usb mic

You have been asking the same question I have been trying to get an answer to for almost a year now. Here's what I know: Most IPhones and smartphones can take a very nice analog mic through the headset jack with a TRRS 3.5mm jack input and it will read the audio on the fourth ring. Now that gets some pretty good sound if you have a pretty good mic and you can even use a audio interface. 

Then I saw the Apogee USB mic for not only computers but also for the IPhone through the charging port. This is what gave me the idea to see if I could just hook it up to any smartphone through the charging port using a micro usb male to a female USB adapter. I still haven't found out the answer but I do know you can do what you are thinking of with the USB Apogee mic which is supposed to be one of the nicer ones on the market-you will only be able most probably be able to use it with an IPhone for that's for sure that you can. You might then also be able to hook it up like you were thinking and run it through your own smartphone but that would depend if there's a audio in somewhere through the charging port-there is for the IPhone. But who knows for the average smartphone. 

See, the only difference is that going through the charging port or the usb port on a computer is digital and the headset jack is for analog-that means if you get an adapter for the headset jack you'll lose some of that pristine sound because it will have to convert back to analog. I may just have to buy the Apogee USB mic and use it with my Iphone and then experiment with other smartphones and their charging ports. If I find out, I'll let you know. But remember, you can get pretty darn good sound through the headset jack with an analog mic if it takes a TRRS input jack. 

Hope one of us figures it out soon! 

Gigihere

Any success with external microphones for Android phones or tablets?

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What's the best way to record a video with high quality audio? Specifically, this is for a presentation where a microphone could be placed by the speaker. I know that an app that records with the right codec is necessary, but what about the microphone? I'd prefer to use a USB mic but, even though Android 3.1+ supports USB host mode, it doesn't appear that this is easy to accomplish. What about a 3.5mm microphone - would that yield acceptable results, or would it be better to stick with the built-in microphone? Are any of the video-recording apps capable of handling the microphone? usb audio usb-host-mode microphone shareimprove this question edited Feb 10 '12 at 11:28 GAThrawn 17.9k54499 asked Feb 10 '12 at 10:12 ProjectJourneyman 201125

Does your device have a mic jack? –  Matthew Read♦ Feb 10 '12 at 17:48 Yes and no... I have a few test devices, let's say the Droid 1, which should work with a wired handsfree device. I'll need to track down a splitter to use it with a standard 3.5mm microphone. If I'm going the USB Host route, I'll use a Xoom or put a beta of Cyanogenmod9 (with ICS) onto the Droid 1. There seem to be problems with using line-in audio for video recording, from what I've seen. I'm still testing. –  ProjectJourneyman Feb 11 '12 at 4:37

Clever adapter connects USB accessories to your Android device

With an inexpensive USB OTG adapter, you can connect things like keyboards, USB hard drives, and even gaming controllers to your Android phone or tablet.

When you plug the OTG adapter into your Android device, a quick notification will appear, letting you know that the phone or tablet has recognized the adapter and is ready to be a USB host.

From there, you can start plugging in a number of USB devices. Here are the ones I tested using the Samsung Galaxy S III (S3):

