Apex Hybrid Audio = Modulated Audio?

[Steve Herschbach]

“HYBRID AUDIO SYSTEM - The Apex target audio provides the simplicity of binary audio (found on existing ACE detectors) with the additional benefits of subtle proportional audio for faint targets.”

Binary audio is a fancy name for “beep.” No sound, or full volume beep. A deep target sounds like a shallow target. Beep.

Some people prefer this as they want to be sure to hear all targets no matter what.

Proportional audio means the signal strength is tied to the volume, so now you have strong beeps and medium beeps and faint beeps. This allows experienced detectorists to tell a deep target from a shallow target, or better discern small targets from large targets. However, if you don’t have sharp ears you might miss that faint target. Almost everybody else refers to this as modulated audio.

Garrett is claiming to somehow do both, creating a “hybrid audio.” Strong targets will be clean solid beeps, while fainter targets will be proportional. I guess I’m missing what the difference is here between Garrett’s hybrid audio and normal modulated audio. In modulated audio strong targets do deliver clean solid audio hits, which fade on the weaker targets to fainter audio responses. Sounds just like what they are describing with this “new” hybrid audio.

Don't know, maybe there is some difference in what Garrett is doing compared to the rest. Regardless, I do prefer proportional or modulated audio myself as being more informative about the nature of the target. Good modulated audio makes any kind of depth meter redundant, which is why I guess I never look at them.

 

Garrett Ace Apex features

 

[Chase Goldman]

I wondered the exact same thing about hybrid audio.  What would make the most sense is if you could choose one or the other as a user setting.  In hybrid, perhaps there is a gate that holds the audio at the max level (regardless of signal strength) until it reaches a predetermined lower signal strength threshold where the modulated audio kicks.  If not implemented properly, however, that could be jarring to the detectorist especially with 5-tone audio.  As long as the modulated audio doesn't become too faint or is discontinuous with the modulation threshold breakpoint, that would be fine.  But in some cases it my be good to have the choice of modulated or unmodulated audio.  AT Pinnacle feature, I suppose (along with multi-tone ID adjustments -> selectable # of tones, tone pitch, and breakpoints).

[Chase Goldman]

3 hours ago, phrunt said:

Well the Ace series has Door bell sounds, so it's like a door bell with a flat battery, does the initial ding loud with the dong getting quieter the deeper the target is?

Phrunt - did you see Brent Weaver's video demonstration of the 5 audio tones?  It's not the ACE door bell audio anymore...

 

[Chase Goldman]

Aye - I got ya.  Usually pick up on the dry humor but you got me on that one.  Bing bong.

[kac]

AT Pro standard mode is similar to the standard Ace series. AT Pro will lock onto a target seems to lock when you hover over target in a mix of other targets it will isolate it. MK does this incredibly fast but I think it can get really tricky when you have 5 tones. I like the feature on the Pro 2 tones + iron and the MK 3 tone mode but find it difficult in the MK 4 tone mode and find myself re-sweeping and crawling the coil trying to sort it all out.

Be interesting to see the Apex in action on a mix of close targets and see how well it works.

[Chase Goldman]

Kac - MK 3 tone has higher recovery speed (higher reactivity) than MK 4-tone correct?  Even Simplex uses different recovery speeds between its Park 1 and Park 2 modes trading depth for separation.  One of my concerns about Apex is that there doesn't appear to be any recovery speed variation whatsoever - or at least Garrett is not talking about it.  

[Steve Herschbach]

I have used countless detectors without a recovery speed setting, and to this day only a tiny minority of the detectors made have such a feature, including many top performing machines.

Be fun to make a new thread with a list, as it would not be all that long a list.

[Chase Goldman]

55 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I have used countless detectors without a recovery speed setting, and to this day only a tiny minority of the detectors made have such a feature, including many top performing machines.

Be fun to make a new thread with a list, as it would not be all that long a list.

Well I am about to continue to veer of topic...

As long as it has a good balance between recovery speed and depth, I agree that an explicit recovery speed adjustment isn't a necessity.  

But it seems fair to hold Apex up for comparison against the two most relevant detectors in its price and performance class - Simplex and Vanquish, which both enable users to select between modes that trade recovery speed for depth.

So like wireless audio, audio modulation, watertight integrity, rechargeable batteries, and adjustable operating frequency, fast and variable recovery speed appears to be one of those "modern" desirable (but not necessarily essential) features that differentiate good and great value class detectors.

[Steve Herschbach]

Simplex = No multifrequency option or selectable frequency options

Vanquish = No selectable frequency options, no ground balance

Apex = No recovery speed setting

And let’s not forget, both Simplex and Vanquish lack...... Hybrid Audio!! 

[Dances With Doves]

36 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Simplex = No multifrequency option or selectable frequency options

Vanquish = No selectable frequency options, no ground balance

Apex = No recovery speed setting

And let’s not forget, both Simplex and Vanquish lack...... Hybrid Audio!! 

I have a feeling that after the Apex release that minelab will pull a new rabbit out of the   hat.Nox  multi  Iq2 or     vanquish  pro with ground  balance  plus all nox frequencies without waterproof.