USB headset microphone picking up line/speaker output

[Paul]

Problem is... I'm using a Logitech headset microphone for
sound/speech/command input. My computer does what I tell it to do.
Unfortunately, seems that sometimes it hears sound that should be
piped only through the speakers. I'm sure it's not hearing the sound
coming from the speakers, it appears to be something in the circuitry.
In other words... I use a USB headset microphone for speech input.
Sound output is through speakers. But the system appears to be piping
sound output into the headset microphone circuitry. This has happened
with two different Logitech USB headsets.

Seems that the problem occurs even when the speakers are muted.

I might try a spare soundblaster audigy sound card, using the speaker
out from that instead of from the built-in sound. Somehow, maybe that
won't interfere with the USB microphone input.

Not that it matters, but... I'm using Windows Speech Recognition and
Vocola for voice-activated scripting, in Windows 8.

Thanks.

When you have two entirely different pieces of hardware, it's
pretty hard for the signals to just meander from one piece of
hardware to the other.

How loud a person talks, can be a function of what they hear.
And to stop people from shouting while wearing a headset, they
sometimes mix some microphone signal, into the earphones.
That's so the speaker will talk at a more normal level,
and not exaggerate their speech.

Your wiring would have to be particularly poorly shielded, for
coupling between conductors with a large separation. I'd choose
to believe it's a software trick instead. Like some mixer or
sound driver, knows headphones are involved, and some
mixing of input with output is required for better perceived
ambient sound.

Paul

 

[John Doe]

Problem is... I'm using a Logitech headset microphone for
sound/speech/command input. My computer does what I tell it to do.
Unfortunately, seems that sometimes it hears sound that should be
piped only through the speakers. I'm sure it's not hearing the sound
coming from the speakers, it appears to be something in the circuitry.
In other words... I use a USB headset microphone for speech input.
Sound output is through speakers. But the system appears to be piping
sound output into the headset microphone circuitry. This has happened
with two different Logitech USB headsets.

Seems that the problem occurs even when the speakers are muted.

I might try a spare soundblaster audigy sound card, using the speaker
out from that instead of from the built-in sound. Somehow, maybe that
won't interfere with the USB microphone input.

Not that it matters, but... I'm using Windows Speech Recognition and
Vocola for voice-activated scripting, in Windows 8.

Thanks.

 

[Flasherly]

Problem is... I'm using a Logitech headset microphone for
sound/speech/command input. My computer does what I tell it to do.
Unfortunately, seems that sometimes it hears sound that should be
piped only through the speakers. I'm sure it's not hearing the sound
coming from the speakers, it appears to be something in the circuitry.
In other words... I use a USB headset microphone for speech input.
Sound output is through speakers. But the system appears to be piping
sound output into the headset microphone circuitry. This has happened
with two different Logitech USB headsets.

Seems that the problem occurs even when the speakers are muted.

I might try a spare soundblaster audigy sound card, using the speaker
out from that instead of from the built-in sound. Somehow, maybe that
won't interfere with the USB microphone input.

Not that it matters, but... I'm using Windows Speech Recognition and
Vocola for voice-activated scripting, in Windows 8.

Thanks.

Most newer boards offer AEC for echo cancellation to gamer forum
taunts or service site relays on copper multiplexes and satellite
telephony. Can be a pain without it on telephones for the receiver
listening to a computer, as the mic and speaker balance may sound good
to the computer operator, encompassing both parties transmission and
reception, but horrible to listen to for the receiver only. AEC
effectively knocks out the computer speakers from feeding back into
the mic.

 

[John Doe]

John Doe wrote:

When you have two entirely different pieces of hardware, it's
pretty hard for the signals to just meander from one piece of
hardware to the other.

I appreciate the feedback, y'all.

The problem doesn't exist using the same USB headset microphones in
Windows XP with Dragon Naturally Speaking.

In windows of old, sound properties included sliders for various
recording sources. The choice of recording source sometimes included
WAV output.

Another weird thing is that the very same WAV sounds can be played at
the same volume from the file manager, without interfering with speech
recognition input. The problem occurs only during script playback when
using those sounds as queues.

Vocola voice activated scripting uses this command.

RunProgram("D:\files\wav\special effects\boop.wav")

Apparently that just opens the file using the assigned program. But I
suspect it could be somehow related. Lousy lead, but that's about it.

I'll try plugging in the sound card. If that don't work, oh well, I'll
definitely post the fix if and when I find it. I use sounds regularly
for script playback.

 

[John Doe]

It's not speaker output feeding back through the microphone, the
feedback happens when the speakers are muted. But it's inconsistent. I
think it changes when I run a voice activated script. So I think it
has to do with Windows Speech Recognition and maybe Vocola. For some
strange reason, WSR starts (and stops) listening to WAV output as well
as microphone input. I suppose it's a bug in WSR, but conceivably it
could have to do with Vocola.

 

[John Doe]

BWAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

Solved.

For the record. According to Eric from an Windows Speech Recognition
web group/forum...

This is the echo cancellation from the audio object. Disable it by
making this DWORD value and setting it to 0, in the registry.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\AudioInput\AudioFeatures
\AcousticEchoCancellation

The registry key AudioFeatures didn't even exist, but adding that
setting appears to stop the interference. Disabling echo
cancellation solves a problem that looks like echo. Strange but
true.