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Author Topic: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED  (Read 35341 times)

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Offline Ozpeter

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Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« on: March 19, 2015, 08:43:47 PM »
Already discussed at http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=170011.msg2110532#msg2110532 but I think it's not irrelevant here in the context of recording with Android devices in particular.

https://www.hookeaudio.com/ is the site for the device.

As far as I'm aware there's no ready means of recording stereo into an Android phone, so aside from the other features of this device, the fact that it enables location recording on Android devices is worth noting.  Whether this will also include my Android watch remains to be seen!

I"d describe it as a semi-stealth system.  At a concert people might wonder why you are obviously wearing bluetooth headphones rather than listening to the band.  But in the street you wouldn't attract a second glance.

Of course there are several other devices incorporating mics in earbuds, but when using Roland in-ears I've found the cord tends to be a source of noise on recordings and it has a way of gradually dislodging the buds - and if you push them back in you get the sound of that on the recording.  So a wireless in-ear recording system has something to recommend it.

Personally I'm not that fussed that it's bluetooth.  Carefully implemented, it's surprising what quality BT can produce.  Not ideal of course compared with a wire but in the context of run and gun etc, not a dealbreaker.  There is a cable option for connecting to normal recorders, or you could use a bluetooth receiver (eg the Sony one that's about the size of the cap of a pen) and connect that to a slightly remote recorder.

I'll be asking the company a few questions such as

- battery life?
- wind noise?  The outdoor samples are remarkably free of it - was the user wearing dead cats on their ears?
- level control - does it send a fixed level or is it somehow variable, or is some sort of ALC employed (hopefully not)?

Needless to say, as your humble forum guinea pig, I've preordered.  Delivery is said to be "in the summer" which in Kickstarter-speak tends to mean in the Autumn or later, but we'll see...

« Last Edit: May 14, 2017, 05:04:12 AM by Ozpeter »

Offline dyneq

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2015, 09:54:57 PM »
Thanks for sharing this! My thoughts:

Very slick marketing, and the sample videos are well produced and sound great on my headphones (worth checking out on their own merits).

Having listened to in-ear (as in, inside the pinnae) recordings, I would have to agree with the common perception/opinion that they sound best played back on headphones (which makes sense). Do I think they suck on speakers? No, but it does sound different.

They have definitely done a lot of work to make (what appears to be) a nice product. I'm impressed that they also included a wired connectivity option. It would be interesting to record some pink or white noise in a quiet room and compare the signal to bluetooth.

Enjoy them and please do report back with a review and some samples if you think of it.

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2015, 09:51:56 AM »
I've heard from the Hooke people concerning my questions, and the answers were -

Quote
-Right now our Hooke Verses are getting 7-10 hours battery life. We’re pretty impressed!

-The Hooke Verse comes with a complimentary pair of custom designed wind screens

-You’ll have mic gain control on your phone via the app. And when going to a field recorder, laptop or camera, you will adjust gain via that device.

Offline F.O.Bean

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2015, 12:01:50 PM »
Pretty badass I must say 8)
Schoeps MK 4V & MK 41V ->
Schoeps 250|0 KCY's (x2) ->
Naiant +60v|Low Noise PFA's (x2) ->
DarkTrain Right Angle Stubby XLR's (x3) ->
Sound Devices MixPre-6 & MixPre-3

http://www.archive.org/bookmarks/diskobean
http://www.archive.org/bookmarks/Bean420
http://bt.etree.org/mytorrents.php
http://www.mediafire.com/folder/j9eu80jpuaubz/Recordings

Offline earmonger

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2015, 01:11:01 AM »
I ordered a pair through the Kickstarter offer when they were first mentioned here.

But it looks like they are having trouble with the Android app development--according to a recent update, the June launch is now pushed toward July. Will certainly report when (if?) they arrive, but it's not going to be soon.

Offline justink

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2015, 10:14:36 AM »
I pinged the man in charge of these and directed him to this thread. He's waiting for TS member approval.
Mics:
DPA 4023 (Cardioid)
DPA 4028 (Subcardioid)
DPA 4018V (Supercardioid)
Earthworks TC25 (Omni) 

Pres and A/D's:
Grace Design Lunatec V3 (Oade ACM)
Edirol UA-5 (bm2p+ Mod)

Recorders:
Sound Devices MixPre10 II
Edirol R-44 (Oade CM)
Sony PCM‑M10

Offline Gene Poole

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2015, 11:18:30 AM »
Android definitely supports class 1 USB audio and I think even class 2.  I don't know anything about bluetooth though.  I didn't think there was a BT spec that came close to audiophile expectations.

Offline Gene Poole

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2015, 02:24:36 PM »
I'm very familiar with ExtremeSD.  I have their USB recording and playback apps.  I did a festival show last fall and recorded 4 bands at 24/96 on my android phone using their app.


Offline Gene Poole

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2015, 03:49:01 PM »
More correctly, not supported by the android OS, but fully supported by the kernel (which is linux, not android).  That's how ExtremeSD was able to implement it; with it's own kernel drivers.  The Android AOSP project, at least as early as 4.4 (first time I started kernel sound hacking on the Android) , has ALSA support in the source tree.  A simple change in the makefile and it will compile in and can be used in android apps via the Java JNI interface, or natively via the core OS and shell commands.  This is not very convenient for most Android users, but doable (as was the case with ExtremeSD).

I haven't done much sound hacking since, and I down't own any Audio 2.0 class devices (I don't think), but I'm getting the itch to try and see what I can do with one and the new 5.1 Android OS.  I know that what Android actually exposes in  the API is pretty crappy, but I'm sure that there's a lot under the hood that can be exposed.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2015, 06:15:49 PM »
Its kind of neat, if you want to convert to headphone playback. 
Having done a huge amount of true binaural, quasi-binaural, HRTF, baffled omnis, and OSS, I'll stick with baffled omni, quasi-binaural techniques, as they more easily make the crossover to speaker playback.

I'm speaking in the sense of an analog device. I know very little about these fanged bluetooth thingies.

followup question, if anyone knows,..
Are the mics removable? reposition-able within the ear canal?
« Last Edit: April 09, 2015, 06:46:58 PM by m0k3 »

Offline justink

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2015, 10:16:08 PM »
Its kind of neat, if you want to convert to headphone playback. 
Having done a huge amount of true binaural, quasi-binaural, HRTF, baffled omnis, and OSS, I'll stick with baffled omni, quasi-binaural techniques, as they more easily make the crossover to speaker playback.

I'm speaking in the sense of an analog device. I know very little about these fanged bluetooth thingies.

followup question, if anyone knows,..
Are the mics removable? reposition-able within the ear canal?

great questions.  i'm hoping his membership gets approved quick.  i'm pretty interested in this deal.
Mics:
DPA 4023 (Cardioid)
DPA 4028 (Subcardioid)
DPA 4018V (Supercardioid)
Earthworks TC25 (Omni) 

Pres and A/D's:
Grace Design Lunatec V3 (Oade ACM)
Edirol UA-5 (bm2p+ Mod)

Recorders:
Sound Devices MixPre10 II
Edirol R-44 (Oade CM)
Sony PCM‑M10

Offline earmonger

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2015, 05:59:27 PM »
Now delayed until December 2015.

From Kickstarter blog:

Through sheer determination and passion, we've managed to silence many doubters. However, despite the impressive hurdle-leaping our team has accomplished thus far, the laws of time cannot be bent. Our factory has delivered some somber news, and though I’ll spare you the nuts and bolts for now, I want to let the original backers know that we will be suffering manufacturing delays. The new proposed date for delivery is December 2015.

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #12 on: June 29, 2015, 07:06:21 AM »
Yeah, I had an email a few days ago stating "winter 2015" as the revised date.  Typical of such projects.  Whenever I back them I just say to myself "one day this will arrive - if I'm lucky"!

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2017, 08:39:58 PM »
According to their facebook site, the Hooke devices are almost ready to ship - at last...

