Digitally Controlled Microphone with Audio Compressor

Abstract

A digitally controlled microphone with audio compressor includes a capsule; a compressor circuitry having a compressor engine, a digitally controlled root mean square (RMS) detector and a digitally controlled analog processor; a bypass switch to the compressor circuitry; an analog to digital converter (ADC); a digital processor that sends digital audio to a host and receives a second digital audio signal; a digital to analog converter (DAC) and a summing circuit that combine the audio with the audio from the host and send it to a digitally-controlled headphone amplifier and a headphone jack; a microphone body; a serial host interface connector; and hardware controls on the microphone body.

Claims

1. A microphone comprising: a capsule that converts sound waves into an analog audio signal; a compressor circuitry that receives and compresses the analog audio signal; and a microphone body that encloses the compressor circuitry and capsule.

2. The microphone of claim 1, further comprising: an interface that outputs the compressed analog audio signal.

3. The microphone of claim 1, further comprising: an analog to digital converter (ADC) that converts the compressed analog audio signal into a compressed digital audio signal; and an interface that outputs the compressed digital audio signal.

4. The microphone of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of controls on the microphone body that set configurations of the compressor circuitry.

5. The microphone of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of pushbuttons on the microphone body that set predetermined configurations of the compressor circuitry.

6. A device comprising: a compressor circuitry that compresses an analog audio signal utilizing an analog audio compressor; a housing that encloses the compressor circuitry; and a plurality of controls on the housing that configure the compressor circuitry.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the controls include pushbuttons for predetermined compression settings.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising: a capsule that converts sound waves into an analog audio signal and provides the analog audio signal to the compressor circuitry; and an interface on the housing that outputs the compressed analog audio signal; wherein the housing further encloses the capsule, thereby providing a microphone.

9. The device of claim 6, further comprising: a capsule that converts sound waves into an analog audio signal and provides the analog audio signal to the compressor circuitry; wherein the housing further encloses the capsule; and the controls include pushbuttons for predetermined compression settings.

10. A microphone comprising: a capsule that converts sound waves into an analog audio signal; a compressor circuitry that receives and compresses the analog audio signal; a microphone body that encloses the compressor circuitry and capsule; and a plurality of controls on the microphone body that set configurations of the compressor circuitry.

11. The microphone of claim 10, further comprising: an interface on the microphone body that outputs the compressed analog audio signal.

12. The microphone of claim 10, further comprising: a control configuration that bypasses the compression circuitry, thereby providing an optionally-compressed analog audio signal; and an interface on the microphone body that outputs the optionally-compressed analog audio signal.

13. The microphone of claim 10, wherein the compressor circuitry utilizes analog circuitry to compress the analog audio signal.

14. The microphone of claim 10, wherein the controls include pushbuttons.

15. The microphone of claim 10, wherein the controls include LEDs.

16. The microphone of claim 10, wherein the controls set the compressor circuitry to predetermined configurations.

17. The microphone of claim 10, wherein each control sets the compressor circuitry to a preconfigured setup.

18. The microphone of claim 10, providing a handheld microphone with analog audio compression and pushbutton controls that set the enclosed compressor circuitry to preconfigured setups.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an electric circuitry for a digitally controlled microphone with audio compressor, according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The preferred embodiment and other embodiments, which can be used in industry and include the best mode now known of carrying out the invention, are hereby described in detail with reference to the drawings. Further embodiments, features and advantages will become apparent from the ensuing description, or may be learned without undue experimentation. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, except where otherwise indicated. The following description of embodiments, even if phrased in terms of “the invention” or what the embodiment “is,” is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but describes the manner and process of making and using the invention. The coverage of this patent will be described in the claims. The order in which steps are listed in the claims does not necessarily indicate that the steps must be performed in that order.

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention generally provides a digitally controlled microphone with audio compressor for computer and smart phone.

