Speaker in the chest plate, huh?

[Astyanax]

Hey guys:

 

I'm looking into voice changer helmet electronics, and was hoping to find a full in-helmet voice amp and a changer that replicates those "clicks and pops" that we know so well.

 

Looks like iComm and RomFX are the main contenders, but it doesn't seem like either supports a fully in-helmet solution. Does anyone know of a good alternative? I see mic tip speakers on these forums, but are they used in a solution that can replicate the clicks and pops? BTW, the RomFX solution seems uninviting, because the 8 random clicks and pops can't be set to just one kind.

 

Or am I really barking up the wrong tree here? The iComm looks awesome, but the idea of a speaker in the chest plate seems weird. You guys who use them, does the sound coming from the chest speaker really seem like it's coming from there, or does the sound "spread out" enough to seem like it's coming from your helmet?

 

Sorry, lots of questions, I'm just hoping to get a better idea of which solution is best for me. Ideally I'd love to go helmet only with hovi mic tips putting forth the sounds, but I want a single kind of click/pop every time I talk. Yes, I know I could blow on the mic every time I talk, but I'm not good at remembering to do that.

 

Thanks!

 

Bill

 

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Bill,

 

They're all good and fair questions.

 

I personally use a Rom/FX mounted in my helmet and depending on the venue I have both Hovi and chest speakers at my disposal at all times.

 

I've never had any complaints with either system except for the first time I used the Hovi speakers, as it was an outdoor event and a little bit tough for some folks to hear me with the wind blowing.

 

The Rom is a great piece of hardware... Should you choose it, you will love it.

 

As for the chest speaker, it does spread out well, and it is typically mounted less than a foot from the Hovis. All in all, it just appears to come from you, rather than a specific part of you.

 

Just my two cents, for what it's worth.

 

Hope it is helpful.

 

Tim

[Brandon]

Also your ARE able to select any one of the 8 sound effects if you choose to just have one its all in the instructions when I get it.

[Brandon]

Also your ARE able to select any one of the 8 sound effects if you choose to just have one its all in the instructions when I get it.

Oops I think I misread. The icomm has this ability but i think you were talking about romfx.

[Astyanax]

 

 

The Rom is a great piece of hardware... Should you choose it, you will love it.

 

Can you choose one pop affect and stick with it, or are you stuck with random? For that kind of money, I would love a little more control.

 

Or does it matter?

 

Thank you!

Edited July 13, 2015 by Astyanax

[SIMpixels]

Personally I quite like the fact that the static burst is random on the ROM/FX. If it had only one type of "crackle" selected for the end of every sentence, I think that would sound less authentic than it just being a series of clicks at the end of a transmission. But hey, each to their own.

 

As for lid/chest mounting, I've got mine in my chest (ROM, speaker & batteries). My mic cable (headset mic) runs down inside my neckseal and I connect it up as I put my torso armour on.

 

At 6'1" many of the people I speak to are at chest height to me anyway so the sound eminating from my armour could be coming from the helmet for all intents and purposes.

[tkrestonva[TK]]

I've used both helmet-mounted speakers embedded in the mic tips, and a chest-mounted speaker. Based on that experience, my current and future rigs will always have chest-mounted speakers - including my new TFA rig.

 

Size indeed matters. I've found that the small (by necessity) hovi speakers simply cannot generate enough volume to be useful other than in a relatively quiet room or at extreme close range (literally face-to-faceplate). That, and you basically have a single volume setting. A chest-mounted solution offers plenty of adjustable volume - even in a crowded room you can make yourself heard - and from a normal speaking distance (3-6 feet) you can't tell that it's not coming from your helmet. From a physical space perspective, I have had no problems fitting an Aker MR1506, an iComm, an MP3 player (for those oh-so-cool trooper radio chatter loops), and all the needed cabling behind my chestplate.

 

If you're looking for the "clicks and pops" static burst effect, either iComm or RomFX will deliver that. But if you are determined to have an in-helmet solution, given that the RomFX has a smaller physical footprint than the iComm, it will likely work better for you.

[Astyanax]

Thanks very much guys. I think I've settled on the iComm in the chest.

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

I'm with SIMpixels...  As someone who has been working with radios professionally for nearly 25 years now, and was an avid lover of my grandfather's Ham Radio station as a kid, I will say that static/squelch doesn't break the same way every time.  The simple truth is that the random sounds come across as far more authentic and natural than the same sound pattern repeatedly.  

Also, if you're considering Hovi Speakers at all, I cannot recommend UKSWRATH's version highly enough (http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/31436-fs-ukswraths-hovi-mic-tips-with-speakers-crl-accurate-tips).  He's done some amazing work, and they are surprisingly loud.  As I said, knowing your venue makes a difference.  Outdoor events, I always go with the chest speaker.  Conventions, I will also because I'm just loud and obnoxious with people there most of the time.  SW Reads days, smaller commercial type events, the Hovis are great, and there are no wires in my neck seal so I can just put the bucket on and remove it with no interference or need of assistance.

[Astyanax]

Yeah, I hear you on the randomness. It's just that I don't recall much varieties of pops and clicks in the actual movies. Just a very quiet single click. But in-person, I can imagine this makes it seem more authentic, even when it's not.

 

The other consideration is cost. Between good mic tips and the RomFX, it's 2x-3x the cost of the iComm setup, so I think I should probably start with that. Can always upgrade later! I was just concerned about the displaced speaker.

[TKedt[TK]]

The idea of having a speaker inside the chest plate is Awesome. I have the I comm and always get comments. People love it and it's easier for them to hear you. Imo

 

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