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GunSonics App - Anybody use it?

12K views 20 replies 9 participants last post by  manithree 
#1 ·
Well, the subject says it, do any of you Apple users have any experience with GunSonics app? There's supposed to be an Android app Real Soon Now (TM).

On the one hand, that seems like it could be much better than dedicated hardware in the ear muffs. Plus I wouldn't miss calls and SMS when I'm at the range (maybe that's not a good thing, though).

On the other, hand, for an app that does not much more than sample code I've seen for Android, $10 seems pretty steep. Until you compare it to the price of good electronic ears.

So, anybody use it/love it/hate it?
 
#3 ·
gskip33 said:
manithree said:
Well, the subject says it, do any of you Apple users have any experience with GunSonics app? There's supposed to be an Android app Real Soon Now (TM).

On the one hand, that seems like it could be much better than dedicated hardware in the ear muffs. Plus I wouldn't miss calls and SMS when I'm at the range (maybe that's not a good thing, though).

On the other, hand, for an app that does not much more than sample code I've seen for Android, $10 seems pretty steep. Until you compare it to the price of good electronic ears.

So, anybody use it/love it/hate it?
What is it exactly??
Well, there IS a link above :)

Basically, you wear normal, passive earmuffs over normal earbuds. Might be even better to get the kind that seal your ear canals pretty well for extra hearing protection. Then you run the app. The app uses the phone's microphone to pick up ambient sound and plays it for you through the earbuds. It doesn't relay gunshots at full volume. So it provides the same effect as electronic muffs, effectively, except that I don't think it can give you stereo sound (which is only so-so with electronic muffs anyway). And, of course, it also provides you sounds generated by your phone. You can get that latter effect with off-the-shelf electronic muffs that have an audio input jack (mine do... and they aren't fancy ones).

Nifty idea... for a free app. Can't see paying $10 for it.
 
#4 ·
divegeek said:
Nifty idea... for a free app. Can't see paying $10 for it.
^^^^THAT! Especially since this has been on my list of potential science projects for my kids for at least 2 years. Haven't had any takers yet, though. I think it would be fun to have an app that records the raw sound and the modified sound and lets the kid experiment with algorithms. I don't think this requires any frequency domain work, so it should be the kind of math a high-schooler could visualize, and with a little help turn into fairly simple code.

But unless one of my kids (I think this will be a 2 project year) picks it this year, I won't have time to play with it. Here's hoping.
 
#5 ·
Sounds interesting. since I have not yet purchased electronic ear protection I might consider this option since I have an unused iTunes card siting around from Christmas.
 
#9 ·
Hi All,

MAKING SURE YOU SAW THIS POST. Android tests to follow

Just wanted to let you know GunSonics! for iPhone has gone on a 24hr trial sale at 99c instead of $10

We are just letting a few people know to get real-life operational feedback and 'manithree' was kind enough to mention us on this forum

Gunsonics! lets you Shoot, Listen and Talk

Please check out http://www.gunsonics.com for full info

OR https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gunsonics!/id655279312?mt=8

Would be great to hear what you think

Cheers Robert
 
#10 ·
Picked it up for $0.99

I also have electronic hearing protection, so I'll be able to compare the app to those.

I'll let you guys know how it goes next time I'm at the range. Tonight, though, I'll put on my old-school earmuffs and see how it operates around the house.

Thanks for the cool tip!
 
#11 ·
Seems pretty cool. I'd give it a shot (see what I did there?) for a buck or something.. but I just got some Howard Leight electronic ear muffs today (sitting on my porch).
 
#12 ·
XSlevinn said:
Seems pretty cool. I'd give it a shot (see what I did there?) for a buck or something.. but I just got some Howard Leight electronic ear muffs today (sitting on my porch).
Good you can provide a excellent comparison review.
 
#13 ·
D-FIN said:
XSlevinn said:
Seems pretty cool. I'd give it a shot (see what I did there?) for a buck or something.. but I just got some Howard Leight electronic ear muffs today (sitting on my porch).
Good you can provide a excellent comparison review.
Yeah, those are the exact electronic ear muffs I have as well.

My initial testing of the app has been stymied by the disappearance of my ear buds. I've never used them, and assumed they would be in the iPhone box. They're not. I suspect a short person pilfered them.
 
#16 ·
So, I tried out the $1.79 Gunshot Suppressor app for Android Saturday. I need to try it again.

I was using cheap Harbor Freight ear muffs (23 db NRR), and I didn't have any noise isolating ear-buds handy. The FAQ for the app recommends noise isolating headphones, and, according to my experience, they're absolutely necessary. Being able to hear people talking directly through my ear muffs, and then replayed in my headphones amplified, but delayed by 200-300 milliseconds made conversation almost impossible to understand. Think yelling in a bathroom with the worst echo you've ever heard, and that's how garbled it was for me Saturday.

I have some better ear muffs, and my kids have some noise isolating headphones. So I'm going to try it again. I think this could work pretty well if I get my other gear set up correctly.
 
#17 ·
Hi Manithree,

Thanks for trying GSS for Android. Unfortunately on Android, due to Android OS and Phone audio latency/limitations we have been unable to eliminate the delay in the microphone channel.

With good high NRR ear baffling so you are not hearing peoples voices directly (only via earphones) listening is fine if delayed, as the two do not get confused and you can hear the surroundings. Talking is harder as your own voice is delayed.

Do you have an iPhone as well? On iOS we have been able to engineer with zero delay which is why it is more expensive (I can send you a copy)

Hopefully you have been able to hear the gunshot eating capabilities?

Let me know

Cheers Robert
 
#18 ·
robfol said:
Do you have an iPhone as well? On iOS we have been able to engineer with zero delay which is why it is more expensive (I can send you a copy)
Nope, no Windows or Mac computers, so no iAnythings.

robfol said:
Hopefully you have been able to hear the gunshot eating capabilities?
That did seem to work well.
 
#19 ·
I got the iPhone version, haven't tried it out yet but if there is a sight delay in listening to yourself talking then that is a total deal breaker. News reporters have been know to go crazy for a minute because there was a very small delaying in hearing themselves in their earpieces. If you lookup Delayed Auditory Feedback on Wikipedia you can find out more about what I am taking about.
 
#20 ·
Hey benh
As we said to manithree, on iOS/iPhone we have been able to engineer audio with ZERO delay which is why it is more expensive.
:D
Please let me know how you get on
Cheers Robert

benh said:
I got the iPhone version, haven't tried it out yet but if there is a sight delay in listening to yourself talking then that is a total deal breaker. News reporters have been know to go crazy for a minute because there was a very small delaying in hearing themselves in their earpieces. If you lookup Delayed Auditory Feedback on Wikipedia you can find out more about what I am taking about.
 
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