What equipment do I need for therapy headphones!

N

nickrw

New member
OK, perhaps a slightly unusual request for this forum but as I'm new to this subject I don't really know what I should be Googling to help myself.

I need to purchase some equipment but don't know what I need. Scenario is my wife is a Clinical Psychologist and wants to do mindfulness and hypnotherapy with patients. Her room is often noisy from the road outside. I want a way to make use of my Bose QC35 (or QC15) headphones with active noise cancellation to drown out the unwanted noise, but then feed her voice into them via a mic.

I know of course I can't just connect the mic to the headphones, but I've no idea what we need, this isn't my area of expertise. Obviously we don't really want a rack of sound equipment just for this specific task. I'd thought of a battery powered headphone amp with a line in, but am I right in thinking I can't plug a mic into this as the levels are wrong?

I have a cheap lapel mic, but it's omnidirectional so picks up all the unwanted sound too. I think I need a cardoid mic, but should it by dynamic or condensing? It's only speech, she won't be singing! It needs to be wearable as she isn't sat at a desk.

Also, as the headphones are bluetooth, using that would be great option, but would this cause a delay in the sound? I found a mobile app that would do this, but the delay was unbearable, it needs to be real time.

Sorry for the newbie question, I'm sure what I need is simple!
 
You just need a small mixer. You can clip on an omni condenser microphone, feed it to the mixer, turn on the phantom and then feed the mixer headphone output to your bluetooth unit. There is a delay, but usually quite small. The only snag is that your idea is to prevent the sounds in the room get in the way of the speech through the headphones - BUT - a clip on microphone will hear pretty much what you can already hear in the room. To reduce this means you need the microphone closer to the mouth which decreases the ratio of wanted vs unwanted sound. So a headset mic will be the best. You just need a headset that has a standard XLR connector for the mixer, and a long cable. You could use somethiBehringer HLC 660M – Thomann UK and they're not even expensive. You don't need the headphone connection I doubt - and being dynamic, the tone will be more mellow, which might work nicely for hypnotherapy. Small mixer, headset mic and you're off!
 
Probably the simplest thing you could do is get a small mixer, such as the one shown below. Plug a mike and the headphones into it and you are done.

631262000000000-00-500x500.jpg

Just about any cardiod or super cardiod microphone would work. It coud be placed on a stand or handheld, but the closer to the mouth, the less outside noise will be picked up.

Edit: Rob beat me to it!
 
nickrw said:
Cheers guys, that's given me something to research now. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes but, I shall assume your wife wants a lightweight headset microphone, likely with just one earphone?

There are zillions of them on the web but, to interface with the mixer you want one that terminates in two 3.5mm jack plugs. The great majority do not show the terminations and MOST of the *****s are USB! You COULD use a USB headset through a laptop but it might be a messy setup. (I have a Logitech headset I use for Skype). Even the cheap, ~$25 headsets are very good for rejecting room effects and ambient noise.

However, even when you have your headset you are not out of the woods. The mic inputs on mixers is a "balanced" XLR and so you will need an XLR to 3.5mm adapter. If you wife needs to hear 'a mix' through her headphone she will need a 6.35mm to 3.5mm headphone adapter but they are very common, might even get one with the headset. N.B. Do not buy a headset that advertises an "Electret" or "Capacitor" microphone. They work very well with laptops and USB but will not work with a mixer.

There are other pitfalls along the way but I can assure you this is all very possible, keep coming back with any problems. One small point? IMHO you would do well to get the next mixer up in the range with two microphone inputs. You never know when you might need to jack in another mic.

ROEDE VXLR 3.5mm Minijack to Male XLR Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments

Dave.
 
Cheers Dave, yes I thought I might struggle sitting through all the crap headphones. I'll look at the mixer first, might post some suggestions, then go for a mic that's compatible. Yes it needs to be lightweight, mic only, she won't want an earpiece.
 
https://mediadl.musictribe.com/media/PLM/data/docs/P0E3V/HLC 660M_QSG_EN.pdf

The Behringers look almost ideal, headphone jack (WTF can't they show the terminations!!) and mic comes out on XLR. The only downside is they are really chunky!

Dave.

Sorry Nick we have crossed posts! I am sure the headset route is the only way she will get clean mic pickup. Lavaliers are ok in a quiet room but can also 'rustle' against clothing. She does not have to use the headset phone. I have a set (stereo) that I got for £10 from Sainsburys which terminate in 2X 3.5mm plugs and they are so light I forget I am wearing them, get up and drag the lappy!