Sadly these days I'm doing virtually no recording, but when I get mine I'll at least do some tests and report what I can, though it's unlikely to be with live music.

https://www.facebook.com/hookeaudio
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 08:42:49 PM by Ozpeter »

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2017, 05:02:58 AM »
“Hooke Verse” Preliminary Review

Why preliminary?  Well, I’ve only had the device a couple of days and I’ve only tinkered around with it at home.  So these are my initial thoughts, subject to correction in due course.

The Hooke Verse consists of two earpieces which are wired to plastic cases which tuck behind your ears.  The two cases are connected by a flexible wire which goes round the back of your neck.  Although the device is very light,  in terms of fit and comfort I had some initial reservations, but after trying out all six pairs of ear inserts supplied with the device, I found a pair which gave a good seal at the ear, and it’s ok in use - not the most comfortable I’ve used, but not a problem.  It is worth noting at this point that the physical design gives minimal (none really) handling / cable noise on recordings, unlike for instance my Roland in-ear wired binaural mics.

A tiny - really tiny - mic is flush mounted in each earpiece housing.  In use, the mics are about as close to the ear canal’s entry as could reasonably be achieved.  From the front, it’s surprisingly “stealthy”, less so from the side.  If you wanted to use it inconspicuously at a concert, conventional wired in-ear mics would be less noticeable.  And a security guard might wonder why you were apparently listening to music from your phone during a rock concert.  Maybe it would depend on how bad the act was.

There’s a single multifunction control button on the device, which has an indicator light built in to show various things.  Unfortunately, when you put your finger on the button, you cover the light.  A separate light would be less sexy but more useful.

The Verse connects to your phone - certain flavours of Apple or Android - just like any other bluetooth headset.  I’m using it with an LG Android 5.x phone for which I paid $35AU - it has no sim card fitted, I just use it for remote controls and as an audio player. If I’m correctly understanding the way the Verse works, it simply transfers digitised audio from the mics to the phone via bluetooth, so the audio quality of the phone doesn’t make a difference to the quality of the audio recording.  The phone is basically a bit bucket - all the heavy lifting happens in the headset.

For audio playback, you can use the Verse in normal BT headphone fashion.  Subjectively, I’d say the playback quality is very good - no obvious deviations from a flat response.  On Android you can use the device to answer phone calls.  During recording it is recommended that you put the phone into airplane mode and then re-enable BT.

To use the Verse for recording, you must use the Hooke Audio app which can be installed from the Apple or Google store in the usual way.  This app provides two simple pages.  One is for recording audio, with or without phone video - a toggle button turns the video on or off.  Another button starts and stops recording.  There is no pause button.  There is no provision for setting any audio or video parameters -  audio is recorded as 48/16 wave format.  On my phone, its own camera app provides 1080p recording, but the Hooke app defaults to 720p with no (obvious) means of adjusting that.

Before actually starting recording, audio can be monitored via the headset, with monitoring level set by the phone’s volume buttons.  There are left and right level indicators (no indication of dB) which incorporate sliders for setting input gain.  These sliders work the wrong way round - you raise them if the source sound is loud and you lower them if it’s quiet.  This took a little getting used to, but really it’s no problem.  If the gain is set too high, “overs” are shown by the metering shooting to the top above the slider position, and the idea is that you raise the slider so the metering no longer goes above the slider.  It’s a brave man who turns normal level setting on its head, but actually it’s a scheme that works - full marks for lateral thinking.

Levels are conservatively set in the digital domain - in other words, if you record at the level that the meters suggest, you are likely to see an overall margin of about 6dB or so when you look at the file in a DAW.  So everything is slightly quiet, but that’s better than any chance of digital clipping.

When recording, there’s a counter showing minutes and seconds.  You get no info about space remaining.  There’s no provision for dropping markers.  There’s no margin db display.  I mention these things only because they are the kind of facility which members here are used to seeing on digital recorders.  The design intent of the app seems to be to keep everything as simple as possible for inexperienced users.  That does have the advantage that you don’t have to think twice about using the app - just set levels, press record, and that’s it.

When you press ‘stop’, you are taken to the playback page.  This could be an annoyance given the lack of a pause control - you might want to resume recording very soon after stopping, but you’re on the wrong page.  Recordings are listed with date but not time, and are titled “recording 1” “recording 2” etc - no provision for setting your own naming scheme, but you can rename files from the playback screen (or email them or delete them).  Just tap on the item of interest, and it plays back through the headset.  There’s a pause button in the playback interface and a progress bar you can use for skipping to later or earlier parts of the recording.  There’s no recorded level indicator on playback.  [Edit on June 19th - the app now gives date and time filenames to recordings automatically.]

At the moment, there’s one thing which might be a deal breaker for some users - on my Android phone at least, the app only works in the foreground.  If you go to another app, or to the home page, or if you turn off the phone’s screen, recording stops.  This means that you either have to keep the phone in your hand, being careful not to touch the screen for fear of pressing a button, or put it down and hope nobody swipes it, or you must put it in your pocket with considerable care without causing the app to stop.  If Hooke could make the app run in the background, the problem would be largely solved. [Edit June 19th - background recording is now implemented so this is no longer an issue] By the way, if you do put the phone down, you can walk away from it to a typical BT range distance, and the recording continues.  But currently - in my experience - if you exceed the range, the app doesn’t cope very gracefully and the recording is totally lost.  Edit June 19th - this seems to have been fixed - going out of range gives a silent space in the recording but it is not lost] This and some other issues are the subject of emails with the developer of the device who is very responsive despite probably being swamped with queries at this post-launch period.

So now the big question - what does it sound like?  Well, I’d say it sounds excellent in my limited tests so far.  I did a fairly crude test which involved playing an Eric Clapton test track (“River of Tears”) on my studio speakers at a healthy level, and sitting between the speakers rather closer than normal.  I recorded that using the Verse, then immediately played it back, and it gave the most accurate result I can recall from that rough test - it’s been a long time since I did it with other gear, including my Sennheiser MKH MS pair, but my memory is that even the Sennheisers gave a result which wasn’t that impressive.  The Verse device captured the same overall balance of LF and HF and mid as the original, but also gave a very good account of the stereo image, and this somehow helps with the usual problem of room colourations - the image helps the ear separate the original and the reflected sound perhaps..   Looking at the playback on a spectrum analyser, I could clearly see music content right through from 20Hz to 22kHz - the regular tapping of the tambourine cymbals in the recorded track clearly showing, though my ears struggle to actually hear that these days - and when playing back a recording made just walking round the house, the analyser also clearly showed a whistle from somewhere at about 17.5kHz in one room.

With other tests around the house and garden - yes, I even recorded the toilet flush - playback sounded very similar to source, with an accurate stereo image, including conveying to some degree front and back as well as left or right - on a few occasions I found myself turning round to check whether what I was listening to was live or recorded.   Certainly the sound would trounce the Sony M10 built in mics, or in fact any built in mics I’ve ever encountered, particularly in respect of stereo image.  It’s a balanced sound - not bottom heavy, not mid boomy, not thin.

Listening to demo recordings on the Hooke Audio site, I get perfectly good results listening on speakers - in my view, speaker compatibility is fine, although the best results would be obtained on headphones.

The only reservation I have in respect of the sound relates to noise when recording quiet sounds at full gain.  My ears are too old now to really make judgements about hiss, but my current impression is that although you should be able to make recordings of quiet ambiences and play them back at authentic (originally perceived) level without noise being a significant problem, you might not get a good result if you tried to (say) record a distant bird and replay it with the volume turned up unnaturally high in order to hear the bird more distinctly.  I’d rate it, subjectively and without really enough testing, as being a device which was acceptable on the noise front for most purposes but not stunningly quiet at full gain.  When dealing with normal live music performance levels, it wouldn’t be a problem.

