Just Wondering...

The $150 mic:

I'm not counting pennies to get my empeg. However, I am very value-oriented -- I don't like to throw money at things, but I'm willing to pay for good stuff that I want. The empeg, to me, is a pretty nice little box, and is well worth the money. The voice recognition feature is pretty cool, and would be fun to play with. However, there have been some concerns voiced about just how well it will work, and if it's going to work well enough to be really useful. And you have to admit that $150 is kind of on the expensive side for a consumer microphone, no? It just doesn't seem to be that good of a *value*.

empeg on factory system (which I'm planning to do):

Quite simply, I'm not an audiophile. (Rather, I'd fit into your "computer geek" category. :) Heck, I'm not even a music buff. I just like to listen to music while I'm doing stuff. The idea of having my entire music collection with me all the time, and having any song instantly available at the touch of a button really appeals to me. Also, most of my music is in MP3 format anyway.

Also, remember that the empeg is much more than a head unit. In fact, I expect that I'm going to use it in my house 90% of the time. Being able to use it in the car is just icing on the cake.

Oh, and my car is leased. ;)

Alex

Well, the mic isn't just a little mic - it's a 4-microphone array, plus a little DSP pack (requires power from the amp remote line). It's value for $150 :)

Hugo

it's a 4-microphone array, plus a little DSP pack

Hugo, what are the chances that you stick with Andrea as the best microphone set-up for VR?
Assuming that it also cuts out background noise when used with a car phone, would it make sense to get one now (for use with the phone) and share it between the phone and the empeg later?

Henno
ex 00120

I happen to be in the penny-pinching mode at the moment.

I'm a college student, and I'm working over the summer. I plan to earn a total of about $3500 to $3700 total. It's a question of how much I want to have to take back to school with me. So far I've spent somewhere around $650. Let's say that leaves $3000. Then take off $1300 for the empeg, and $700 for installation, and I'm left with $1000.

Now keep in mind that I need to live on that $1000 for the first semester of school. That includes food, gas, and day to day expenses. I cannot afford a $150 mic. I might be able to afford something like a $50 mic, but even that would be pushing it.

Hugo, I fully understand that the Andrea Electronics mic is a very nice piece of equipment. However, if there is a cheaper one, as the web site implies, I'd like to know about it.

Just remember, the mic is too expensive for me. I fully urge anyone to get the higher quality mic, because it seems to be very good. I would probably buy one in the future, or ask for it as a birthday or Christmas present, I just can't afford it now.

DiGNAN

> However, if there is a cheaper one, as the web site implies, I'd like to know
> about it.

It's absolutely nothing to do with us which mic you buy - we're not telling you to spend $150, we just mentioned that if you want the best voice recognition performance, then that could be the best product for the job.

We're not hiding an alternative cheaper product - visit Radio Shack and ask for a cheap condenser mic, you should be able to get one for a couple of dollars, just don't expect the best voice recognition accuracy.

That goes for any system - e.g. Auto PC - not just the empeg.

Rob

it's a 4-microphone array

I just checked the Andrea site (again): no sign of visor-mounted array microphones !
They didn't cancel that product now a rear-mirror array is in the wings for Donnelly? Am I looking in the wrong place?
Could swear I'd seen a picture of sun-visor mounted mikes at their site, or was it someplace else?

Henno
ex 00120

The link to the array microphone is here.

Registration number 1430

Tony is absolutely right. If it is a choice between voice recognition and a subwoofer, forget the VR. You don't need it. You do need a subwoofer.

And it doesn't have to be some monster box filled full of 12 inchers, either. A single 10" subwoofer, properly located, will make a near-miraculous improvement in the sound of your stereo system.

I never used to be a car stereo audiophile -- I bought an inexpensive station wagon, the radio didn't work, so I figured what the heck, put in a CD player. Took me only a few days to realize that I wanted more low-end response when I played Bolero... had the stereo shop put in a subwoofer, and I was an instant convert. It sounded sooooo good, I really had had no idea what I had been missing before.

It changed my car from being something that made semi-musical noises to something that really PLAYED MUSIC to the point where my commute to and from work is just about the best part of the day.

That got me started, and then my stereo shop, worse than any dope pusher, helped me enhance it with better speakers, better amplifiers, a little of this and a little of that until I ended up with a competition-capable system (never placed lower than third in any event I entered) and still only had about $1350 invested. (Well.... not a fair thing to say, because I represent the shop when I compete and I get pretty special pricing. I'd guess someone off the street could duplicate my system for about $2000--$2500. Of course when I get my empeg, that price goes way up.)

Anyway... if you have to, skip the VR. Skip lunches. Become celibate. But get the subwoofer.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

But can you actually buy one of these mics online?

Thanks Frank: it's indeed the link I was looking for but though it is still on the Andrea web site, it seems no longer linked to any of the other pages on their site: not even the products summary or the on-line order page mention it any longer. The only reference I can find is in the site overview, where it is shown as a sub-page of products (from where it isn't linked)..

Hugo, are you sure this is still a live product - available to the general public???
Would you considered reselling it as part of the Mk2 package?

Henno
ex 00120

No, no, I'm not choosing between a sub woofer and VR. that's an obvious choice and I know the difference a sub can make. The choice between it and VR isn't even compareable, as $150 or less for a mic is a bit different from $250 to $400 for a sub and installation.

The choice was, if I didn't get a sub installed, that would leave me with a bit of extra cash that I had planned to spend on car audio anyway, so I would use it to upgrade what I have been told are crummy factory installed speakers.

I still haven't decided. Thanks for the info Rob. So I just need a condensor mic? what is that?

DiGNAN

A condenser mic is a small, typically cheap, omni-directional (hears anything) mic with a broad frequency response. It's the kind of mic you might find on a camcorder, mini-cassette recorder, or cellphone car kit.

_~= Dearing =~_
"WAY too happy about having #99."