• USB thumbdrive: When you plug in a USB thumbdrive, you Android device will quickly display its contents. You can play movies, play music, and view photos or documents. The interface also allows you to move or copy files from your thumbdrive to your phone's SD card. This is the most practical use of the USB OTG adapter, and an excellent way to quickly transfer files or expand your device's storage.
  If, by chance, your device does not recognize the USB thumbdrive, try accessing it with an app like ES File Explorer.
• Desktop keyboard: If you need to do long-form writing, you can use a standard computer keyboard (wired or wireless) to type on your Android phone or tablet. Even shortcuts like Ctrl-A and Ctrl-X will work.
• Mouse: This was pretty surprising -- when you connect a mouse (wired or wireless), a pointer will appear on your Android's screen. With that, you can use the mouse just as you would your finger.
• USB hub: What if you want to connect a keyboard and mouse at the same time? With a USB hub plugged into the OTG adapter, you can do just that. Of course, your battery will drain a bit faster, but the setup might be worthwhile for power users.
• Powered hard drive: Because your Android powers whatever device it's connected to, a portable (not powered) hard drive won't work. However, a powered hard drive will, since it relies on energy from an external source. With the hard drive connected, you can read, write, and transfer any stored files.
• PS3 controller: Now, this is pretty crazy. The Samsung Galaxy S III is stock-compatible with the PS3 controller. As soon as you connect it, you can navigate the interface using the analog (thumb) stick. Most importantly, the controller is compatible with some Android games. So far, the inventory of PS3 controller-ready games has been hit or miss, but Sega games (like Sonic) definitely work.
• Card reader: Photographers will appreciate the USB OTG's compatibility with card readers. In theory, you could shoot photos on your high-quality camera and upload them on the go using your Android phone or tablet. This could also be useful for pro photographers who can show their clients previews or share sneak-peeks of photo shoots through apps like Instagram.
• DSLR camera (Canon T3i): The OTG adapter coupled with your dSLR's USB cable allows you to tether your camera to your phone or tablet. Using an app like Remote Release or DSLR Controller, you can even use your Android device as a remote shutter release, as well as control camera settings and mirror them live.
• USB-to-Ethernet adapter: If Wi-Fi isn't available, or you want a supersteady Internet connection, you can connect a USB-to-Ethernet adapter (like this one) to your USB OTG and connect the phone or tablet to a wired Ethernet connection.

With time, more Android devices will likely support USB hosting. If you discover any additional devices that support the USB OTG adapter, or other USB accessories that work with it, let me know in the comments.

Android USB Audio Recording App Setup

Motorola Moto G tips and tricks

Moto G

Moto G Tips and Tricks

Bought a Motorola Moto G? Congratulations, you’ve purchased our favourite budget phone of last year. It’s a cracker, and the best phone you can get for under £200.

However, to really get the most out of the phone you need to have a few tips and tricks up your sleeve. We’ve spent a lot of time with the phone, and here are our favourites.

How to get the Nexus 5 interface

When we upgraded to Android 4.4 on our Moto G, we half-hoped we’d get the Nexus 5’s interface. The current Nexus was the first phone to show off Android 4.4, and it has a different look to almost every other Android phone.

It’s because the Nexus 5 uses the Google Experience interface rather than the usual Android one. However, if you like the friendly, clean look of this interface you can get it on the Moto G, with a bit of fiddling.

First, you need to download a specific apk Android app file, which enables Google Experience. You’ll find it hosted by Android Police.

Either download it using your computer or do so directly on your phone. Then find it using a file browser app such as ES File Explorer, and install it. You'll need to enable installs from unknown sources in Settings > Security first.

Once installed, you’ll be given the option to either use the normal UI or the Google Experience one when you press the Home button. Select the ‘use as default’ option to continue using the new interface a bit more permanently on your Moto G.

There are also ‘home switcher’ apps available from Google Play that that let you switch between default interfaces without having to fiddle about in the Settings menu. One of them we’ve tried is – helpfully – called simply Home Switcher.

Here's what Google Experience looks like on the Moto G -

A bumper case is best for long-term protection

The Motorola Moto G is a well-made phone. However, some aspects of its build have been sacrificed in order to keep the Gorilla Glass front panel safe.

The plastic shell of the phone sticks out from the screen by a fraction of a millimetre, meaning the plastic (rather than the glass) takes the brunt of any impacts. It means the plastic screen surround is susceptible to damage – without any particular bad treatment.

To avoid this sort of damage, consider investing in a bumper-style rubber case, or Motorola’s own flip cover. This uses a front flap that should soak up some of the pressure of bumps and scrapes.

Use an app zapper for performance maintenance

One of the few weak bits of the Motorola Moto G is that it doesn’t have all that much RAM – just 1GB. Once you have a load of apps installed, many of which may be sucking up system resources in the background, the phone can start to chug a little.

In order to keep performance solid, install a task killer app that can 'force' an app to stop running. An issue with Android is that apps can end up performing activities when they shouldn’t, causing battery life and performance issues. Advanced Task Killer is an app manager we frequently return to.