If you want to record on your existing field recorder, or some models of GoPro, or your DSLR, the Verse comes with a cord which connects via the usual mini jack to the USB port on the Verse.  There’s a second connector for GoPro.  I’ve not tried the cable yet.

Battery life?  I’ve not been able to test that, but it looks like it will last for hours.  There’s a battery level indicator in the app and it’s still showing full after charging the device once.

In summary, this is a whole new way of recording and in most respects it works very well.  For the first time it’s possible to record high quality binaural stereo sound onto a phone (even a cheap one) without physical attachments and wires and other clutter.

 In so many cases, Kickstarter projects disappoint when they arrive in the post.  This one took its time to arrive, but part of the reason is that Hooke Audio were determined to get it right.  The basic hardware is fine, which is the key thing as it can’t be changed once in the user’s hands, but the app could do with some improvements and perhaps some enhancements, and we’ll have to see what comes.  I forget what I paid for it (more than two years ago on pre-order) but whatever it was, it’s worth it - to me - and I’ve almost forgotten about the wait…

I’ll answer questions if I can, and I think the developer may chip in too, which personally I’d welcome.  Nothing like getting answers straight from the horse’s mouth.  Bear in mind what I said at the start, this is a preliminary and pretty subjective review.


« Last Edit: June 19, 2017, 03:42:43 AM by Ozpeter »

Offline illconditioned

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #15 on: May 14, 2017, 04:35:49 PM »
Thanks for the review.
I ordered one of these as well (via the Kickstarter).
Two years later and it is set to arrive very soon.

Now I'll have to get an android phone to try it out :)

  Richard.

Please DO NOT mail me with tech questions.  I will try to answer in the forums when I get a chance.  Thanks.

Sample recordings at: http://www.soundmann.com.

Offline earmonger

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #16 on: May 23, 2017, 04:51:07 PM »
Wish I could be remotely as positive as Ozpeter. So far the recordings I have done--just TV in my living room--have been garbage. Fadeouts and fadeins every 10 seconds or so. Lots of noise.

Meanwhile, keeping the screen lit through a concert and the app foregrounded is not a real-world option.

If it took them this long to get the thing out there, they really should have taken the extra time and finished the app.

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #17 on: May 24, 2017, 09:56:51 AM »
Are you using an Android device?  They put up guidance for fixing Android problems on their blog site.   Among the things I recall were rebooting the phone, and turning on airplane mode (but of course then turning on bluetooth).  Then run the app.  Certainly I don't get the kind of problems you are describing.  I recorded some Sunday morning dawn chorus (on Sunday would you believe) and at authentic playback levels it sounded pretty good to me - noise not a significant problem.

Offline jmz93

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #18 on: May 24, 2017, 04:21:30 PM »
I won't go into many details here, as this forum is mostly for sighted users, but the iOS app is buggy and has issues for those who use Voiceover, the screen reader function built into iOS. Anthony is promising a fix "soon".

I'm totally blind and always have a white cane handy. Do you think I can get away with telling anyone who asks that this thing is actually hearing aids? :) I'm seeing Tool next week. It's that, or the usual DPA 4060's > Church Audio preamp > Sony PCM-M10 at 24/96.

Even with the largest size silicone tips attached, the right earbud of Hookeverse slips out of my ear easily. I haven't tried the memory foam tips that were in cluded in the box yet.

One issue I and some others are having, is a very high noise level when attempting to use the included cable to run Hookeverse into the mic input of a recorder like the Sony PCM-M10.  I sent Hookeaudio a clip of the noise, and they were skeptical. "Are you sure you were wearing the Hookeverse?" Yes, and here's a clip of me talking, first through the Sony's internal mics, then through HookeVerse as worn on my head. You'll hear the centered Sony image first, then the Hookeverse with much more side information (and noise!).
https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/6tfzwh

Offline jmz93

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #19 on: May 24, 2017, 04:23:49 PM »
Can someone explain the rationale for having the record level lower when one moves their finger up? That seems backwards!

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #20 on: May 25, 2017, 01:45:18 AM »
Re the record level control - I think the idea is that when the level is too high, it goes above where the fader is positioned.  So you raise the fader to the point where the level display doesn't go above it.  Something like that.  It's aimed primarily at people who might not have experience with level setting (I'd say), and it only takes a few uses to become intuitive.  But indeed, it's something completely different.

Re noise into mic inputs - I must get around to trying that.  It would be interesting to compare results with the Roland in-ears that I have.  They have a bit of a problem with cable handling noise - it will be interesting to see whether the Hooke cable connection also has that problem, which is largely absent when used in bluetooth mode.

Re fit at the ear - personally I found the cure for looseness is to try a smaller earbud, not larger, so it goes further into the ear and sticks there.  YEMV (Your Ears May Vary)...

Let's hope the app problems are solved for people with vision impairments.   I'm sure they would if they could.

Offline jmz93

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #21 on: May 27, 2017, 02:31:21 PM »
Can someone varify that the Android app will save in .wav format? It appears the iOS app will only save in .m4A, although perhaps I am missing a setting somewhere?

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #22 on: May 29, 2017, 10:24:38 AM »
.wav, 16 bits, 48kHz - not adjustable.

Offline BlindGuyEars

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HookeVerse in the Wild
« Reply #23 on: June 01, 2017, 04:17:01 PM »
I've had my HookeVerse for awhile now, so here are some thoughts.

The latest update to the iOS app fixed some annoying bugs, and it is now possible to keep recording while not focused in the HookeAudio app, when your phone is asleep etc.

With the level control in the app set to maximum, you'll notice the noise floor if you try recording birds and other nature sounds with this device.

Louder material captured with lower gain settings sounds surprisingly realistic.

Currently, the iOS app only saves to MP3 format, so the fidelity can definitely be improved.

To really torture this device, I wore it to last night's Tool concert in Hamilton Ontario Canada.  Here's what I sent to the folks at HookeAudio.

Anthony:

I tried Hookeverse in a loud arena show last night.  Here's a sample.  You'll notice there are a few dB of headroom in the recording, so the distortion appears to be happening at the microphone end and not in the iPhone app.

Could HookeVerse's performance in these situations  be improved, with more headroom somewhere, or at the very least, a low shelving filter starting at around 100Hz to roll off some of the bass?

Download link:
https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/hewebg

Band: Tool

Song: Opiate

Venue: FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton Ontario Canada (approx. 19,000 capacity hockey arena)

Location: upper seats in line with left PA stack.

The sound is surprisingly clear and reminiscent of what I experienced at the show. I'm just curious to know if anything can be done to prevent severe clipping of this nature.

Chris

P.S. So, currently, I'd say this reminds me of the first rig I started taping with in the 1990's, a pair of Coresound Binaurals (CSB's), battery box, and a Sharp minidisc recorder.

Offline BlindGuyEars

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #24 on: June 01, 2017, 04:23:17 PM »
I've had my HookeVerse for awhile now, so here are some thoughts.

The latest update to the iOS app fixed some annoying bugs, and it is now possible to keep recording while not focused in the HookeAudio app, when your phone is asleep etc.

With the level control in the app set to maximum, you'll notice the noise floor if you try recording birds and other nature sounds with this device.

Louder material captured with lower gain settings sounds surprisingly realistic.

Currently, the iOS app only saves to MP3 format, so the fidelity can definitely be improved.

To really torture this device, I wore it to last night's Tool concert in Hamilton Ontario Canada.  Here's what I sent to the folks at HookeAudio.

Anthony:

I tried Hookeverse in a loud arena show last night.  Here's a sample.  You'll notice there are a few dB of headroom in the recording, so the distortion appears to be happening at the microphone end and not in the iPhone app.

Could HookeVerse's performance in these situations  be improved, with more headroom somewhere, or at the very least, a low shelving filter starting at around 100Hz to roll off some of the bass?

Download link:
https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/hewebg

Band: Tool

Song: Opiate

Venue: FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton Ontario Canada (approx. 19,000 capacity hockey arena)

Location: upper seats in line with left PA stack.