Dave.
 
I was thinking of just something small that is a microphone only, without the headphones, something like you'd see people on stage with, but don't know the correct term to look for them.
 
nickrw said:
I was thinking of just something small that is a microphone only, without the headphones, something like you'd see people on stage with, but don't know the correct term to look for them.
Click to expand...

SHURE WH20-XLR MICROPHONE Headworn, dynamic, cardioid, XLR connector, black

That would suit but 90 quid and there are even more expensive ones! You need to be very careful in looking at mic only headsets, many are designed for specific equipment and come with odd terminations such as a 4 pin XLR. You could in this instance use an electret capacitor (achaic "condenser") mic type but the dynamic has the advantage that it will work with any kind of mic amplifier.

Dave.
 
You might check out the systems that are used in churchs for worship services. You could go with a good wireless headset mic, you wouldn't need a headphone setup, just the mic. That could be something like Shure PGXD14 setup That would allow your wife freedom to move about.

That could feed a basic interface audio interface into a computer with a pair of Bluetooth headphones as the output.

There should be minimal delay which shouldn't make any difference if the headphones have good isolation.
 
Thanks guys. It looks like at the budget end a lot of the mixers are Chinese clones of others. We don't need high end as it'll only be for voice and maybe some ambient music, but certainly don't want loads of background hiss. I've also noticed some of the budget models have USB recording to a memory stick which the wife tells me would be nice to be able to offer recordings of the sessions to patients. She certainly would not want (or be able to) use a computer for all this.

So, I though for mixer, any of these below? The forum does allow me to post links, so just google the name.

1.Citronic CSM-4

2. VONYX VMM-P500

3. SYNCO MC4

4. Or a proper brand, but probably too expensive for me Pyle PMXU43BT

For a headset, you're right Dave about all the different connections, and there's few wired headsets, but we really don't want the cost/hassle of wireless. So how about these t.bone HC 95 ?
 
Ive missed the cheap ones with recording to memory stick. That's a good idea and I just didn't realise the cheap ones did that. USB output to computer is common, where the stereo output goes to the daw you use for recording. Have you got a link for one that records to USB drive, I might get one. I wouldn't worry about hiss. The cheap ones normally have plenty enough gain for close miking.
 
Rob, all of the mixers I mentioned will record to USB stick (or play from), but I can't post links as I'm new. But if you copy/paste the name exactly as I've posted into Google, each will come up as the first result.
 
Morning Nick, I have investigated those mixers and AFAICT in a ten minute varder they do not RECORD to a USB stick or SD card with the possible exception of the SYNCO M4 but I cannot easily find a user manual to confirm that MO. The others will PLAY in from a stick.

The capability to record to a memory device is such a useful and rare one on mixers of this price point that HAD they got it I would expect it to be shouted about in the ads.

USB recording (get 24 bit operation if you can) is very common, why can your wife not do that to a laptop please?

The t.bone: Got the wrong sex XLR plug on it! I had a 'chat' with a Thomann expert. "Connects to a special wireless device". Pass on that then!

For the life of me I cannot see why a headset mic SANS earphone should be MORE expensive than ones with one or two? I would go for a $30 ish headset with phone, she does not have to use it.

Dave.
 
You're right, it looks like the Vonyx and Synco do not record directly to the USB stick. The Citronic appears to (it's printed on the front), and the Pyle definitely does (I've seen a video of it in action). But on further investigation in the budget market there's tons of these little mixers, especially if you look at Aliexpress, and some of them definitely record to USB stick, and some also will appear as a sound device to a PC if I connect via the micro USB, which I might find useful one day.

This one has all the features I need "tiny dot cc slash 450zsz" (swap the dot for . and slash for /). My wife is a technophobe and definitely wouldn't want to be messing with a PC to record (she'd call me in just to start it!), besides, the PC is on the other side of the room, and I've already told her it can be done via a USB stick which could then immediately be given to the patient as they leave. She likes that idea now!

Are you sure you were looking at the same t.bones as me? The one I saw definitely had a male XLR on. Try "thomann dot de slash gb slash the_tbone_hc_95.htm", it comes with a TQG male to XLR male adapter.
 
nickrw said:
You're right, it looks like the Vonyx and Synco do not record directly to the USB stick. The Citronic appears to (it's printed on the front), and the Pyle definitely does (I've seen a video of it in action). But on further investigation in the budget market there's tons of these little mixers, especially if you look at Aliexpress, and some of them definitely record to USB stick, and some also will appear as a sound device to a PC if I connect via the micro USB, which I might find useful one day.

