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Audio measurement on mobile phones [message #82222] Tue, 15 March 2016 01:55 Go to next message
Yurimi is currently offline  Yurimi
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Mobile phones are evolving ever so quickly nowadays. From a quick search at Google, I found a program which measure and analyze sound system at Play Store. It turns your phone into such powerful tool. How dependable is the result compared to the traditional ways where we use specific measurement microphone, cables, amps, and paid programs?

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Re: Audio measurement on mobile phones [message #82223 is a reply to message #82222] Tue, 15 March 2016 10:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
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Registered: January 2001
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Phone apps aren't nearly as good as dedicated measurement systems. Think about it: The phone application developer has no way of knowing what quality the microphone or input circuitry is like, so the system cannot be calibrated. Phone measurement apps are gimmicky, at least at this time. One could calibrate the hardware though, so those kinds of apps could potentially become more accurate at some point.

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Re: Audio measurement on mobile phones [message #82226 is a reply to message #82223] Wed, 16 March 2016 00:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Yurimi is currently offline  Yurimi
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Wayne Parham wrote on Tue, 15 March 2016 23:40

Phone apps aren't nearly as good as dedicated measurement systems. Think about it: The phone application developer has no way of knowing what quality the microphone or input circuitry is like, so the system cannot be calibrated. Phone measurement apps are gimmicky, at least at this time. One could calibrate the hardware though, so those kinds of apps could potentially become more accurate at some point.

Thank you for the input. I did not think about the microphone's difference between those smartphones because I do not feel like it is an important feature when choosing a phone to buy. I have heard that it is possible to add external microphone to the smartphones, though. I wonder if that will help to solve the problem, given that we can modify the application's settings to match our new tool.

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Re: Audio measurement on mobile phones [message #82227 is a reply to message #82226] Wed, 16 March 2016 09:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
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Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Yurimi wrote on Wed, 16 March 2016 00:55
"...given that we can modify the application's settings to match our new tool."

That's the sticking point. You have to be able to use a calibrated microphone, one with a calibration file that can be imported into the app to normalize it. It's kind of like equalization on the input, using a trusted source to provide the EQ settings.

You also need to be comfortable that the input circuitry is flat, and not band-limited to suppress noise or having any other filtering mechanism.

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Re: Audio measurement on mobile phones [message #82938 is a reply to message #82222] Sun, 26 June 2016 21:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
The Noise is currently offline  The Noise
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An app like this sounds more like a toy than anything else. Smart phones were not made to do something as technical as this, so there is no way the app maker can integrate what is needed into the app which has to be compatible with the phone.

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Re: Audio measurement on mobile phones [message #82952 is a reply to message #82222] Mon, 27 June 2016 23:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
drake is currently offline  drake
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That has to be some joke especially if it is an app that can be downloaded for free. Correct me if I am wrong but why would I need an app that analyzes or measures my phone's system? Would it this be so improvements can be made and if so, by what means?

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Re: Audio measurement on mobile phones [message #83653 is a reply to message #82952] Tue, 04 October 2016 05:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Keluv is currently offline  Keluv
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drake wrote on Tue, 28 June 2016 12:13
That has to be some joke especially if it is an app that can be downloaded for free. Correct me if I am wrong but why would I need an app that analyzes or measures my phone's system? Would it this be so improvements can be made and if so, by what means?

The app actually turns the phone into an audio measurement tool. So you don't use it to analyze the phone, but for your bedroom or car. The accuracy is questionable, but for people who are looking for free software, that sounds like an option.

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Re: Audio measurement on mobile phones [message #83672 is a reply to message #82223] Thu, 06 October 2016 06:01 Go to previous message
cwemoy is currently offline  cwemoy
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Wayne Parham wrote on Tue, 15 March 2016 10:40

Phone apps aren't nearly as good as dedicated measurement systems. Think about it: The phone application developer has no way of knowing what quality the microphone or input circuitry is like, so the system cannot be calibrated. Phone measurement apps are gimmicky, at least at this time. One could calibrate the hardware though, so those kinds of apps could potentially become more accurate at some point.



I had no idea there were any such apps. As you have mentioned, I don't think they are at that place where they can be fully relied upon.

Perhaps in the future, we'll have more accurate and reliable systems.

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