OK, who stole my microphone!

[Icebike]

According to Acer specs: "Dual microphone with noise and echo cancellation". So there should be 2 "holes."

Echo cancellation typically listens to the sound emitted from the speakers and nulls out that same sound as it comes thru the mic.
Noise cancellation does somewhat the same. Noise Canceling mics are typically NOT front facing.

So I'm betting the second mic would be behind the speaker grill, but I have no clue exactly where.

 

[dan776]

On the back of the case, on top and to the left of the camera are 3 small holes that don't seem to correspond to anything... could be that the Mic is behind those, maybe in the SD slot area.

 

[Icebike]

On the back of the case, on top and to the left of the camera are 3 small holes that don't seem to correspond to anything... could be that the Mic is behind those, maybe in the SD slot area.

Where on the device are you referring to?




Picture borrowed from this Excellent Review:
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Acer-ICONIA-TAB-A500-Review_id2731

 

[dan776]

I tried to take a picture but its not coming out.

Basically, when holding in landscape and viewing from behind, so the camera is seen on the top right. Almost halfway but not exactly, on the top, are 3 small holes in the case.

Through the holes, nothing is on the unit except the rightmost hole is over the leftmost part of the SD cover.

Hope that helps explain the holes. Wish my camera was easier to get the photo posted.

 

[dan776]

This is a poor photo, hope you can see what I'm referring to.

 

[docfreed]

The Three "holes" might be for a charging dock - the Motorola Xoom has similar holes:

EDIT: No, I'm crazy the dock fits on the bottom DOH! But now that I look closer, the middle hole has a little slit in it - I think Dan776 is correct - those are the mic. That would make more sense now for the case design.

 

[dan776]

Guess its possible.... the dock connection is way on the other edge of the Acer though. Just seems strange that they are in the case, when nothing corresponds to it in the actual unit. All of the other openings have an obvious purpose.

EDIT. the slit you are seeing there, is the cover of the SD card compartment. The Mic has gotta be in that compartment... otherwise I think the test recording would be much more muffled.

 

[Icebike]

Guess its possible.... the dock connection is way on the other edge of the Acer though. Just seems strange that they are in the case, when nothing corresponds to it in the actual unit. All of the other openings have an obvious purpose.

EDIT. the slit you are seeing there, is the cover of the SD card compartment. The Mic has gotta be in that compartment... otherwise I think the test recording would be much more muffled.

Good EYE!!.

If you open the SD compartment, looking at the A500 from the Rear, there is a small hole in the lower left corner of the compartment.

This is undoubtedly the Noise Cancellation mic. And it's location perfectly explains why JoeRnCT had such a problem trying to record a video using the Front Facing camera while speaking from behind the Tablet (see Post #4 above).

The Cancellation mic was over powering the main mic, and cancelling his speech as if it was background noise.

http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/members/joernct.html

 

[dan776]

Haha nice Ice! I think you've solved the Mic issues. Wish there was a technical diagram from Acer, but leave to us end users to figure it out anyways

 

[jhenry]

I suppose the cancellation mic could explain my issue, which is a feedback-like, repeating clicking when using Skype. The clicking is about 2 clicks per second, doesn't happen when recording sound or video, only when using Skype. Anyone else notice this problem, or do I possibly have a defective unit?

 

[shel755]

I am having the same "feedback-like" issue when using any video chat. Fring, Google Talk, Tango etc. I even tried using a head set and same issue. I thought maybe it was using the speakers and a mic too. I do not have the same issue when recording video or using speech to text. Recorded videos are nice and clear and speech to text reads me clearly, so i'm only having issues with the video chat. Anyone out there having that issue?

 

[grukx]

Anyone out there having that issue?

+1 - same issue - clicking noise in skype, not present when using recorder.

Geir

 

[Maddmatt]

I suppose the cancellation mic could explain my issue, which is a feedback-like, repeating clicking when using Skype. The clicking is about 2 clicks per second, doesn't happen when recording sound or video, only when using Skype. Anyone else notice this problem, or do I possibly have a defective unit?

Same problem with Gtalk when doing a video call from my phone to the Tab.

When I video called the Tab from my PC, I was hearing my own voice come back at me one second later. It was even louder than the voice of the person using the Tab. It's like the noise cancelling failed and it was picking up sound from its own speakers

Video chat is hopeless. I worried my mic might be faulty but I see I'm not alone.

Doing a voice recording with the recorder app works fine though.

 

[bojo]

found a great app called Bluetooth file in the market for t'ferring files by bt...first post...sorry if I broke any rules

 

[mikado]

The newer batch of the A500 (same SKU, same Part Number, same Model Number...) has a major design change/correction that resolves the microphone issue. I saw one a few days ago. On an older batch, the microphone is located on the left AND under the glass, MUFFLED, that is. On the newer batch, the microphone is located in the center, where the glass meets the aluminum AND there is a visible rectangular (small, but visible) opening for the microphone TO BREATHE!!! HAHAHA. Acer finally corrected the DESIGN FLAW. BUT Acer will claim that there is nothing wrong with your flawed designed A500!!! GO FIGURE. Suggestion? Try to force Acer to replace your STILL IN WARRANTY unit for you AND do everybody else a favor, as I have done, and contact the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, your Senators and everybody that you know who has an older batch of the A500. Acer's support is crap. Their customer service is crap and dumb. Their US operation is crap. They will remain crap until they replace the piece of crap THAT IS UNDER WARRANTY, a warranty that states the following actions to be taken in case of poor performance or design...

1. repair (unit is unrepairable)
2. replace
3. refund the amount you paid for this piece of crap

People, act. Don't just sit and complain.