App killers aren't a 'cure all' solution, but we found they're useful every now and again as a last resort.

Install Google Keyboard for gesture typing

The Motorola Moto G is one of the more up-to-date Android phones around. However, it can do with a software tweak or two fresh out of the box.

One key thing to change is the keyboard. The phone has the generic Android keyboard, which is actually a little different from the ‘Google’ keyboard available from Google Play. It doesn’t have gesture typing for one, and as such we strongly recommend switching to the Google keyboard.

To do so, head over to Google Play and get the app downloaded, go to Settings > Language & Input, make sure the check box for the Google keyboard is ticked. Then tap on Default and select the Google keyboard option to make it your go-to keyboard. Other keyboards worth checking out include Swiftkey and Touchpal.

How to fix app install parsing errors

One of the most annoying issues of the Motorola G is that some handsets suffer from a parse error that stops you from installing apps that come from anywhere but the Google Play app store. Trying to do so will result in an error message you can’t easily get around.

Some people have found that performing a factory reset on the phone solves the issue – to try this go to Settings > Backup & Reset and select Factory Data Reset.

However, we didn’t find this to be a problem-buster. A fix will come in time with a software update, but there is also a way to work around the parsing error for the time being. You can upload your .apk files to Google Drive, Google’s cloud storage service, and install them from there. There’s an app for Drive pre-installed on the Moto G.

To upload a file to Google Drive, install a file manager such as ES File Explorer, use it to locate the .apk file you downloaded. Tap the file’s entry, press the ‘More’ menu item at the bottom and then tap the Share option in the pop-up submenu. One of the options here will be Google Drive.

You don’t actually have to wait for the full file to upload. Once the upload has started, you’ll be able to install the app/game by simply tapping its entry in the Google Drive app (which you’ll be sent to upon sharing the file). You can then cancel the upload to save data.

Use HDR mode if you want half-decent photos

The Motorola Moto G’s camera is not very good. However, you can get reasonable results if you use the HDR mode. HDR stands for high dynamic range, and it uses multiple exposures merged together to produce higher-quality, more vivid shots.

To turn HDR mode on, swipe left to right on the edge of the screen when in the camera app to bring up the camera menu. There will be an HDR option within it. The downside of using HDR mode is that it’s pretty slow, requiring a couple of seconds for each shot. However, it’s pretty much the only way to produce satisfying photos with the phone.

How to transfer your old data with Motorola Migrate

Motorola Migrate is an app that lets you take content from your old phone and bung it into your new Moto G. It’s pretty clever, and very simple.

All you do is install Motorola Migrate on both phones (it comes preinstalled on the Moto G), and scan a QR code on your old phone with the new one's camera. You’ll need an internet connection, but Migrate will do the rest. It’ll give you old text messages, your contacts and even your media.

How to update to Android 4.4

Android 4.4 KitKat is already out for some versions of the Moto G, but by no means all of them. We strongly recommend waiting until the official release is available for your phone, rather than crowbarring in the update by rooting your phone.

To check if the update has been released for your particular Moto G variant, go to Settings > About Phone and tap the system updates option. This will manually search for software updates. If one is available, on-screen prompts will help you install it. Otherwise, just hang on.

Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/motorola-moto-g-tips-and-tricks#S2z4zu5lBT7p6xki.99

Motorola Moto G users complain about lost connection and SIM card problems after 4.4.2 KitKat update

Last month, Motorola released the 4.4.2 KitKat update for Moto G users in India, but barely a week after updating their devices users started complaining about issues, which BGR India reported soon after the update went live. Majority of the users complained about an issue with the SIM card slot. It seems, this incident is not isolated and users around the world are facing similar issues.

A user started a post on Motorola’s forum and listed a host of problems he faced after updating the Moto G to 4.4.2 KitKat. In addition to the Moto G not detecting a SIM card, users also complained about dropped calls, loss in connection, popup errors, and errors relating to Airplane mode. The same has now been reported by many others in multiple countries. It is not isolated to the dual-SIM version that is available in India. Some users are also facing problems with the USB OTG feature getting disabled while others are getting an error when they switch on the camera.