The sound is surprisingly clear and reminiscent of what I experienced at the show. I'm just curious to know if anything can be done to prevent severe clipping of this nature.

Chris

P.S. So, currently, http://I'd say this reminds me of the first rig I started taping with in the 1990's, a pair of Coresound Binaurals (CSB's), battery box, and a Sharp minidisc recorder.

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #25 on: June 03, 2017, 09:14:19 PM »
Do you remember how you had the level set?  I wonder whether there would have been any scope for lowering the level any further to end up with a recording which might have needed normalisation afterwards, but which wouldn't have the clipping on the bass.

Good to hear that background recording has been fixed in iOS - let's hope this feature comes to Android soon, as it's pretty vital in my view.

Unrelated matters here have severely limited my opportunities for further testing.  Hopefully I can get something posted here before long - but it won't be loud rock music!

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #26 on: June 19, 2017, 03:33:08 AM »
I've only just spotted that the Android app has also been updated and you can now turn off the screen of your phone, and the recording keeps going.  For me, that is a huge improvement. 

Various other lesser improvements and fixes have been implemented and I will update my review accordingly when I have a moment.  Stability and reliability seem improved, and I tried putting down my phone and walking out of bluetooth range - although the resulting recording had a silent portion where the phone and headset were too far apart, the rest of the recording was intact.  Monitoring in the earpieces was continuous, so that means that you can't judge whether you are out of range or not, but in real conditions I don't see that as important - just don't push your luck with range.  Now that you can put the phone in your pocket without risk of recording being accidentally stopped, there's not much point in putting it down and walking away from it during recording.

I did a few trivial tests including walking into the street and recording cars going from ear to ear, opening my garage door and slamming it shut, getting into the car and turning on the radio, etc etc, and the resulting playback was impressive.  It's certainly very stereo - as for front vs back, for me the jury is a bit out, but that's a fairly subjective thing imho.  Under realistic conditions, I'm not hearing noise issues, and frequency response is very realistic.  I like this thing!

One feature I'm going to ask the developer to consider - to set levels you line up a slider against a scale, but to repeat a level setting, you have to count up from the bottom which little tick your slider is opposite.  I'm sure it would be fairly easy to provide an additional numeric readout of the level setting simply so that you can set the level quickly to the same point in future.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #27 on: June 21, 2017, 12:31:45 AM »
https://youtu.be/9-iE1EKP29w

It's a short news item showing the Hooke system in use compared to normal phone audio.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #28 on: June 22, 2017, 01:02:59 PM »
Hey All!

Anthony here, founder of Hooke Audio. First of all OzPeter thank you for such an in depth breakdown and preliminary review of the Hooke Verse. It is super helpful. I wanted to reach out and inform you all of our recent app updates which solve a lot of OzPeter's queries listed above. This is the best part about making the World's first binaural 3d audio recording app, features can always be added! And we plan to add many! The main one begin background recording. You can now hit begin on an audio only recording, put the phone to sleep, put it in your pocket and be on your way. It's a HUGE feature and we think you guys (tapers, engineers, musicians) in particular will love it.

In response to some individual posts:
@earmonger I noticed your reports of dropouts on your Android device back in May (sorry for the delay!). Sounds like the latest Android update fixed these issues. We finally found the bug, and are finding the update to work across Android phones!

@jmz93 I noticed your reports of lack of iOS accessibility. This ALSO was fixed in our first iOS update and our blind iOS users have been very satisfied. Also, the Hooke recording cable outputs line level audio. So don't plug it into a mic jack on your recorder. Make sure plug in power is off and that the verse is connected to the 3.5mm stereo LINE JACK.

@BlindGuyEars there are some ways to improve the HookeVerse in handling high SPLs (more specifically sound sources dominating the 60Hz - 200Hz frequency range like kick drums and gunshots) which we are currently exploring. Does not require entire hardware overhaul. For instance, a "concert mode" would almost act like a -12dB pad in cutting the mic gain significantly for situations like TOOL.

@OzPeter thank you for sharing our WGN news feature! We were super happy with how it turned out  :bigsmile:

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #29 on: June 26, 2017, 05:47:06 PM »
Also, the Hooke recording cable outputs line level audio. So don't plug it into a mic jack on your recorder. Make sure plug in power is off and that the verse is connected to the 3.5mm stereo LINE JACK.

Anthony, that's contrary to the advice given in red capital letters in your instruction video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-euqpzL0m_Y - there, you emphasise that the mic input should be used - somthing amiss somewhere... (must get around to trying that myself).

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #30 on: June 28, 2017, 11:45:38 AM »
Peter thank you for spotting that! I will fix on my end.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #31 on: September 01, 2017, 05:37:36 PM »
This short sample sounded impressive to me in terms of frequency response and stereo image -

https://www.facebook.com/hookeaudio/videos/1378111725607040/

I have still had little opportunity to use mine for anything worth posting, but one day...

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #32 on: November 10, 2017, 06:08:02 PM »
8)

I didn't even know this thread existed until right now. [chuckles]
Gude used to work fine with the TC-D5M/WM-D6C app.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #33 on: November 21, 2017, 01:30:27 AM »
I remain completely disappointed with Hooke Audio. I don't think it can handle concert recording end stop. 

Took the Hooke to a certain Minnesota songwriter show tonight anticipating major security. But it was the same as any other Beacon Theater show, where my PCM-M10 and Soundman "earbud" mics easily get in. Killer show, hope someone stealthed it, especially "Thunder on the Mountain" and "Desolation Row," wow.  If anyone is going later in the run, just take out your pouched PCM-M10 or whatever and small mics and put them in the bowl and you'll get through. 

I used Audio Only recording, so the phone could supposedly darken its screen and continue. Only it didn't. Got 5 minutes of Mavis Staples with dropouts and distortion before it randomly stopped. Got zero minutes of Elston Gunn.

At home now, making sure it's in Airplane mode/Audio Only (which should be the default BTW) and all the other workarounds, and 15 inches away the Hooke pairing still breaks after a few minutes. There has been a lot of big talk about Hooke since 2014. I'm sure Bluetooth is difficult,  but, sorry Anthony,  put up or shut up.   

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #34 on: December 08, 2017, 05:36:36 PM »
@Earmonger, this sounds incredibly frustrating. I'm so sorry to hear you had issues recording at the show. While we have done everything we can to ensure a stable wireless recording to smartphones, we are finding in areas of heavy BT traffic that dropouts can occur. This is why we recommend running the phone in airplane mode during concerts, but it sounds like even this did not help. It's strange because one 700 seat venue will be fine where another will cause all different kinds of issues. We find that whether you're surrounded by metal or wood can even make a big difference. Our team continues to improve upon the app functionality and work towards improving performance in high BT trafficked areas. I assure you, we are working on a fix for situations like these.

Also, since the launch of iOS 11, we've seen a lot of serious issues come about. Apple completely overhauled their AV sessions in the new OS, and it is causing some specific devices in certain areas to perform worse than others. That being said, may I ask a few questions:

1. What is the model and make of your phone?
2. What operating system were you running?
3. Did you have any other apps open in the background during recording?

Regardless, we are currently working on a recording cable for conducting wired recordings straight to the phone to avoid this BT interference. I will make sure to keep you updated as this progresses.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #35 on: December 08, 2017, 06:15:47 PM »
I am amazed that there are still problems with all this technology after all this time ...

Seems we need to stay with wires and dedicated recorder (not computer or smart phone).

Mics on body -> Sony PCM-M10 recorder using plug in power.

Never missed an important recording yet.

Please DO NOT mail me with tech questions.  I will try to answer in the forums when I get a chance.  Thanks.

Sample recordings at: http://www.soundmann.com.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #36 on: December 09, 2017, 12:05:56 AM »
Seems we need to stay with wires and dedicated recorder (not computer or smart phone).


