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Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 13 Jan 2016 21:14
by mysx
Hi I've got a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with Andriod Lollipop 5.1.1
Sometimes it's easy to find apps but there's too many of everything.
I use to read the reviews first. A lot of reading it has been :roll:

Could you suggest a good free audio recording app better than whats built-in?
Also I'm looking for a editor similar to Audacity, and a Video recorder able to grab anything, especially sexy cams.

I have trouble with the microphone settings both for voice and video recording. Sometimes when recording video inside the house there's almost no sound at all on the final recordings, where sounds like breathing, moves and steps should be heard. So far I've found settings only for voice recording (the recording quality is set High of course) and there's different modes like Normal, Interview, Meeting and Voice memo. The sound drops totally at low levels on the Meeting mode. Normal mode seems best, it's omnidirectional. Still it's not very good at high recording volume.

The Voice memo I've never tested because I don't like the license agreement about to use my voice input! :shock:


The picture quality on Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is amazing! I wish I could say the same about the audio.
If there is no way to improve sound level and quality I cannot recommend Samsung Galaxy Note 4 for sex sounds :(



Updated Jan 16, 2016
I'm awared about the copyright. That's why I won't spread what I copy, right?

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 19:14
by mysx
Big update of my previous post. It's now not only a request, I need help! Hehehe! :lol:

There's no hurry though since I still have no neighbors around.

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 16 Jan 2016 17:01
by mysx
Another update to my first post. I sounded too negative about my new mobile. It's true I'm very disappointed when it's about the sound level on video and audio recordings. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is still better than my old Note 2, especially when it's about the picture quality.

I've heard great sound on video recordings made on a iPhone 5S, that's what I really wanted.
6S is the most current model right now but it's a little too expensive, almost twice as much.

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 21 Feb 2016 00:12
by mysx
I've done some more test recordings. When there's no much sound around it appears to be nothing at all, but if I copy video or audio recordings to my PC and convert it to wav, I can amplify it in Audacity - and actually there is something! If one can live with the noise that comes with the amplifying there's still hope for Note 4 and similar mobiles, at least if we cannot afford better for the moment. I wonder how many people who deleted recordings because it appears to be nothing on it, but still there is... :shock:

I'm not expert, I've just discovered this: For example, let's say that you have a low audio recording that you want to amplify, but the limit is 6,25 db only. It's because some part of the file contains higher noise, like clicks from the device. Delete all such noise first, then try again. It should now be possible to amplify about 25 db or more.


I'm still looking for apps suitable for recording low sounds at much higher level.

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 21 Feb 2016 03:27
by reggind
I am not sure what you are going to find as far as apps go, but I am not up to speed as to what the hardware on the device is. You will always do better with a more sensitive mic and a preamp. There is one small condenser mic capsule that you can get for about $10 that is very sensitive and has very low self noise. Combine that with a good preamp and you will be all set to rock and roll. The down side is you have a few pieces you need to manage and not just your phone. One other up side is you can plug that set up into your notebook or tablet as well..

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 21 Feb 2016 22:14
by mysx
Thank you for your suggestion! Obviously the 3 built-in microphones isn't very good on this mobile. I'll find a external mic to start with.
reggind wrote:I am not sure what you are going to find as far as apps go, but I am not up to speed as to what the hardware on the device is. You will always do better with a more sensitive mic and a preamp. There is one small condenser mic capsule that you can get for about $10 that is very sensitive and has very low self noise. Combine that with a good preamp and you will be all set to rock and roll. The down side is you have a few pieces you need to manage and not just your phone. One other up side is you can plug that set up into your notebook or tablet as well..

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 21 Feb 2016 22:22
by jinhui
Hello mysx,

you could try "Smart Voice Recorder" for android. There's an option to calibrate the microphone sensivity and if you try (many times) to start calibration and immediately stop the calibration, sometimes the level is still very high, before it's being adjusted to "normal" situations. If you manage to set it up that way, you are most likely able to record with that app. At least I was able to record some stuff with that setup.

Good luck & best regards,
jinhui

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 22 Feb 2016 05:27
by reggind
I have that app, what a great trick. Thanks for that!

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 27 Feb 2016 16:04
by mysx
jinhui wrote:Hello mysx,

you could try "Smart Voice Recorder" for android. There's an option to calibrate the microphone sensivity and if you try (many times) to start calibration and immediately stop the calibration, sometimes the level is still very high, before it's being adjusted to "normal" situations. If you manage to set it up that way, you are most likely able to record with that app. At least I was able to record some stuff with that setup.

Good luck & best regards,
jinhui
Thanks for your suggestion! I guess you mean the app from SmartMob.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... q.recorder

I've tested it already for some weeks ago, there was some problem I don't remember. I'll install it again to take a closer look.

They say a new version of Smart Recorder is coming soon, but the last update was September 2014.
Let's hope they will continue improving it, if needed.

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 27 Feb 2016 22:30
by jinhui
Yes that's the app i was talking about.

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 28 Feb 2016 13:28
by mysx
About Smart Voice Recorder from SmartMob.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... q.recorder
I haven't tested everything yet but I know now why I uninstalled it. It's because every recording starts with a "cracking" noise. Samsungs built-in voice recorder doesn't behave ike that, so I hope my new mobile isn't malfunctioning. The noise appears the same at different quality settings. Because of the noise I lost interest but I'll keep the app to test the gain control carefully later when I get more time and when it's peaceful around. Aside from the noise problem Smart Voice Recorder seems to provide a bit better sound in general. I wanted to test the standard settings first before messing with the gain control, that may require some patience.

Another app called Voice Recorder (AudioRec) by Alex Circus.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... m.audioRec
It seems good at low whispering with the volume gain control at +6 db and highest quality settings - but this app is also putting noise at the beginning of every recording! I'll keep it because it provides better sound and I want to compare it to Smart Voice Recorder.


What is causing the "cracking" noise? I've been testing many different apps now that is putting noise on the recordings, not only voice
recorders but funny apps like Face Changer video for example. Is it because of faulty apps or should I try to replace my mobile?

I know I can delete the noise afterwards. I still wonder what's wrong.

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 28 Feb 2016 18:32
by jinhui
Well if it's not an error with your device, I'd just go and delete it afterwards as you said. In the end it's about finding an app which allows to record with very high microphone sensivity and more or less good sound quality. You probably need to edit (cut/compress) the file anyways before uploading ;-)

That second app looks very promising too, thank you for that. Maybe +20db is enough to catch sounds in front of a door. I would prefer using a regular microphone setup instead of using a "glitch" in smart voice recorder. So i will give that 2nd one a try some time.

Cheers,
jinhui

p.s. i just tried that "Aufnahmegeraet" app at home by recording some music through one and two doors. I've set it up to record as WAV @ 44.1 KHz using the backside (camera) microphone and +20dB micrphone sensivity. The results are nearly as audible as listening with my own ears. So i will remove smart voice recorder now and use that one instead. Thanks once more! :-)

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 01:13
by mysx
Aufnahmegeraet' = Recording apparatus, right? (google not me) :D

I'm glad you found the app useful. Hopefully our discussion will help others as well. However, when I tested +20 db the sound
got broken somehow, that's why I lowered to +6 db and the recording sounded more clear. Maybe a little higher is ok too.

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 06 Mar 2016 01:36
by jm697
Hi-q mp3 player is excellent. Various format options, gain boost and unlimited length recordingd

Re: Best Android apps, any suggestions?

Posted: 06 Mar 2016 01:47
by mysx
Thanks! I'll find it at play store :)