The exact cause of these problems hasn’t yet been confirmed though a Motorola representative on the thread has confirmed the company is looking into it. Do let us know if you have been facing issues with your Moto G after updating it, in the comments section below.

Featured Review: Moto G

Tom Dawson | March 5, 2014 | Reply

It’s hard to get excited about a device that doesn’t have any remarkable features, offers a decent range of specs and more for great value, and yet the Moto G has been something of a hero device from Motorola. Why? That’s what we’re going to find out in this review, as we take a look at the understated device that undoubtedly offers the best value for money out there when it comes to budget minded devices. With stock Android, an unremarkable design and some of the special sauce, such as Motomaker and Active Notifications missing from the Moto X, is the Moto G really the best budget phone we’ve all been waiting for?

Design

How much is there to say about the Moto G? Well, not a lot really, and that’s an excellent thing. Because the Moto G is such an understated device, there’s very little to complain about, even if the black version Vodafone sent me is a little drab. The Moto logo on the back dips into the device and offers a decent place to rest a fingertip and the whole rear of the device is covered in soft touch material, which makes it easy to grip in the hand. As for the volume and power buttons it does feel a little strange to see them on the same side, but the silver look makes them stand out and they have some good feedback. At this price point, you’re not going to get a Rolls Royce smartphone, but the Moto G certainly never felt “cheap” during my use. The logo-free display front of the device houses the 4.5-inch 720p display and it’s clean without being boring. If you were looking for more design flare, then you’ll need to look elsewhere, but personally I like design that gets out-of-the-way, and the Moto G ticks that box.

Display

When the Moto G was launched, its display – with a ppi of 326 – was touted as its best feature and we’re inclined to agree with Motorola on that score. My camera doesn’t do the display justice, but the 4.5-inch display is both sharp and colorful. It’s not as colorful as a Super AMOLED display, but text was super-sharp when reading text, and videos looked good enough. For the most part, I felt that colors were accurate, if not a little muted, but I didn’t have the feeling that the display was either struggling with the range of colors or cheating me out of finer detail. To my eyes, things were a little blue-ish, but I use warmer-tone displays so, take that for what you will. For the $179 you can pick one of these up for, this display is excellent and next to my personal Nexus 5, the display more than held its own. A display that offers a decent compromise on size and resolution, Motorola got one of the most important parts of their device right.

Performance

So, we’ve established that the Moto G has a good-looking display on it, but what good is that if you never want to use it? Thankfully, the quad-core Snapdragon 400 at the heart of the G is good enough to keep most users happy. Of course, we need to remember that we’re talking about a sub-$200 unlocked phone here, so the performance isn’t going to match a Galaxy Note 3. The Moto G is fast and fluid throughout most daily, everyday tasks and throughout my usual routine I never found myself too frustrated with the performance here. There are moments when the device needs to catch up a little bit and certain games take a while to load and frame rates aren’t amazing, but the experience isn’t displeasing, it could just be better. Motorola have really shown what difference using clean, bloat-free software can have on a device’s performance.

Key tasks like browsing the web, sending a message, listening to music, taking a photo and so forth were speedy. That’s speedy without caveats, it could be faster, but it’s fast. I did a few non-scientific tests side-by-side my Nexus 5 to see how stock KitKat scales from a 2.3 Ghz Snapdragon 800 to a 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon 400 and I was genuinely shocked. In a number of cases, the Moto G was less than a second behind, and even heavy webpages didn’t upset this little guy. All-in-all, I would say that the Moto G is a fast device, it’s not quite as immediate as something more high-end with a Snapdragon 800 or Tegra 4 in it, but you won’t be frustrated with the performance. Especially when you remember how little it cost you, off-contract.

Software

We’re not going to go into too much detail here, as the Moto G simply runs stock Android 4.4, with a few tweaks. These aren’t visual tweaks mind you, nor do they change the way Android acts, they’re device-specific sort of stuff. For a smartphone at this price point to run Android 4.4 already is pretty incredible, as high-end devices from the likes of Samsung and LG are only just getting their updates now. There are a few apps added in here, such as Motorola Assist and Motorola Migrate, which we’ve covered before, but the Migrate app is particularly useful for those upgrading from another Android device. There’s an FM Radio app in here as well, so you can always listen to something without worrying about streaming music or having filled up all of your storage. It’s a pleasing software build at work here, and even those that aren’t familiar with Android will be able to use it in minutes.