DPA d:vice MMA-A > iPhone 6S (with Rode app) is golden.  Limited to DPA minis (4060, etc.) or d:fine series (I have 4015s).  Best and so far most reliable stereo mic setup I have used. 

Jeff

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #37 on: December 09, 2017, 09:40:48 AM »
^ Is it actually true that the d:vice is limited to DPA mics?  Couldn't you use mics with a similar operating voltage with a 1/8" to microdot cable to connect them?  I wonder if anyone has tried this...

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #38 on: December 09, 2017, 10:50:47 AM »
I suppose the answer is yes, if you can find other mics that power the same way as the DPAs or can work on the active cables like the 4015 caps.  Don't know of any.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #39 on: December 09, 2017, 11:20:06 AM »
They're just 9vdc two wire, aren't they?
When I did the HPF-mod on my MMA6000 preamp (coughs - clears throat), I wired it for an external pair to be powered by the MMA6000, after I removed the HPF circuit.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #40 on: December 11, 2017, 01:06:55 AM »

1. What is the model and make of your phone?
2. What operating system were you running?
3. Did you have any other apps open in the background during recording?


I am Apple-free. Never liked walled gardens or proprietary software.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Android 6.0.1

The phone was in my pocket with the screen dark. (Your early software apparently needed the screen on--not good.) If there were other apps, I don't know about them but smartphones always have something going on. Hooke has to deal with those and after all this time it should have things figured out.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #41 on: June 29, 2018, 07:06:37 PM »
update:

"In our new update being released next week, users will be able to record either .mp3 or lossless .wav WIRELESSLY to their phones. We are very excited for this update"

lets see if it can handle the latency

i grabbed a pair. sensitivity seems similar to 4060s which i dont have so it could be good for quieter shows if it works reliably



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Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #42 on: June 30, 2018, 08:04:49 PM »
Indeed it will be interesting to see the app updates.  Good to see this is still alive, even if not always kicking.

A week or two back I finally had the chance to actually use my Hooke Verse to record some live music, at a jazz club - very contemporary sextet, no amplification apart from the double bass.  I got the thing going with my phone in good time, but about a minute before the start of the show, the connection to my Android LG Q6 was lost and I couldn't get it to reconnect.  Fortunately I had a humble Zoom H1N in my pocket, and got that running on my knee just in time for the first set. 

During the interval I got the Hooke Verse going again - as memory serves me I had to turn it off, maybe reboot the phone, and start from scratch.  Then it connected and held the connection, but to be sure I recorded the second set with both the Hooke and the Zoom.

I was impressed with the sound from the Hooke - maybe a bit rolled off at the top end compared with the Zoom, but the bass end was good a solid, with of course a very nice stereo image.  The Zoom image was not so wide for the band (though the applause was good and wide), but that little device did surprise me with the quality of the recording (given that it was on my knee 25 feet from the band).

At the moment I wouldn't use the Hooke Verse for mission critical work.  Something like ambiences where you can fiddle with it if need be would suit it fine.  I do really like the concept of a no wires in-ear system for inconspicuous recording.  I just wish it was more reliable.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #43 on: June 30, 2018, 09:26:41 PM »
but about a minute before the start of the show, the connection to my Android LG Q6 was lost and I couldn't get it to reconnect.  Fortunately I had a humble Zoom H1N in my pocket, and got that running on my knee just in time for the first set. 

During the interval I got the Hooke Verse going again - as memory serves me I had to turn it off, maybe reboot the phone, and start from scratch.

thats completely unacceptable and what separates a toy from real gear
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Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #44 on: June 30, 2018, 10:18:21 PM »
Well, I know what you mean, but what Hooke are trying to do here is a big ask.  They've made their device compatible with both Apple and Android devices, and Android devices and versions can vary considerably.  I have a variety of Android phones and tablets, and just in terms of the interface the Hooke app comes up different on each - none of them shows the battery meter, and one of them only shows part of the settings menu.  One of the phones doesn't like recording video with the Hooke devices, the rest will do it with no problem.  The only way Hooke could address those kinds of issues would be by testing on a huge number of devices, which a small outfit couldn't possibly afford to do.  Overall I'm a happy Hooke customer as I recognise the inherent risks of recording across a bluetooth link to a wide variety of devices.  It's a whole different scenario compared to plugging a mic into a mic input.

Meanwhile I have been creating some comparitive samples from the jazz gig I mentioned (Zoom vs Hooke) and as these devices are likely to be of interest to different people I'll post those samples in a dedicated thread for the comparison in a little while.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #45 on: July 01, 2018, 03:18:19 AM »
See http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=187003.0 for the jazz club sample from the Hooke Verse and the Zoom H1N.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #46 on: July 03, 2018, 12:10:38 AM »
first impressions:

kind of a consumer-level product imo. Although it is marketed as such, not really built with our application as the focus. the heavily weighted ear pieces dont stay in my ears regardless of which of the many options i use. moderate shaking of head from side to side dislodges it under all circumstances. They need triple flanged silicone like the etymotics, though im not sure how well that would work with all the external weight torquing on it. i know people report that the shures have cable noise issues but im guessing thats more easily remedied with a clip. The Verse would suffer from noise of constantly manually adjusting the earpieces

at the current time bluetooth is limited by not being able to do wav, esp if it has connectivity issues, i know their update soon is promising lossless bluetooth and hopefully better connectivity but OZpeters experiences above make me leery. so far it seems the connectivity with my iphone SE is difficult to discern. it does wierd stuff when turning off the screen like stopping recording, stopping monitoring, etc. not much confidence in bringing home a recording with a device like this

as far as a similar feature set (in ear location of transducers with recording straight to the phone) im more of a fan of the sennheiser/apogee design that has lightweight earpieces and control box down on the cable.

IMO the only advantage to bluetooth would be simple design for being low pro with less cables, but this is a very conspicuous headset with a red light on the side while recording. (Esp if you get the white one - i kind of regret it although it was $50 cheaper). No way it can compete with something like DPAs for being invisible. Obviously at 1/2 the cost of a single DPA and 1/6 of the cost of a d:vice setup its priced to compete at a different segment but im not sure it offers an advantage over the other similarly priced binaural in-ear solutions like the senn/apogee ambeo (which works with an iphone) or the shure or sound professionals binaurals (which would require a line-in recorder)

really the only way id personally use this at a show is to mount it up in a hat where it would be hidden and also wouldnt get jostled around

im a sucker for details and when i see little things like misspellings in the app itself, as well all kind of bugs in the (iOS) app like:
doesnt rotate between portrait and landscape. which wouldnt be a problem, but....
-if you start it in portrait mode the record button covers the timer
-if you start it in landscape mode you can see the timer but cant adjust the levels
-turn off screen in landscape mode>app looks like its still recording, although it stops

The app is baffling, no documentation and no easy indication of how to get to the gallery of recorded files without recording another segment and stopping it. some of the files that looked like they were recording are nowhere to be found, either that or they are truncated to less than a minute and lost in the numerous short recordings i had to do to get to the gallery.

it just seems like unfortunately after all these years its still not ready for prime time. I'd like to upload  the test recording i made, but literally cant find them anywhere on the iphone. i'd have to use my limited data to upload it to the cloud, as the normal app i use to fetch files from other audio apps over USB cant find the recordings

the whole experience just seems half baked. I'm supportive of small companies and kickstarter mentality, but it seems like hooke ran out of resources before getting this ambitious product to a stable release level. The thing could sound like gold but if the required proprietary software is not reliable its a non-starter. I know there is an update coming up, but its hard to believe that this is an actual release version on a year-old product and not an alpha, its not stable in the slightest. I feel like ive been thru this before with companies who dont have strong support like creative, m-audio, etc. (as opposed to robust solutions like digigram, RME, DPA, Sound Devices etc that you really have to work hard to try to break their operation)

They patch the holes in the boat but usually software this buggy has serious underlying issues that a bugfix cant solve. Theres a big difference in it working in the development lab on a single device under controlled conditions, and it being a reliable solution for most or all in the field. The latter is the bar. It has to work first time, every time, otherwise its not even in the game.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2018, 01:39:50 AM by jerryfreak »
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Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #47 on: July 03, 2018, 07:41:46 AM »
I think I agree with the general thrust of what you've thoughtfully posted.

