regarding GPS...

If there is a way to trick it into thinking you have any, it would work BRILLIANTLY with the Fire.

As for the microphone, that's awesome!

You can use fakeGPS, free in the Google Market. Don't know if it's available in the Amazon appstore though.