The Camera

How good can a 5-megapixel camera be? I asked myself when I played around with the shooter on the Moto G, and the answers I found were just as you might expect; unremarkable. It works, and it’s pretty quick, which is good news for a phone at this price point. Noise creeps in pretty quickly, and the flash is more of a pain than it is a help, but in the vast majority of situations anyone that knows anything about taking pictures will be using this in, it’ll perform just fine. You can get some usable shots from the G, but if something really matters to you, chances are you’ll be taking a camera with you, or you already own a better specced smartphone. In my eyes, the results from the Moto G were slightly pinkish and a little over saturated, but they weren’t awful pictures and I wouldn’t feel too bad about sharing them online. These days we expect the world from a smartphone camera, but frankly the reality is that they simply can’t meet these expectations a lot of the time. A usable camera for sure, don’t expect too much from it and you’ll get along just fine.

Battery Life

How I use my phone is not how you use your phone, so take this with a little bit of salt. Overall, I was impressed with the Moto G’s battery life. During the day I don’t really use my phone all that much, I have a computer at my disposal after all, but what I did find was that the Moto G made my Nexus 5 look a little silly in terms of longevity. A number of times I didn’t even need to charge the Moto G overnight, something I have had to do with every smartphone I have ever owned, so that surprised me. The display of the Moto G can be cranked pretty high in terms of brightness so there is that to watch out for, but on 3G and WiFi the battery life is impressive. We expect this is down to the Cortex-A17 based chip inside, which itself is designed to be power efficient and the 2,070 mAh battery which for a 4.5-inch sized device is a decent capacity.

Call Quality

Considering this is a device aimed at emerging markets and those not too concerned with 4G, good-old fashioned phone calls will be a regular thing. Thankfully, Motorola have gotten this right as well. Callers said I was loud and clear, and I could say the same for them. There was an issue that resulted in some quiet phone calls, but that’s been fixed by Motorola and this is a good-sounding smartphone and I was genuinely impressed with the call quality. The same was said for sound quality when listening to music.

Pros

• Exceptionally good value – no matter where you’re buying this in the world, it’s fantastic value for money.
• Android done right (at this price). With no complicated or bloated features, the Moto G remains fast despite its lower-end processor.
• G00d-looking display without busting pockets. Slimmer bezels have reduced the overall size of smartphones, but at 4.5-inches with a 720p resolution this is a great display.
• Despite its price, the Moto G does not feel cheap and feels good in the hand.

Cons

• Not the best camera out there, a bump to 8-megapixels and a better flash would help.
• Despite its speed, it doesn’t feel as immediate as higher-end phones, but this does cost a fraction of the price.
• No 32GB option. With the max option being 16GB and no microSD card slot, it would be nice to see more storage available to those willing to pay the extra.

The Final Word

There’s something very compelling about the Moto G, despite my initial thoughts that I’d have little to say about it. Certainly, the Moto G won’t take your breath away, but that’s mostly the point – it’s not meant to. Instead, the Moto G is supposed to be a no-compromise device for those that can’t afford (or don’t want) a month-to-month contract or to pay several hundred dollars for an unlocked flagship. Sure, the Nexus 5 is not too far away from this price point, but the Nexus 5 has some corners cut, like its camera and display. Here though, Motorola tried their best to get everything right, and for the most they did. It’s a speedy device, and it never felt cheap in my use, it’s got good battery life and runs the absolute latest version of Android, 4.4 KitKat. Really, all that’s left to say is that the Moto G is the best smartphone at this bar, bar no other.

The Moto G used in this review is a UK GSM model running on Vodafone. You can purchase your own Moto G from Amazon and it’s also available on Verizon Prepaid, Boost and other GSM carriers across the globe including most of Europe as well as India.