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention may combine several modules that were split up into several units in the past. An embodiment may contain an audio capsule, a microphone preamplifier, an analog audio compressor, analog to digital converter, digital to analog converter, headphone amplifier, microprocessor and digital interface for Universal Serial Bus (USB) and Apple Lightning™. User adjustable controls may be of the digital controlled analog type and adjustments can be performed either through hardware controls on the device or through software controls in an application running on the connected host (such as a computer or smart phone). An embodiment may be entirely powered by a host and does not require additional external power supplies.

[0014] Embodiments may include electronic circuitry for analog processing, such as an audio compressor. Hand-held embodiments of the invention may be used for audio recording, such as voice over, singing and instrument recording. Embodiments may provide audio to a headphone jack that that combines the live audio being recorded by the microphone with audio provided by the host. Embodiments may simplify and speed up the process of audio recording by combining several elements of a recording studio into one device. Embodiments may combine miniaturized electrical components with high efficiency in power consumption into a small handheld device.

[0015] In an embodiment, the capsule and the electrical circuitry may be enclosed in a microphone body. The microphone may have a wind screen that allows sound to reach the capsule, and may have ports, controls, or connectors on the body. The body may be small enough so that the device can be easily held in the hand of a person or placed on a stand, and used as a microphone.

[0016] As depicted in FIG. 1, an embodiment of electrical circuitry for a microphone may include a capsule (1) that may convert sound waves into an electrical signal, which may be amplified by a digitally controlled preamplifier (2). The analog audio signal may be distributed to compressor circuitry and to a bypass switch (5) which allows for a bypass path to the compressor circuitry. The compressor circuitry may include a compressor engine (3) which compresses the audio signal and a root mean square (RMS) detector (4) which outputs a signal that is utilized by the compressor engine. In an embodiment, the sensitivity, make up and amplitude behavior/amplitude curve of the compressor engine may be voltage controlled by a digitally controlled analog processor (16) that affects the RMS output signal. Time constants affecting RMS detector behavior, such as attack and release time may be fixed, semi-automatic or digitally controlled.

[0017] Bypass switch (5) may pass the selected input to ADC drive circuitry (6), which may feed an analog signal to both digital converter (ADC) (8) and a digitally controlled preamplifier (7) for direct monitoring on headphone output. The output of ADC (8) is sent to a digital processor (9), which may be controlled by a microprocessor or MP (10). Digital processor (9) may send the audio signal and other data to a host, and receive a second digital audio signal, other data, and commands from the host with physical host interface (17) and a connector (11) using an interface protocol such as USB or Lightning™. Digital processor (9) may operate in a streaming mode, under control of microprocessor (10). Digital audio returning from the host is sent to a digital to analog converter (DAC) (12). An analog output of DAC (12) and the output of preamplifier (7) are fed into a summing circuit (13). The summing circuit (13) combines the compressed input audio signal with a second analog signal received from the host, and outputs the result to a digitally controlled headphone amplifier (14) which feeds a stereo headphone jack (15) for direct monitoring. Microprocessor 10 may send and receive control signals with several pushbuttons and LEDS 18 on the housing of the microphone.

[0018] Embodiments may include components with digital controls. The configurations for certain components may be predetermined, may be set by a host through the analog processor (16), or may be set by controls such as buttons and LEDs (18) on the microphone. An embodiment of the invention may have a number of preconfigured setups, such as three, which the user can quickly recall by clicking on controls on the unit. A software application for the host may give the user control of individual parameters. In an embodiment, the microprocessor may receive control signals from the host and then adjust parameters for the digitally controlled components.

[0019] An embodiment of a microphone may comprise: a capsule that converts sound waves into an electrical signal; a digitally controlled pre amplifier that amplifies the electric signal; a compressor engine having an audio input that receives the signal, and an RMS detector; a switch that allows for a bypass path to the compressor; an ADC driver circuitry that receives the signal; a driver having an output that feeds the signal to a digital converter; a microprocessor that controls the driver; and an interface to a bus of a host device.