Using an Android smartphone as sound card

Good day, dear friends!

It so happened that two unpleasant things happened on my laptop: the audio output socket failed and the Wi-Fi card began to work intermittently. As you understand, you can’t live long without music and the Internet, so I decided to find a way to solve these problems.

There is no way to go to a repair shop, but with electrical engineering, and in particular with circuitry, I have always been on top of my game, so I decided to look for alternative solutions to these problems.

Without hesitation, I decided that the possibilities of my Android smartphone higher than they might seem at first glance. I decided to look for a specialized software to solve my problems.

What came of it, read below.

Using a smartphone as a sound card

When you first start the program, you are asked to enter the IP address of the computer you are connecting to:

Enter the local IP address of the computer:

After successful connection, you can start using the program.
We select PocketAudio as the audio output device on the computer, and now you can use Android device to listen to sound from your computer.

In a similar way we create wireless microphone using the PocketAudio Microphone program.

Using the capabilities of an Android smartphone as a Wi-Fi card for a computer

Modem mode is enabled in the settings: Settings - Wireless connection and networks - More - Modem mode and portable access point - USB modem.

Pros of use this method:
+ no need to buy a Wi-Fi adapter
+ connection setup is quick and easy
+ although the connection occurs via cable, this connection method creates less inconvenience than twisted pair. The laptop can still be carried throughout the apartment.

Minuses:
- the phone is constantly connected to the USB port, which leads to constant charging/discharging of the smartphone battery, which in turn leads to a decrease in battery quality;
- the device occupies one USB port of the computer, which may be critical for some computers

Tags: Android, useful programs

One day I needed to connect large speakers to the laptop, but so as not to be tied to them with a cable. Having tested several applications for broadcasting audio over Wi-Fi, I concluded that the most flexible of this kind of programs is SoundWire, allowing you to achieve a sound delay of no more than 100 milliseconds (assuming that the phone is quite powerful, with Android version 4.2+ and supports native audio mode). This means that you can already watch movies without noticeable sound lag.

Note: Of course, first of all, it all depends on the power and hardware capabilities of your Android phone. Having tested this application on different devices I concluded that on an old Android phone (Processor: 1 core, 600 MHz; Memory: 256 MB; Audio mode: standard_audio) it is not possible to make the sound delay less than 100 milliseconds and when watching a movie there is a clear sound lag.

The application has a fairly large set of settings for any type of Wi-Fi network (in terms of connection speed). On Google Play Store There are paid and free versions. The paid version has the ability to set the buffer size in milliseconds (the free version only in kilobytes), the audio compression function and the buffer size stabilization function, allowing you to minimize the load on wireless network and achieve minimal sound delay.

Setting up SoundWire Server on Windows

Download the program that suits your Windows versions and install it on your computer.

Make sure it works properly by launching some music in your player or browser. In the program window, in the "Level" field, a sound indicator should be displayed. If it rises to the red level (sound distortion), adjust the Audio Output slider so that the audio level is only green.

Depending on the version of Windows, the volume slider will adjust either the sound level of the laptop speakers or the Wi-Fi broadcast. I have Windows 8.1, and in my case the first option is implemented, so so that the sound from the laptop itself does not interfere, I simply turned it off.

Advice: While testing the application with different settings, it is better to leave the computer sound on, then you will hear the real delay between sound playback on the computer and over the network via an Android phone.

Setting up SoundWire on Android

Install the SoundWire application from GooglePlay Store.

Make sure your Android phone and laptop are in the same Wi-Fi networks. Open the SoundWire app and click on the spiral button.

After a short wait, the coil should change color to gold and you should hear a sound on your Android phone. If this does not happen, try manually entering the IP address in the Android application, which is shown by the SoundWire Server program in Windows and click on the spiral button again.

If this time you don’t hear anything, then open the “Command Prompt” application in Windows through the “Start” button, type the “ipconfig” command and press the “Enter” key. Enter the IP address listed in the "IPv4 address" line in the address field in the SoundWire app on Android command line and press the spiral button again.

Reducing audio latency

To reduce audio latency, the SoundWire app provides a range of tools.