Another alternative is the Roland in-ear mics.  But then you've got to use them with something that's obviously a recorder.  Actually they connect to the little Zoom H1N rather neatly, with their angled connectors directing the cables down the slim sides of the recorder.

Let's see what the new app version brings...

Offline AnthonyMattana

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #48 on: July 05, 2018, 09:29:59 AM »
Hey All, Anthony here, founder of Hooke Audio.

Wanted to address some of the concerns JerryFreak has addressed as well as outline the latest features added to our iOS 2.2 update:
- 1080 and 4K video capture
- lossless .wav audio capture
- Ability to lock camera focus
- Ability to lock camera exposure
- Shoot 24fps video
- Video image stabilization when shooting
- Improved accessibility on iPhone X
- Improved stability when recording long audio
- Improved Bluetooth performance by integrating new Xcode 9.3


As a reminder, the wireless recording option is not intended for professional use, this is why we include a recording cable free of charge. Bluetooth is an incredibly tricky beast, especially when you are using it to stream dual channel .wav audio at very little latency back to a phone. What we are doing is incredibly difficult and will take time (there's a reason no other company is offering BT recording options at this time), but we are confident that with more app updates, which come at 0 cost to the customer, we can get the Verse and app operating at where we need it to be.

Also, JerryFreak you mentioned about not being able to find your audio only recordings once completed. You can blame Apple for this one and their desire to dominate with iTunes. They do not let any third party audio app like ours access the iTunes library or be stored to voice memos. The easiest way to share audio only from the app would be to airdrop to your mac or sync to google drive/dropbox directly in app. I also will text myself the recordings which works well too.

JerryFreak, the skewed portrait and landscape views is complete news to me. I've never seen this issue reported nor experienced it on the 11 iPhones y team tests on. Could you please send screenshots of this issue to info@hookeaudio.com?

I'm here should you have any questions. That's one benefit of supporting a small business, I actually care about you guys.

Hope you all had a Happy 4th! Got some great recordings of the Macy's NYC Fireworks show with my Verse and the new app if ya wanna here: https://youtu.be/BxXl1cYaGvo

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #49 on: July 05, 2018, 10:32:03 AM »

^Well this is awesome!

Seems like a lot of people find our little community here and offer a hand supporting their own products.

Thanks Anthony for dropping in to answer questions and offer support.
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #50 on: July 06, 2018, 05:47:06 PM »
Will a future Android update bring similar features, I wonder?  Good to see this project remains very much alive anyway.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #51 on: July 10, 2018, 12:49:59 AM »
Also, JerryFreak you mentioned about not being able to find your audio only recordings once completed. You can blame Apple for this one and their desire to dominate with iTunes. They do not let any third party audio app like ours access the iTunes library or be stored to voice memos.

i'm not a fan of apple's walled file system nor do i use itunes so im not sure how the apple apps handle files. here are 2 third party apps that can see recordings from apogee metarecorder , voice recorder pro, and rode recorder apps, but cannot find hooke audio recordings. Probably worthwhile to find out how they are doing it, because transferring large files over usb is almost always the easiest and quickest method

https://www.copytrans.net/
http://www.i-funbox.com/

as for screenshot see attached. thats an iphone SE, from whatever version was current last week. i had deleted that and just reinstalled v 2.3.0 and it still looks like that (with the recording button covering the timer). though i see there is a "record wav' toggle in the menu now and i can get to the recordings by the musical note icon in the upper right corner

As a reminder, the wireless recording option is not intended for professional use

this is unfortunate for our application as a 'professional' level of reliability is what most people here expect from their equipment. Without the bluetooth as the central feature, from a practical perspective it is difficult to justify the advantage of the hooke relative to all of the high quality conventionally-wired mics on the market today

 
« Last Edit: July 10, 2018, 12:57:25 AM by jerryfreak »
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Offline DATBoy

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #52 on: July 10, 2018, 03:03:06 PM »
Also, JerryFreak you mentioned about not being able to find your audio only recordings once completed. You can blame Apple for this one and their desire to dominate with iTunes. They do not let any third party audio app like ours access the iTunes library or be stored to voice memos. The easiest way to share audio only from the app would be to airdrop to your mac or sync to google drive/dropbox directly in app. I also will text myself the recordings which works well too.

Hi,

I ran across your response and forgive me for asking if there might be a simple answer, but maybe you can shed some light about this because I'm a bit confused.

Basically if you use some other software intended for recording on the iOS like the R0DE recording software, you have the option to import your recordings through iTunes that you make from the iTunes software. All you basically have to do is just open iTunes, click on the app you recorded the files with, and you'll find the files in there.

Unfortunately, I really don't know how it works for your product, but it seems from how you are talking about it, it doesn't work the same way like the R0DE software? Can you clarify this a little better if I am misunderstanding you?

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #53 on: July 10, 2018, 08:36:27 PM »


Basically if you use some other software intended for recording on the iOS like the R0DE recording software, you have the option to import your recordings through iTunes that you make from the iTunes software. All you basically have to do is just open iTunes, click on the app you recorded the files with, and you'll find the files in there.

im not sure if thats a question. if it is, i dont know how rode behaves with itunes as i have never used itunes
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #54 on: July 30, 2018, 11:00:46 AM »
There's a new version of the Hooke Android app available (released a couple of weeks ago I think) which brings worthwhile improvements in video and audio quality on suitable devices, but the trouble is, what a suitable device actually is depends on I don't know what.  I have about 4 different android phones here, and only one of them will correctly display the settings menu.  I suspect their budget doesn't extend to testing other than on a limited range of devices, which is understandable, but it does mean that the end user has to do the testing for them.  And if you buy the device and then discover the app won't work properly with the phone you happen to have, you've either got to return the device or buy a new phone.

Having said that, when I did a simple test of standing outside the front of my house under a tree full of singing parrots, with cars passing intermittently by, the result was excellent.  A binaural sound recording replayed through headphones is perhaps the nearest we can get to time travel - your senses (ears) are receiving exactly what they would have received at the time of the recording.  Anything depending on the eyes really doesn't work the same way - you can't reproduce the immersive feeling you get from sound.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #55 on: July 30, 2018, 04:00:47 PM »
returned mine. Am liking my sennheiser ambeos for low-cost binaural use. its flawless and i can use any recording app i want and find the files easily.
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Offline dogmusic

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #56 on: July 31, 2018, 06:04:13 PM »
returned mine. Am liking my sennheiser ambeos for low-cost binaural use. its flawless and i can use any recording app i want and find the files easily.

Can the ambeos record at 24/96?
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #57 on: August 01, 2018, 05:29:38 PM »
returned mine. Am liking my sennheiser ambeos for low-cost binaural use. its flawless and i can use any recording app i want and find the files easily.

Can the ambeos record at 24/96?

not sure i never record at 96k even with my better gear
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #58 on: August 01, 2018, 11:13:33 PM »
Hey there! Responses to your questions below.

Will a future Android update bring similar features, I wonder?  Good to see this project remains very much alive anyway.

Yes, the latest Android app has all of these features. Of course we're alive! This isn't really a project, it's a company :-)

I am not familiar with how other apps gain access to iTunes for importing, but to my knowledge it is not possible. I just airdrop my recordings to my mac, takes a few seconds and is so easy. For Android I just plug into my computer and use Android file transfer. So much easier than going through iTunes.

returned mine. Am liking my sennheiser ambeos for low-cost binaural use. its flawless and i can use any recording app i want and find the files easily.

Sorry to see you go JerryFreak! Please note that with future updates to our app, Hooke Verse will only get better at no additional cost.

