About Bluetooth handsfree (an idea about echo problem)

[huseyinozsut]

I was using RR until I upgraded my car pc system and gave up about implimenting bluetooth handsfree in RR. But then I downloaded Centrafuse trial and I think that bluetooth works perfect in Centrafuse, except the echo problem.

I know that there are hardwared solutions to echo problem like phoneix sound card. But here is my problem, like the most of the other people:
I use hippo hi-fi soundcard and highly proffesional sound system in my car. So I think that there will be difference in the sound quality.

But then I got an idea to solve this problem. Well I am also interested in dj softwares and etc. In dj softwares we can select soundcards to use for a channel, means we can select one soundcard for one channel, another soundcard for second channel an make mix! If in centrafuse setup screen in bletooth handsfree setup, we can choose what soundcard for output and what soundcard for input to use, then simply we can buy a usb speakerphone for 30-35 dollars, and select speakerphone (is also seen as a soundcard) for handsfree.

Nearly all speakerphones have noise cancelling systems, it is easy for them to cancel the echo because soundcard, speaker and mic is in one single box, which they produced!

By this way we can also be using our high quality soundcards, and solve the echo cancelling problem for very cheap!

I don't understand any programming, etc... So I don't know weather is it easy or hard to implement; but I guess it should be like choosing the webcam in cam setup in centrafuse. So If it is possible to put this option to bluetooth setup screen, then most of the people will be able to use speaker phones.

I thank the flux team for their effort! And I guess I'll be buying cf3 when it is on sales! I don't want to buy 2.0 with free upgrade, because I will be using İGO8 for navigation (in Turkey iGo8 is the best) and don't want to give extra money for integrated nav.

** Hehe!! My bad!! Actually there is a place to choose the soundcard... Sorry!! Then I definetly will buy cf3!!

[Xclusion]

shouldn't be a problem, in theory..

I'm trying a basicly similair setup, only instead of using a USB soundcard, I use the onboard one.. It's a Realtek HD Audio, with echo cancellation..

My setup is as follows;

Mic -> Mic-in(On-Board) |ONBOARD Realtek card| audio out -> Line-in (Creative PCI card) -> Creative goes to the speakers..

CF is set to use the onboard(RealTek) for handfree, the in AND output.
The creative card is set to not-mute the line-in, so the sounds coming from the realtek, is forwarded to the speakers (elliminates the use for a seperate handsfree speaker)

It sounds easy, and should work.. didn't really get it work though.. still fighting with all the settings.. sometimes theres no sound from the other side, other times there is sound but with echo..

(It's hard to debug too.. Every time you call someone they answer: "WHAT!? I CAN'T HEAR YOU". So you hang up.. Change settings, call back "WHAT!?.... *silince*.... Hé.. Hó.. I hear myself a thousand times!! *hangs up*" Changing settings, try again "STOP IT!!?? DONT CALL!!*hangs up*" you look at the time.. 00:40 at night.. oh..whoops )

[ik632]

I've tried a couple different microphones (all 1/8" direct to the sound card) and I can't get anything that works without echo. I'm willing to try something like this. Everything else is pretty good, if I could just get the phone to work without echo I'd be very happy.

[Scott]

Soon we will be licensing integrated software echo cancellation and noise reduction in the Bluesoleil stack itself. No idea yet on pricing, but we are currently working with IVT on it.

[ik632]

Good news Scott. I paid extra for the phone option back in the "old days" so I'd want that when it's out.

If this is available when 3.0 comes out then I can get both and be even happier.

[Aerosavant]

Soon we will be licensing integrated software echo cancellation and noise reduction in the Bluesoleil stack itself. No idea yet on pricing, but we are currently working with IVT on it.

Forgive me if I find this a little cheeky. If I understand you correctly Scott, IVT will soon be releasing a fix to the echo problem inherent in their Bluesoleil stack and we will then be able to buy this to cure the fault that shouldn't have been there in the first place.
A pity it wasn't fit for purpose at the outset!
Or am I misunderstanding the situation?

[assault]

The echo problem is a product of environment i.e. in your car your microphone hears your speakers. I dont know of any other bluetooth stacks that offer the capabilities that Bluesoleil does so yeah......IVT is creating a solution to our problem here.

Back to the first post, Just use a "Y" splitter from your Hippo HIFI line out to feed the Phoenix SOHO card seperate from your Amps and you wont get any noise induced into the amps. The SOHO card actually only removes audio/noise/echo from your microphone signal and not your main output signal.

I use a similar approach and the SOHO doesnt effect sound quality at all for me.

[Reagan]

Forgive me if I find this a little cheeky. If I understand you correctly Scott, IVT will soon be releasing a fix to the echo problem inherent in their Bluesoleil stack and we will then be able to buy this to cure the fault that shouldn't have been there in the first place.
A pity it wasn't fit for purpose at the outset!
Or am I misunderstanding the situation?

@Aerosavant - This was never a promised feature, and can already be overcome with a hardware solution (SOHO/Andrea). This was actually just added to the IVT stack recently, and we have to work with them to have them add it our SDK layer so we can provide it to end users.

So in short, this isn't a bug, but a feature that will probably come in the form of a paid-for 'Enhanced Phone plug-in'. Simple reason for that is, we have to pay for it.

[Aerosavant]

Thanks for the clarification Reagan. Much appreciated.

[ik632]

Any thoughts on how much cpu horsepower this should use? I'm running a D201GLY (so it's more powerful than a single core atom) and my biggest hesitation with the Andrea mic is the impact on performance. If the solution is good with IVT and doesn't make things come to a screatching halt, then I'll go for that, otherwise I'll probably investigate the andrea mic further.