So, has anyone considered expanding the features of the mote by replacing the ir camera with a microphone, then using cwiid to poll the camera, translating the data into waveform, bobs your uncle, Wiimote microphone.

"expanding" the features by removing one of the key features? Doesn't sound like a winner in my mind, but go right ahead and let us know how it goes.

More to the point, the joystick on a nunchuck would do just as well. working out the details.

The joystick provides two 8-bit analog values every 10ms, hardly suitable for audio recording.

Well I consider those details sorted then. It seems that just because I can poll the mote 35,000 times a second doesnt mean it gets its own information that quickly.