Can the ambeos record at 24/96?

No, they cannot.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #59 on: August 03, 2018, 02:30:08 AM »
You could say that the ambeos device "cheats" by (a) having a wired connection and (b) only working in the much more predictable Apple phone environment.  So they've got it easy.  And they also are much more in competition with the several other wired binaural in-ears that have been available for years from the likes of Roland.  But of course it you are recording something unrepeatable then you want guaranteed results rather than cutting edge.  Different strokes etc.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #60 on: August 03, 2018, 03:37:31 AM »
agreed. if its not 100% reliable it doesnt even go in the bag. i wish i had something better to say about the hooke but after years of messing around with consumer gear like nomad jukeboxes, maudio microtrack, pdaudiocf software, dell axims, a million and one soundcards for transferring, etc, in the time before we had reliable 24-bit recorders, ive lost way too many recordings to even mess with something that doesnt work 100% of the time. Theres simply too many other cost effective reliable solutions out there right now to roll the dice with something not ready for prime time. Note that almost every one of the iffy solutuions above were also constantly under software revision but never quite got there. Perhaps this time is differnet and hopefully you guys can have a good dialogue of feedback and product improvements that get there

as far as the ambeo ive only tested it for 3 hours or so, but it worked out of the box flawlessly and did what it needed to do. im sure apogees other devices like the duo work similarly. As for it only working with apple not really a limitation imo. iphones are $50 and small and efficient. the hooke doesnt even work properly with my iphone so theres that...

as far as the ambeo id say it seems to be as robust as my dpa d:vice setup and is something i would let a friend borrow to tape a show ($250 vs $1500)

i still think the #1 advantage of the dvice/ambeo/hooke type setups (and the shure mv88 to a lesser extent) is the fact that youre digi into your phone and dont have to try to sneak a recorder in. dvice and hooke are both a little odd if you have to explain it. the ambeos are just noise cancelling headphones if somebody asks. The roland and sound professional binaurals (and hooke if using line connection) still need an audio recorder so thats a limitation. analog in of most phones is not up to the task. The first 2 in that list pass for headphones easily but you still need a recorder....
« Last Edit: August 03, 2018, 03:50:19 AM by jerryfreak »
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #61 on: August 03, 2018, 07:39:58 AM »
Of course I was overlooking the phone vs recorder aspect when comparing the ambeo device with the Roland in-ears.  I agree that being able to use a phone - if that doesn't compromise the sound, and it doesn't have to - is a significant advantage.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #62 on: August 03, 2018, 10:39:46 AM »
see the rode sc6-L thread that jsut got started
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #63 on: August 03, 2018, 12:56:21 PM »
Hey there! Responses to your questions below.


Can the ambeos record at 24/96?

No, they cannot.



Apparently they can. If you use the Apogee MetaRecorder App, you can record at 24/96.

http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/metarecorder
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #64 on: August 03, 2018, 03:36:57 PM »
ill try it. i dont use the metarecorder app because you have to buy it to record over a minute, and voice record pro seems to work fine
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #65 on: August 11, 2018, 05:21:14 PM »
I'd pretty much given up on Hooke and it was headed for Ebay when I listened to Ozpeter's wild jazz link--sounded good. I'm going to install the updated Android app and see what I get at my next concert.  Otherwise, maybe an Iphone user on Ebay will have better luck.

In the meantime, among all the wired mics everyone keeps mentioning....don't forget the Soundman in-ears, which are the tiniest of buds. I think I have the OKM Classic Rock Studio, but the names are confusing. I'm still not sure how durable they are--had to get a pair replaced because the superthin wires around the buds wore out--but the recordings  sound great--very detailed and realistic--and their customer service is very friendly. 

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #66 on: August 11, 2018, 05:54:34 PM »
so those are minijack to a recorder, right?
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #67 on: August 12, 2018, 01:28:22 PM »
Yes, they are old-school wired mics that look like the cheapest of off-brand earbuds (and the plastic oyster case looks like a Sony earbud case).

Mine are OKM Classic Rock Solo, $110  shipped from Soundman on Ebay in 2017. Looking at the site now that would seem to be the OKM Klassik II, the higher-SPL version (they all look alike). Soundman also sells on Ebay, but only a few things at a time.

http://www.soundman.de/en/products/

Soundman sells its A3, a 6V battery module, to go with them, but I saw it got very mixed reviews. The mics will take up to 10V (per Soundman) so I am using my 9V CA-UBB. Doesn't get much more compact than Soundman-->CA-UBB-->PCM-M10.

They do go in your ears and despite the minimal size and the special foam covers, they are not quite acoustically transparent--vocals are a little harder to decipher during the performance. But on playback, the mix is right.

When I saw the Hooke in its Kickstarter days I thought it might be a good alternative to clip-on mics.  If Sennheiser comes through with Android on its Ambeo binaurals, that might be the next step, unless Hooke has gotten its Bluetooth bugs worked out. No point in using the Hooke wired to a recorder when the Soundmans are so superb.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #68 on: August 12, 2018, 01:50:52 PM »
hows the cable noise? thats what people complain about with the shures
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #69 on: August 13, 2018, 01:27:50 AM »
You certainly have to be careful with cable noise with the Edirol in-ears - not that it's a massive problem, you just have to bear it in mind - probably an inherent problem with any such wired in-ears, and of course much less of a problem with unwired ones such as the Hooke Verse.

But when recording music concerts with any in-ear binaural device, you should be keeping your head very still in any event, to avoid sudden spins of the stereo image when playing back.   And that's quite hard to do for an hour at a time!  You can forget glugging down any beers, too.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #70 on: August 13, 2018, 01:46:44 AM »
I uploaded a one minute sample of parrots and cars to YouTube - https://youtu.be/Ci7XjGAf_4A

It makes an interesting little test.  To me, even on speakers, the parrots seem above me, which is weird.  The power of suggestion, or the power of binaural sound??

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #71 on: August 13, 2018, 11:41:14 AM »
Yes, they are old-school wired mics that look like the cheapest of off-brand earbuds (and the plastic oyster case looks like a Sony earbud case).

Mine are OKM Classic Rock Solo, $110  shipped from Soundman on Ebay in 2017. Looking at the site now that would seem to be the OKM Klassik II, the higher-SPL version (they all look alike). Soundman also sells on Ebay, but only a few things at a time.

http://www.soundman.de/en/products/

Soundman sells its A3, a 6V battery module, to go with them, but I saw it got very mixed reviews. The mics will take up to 10V (per Soundman) so I am using my 9V CA-UBB. Doesn't get much more compact than Soundman-->CA-UBB-->PCM-M10.

They do go in your ears and despite the minimal size and the special foam covers, they are not quite acoustically transparent--vocals are a little harder to decipher during the performance. But on playback, the mix is right.

When I saw the Hooke in its Kickstarter days I thought it might be a good alternative to clip-on mics.  If Sennheiser comes through with Android on its Ambeo binaurals, that might be the next step, unless Hooke has gotten its Bluetooth bugs worked out. No point in using the Hooke wired to a recorder when the Soundmans are so superb.

I saw what the CA-UBB looks like and while that could work for some, bear in mind that some venues get really anxious and nervous when they see batteries out in the open. That's why I like the Microphone Madness "Miniature Classic Battery / Filter module" (but I think it's discontinued now, sadly enough).
« Last Edit: August 13, 2018, 11:55:27 AM by DATBoy »

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #72 on: August 13, 2018, 11:56:59 AM »
You certainly have to be careful with cable noise with the Edirol in-ears - not that it's a massive problem, you just have to bear it in mind - probably an inherent problem with any such wired in-ears, and of course much less of a problem with unwired ones such as the Hooke Verse.

But when recording music concerts with any in-ear binaural device, you should be keeping your head very still in any event, to avoid sudden spins of the stereo image when playing back.   And that's quite hard to do for an hour at a time!  You can forget glugging down any beers, too.

use a paper straw probably?