Free version:

• Setting up buffering (Audio buffer size);
• Compression of the audio stream, only demo for a few minutes (Audio compression);
• Enabling an alternative audio path (Android native audio).

Paid version:

• Setting up buffering in milliseconds (Audio buffer size);
• Audio compression;
• Enabling an alternative audio path (Android native audio);
• Reducing the Latency steering amount.

And now in more detail about each option.

Audio buffer size

The first thing you can do to reduce audio latency is to reduce the buffer size of the incoming audio stream. To do this, press the menu button, then select the "Settings" option, in the settings that open, click on the "Audio buffer size" item and select the desired buffer size.

The smaller it is, the lower the latency will be, but a very small buffer size can result in a discrete "robotic sound" effect. Buffer size in free version is set in kilobytes, in the paid version in milliseconds. In addition, in the paid version, the real audio delay in milliseconds is displayed on home page applications.

Audio compression (paid version)

As experience shows, this is a very important function, as it allows not only to reduce the delay, but also to use the communication channel economically so that, for example, the video does not freeze while watching online. The application can compress the broadcast audio stream using the Opus codec. In the free version, the trial period for using this option is 10 minutes. To enable audio stream compression, check the box next to the "Audio compression" option in the settings, click on the "Compression bitrate" option and select the bitrate of the compressed audio stream. The smaller it is, the less traffic will be spent on sound transmission and, as a result, the delay and interruptions in sound transmission will decrease, but the quality will suffer, so experiment.

As can be seen from the figure above, in my case, with a bitrate of 64 kBit/s (as it seems to me, the most optimal), the speed of the Wi-Fi connection spent on sound transmission decreased from ~167 to ~18 kBit/s, that is, by about 10 times !

Android native audio

Attention: This option is not supported by all devices!

Enabling the "Android native audio" option selects an alternative internal audio path (OpenSL ES native audio), which may perform better and allow lower audio latency times on some devices that support "Android native audio". The "Android native audio" option has three switches:

• Auto - Uses native audio with small buffer sizes (32 kB / 190 ms or less), as well as standard audio with larger buffer sizes. Recommended for devices that support low audio latency (Android 4.2+).
• Standard audio – recommended for devices that do not support low audio latency. The standard audio path is more reliable on most Android devices.
• Android native audio - Select if the alternative internal audio path works better on the device even with large buffer sizes, for example if there are problems using Auto or Standard audio.

On some modern phones correct operation The "Android native audio" function must broadcast sound with a sampling frequency of 48 kHz rather than 44.1 kHz. The required sample rate will be displayed when you click on the "Android native audio" option. If necessary, reconfigure SoundWire Server and Windows to use a 48 kHz sample rate (see documentation).

Latency steering amount (paid version)

The "Latency steering amount" option allows you to control how aggressively SoundWire will try to achieve the set audio latency (roughly the buffer size divided by 2). The option has three modes: Normal, Tight, Very Tight.

Note that the actual audio latency will be higher than what is displayed in the panel, as many other factors contribute to latency, such as the Android phone's internal audio path and server-side buffering. Therefore, to estimate the real delay, use your ears, and not the numbers displayed on the phone screen.

Using an Android smartphone as a sound card

• Lumber room *

Good day, dear friends!

It so happened that two unpleasant things happened on my laptop: the audio output socket failed and the Wi-Fi card began to work intermittently. As you understand, you can’t live long without music and the Internet, so I decided to find a way to solve these problems.

There is no way to go to a repair shop, but with electrical engineering, and in particular with circuitry, I have always been on top of my game, so I decided to look for alternative solutions to these problems.

Without hesitation, I decided that the possibilities of my Android smartphone higher than they might seem at first glance. I decided to look for specialized software to solve my problems.

What came of it, read below.

Using a smartphone as a sound card

When you first start the program, you are asked to enter the IP address of the computer you are connecting to:

Enter the local IP address of the computer:

After successful connection, you can start using the program.
We select PocketAudio as the audio output device on the computer, and now you can use your Android device to listen to audio from the computer.

In a similar way, we create a wireless microphone using the PocketAudio Microphone program.

