Multi-Channel Microphone

Abstract

A microphone may digitize multiple analog audio channels into multiple digital audio channels, digitally process the digital audio channels, and output the digital audio channels to another device while maintaining channel separation. The microphone may also include a touch-sensitive user interface that may have multiple live meter modes and a user-selectable color theme.

1 . A microphone comprising:
 a housing comprising a first connection port and a second connection port;   a microphone element;   a first preamplifier configured to generate an amplified first analog audio signal based on sound received by the microphone element;   a first analog-to-digital converter configured to generate, based on the amplified first analog audio signal, a first digital audio channel;   a second preamplifier configured to generate an amplified second analog audio signal based on an analog audio signal received via the first connection port;   a second analog-to-digital converter configured to generate, based on the amplified second analog audio signal, a second digital audio channel; and   a controller configured to process one or both of the first digital audio channel or the second digital audio channel, and to send, via the second connection port, the first digital audio channel and the second digital audio channel as separate channels.   
     
     
         2 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first connection port comprises one or both of an XLR connector or a quarter-inch TRS connector, and wherein the second connection port comprises a universal serial bus (USB) connector. 
     
     
         3 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first connection port comprises a combo jack that comprises an XLR connector and a quarter-inch TRS connector, wherein the second preamplifier is configured to receive an analog audio signal from the XLR connector, and wherein the microphone comprises a third preamplifier configured to receive an analog audio signal from the quarter-inch TRS connector. 
     
     
         4 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first connection port comprises a combo jack that comprises an XLR connector and a quarter-inch TRS connector, wherein the second preamplifier is configured to receive an analog audio signal from the quarter-inch TRS connector, and wherein the microphone comprises a third preamplifier configured to receive an analog audio signal from the XLR connector. 
     
     
         5 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a user interface configured to display at least one live audio meter, wherein the microphone is selectively operable in a first live audio meter mode and in a second live audio meter mode, and wherein:
 in the first live audio meter mode, the controller is configured to cause the user interface to display a first live audio meter associated with one or both of the first audio channel or the second audio channel, and   in the second live audio meter mode, the controller is configured to cause the user interface to display a second live audio meter associated with the first audio channel and a third live audio meter associated with the second audio channel.   
     
     
         6 . The microphone of  claim 4 , wherein the user interface comprises a sequence of light-emitting diodes, and wherein:
 in the first live audio meter mode, the controller is configured to cause the user interface to display the first live audio meter using the sequence of light-emitting diodes, and   in the second live audio meter mode, the controller is configured to cause the user interface to display the second live audio meter using a first subset of the sequence of light-emitting diodes and the third live audio meter using a second subset, different from the first subset, of the sequence of light-emitting diodes.   
     
     
         7 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a user interface, and wherein the controller is configured to cause the user interface to display information using a color theme that is selected based on a signal received via the second connection port. 
     
     
         8 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a digital signal processor configured to process the one or both of the first digital audio channel or the second digital audio channel using at least one digital signal processing technique. 
     
     
         9 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first digital audio channel comprises a first channel identifier and the second digital audio channel comprises a second channel identifier. 
     
     
         10 . The microphone of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a 3.5 mm TRRS connector; and   a coder-decoder (CODEC) configured to decode one or both of the first digital audio channel or the second digital audio channel into analog audio directed to the 3.5 mm TRRS connector.   
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 generating, based on sound received by a microphone element of a microphone, a first analog audio signal;   receiving, via a first connection port of the microphone, a second analog audio signal;   amplifying the first analog audio signal;   converting the amplified first analog audio signal to a first digital audio channel;   amplifying the second analog audio signal;   converting the amplified second analog audio signal to a second digital audio channel;   processing one or both of the first digital audio channel or the second digital audio channel; and   sending, via a second connection port of the microphone, the first digital audio channel and the second digital audio channel as separate channels.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first connection port comprises one or both of an XLR connector or a quarter-inch TRS connector, and wherein the second connection port comprises a universal serial bus (USB) connector. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 operating a user interface of the microphone in a first live audio meter mode comprising displaying a first live audio meter associated with one or both of the first audio channel or the second audio channel, and   operating the user interface to operate in a second live audio meter mode comprising displaying a second live audio meter associated with the first audio channel and a third live audio meter associated with the second audio channel.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the user interface comprises a sequence of light-emitting diodes, and wherein:
 the operating the user interface in the first live audio meter mode comprises displaying the first live audio meter using the sequence of light-emitting diodes, and   the operating the user interface in the second live audio meter mode comprises displaying the second live audio meter using a first subset of the sequence of light-emitting diodes and the third live audio meter using a second subset, different from the first subset, of the sequence of light-emitting diodes.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising selecting the first live audio meter mode or the second live audio meter mode based on a signal received via the second connection port. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving a signal via the second connection port; and   displaying, by a user interface of the microphone, information using a color theme that is selected based on the signal received via the second connection port.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the processing the one or both of the first digital audio channel or the second digital audio channel comprises performing at least one digital signal processing technique on the one or both of the first digital audio channel or the second digital audio channel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising adding, prior to the sending, a first channel identifier to the first digital audio channel and a second channel identifier to the second digital audio channel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 decoding one or both of the first digital audio channel or the second digital audio channel into decoded analog audio; and   sending the decoded analog audio to a 3.5 mm TRRS connector of the microphone.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, via a third connection port of the microphone, a third analog audio signal;   amplifying the third analog audio signal;   converting the amplified third analog audio signal to a third digital audio channel;   processing the third digital audio channel; and   sending, via the second connection port of the microphone, the third digital audio channel as a channel separate from the first digital audio channel and the second digital audio channel.