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #73 on: August 13, 2018, 08:09:40 PM »
Quote

use a paper straw probably?

Nah, I think that would suck.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #74 on: August 14, 2018, 08:52:06 AM »
Yes, they are old-school wired mics that look like the cheapest of off-brand earbuds (and the plastic oyster case looks like a Sony earbud case).

Mine are OKM Classic Rock Solo, $110  shipped from Soundman on Ebay in 2017. Looking at the site now that would seem to be the OKM Klassik II, the higher-SPL version (they all look alike). Soundman also sells on Ebay, but only a few things at a time.

http://www.soundman.de/en/products/


those dead rat earmuffs are kinda dope

ok im done hijacking this thread
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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #75 on: September 05, 2019, 12:36:58 PM »
So is anyone still using the Hooke ? I decided to look into it again to get rid of the wire but the few LOUD samples they have on their YT channel are pretty disastrous, here's one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-1XPKrCX1E

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #76 on: September 05, 2019, 02:13:29 PM »
I’m still of the opinion that craoakie or bare wires are still more low pro than this lit up big piece of hardware behind your ears
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Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #77 on: September 06, 2019, 10:15:19 AM »
I got mine out today to try them with my new Android phone but didn't actually get as far as turning them on.  As for loud, I'm afraid the loudest thing I'm likely to encounter is the vaccuum cleaner.  For me, their chief downside has been unreliability of the app or connection to phone, and they are just too tricky to get comfy in the ears and stay put for a long period.  But as far as the light goes, you can always tape over that.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #78 on: May 02, 2022, 09:25:20 AM »
A few years on, and I tried the Hooke Verse binaural device again.  Maybe there's no much point in discussing it now as the company seems to have gone out of business, but maybe there's a few of them floating around on eBay or whatever.

Anyway, I revisited them as I have fairly recently been putting "Comply" memory foam tips on my Sennheiser and Roland binaural mics to very good effect, but didn't use them on the Hooke device because it needs tips with rather small central holes to attach to the actual earbuds.   In trying to discover the exact size required, I noticed an old advert for the Hooke Verse which mentioned that foam tips were included in the package, and having eventually found them, they actually work pretty well and keep the Hooke Verse snugly in my ears for extended periods.  Then when experimenting with different Android devices I found that my 'daily driver' phone which uses BT to link to two watches (at once, yes, really) exhibited poor connectivity to the Hooke Verse, but another one which had no active BT connections ran fine for half an hour.   So my chief problems seem fixed, finally.

So, maybe I'll start to actually use the Hooke Verse at long last - the battery seems ok - for instance, it would make a good system alongside my Insta360 Go 2 video camera which has poor audio built in (and no mic socket).  The tiny Go 2 can be worn below a face mask (yes, really, again) and with the Hooke Verse worn in my ears, that would be a pretty minimal wearable video/audio system.  Please try to contain your excitement pending the upload of a YouTube video of this in the next few days...

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #79 on: May 02, 2022, 09:37:12 AM »
That should be interesting !
Just recently pulled out my Insta360 Go for some sports videos, you really can't beat the portability of these things ;-)

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #80 on: May 03, 2022, 11:46:06 AM »
Here you go.  I was actually happier with the audio side of this than the video side, which had a rather restless quality.  It was basically a single 18 minute take but the Hooke Verse behaved perfectly fine for that amount of time, anyway! 

https://youtu.be/deh1XS8ok1w

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #81 on: May 03, 2022, 11:53:19 AM »
Good job, thanks for sharing. Yeah the video is a bit "jumpy", wearing the GO on your shirt might work better and be a bit less conspicuous, especially with a black silicon sleeve (if you're wearing black!)

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #82 on: May 08, 2022, 08:00:30 AM »

Anyway, I revisited them as I have fairly recently been putting "Comply" memory foam tips on my Sennheiser and Roland binaural mics to very good effect, but didn't use them on the Hooke device because it needs tips with rather small central holes to attach to the actual earbuds.   In trying to discover the exact size required, I noticed an old advert for the Hooke Verse which mentioned that foam tips were included in the package, and having eventually found them, they actually work pretty well and keep the Hooke Verse snugly in my ears for extended periods.

Ozpeter, so....where did you find the foam tips for the Hooke? The ones that came with mine fell apart, and I'm trying to replace them. Thanks for any help on this.

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #83 on: May 10, 2022, 06:42:35 AM »
I was going to order some "Comply" brand ones, until I realised that I still had the supplied ones unused.  I have used "Comply" ones in my Sennheiser and Roland binaural earphones very successfully.  On the Comply site there is no recommended size for the Hooke Verse so you'd have to do some measurements - I suspect the smallest core size would be the correct ones to get. 

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #84 on: September 03, 2022, 10:33:17 AM »
Just a little update for the archive - I've just obtained a cut price set of Comply earphone tips for my rather neglected Hooke Verse binaurals.  The come in a set of  (3 pairs).  The particular model is the T-100 Isolation - which indeed does achieve a good level of isolation from external noise - and the size is '100' - which is barely possible to get onto the Hooke Verse. I suspect 200 would be the ideal fit.  [Edit - I tried T-200 size and they are significantly too big - so T-100, with a bit of persuasion, is the best size].  Also, I ordered the large size (for large ears) because they were going cheap, but my ear size is actually medium.  The compressable nature of these tips means that this is no disaster, but again, ideally medium would have been better.  Of course, YEMV (Your Ears May Vary). 

Having detailed how I ordered the wrong ones, I am happy to report that they stay in my ears just fine and the isolation from the outside helps judge what I am recording.  With all in-ear mics, the fit to the ear is of considerable importance - if only so that they don't fall out in the middle of a gig! - so the Compy ones get my seal of approval.

It's a shame that the Hooke Verse device now appears to be completely unobtainable.  I think the sound is great - it's the kind of audio that you'd have to carefully compare with something a lot better to be dissatisfied with, if you see what I mean.  And when worn by an elderly gent like me, security is quite likely to assume that they are hearing aids, not recording devices!
« Last Edit: September 06, 2022, 03:22:02 AM by Ozpeter »

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #85 on: September 25, 2022, 06:01:14 PM »
I don't miss my Hooke.

Regarding foam eartips, though, you can find cheaper and more durable ones elsewhere. On AliExpress, Chinese Amazon, there are Anji Rui, Tennmak and some good no-names. You can also get Tennmak from Amazon in the US, don't know about elsewhere.

You'll have to do a little research to find whatever the equivalent is to the T100 nozzle size, but the savings over Comply are considerable.

Offline bandarn

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #86 on: January 03, 2024, 10:15:07 AM »
I would like to buy these from eBay. But the app seems to be gone from the AppStore, making the headphones useless for recording unless you already have the app since before.

Does anyone have the app and can extract the .ipa file for the app to send me?

Has there been any new bluetooth stereo microphone since these?

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #87 on: January 04, 2024, 05:38:47 AM »
This might work -

https://apkpure.com/hooke-audio-binaural-3d-audio/hooke.audio.app/download

But have you thought of trying the Sennheiser Ambeo headset?  Admittedly it's wired, and needs an adapter for Android, but I tend to use that rather than the Hooke these days.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2024, 05:40:21 AM by Ozpeter »

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #88 on: January 06, 2024, 04:38:10 AM »
Thanks for the link. Sorry, the link is for the Android app and I have an iPhone.

Anyone on the forum who still has the app on their iPhone who can extract it using the iMazing program on a computer?

It seems super stealth with wireless, as you can also film with your phone without a cable hanging from the phone

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #89 on: January 06, 2024, 10:49:44 AM »
You to security - "You'll have to speak louder, my hearing aids aren't working very well today."   :yack:

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Re: Hooke binaural bluetooth recording system - NOW REVIEWED
« Reply #90 on: January 06, 2024, 02:10:30 PM »
Haha, exactly!  ;D

 

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