Using the capabilities of an Android smartphone as a Wi-Fi card for a computer

Modem mode is enabled in the settings: Settings - Wireless connections and networks - More - Modem mode and portable hotspot - USB modem.

Advantages of using this method:
+ no need to buy a Wi-Fi adapter
+ connection setup is quick and easy
+ although the connection occurs via cable, this connection method creates less inconvenience than twisted pair. The laptop can still be carried throughout the apartment.

Minuses:
- the phone is constantly connected to the USB port, which leads to constant charging/discharging of the smartphone battery, which in turn leads to a decrease in battery quality;
- the device occupies one USB port of the computer, which may be critical for some computers

Tags: Android, useful programs

In a high-quality audio system, the main role is played by stereo or multi-channel speaker systems.

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Thanks to them, electrical impulses are converted into sounds in the acoustic range of different frequencies. For some, the pure sound of musical instruments that is as close as possible to the original is important, but for others, the voice of the vocalist, film actors, or teacher from educational video courses comes first.

How important is acoustic system?

It is the basis for the entire audio system.

It is preferable to start selecting a suitable audio system with acoustics.

Moreover, different equipment options will be a priority for each. The choice is influenced by such factors as the “tailoredness” of such a system to those genres that the future owner likes and the price category.

For lovers of the most accurate sound, hi-fi speaker systems are suitable.
Despite the myths, not every expensive audio equipment offers the mentioned capabilities.

When exclusivity comes first, the audio market provides fans of high-quality sound with Hi-End audio equipment.

Reference! High End is a marketing term that indicates the eliteness of software and hardware to enhance the sound. Accordingly, the price of such audio systems does not scare only ardent music fans or lovers of non-serial audio equipment who have a good financial condition.

Speaker types

There are several categories of speaker systems, each of which is capable of satisfying specific customer needs. Based on basic differences, there are 5 basic classification groups.

• The principle of equipment installation. Acoustic systems are divided into floor-standing and bookshelf depending on their size. The former are preferable for large premises such as cinemas. Using them at home for a TV or computer is unprofitable. It is best to use bookshelf speakers.
• Number of speakers. Otherwise, this is called division by the number of sound bands. The manufacturer may include from 1 to 7 speakers. The most optimal option for the budget is 3 speakers, where one band is responsible for low frequencies, another for middle frequencies and a third for high frequencies.

• The presence or absence of a sound amplifier in the speakers. In the first case they are called active, in the second - passive. Passive options are much more common. They are preferable for audiophiles due to the crossover filter and, accordingly, more High Quality sound due to frequency separation.
• By design, speakers are divided into planar, dynamic, electrostatic and other types, and in some cases the equipment does not fall into any category.
• Design. Speakers can have a closed or open case, good addition there will be a bass inverter - a pipe in a speaker, tuned to a certain frequency and amplifying sounds within its limits. Thanks to this hole, lower frequencies are reproduced than with conventional equipment. If the pipe is bent inside the body, increasing its length, power and range of reproducible low frequencies, you will get speakers with an acoustic labyrinth. They are more expensive and require greater precision in manufacturing.

Areas of use of acoustic systems

The first and main area of ​​application is home use.

This includes the need for high-quality sound for greater immersion in video games, power and strength of sound for watching TV, clarity and proximity to the original sound for music lovers of various genres.

Fans of high-quality music in the car are recommended to purchase multi-band audio systems.

Moreover, for better sound, high-frequency and mid-frequency elements of the Car system are located in the front of the car. Low-frequency speakers are often assigned to the rear of the car.

Concert versions of acoustic systems are designed not only to provide sound access to any point in a large room or hall, but also to satisfy the sound quality requirements of many listeners. The most common concert audio packages include monitors for nuanced sound, front speakers for high-density direct sound, and center speakers for vocals.

Use your phone as a speaker for your computer

A separate category is recording studios. They prefer studio monitors that are capable of reproducing sound with all its pros and cons, which ultimately contributes to the creation of a purer and more authentic-sounding track.

Regardless of where the speaker system will be used, it is recommended to first determine the criteria by which suitable equipment will be selected.

With their help, you will be able to get equipment that will bring you as close as possible to the sound of your dreams.