Digitally Controlled Microphone with Audio Compressor

Abstract

A digitally controlled microphone with audio compressor includes a capsule; a compressor circuitry having a compressor engine, a digitally controlled root mean square (RMS) detector and a digitally controlled analog processor; a bypass switch to the compressor circuitry; an analog to digital converter (ADC); a digital processor that sends digital audio to a host and receives a second digital audio signal; a digital to analog converter (DAC) and a summing circuit that combine the audio with the audio from the host and send it to a digitally-controlled headphone amplifier and a headphone jack; a microphone body; a serial host interface connector; and hardware controls on the microphone body.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A microphone comprising:
 a capsule that converts sound waves into an analog audio signal;   a compressor circuitry that receives and compresses the analog audio signal; and   a microphone body that encloses the compressor circuitry and capsule.   
     
     
         2 . The microphone of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an interface that outputs the compressed analog audio signal.   
     
     
         3 . The microphone of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an analog to digital converter (ADC) that converts the compressed analog audio signal into a compressed digital audio signal; and   an interface that outputs the compressed digital audio signal.   
     
     
         4 . The microphone of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of controls on the microphone body that set configurations of the compressor circuitry.   
     
     
         5 . The microphone of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of pushbuttons on the microphone body that set predetermined configurations of the compressor circuitry.   
     
     
         6 . A device comprising:
 a compressor circuitry that compresses an analog audio signal utilizing an analog audio compressor;   a housing that encloses the compressor circuitry; and   a plurality of controls on the housing that configure the compressor circuitry.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the controls include pushbuttons for predetermined compression settings. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a capsule that converts sound waves into an analog audio signal and provides the analog audio signal to the compressor circuitry; and   an interface on the housing that outputs the compressed analog audio signal;   wherein the housing further encloses the capsule, thereby providing a microphone.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a capsule that converts sound waves into an analog audio signal and provides the analog audio signal to the compressor circuitry;   wherein the housing further encloses the capsule; and   the controls include pushbuttons for predetermined compression settings.   
     
     
         10 . A microphone comprising:
 a capsule that converts sound waves into an analog audio signal;   a compressor circuitry that receives and compresses the analog audio signal;   a microphone body that encloses the compressor circuitry and capsule; and   a plurality of controls on the microphone body that set configurations of the compressor circuitry.   
     
     
         11 . The microphone of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an interface on the microphone body that outputs the compressed analog audio signal.   
     
     
         12 . The microphone of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a control configuration that bypasses the compression circuitry, thereby providing an optionally-compressed analog audio signal; and   an interface on the microphone body that outputs the optionally-compressed analog audio signal.   
     
     
         13 . The microphone of  claim 10 , wherein the compressor circuitry utilizes analog circuitry to compress the analog audio signal. 
     
     
         14 . The microphone of  claim 10 , wherein the controls include pushbuttons. 
     
     
         15 . The microphone of  claim 10 , wherein the controls include LEDs. 
     
     
         16 . The microphone of  claim 10 , wherein the controls set the compressor circuitry to predetermined configurations. 
     
     
         17 . The microphone of  claim 10 , wherein each control sets the compressor circuitry to a preconfigured setup. 
     
     
         18 . The microphone of  claim 10 , providing a handheld microphone with analog audio compression and pushbutton controls that set the enclosed compressor circuitry to preconfigured setups.