[AG-TECH] echo-cancellation on the cheap?

[John Shalf]

Bob Riddle wrote:
> 
> Vbrick provides a desktop mic with these capabilities( when you buy
> their box!).  I believe its made by Polycom - might be the $1800 unit.
> 
> Randy Groves wrote:
> 
> > I'm looking at the prices for setting up some nodes, and in this
> > economic climate, the $3000+ price for the Gentner sticks out like a
> > sore thumb, when you consider that it might be feasible in the near
> > future to put all of this stuff on one reasonably priced box.
> >
> > ASPI, now part of Polycom, is one alternative, but that's still $1800.
> >
> > Has anybody found a cheaper alternative?  A card for a PC?  An
> > echo-cancelling microphone?

There are single-channel echo cancelers out there that are
much less expensive, but in those situations, you probably
only want a single mic and single speaker in your room (good
only for small venues where one mic is sufficient). 
Gentner's GT1524 is closer to $1k for instance.  Same deal
with the afore-mentioned Polycom solution...  

It might also be worthwhile to look at the BSS soundweb
device.  This was recommended to me by an audio consultant
as a possible substitute for a Gentner.  I was too cautious
to try it myself, but it appears to have many of the same
features as the AP400 (perhaps for less money?).  You can
even design and test your audio configs offline running
their software on your PC.
	http://www.bss.co.uk/gr_index.htm

-john