Cruz Tablet microphone discovery.

[Partenope]

I haven't seen anything in the ads nor specs about a built-in (nor plug-in) microphone for this device but SOMETHING is microphonic.

I installed a Tricorder app (ok -- sorry, aging semi-Trekkie, here), and the spectrum analyzer indicated some low level audio input. In other words, I saw (what the app displays as) a low volume wave form that corresponded exactly to the syllables I was uttering, and went flat when things were quiet.

Does anyone know about the microphone function on the Cruz Tablet (good apps to record notes with, etc.)? Thanks in advance!

 

[Partenope]

Ok.. furthering my discovery... I'm sure the reason the audio was low, was because the speakers were converting sound energy into tiny voltages -- acting as microphones. Recording live audio is not going to happen with the device as built.

 

[Blasterman2000]

Ok.. furthering my discovery... I'm sure the reason the audio was low, was because the speakers were converting sound energy into tiny voltages -- acting as microphones. Recording live audio is not going to happen with the device as built.

I know this an old and probably long dead subject, but, if you look at the case carefully, on the tablet....there is a hole for a microphone, and on the face of the device there is also a hole where a camera would have been...on mine (t104) there is a(microphone?) hole between the earphone jack, and the usb plug....then as I have it laying on it's back, just left of center on the top of the screen (in the black margin area) there is a hole that is the same size as the hole on my HTC Evo where the Evo's front cam is....so apparently there were other plans for this tablet that never happened.....or maybe there were other versions that shared the same case?

 

[Ami]

Hi! I read on Amazon about a person who was wanting to use Skype's phone-call (non cam) function on the cruz tablet t301 and they told her that it's possible to access the microphone for use with Skype with a mini-usb microphone/headset.

 

[1148Post]

On my Cruz T301, the hole between the power connector and microphone jack is a charging LED (red while charging, green while fully charged).

 

[1148Post]

The official support site for the Cruz Tablets says the mini-USB port on the T301 is for accessing the flash and SD card via PC only, and cannot be used for any other use, including microphones, keyboards, etc.

Quote:
[h=1]Can I connect external keyboard or camera to my Cruz?[/h] The USB port on the Cruz units do not support HOST mode. This means one cannot connect a mobile keyoard device or a USB camera.

It also means that there is no Internet or network connectivity via USB connection either. (The Wi-Fi device is the only method of accessing the Internet.)

The USB ports on the Cruz units only allow tethering to a computer for the purpose of mounting SD storage as a USB Mass Storage drive or for the purpose of ADB administration.

 

[1148Post]

Has anybody gotten a headset working on the T301? I bought a "pass-through" 4-barrel microphone, and it seems to use the wrong barrel for the mic, as one stereo channel was muted until I held the "push-to-talk" button; this mike was labeled as compatible with the Samsung Galaxy phones.

A normal stereo headphones/earbuds uses 3 barrels - the tip, plus 2 metal rings, one for ground and the other two for left and right speakers. The plug will have 2 black stripes separating the "barrels."

A 4-barrel connection adds one more black stripe and one more silver metal "barrel" for a microphone input. The mike I bought plugs into the headphone jack and allows a 3-barrel headset to plug into it, for passing through the stereo audio to the headphones. The one I purchased doesn't work, and there is no microphone without it (any recording software I use records dead air - no audio at all) on the T301.

If anyone has a 3.5mm headset and a Cruz tablet, could you please try them out, and post the results here?