Pinging @neal_white_iii because I suspect he will have the answer.
I’ve realised that gettng Voice Attack and probably an HCS Voice Pack is the way to go with Elite Dangerous and VR.
I’ve already decided that SMAS audio is inadequate for Elite, and I’m using over-ear buds instead. My question is whether the 8KX’s built-in microphone is adequate. Are people using the 8KX mic successfully with Voice Attack, or should I get a combined headset that fits under the 8KX?
It worked fine for me (in spite of my accent, which initially fatally vexed VA, back with the Vive and Rift), until Windows stopped taking input from it, for some reason (happened some time around my trying the eye-tracking module - some USB issue or something, I guess…).
Yes, Voice Attack and an HCS Voice Pack is a very effective combination, although these days, I’m only using my HOTAS. That’s mostly because an HCS update broke my VA setup and it wasn’t worth the hassle to get it working again. (I quit trying after an hour or so.)
I can’t answer your question though. I’m currently using wireless headphones with a mic and have never tried the built-in Pimax mic.
What HOTAS do you use? I’m using a Thrustmaster and I’m struggling to find enough combinations to cover everything.
Which model? Do they fit under the 8KX?
I’m using a Logitech X52. I use a lot of 2-button combos for infrequent actions. It’s easier to keep track of commands using Voice Attack, but (once you’ve learned them) buttons are faster.
The headset isn’t made anymore. It fits over the MAS. It’s a “Corsair Gaming VOID PRO RGB Wireless Premium Gaming Headset with Dolby Headphone 7.1”. I like it a lot, but I’ll probably switch to the deluxe DMAS speakers, once they are delivered.
I don’t use Voice Attack so I can’t tell you if it works, but what I can tell you is that the 8kx’s mic volume was way too low at first. And Windows didn’t offer any option too boost the mic volume. This is a known problem with the driver provided by Microsoft.
Luckily, I found a solution for this here on the forums:
https://priyamraj.com/fix-microphone-quiet-windows-10-no-boost-option/
With this program, I was able to increase mic boost, and now the 8kx mic works like a charm.
I haven’t tested VA / HCS never got round to trying it, but I’ve tested the mic vs USB Logitech headset for multiplayer chat in both Steam Chat and a few in-game chat solutions, and others said it was no problem at all, sounded very similar.
It just works. Very nicely, too.
Way more comprehensive than any of the voice packs and such. Text-to-speech and sound effect feedback on button presses (so it is easier to remember what all the buttons do, move throttle/stick to exact center, etc). Every single Elite Dangerous command mapped to a HOTAS button. VoiceAttack profile can take care of things like ‘destruct all’ to reset SteamVR, as well as Elite Dangerous ship function stuff.
And all on a standardized interface that works for a lot of other more complicated things, like basically all the aircraft in DCS World.
Oh, and yes the 8kX microphone works fine. That shouldn’t be a surprise though, microphone engineering is quite easy, and is rarely done wrong (ie. Vive just made a bad mistake).
SMAS audio can be improved a lot for Elite Dangerous and such by adding 3D printed cups, and enabling ‘loudness equalization’.
Thanks for the advice everyone.
Today I went out and bought a cheap-ish gaming headset which fits over the HMD, just. I did this because I decided that there will be times when I want to run Elite Dangerous in 2D. If I switch to VR-only then I will know that the HMD mic is an option for me.
I use VA heavily in ED when using VR. It does most of my stuff. The challenge is that you cannot bind controller/HOTAS buttons, only keyboard and mouse (correct me if I am wrong). As mentioned, use double button commands to cover everything. My most used is likely “computer landing gear”. You can guess what this does
My most useful is for dog fighting. I use voice commands to shift my PIPs. For example, if I say “damage” it shifts three to shields and three to weapons. If you have efficient weapons, then go 4 for systems and 2 to weapons. And because I have set it to use default 0.001s pause between button presses, it can flip between full engines (turning quickly) and “damage” very quickly.
That’s correct (as far as I know).
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