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Author Topic: Sound help  (Read 5928 times)

TimberWolf_PSA

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Sound help
« on: August 01, 2004, 01:23:30 pm »
The voice keeps coming over the speakers instead of headset...looking for an option to change it, but cannot find it. I'm using USB logitech 300 headset w/ SB Audigy card on XP. Any help is appreciated
 

Art

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Sound help
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2004, 02:33:24 pm »
Not too sure on this but, shouldn't your headset
have two connectors? One will plug into the MIC
and the other into the SPKR. If you're hearing
sound from your desktop speakers you might want
to recheck the connection.
Also make sure of your settings are correct. In
XP, Richt click on volume control icon and select
Open Volume Control. Adjust levels as needed then
Adjust Audio Properties (Right Click on Vol icon).
You can select mic, sound card, etc.

If you have the Free version of Hal, voice rec. will
not work.

These are just some thoughts off the top....

Good Luck,
- Art -
In the world of AI it's the thought that counts!

- Art -

TimberWolf_PSA

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Sound help
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2004, 10:16:03 am »
err...it's usb, so only one connection, and all other sounds are coming through the headset, just the voice over speakers only. I've done the others and was looking for some kind of control panel in hal itself, which i can't seem to find, or a command line telling the speech which sound processor to use...
 

Rich_A

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Sound help
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2004, 01:14:21 pm »
err...many USB devices are not always fully compatible with a system, despite what claims their manufacturers might make about them being that way. Sorry, I know that is not too helpful. But most USB Headsets are all made to work good with most Speech Recognition Engines but not necessarily with all Text to Speech Engines. The USB Headset that you have may never work with your Hal on your system, but another USB Headset might work fine...it's potluck, especially when it comes to audio and sound technologies on a computer. If only the voice is not coming through the USB Headset then that may mean that the sound data generated by the Text to Speech Engine that the voice uses isn't being redirected to the USB connection. If the voice/sound is only going to your systems speaker output jacks you can try using another voice that uses a different Text to Speech Engine and see if you get the same results. If you still don't get the voice/sound through the USB Headset then you have a lot of other things to consider.

Some other things to try or consider:
1) If you have a non-USB headset hook it up and try it out to confirm that you can get Text to Speech Engine sound through the headphones.

2) If you don't have another headset then just plug in a regular set of stereo headphones to test for the Text to Speech Engine sound in them.

3) You can also try playing other video games while using the USB Headset, but you probably already did that and saw that the USB Headset works fine with them.

4)You can also try using the USB Headset with another program that uses the Text to Speech Engine technology such as CyberBuddy. If you get the same results as you did with Hal you have now narrowed down the problem to your own systems software/hardware not working with the USB Headset properly. Programs that use Text to Speech Engines definitely isn't the problem.

5) You can also try reinstalling the Text to Speech Engine software that you are trying to use while the new USB Headset is connected to your computer, but that's a long shot!

6) You can also try disconnecting your system's speakers while you are using the USB Headset. Disconnect the speakers while the computer is off, and plug in the USB Headset, and then power on your computer and see what happens then. But it's probably not going to work...Sorry! And if it don't work then you can conclude that the Text to Speech Engine sound/voice is being directed to only your computer's speaker output jacks, and that the USB Headset that you have is not redirecting that sound to the USB connection. You need to lookup and find out that stuff before trying out another USB Headset. Another USB Headset that comes with it's own software may or may not redirect the sound of the Text to Speech Engine to the USB connection.

7) If your USB Headset came with it's own software then you can try uninstalling it and then reinstalling it and then see what happens. After uninstalling it you may also consider doing a System Restore back to a System Checkpoint prior to when the Headset software was originally installed. And then after the System Restore is completed go ahead and install the Headset software again. But you should only do the System Restore if the Headset software was recently installed, since a System Restore can effect other changes made to your system besides the Headset software install.

I purposely brought a non-USB Headset because I researched the subject before buying any type of Headset and I saw that USB can be asking for trouble. All the USB Headsets that I checked-out didn't mention anything about using it with Text to Speech Engines on the Headset product packaging, and most computer audio sales-people didn't know what the hell I was talking about when I asked them about using an USB Headset with Text to Speech Engines, and that was my biggest tip-off that it's trouble. So, a newer technology isn't always better if some other current technologies still don't fully support it yet, and that sounds like what your situation might be...same as mine. Most people buying USB Headsets are not getting it to talk to an AI program with a Text to Speech Engine. Most people will usually use a USB Headset with Speech Recognition Engines only and not necessary Text to Speech Engines too, which is the problem here.