This one has all the features I need "tiny dot cc slash 450zsz" (swap the dot for . and slash for /). My wife is a technophobe and definitely wouldn't want to be messing with a PC to record (she'd call me in just to start it!), besides, the PC is on the other side of the room, and I've already told her it can be done via a USB stick which could then immediately be given to the patient as they leave. She likes that idea now!

Are you sure you were looking at the same t.bones as me? The one I saw definitely had a male XLR on. Try "thomann dot de slash gb slash the_tbone_hc_95.htm", it comes with a TQG male to XLR male adapter.
Click to expand...

Ok, so the chat guy has lost them a potential customer because he did not mention the adapter!

If you are sure you can get a mixer to record to a stick, good on yer! I might be tempted myself.

I am a bit unsure about "Hand that to the patient" ? Without some editing the recording will be full of fluffs, coughs, 'errs' and 'umms' IMHO. But then I don't know how these sessions are conducted.

It looks as though you are getting on top of this problem and WE are learning stuff at the same time...Ain't GOOD forums great!

Dave.
 
Jeeez, there's too much choice! I could go down the really simple route with a self powered mic with headphone outputs like this "Lannge HK-620" from Aliexpress. I never even knew such things existed! The more I look the harder it gets. Then I get a "Hagibis Bluetooth Receiver Transmitter" also from Ali to transmit the mic directly to the patient's headphones if I want to risk bluetooth!

Anyway, thanks Dave and others for your help, you've got me started now. I'll update this thread in a few weeks once I've purchased and tested, if it's useful for others to know the outcome. I personally hate it when threads are left open!
 
So, an update, now everything has arrived.

I am using a little mixer from Aliexpress BMG-04B which plays and records to USB, 4 channels in total. Shure WH20XLR wired dynamic mic.

The problem I'm having is the microphone is SO quiet, even with the gain and all volumes set to maximum. And when using it, the mixer periodically cuts out. It doesn't cut out when using any other source, so I'm thinking it doesn't like the mic. I don't have any other mics I can use to test it. Am I right in thinking a condenser microphone has higher levels and is more likely to work with my cheapo mixer?

We also bought a load of tiny USB mp3 players so my wife can record the session directly onto them and give directly to the patients, a fiver each!
 
nickrw said:
So, an update, now everything has arrived.

I am using a little mixer from Aliexpress BMG-04B which plays and records to USB, 4 channels in total. Shure WH20XLR wired dynamic mic.

The problem I'm having is the microphone is SO quiet, even with the gain and all volumes set to maximum. And when using it, the mixer periodically cuts out. It doesn't cut out when using any other source, so I'm thinking it doesn't like the mic. I don't have any other mics I can use to test it. Am I right in thinking a condenser microphone has higher levels and is more likely to work with my cheapo mixer?

We also bought a load of tiny USB mp3 players so my wife can record the session directly onto them and give directly to the patients, a fiver each!
Click to expand...

Yes, that headset mic is incredibly low sensitivity, nearly three times less sensitive than a well respected studio microphone the Shure SM7b which is one of the least sensitive mics around. I can only assume they rely on very close proximity to the mouth to get adequate signal. Does your wife have it practically touching her lips?

A capacitor mic would indeed be far more sensitive but how to use it with the headset? One fix at this late stage would be the purchase of an inline XLR mic preamp such as the FetHead.

I am a bit worried about this "cutting out" you mention? Do you mean the USB recording or is the signal cutting out when heard from the mixer headphone output? If so, are both mic inputs to blame? And if THAT is so you have a faulty headset I would say.

Dave.
 
Hi Dave. I have tried connected the Shure to a PC via an xlr to 3.5mm adapter and while the volume is incredibly low it doesn't cut out at all. I can hear a relay click inside the mixer when using this mic, this cuts out the mic only (on both mic inputs), other sources still play fine, then a while later the mic returns. It's the audio out through the headphones I'm referring to. It's as if the mic level is so low it's turning off the input thinking it's not there.

I think I will return the Shures and look for something else. Is there a sensitivity level that would be considered more acceptable for my entry level mixer that I should look for in the specs?

Once I've replaced the headphones I'll know for sure if the mixer is ok, I think it is though.

There is the t.bone HC 95 mic that was mentioned earlier in this thread, is that one higher sensitivity?
 
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