Using pre recorded .mp3's for activation

[weinstein the perv]

Hello all. New user here and enjoying it.
I'm using the Arduino relay project and it works great when it is my voice speaking into the microphone. My project calls for the same pre recorded messages (which are my voice) to activate when I'm not home. VC does not recognize these too well. Is there a setting somewhere that I can adjust?

I tried with a desk top microphone and it worked horribly.
I tried with a gamer headset and it worked a lot better! I can actually talk far LOWER with my voice and VC will "hear" it and activate said relay, however when I play the pre recorded mp3 loud (or lower) VC usually will not hear or activate anything. Why does VC hear so well when it is a human speaking? How do I remove this?

[Kalle]

I think it depends on how good the audio quality is which you have recorded and the quality of the playback - I think lower than 16 KHz will not really work.


But this is only a guess,

[jitterjames]

How are you playing back the audio?

More importantly, do you really need to do this? There are other ways to make things happen in VC without actually using audio to trigger a voice command.

[weinstein the perv]

How are you playing back the audio?

More importantly, do you really need to do this? There are other ways to make things happen in VC without actually using audio to trigger a voice command.

The playback has been tested through windows media player, VLC media player, and the brokerage software, with all the same results.

The brokerage software will issue an audible alert (chose theirs or a custom message) based on your definitions. This assumes you are sitting at the PC when the alerts come through and you can act accordingly. I use VC to listen for my commands when I'm not at PC , it activates the relays, etc.. 

[jitterjames]

OK but that's not what I meant.

1) How are you playing the sound? Through some kind of speaker? What kind of speaker? Where is the speaker relative to the microphone?

2) How are you getting the audio to play when you are not home. Presumably there is some kind of software and or hardware involved that tells the computer to play a particular audio file based on some kind of event or input.

3) Why are you doing it this way? Playing a voice command seems like the hard way to do it. Is it just to prove that it can be done?

[weinstein the perv]

OK but that's not what I meant.

1) How are you playing the sound? Through some kind of speaker? What kind of speaker? Where is the speaker relative to the microphone?

2) How are you getting the audio to play when you are not home. Presumably there is some kind of software and or hardware involved that tells the computer to play a particular audio file based on some kind of event or input.

3) Why are you doing it this way? Playing a voice command seems like the hard way to do it. Is it just to prove that it can be done?

1) The audio is played through the brokerage software, then through basic computer speakers. I have adjusted the speakers from 3-4 feet away up to physically touching the microphone (usually with 60-90% confidence). All produce the same results, sometimes VC will hear it, sometimes it won't. With my voice, it's always dead balls on with a 95% confidence.

2) The brokerage software will play the audio when certain conditions are met of securities during market hours when I'm at work.

3) This is the only way I know how to do it. This is retail level software, there are no fancy bells and whistles, there are scripts you can write, but they wont execute orders due to liability, you must do that manually. The only output is an audio tone. Previously, I was using VOX activated form C relays, which you are very limited due to stereo channels, and the relay would often change state on ANY noise. VC allows for greater expansion and less errors (false alarms). Audio output is all I have, there are no modbus or analog/digital outs. Only mega huge brokerage firms get those options.

[jitterjames]

What is the actual name of the software that you are using and what kind of scripts can you write?

The software can't do anything other than play audio?  It can't write to a file?  It can't open a web page?  Nothing?

As far as audio goes, I'm surprised that you don't always get about the same result (confidence) when playing the same audio file.  Maybe there is noise in your environment?  In that case increase the volume of your speakers, or move them closer to the microphone, but also lower the input volume of the microphone so that it is not hearing other background sounds.  When you are playing the voice audio or speaking to the microphone the input level should not exceed about 25% on the volume meter.

Maybe your computer speakers are not very good.

Another option is to use something like VAC (Virtual audio cable) to send the voice audio from the brokerage software to VoxCommando.  But if you do that then it will be harder to also use a microphone.

[jitterjames]

Oh.  In case you don't know, you can also lower the required confidence, either globally (in options) or on a per command basis.  Maybe it would help in this case.

[weinstein the perv]

What is the actual name of the software that you are using and what kind of scripts can you write?

The software can't do anything other than play audio?  It can't write to a file?  It can't open a web page?  Nothing?

As far as audio goes, I'm surprised that you don't always get about the same result (confidence) when playing the same audio file.  Maybe there is noise in your environment?  In that case increase the volume of your speakers, or move them closer to the microphone, but also lower the input volume of the microphone so that it is not hearing other background sounds.  When you are playing the voice audio or speaking to the microphone the input level should not exceed about 25% on the volume meter.

Maybe your computer speakers are not very good.

Another option is to use something like VAC (Virtual audio cable) to send the voice audio from the brokerage software to VoxCommando.  But if you do that then it will be harder to also use a microphone.

The name of the software is thinkorswim and the scripts are called "thinkscripts". They allow you to make all kinds of fancy indicators based on math, moving averages, boolean and such. It will not allow for any kind of output to an external program, it will only alert or draw signals to its own chart. There are email and text outputs, but they are not reliable and often arrive minutes late, so I do not use them.

The computer used is a dedicated computer sitting in a closest, there are no other noises. I do notice something is messing with the gains, as the meter on VC will slide about 1/3rd to half of the scale when working correctly, but over time and on start up, it will not do this, it barely recognizes until I talk into it or crank the volume ultra high.

I tried lowering messing around with the confidence, then it gets relay numbers confused. I'll play with it a bit more and read about the virtual audio cable.

[jitterjames]

There are email and text outputs, but they are not reliable

By "text outputs" do you mean SMS messages?

If your microphone has some sort of automatic gain control be sure to turn that off.

[weinstein the perv]

By "text outputs" do you mean SMS messages?

If your microphone has some sort of automatic gain control be sure to turn that off.

Yes, SMS messages, sorry about that.

I looked around for gain control and could not find anything.   

[jitterjames]

You could always try running an actual audio cable from line out to line in.  I think that would give consistent results.

Your success will also depend on the phrases you are using. Longer phrases are usually more reliable.

Using a prefix might also help.

[weinstein the perv]

You could always try running an actual audio cable from line out to line in.  I think that would give consistent results.

Your success will also depend on the phrases you are using. Longer phrases are usually more reliable.

Using a prefix might also help.

Yes, I will try that, along with longer phrases. It would be great if I could improve the accuracy. I will experiment with this weekend and report back. I'm anxious to get this knocked out and in service.