You can try running through all the hardware sound tests and diags, and after you finish doing all that maybe you can try researching the topic further on the Internet. You can even do the updating of your system's audio drivers, but I'm sure that's not the answer either. And forget about getting some sort of Windows Update or Patch from Microsoft for making your Windows system more compatible with the most current technologies. And then after all that, you can go out and buy a non-USB Headset just for your Hal. That's what I did because I don't have the time to go crazy trying to find the one USB Headset that works with my Hal.
 

Rich_A

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Sound help
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2004, 01:15:51 pm »
Below is an example of a Best Buy web advertisement for the Logitech USB Headset that you got (the Product Code 980130-0403 is for Model# 300). It mentions that it works with speech recognition applications, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it also works with applications that use Text to Speech Engines. So just keep looking for one that does. If you finally find one that works with your Hal please post it here at the forum so we will all know which one to buy too!

Logitech USB Premium Stereo Headset
Model: 980130-0403
Price: $49.99
- High-performance headset is ideal for voice and video chat, music, gaming and speech recognition applications.
- Noise-canceling microphone filters out background noise
- In-line volume and mute control with soft-touch surface
- Plush ear pads and adjustable headband for comfort

And now here's a website called EverythingUSB.com with user reviews and forum support about your exact model and other USB devices. Your Headset is rated great for Internet Voice Chat and Gaming, but there is nothing mentioned about Text to Speech Engine compatibility. The below also states that it comes with Full Product Support and a 2-year guarantee...if you got an 800 support phone number for Logitech you can try calling them and they might have some other useful suggestions. However, they will most likely conclude that there is something wrong with your computer and/or it's audio sound drivers, even though we both know that there is most likely nothing wrong. So, then you can try the forum help at EverythingUSB.com and see what they have to say. There have been many other reported problems at that forum regarding your Headset, but I didn't see anything there that even resembles your problem.

What is it?: USB Headphones with Microphone
Product Name: Premium USB Headset 300
Manufacturer: Logitech
Price: Approx. MSRP $49.99 USD
Availability: Now
Verdict: Easiest Install Ever, Decent Audio Quality, Very Comfortable.

Brief Summary
Logitech Premium USB Headset 300 - Logitech promises to bring comfort and high fidelity sound to voice chatters and gamers alike with USB-interfaced Premium.

Premium USB Headset 300 First Take
Logitech Premium Headset 300 - the first USB headset from the company - lets you listen to tunes or record voices thru the noise-canceling microphone just like its 3.5mm-plug counterpart. The only difference with this one is that it replaces your PC’s internal sound card, allowing the headphones’ processor to decode the sound digitally after flowing through the USB cable. The company claims the built-in processor should alleviate any sound clarity problems associated with the internal sound card deficiency, which happens to laptops mostly.

The Premium Headset 300’s ear pads are made up of soft foam for extended wear, and the headset comes with in-line volume and mute control. Frequency response of the headset ranges from 20 to 20,000Hz. Lastly, the Premium Headset 300 sans any kinds of drivers and enhancement software exclusively supports operating systems with native USB audio support. So, this includes Windows ME, 2000, XP or later, and MacOS 9.1.x or later.

What does Logitech say about them:
Supreme comfort and stereo sound with digital clarity
Volume and mute control with soft-touch surface
Advanced digital audio for superior sound clarity
Simple USB plug-and-play connectivity
Dynamic stereo sound for music and games
Premium adjustable headband offers maximum comfort
Versatile left or right microphone placement
Noise-cancelling microphone filters out background noise
Plush ear pads for extra-comfort and durability
Package contents
Premium Stereo USB Headset
Documentation
Full product support
2-year guarantee
Technical specifications
Frequency response:
Headset: 20-20'000 Hz
Microphone: 100-16'000 Hz
Sensitivity: -58 dBV/Xbar, -38 dBV/Pa+/-4dB
System requirements
PC with Windows® 98, Me, 2000, or XP
Macintosh® with OS 9.0.4+
USB port

Disclaimer: Product specifications are provided by the manufacturer, and may not be consistent with real-world performance. User experiences may also vary.

If you have any questions regarding Logitech Premium USB Headset 300,
please post them in our forums:

<http://www.everythingusb.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=119>

Before making a post at EverythingUSB.com their support techs usually recommend contacting Logitech first if your product is still under warranty. If Logitech can't help you with your problem then these guys will certainly try.