Review: The Hi-Sound Compact Parabolic Microphone from Dodotronic

A short review of The Hi-Sound Compact Parabolic Microphone from Dodotronic, Inc.

Neil Middleton (The BatAbility Club) carefully compared this unit from Dodotronic, with one of the "Gold Standards" of parabolic dish microphones: The Parabolic Dish from Telinga, Inc.!

The Telinga Dish (stock photo)

Unpacking the box:

Opening the case:

 

The case's protective foam is not permanently attached

The microphone weighs 300 grams

Current price, directly from Dodotronic, at the time of this writing is €248.00.

I recently had the pleasure of using the Hi-Sound Compact Parabolic Stereo Microphone from Dodotronic, and I must say, this compact device has quickly become an essential tool for my sound recording endeavors. 

Arriving directly from Italy, the packaging exuded quality and care, setting the tone for the product within.

Design and Build Quality:

The Hi-Sound Compact features a parabolic dish made of robust polycarbonate, ensuring durability while remaining lightweight at just 300 grams. With an outer diameter of 35 cm and a depth of 7 cm, this microphone is both compact and effective, making it perfect for fieldwork and outdoor settings. 

Its portability is enhanced by the included carry case, allowing for easy transport and storage.

Performance and Specifications:

One of the standout features of the Hi-Sound Compact is its capability to bring distant sounds closer. While shotgun microphones are a common choice among wildlife sound recordists, this parabolic microphone offers a flatter frequency response and a significant gain, making it ideal for various applications, including:

- Wildlife recording

- Sporting events

- Investigative work

- Industrial surveillance

With a sensitivity of -24dB and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 80dB, the Hi-Sound Compact excels in capturing nuanced sounds from 20Hz to 20kHz. 

My preliminary tests confirmed its ability to outperform traditional shotgun microphones, providing a clear and substantial increase in sound capture. 

I was particularly impressed with how it allowed me to record distant Red-shouldered Hawks during the day, which was a challenge with my previous setup.

User Experience:

The microphone operates on a simple 3V DC system and connects via a standard 3.5mm jack, making it compatible with many digital recorders and DSLR/video cameras. The included handle is a thoughtful touch, offering excellent stability without picking up minor hand movements during recording.

However, a few drawbacks should be noted. While the Hi-Sound Compact comes with a built-in mount for flash sockets, it lacks a tightening mechanism, making it prone to slipping if not handled carefully. Additionally, the microphone is not waterproof, which is an important consideration for longer-term outdoor setups. 

Though the product includes a short cable, I found it somewhat limiting, and the protective foam in the carry case tends to come loose. Lastly, the microphone does not lock securely into place on DSLR hot shoe mounts, which may pose a challenge during dynamic shoots. This was the case on the Canon DSLR I used.

Conclusion:

Overall, the Hi-Sound Compact Parabolic Stereo Microphone is an impressive and affordable option for sound recordists at a list price of 248 Euros. 

Its compact size, exceptional sound quality, and portability make it a worthwhile investment for anyone looking to capture high-quality audio from a distance. Just keep in mind its limitations regarding waterproofing and cable length.

For anyone serious about recording wildlife sounds or similar applications, I highly recommend downloading the free User Guide available on Dodotronic’s website for detailed specifications and tips on usage. 

With the Hi-Sound Compact, you’ll find yourself capturing sounds like never before!

Happy sound recording!

Review: The UltraMic Evo 384K USB Microphone from Dodotronic

The UltraMic Evo 384K USB Microphone from Dodotronic

Not to be confused with The UltraMic 250K, or 384K USB microphone, The Evo 384K is a totally different device: 

The Ultramic 384K Evo is a professional USB microphone, which digitally records both audible and ultrasonic sound. It is constructed of high-quality black plastic, although it is not weatherproof. 

The unit is unique since it employs two separate microphones; which reside behind the opening (opposite of the [male] USB connector).

The Ultramic 384K Evo utilizes USB 2.0 connections at full speed via an audio class UAC 1.1 interface. This translates to a driverless coupling with host devices.

Hardware gain (amplification) is adjusted via a small, recessed, 4-position switch. Note: My microphone arrived with the switch set at 3 - Which equates to 0dB of gain.

More details may be seen on Page 10 of the User Guide; however, the switch gain settings, are as follows:

1.  -33dB
2.  -10dB
3.   0dB
4.  10dB

Just to clarify:

1 being the switch setting closest to the center of the Mic, and correlating to the least amount of gain (-33dB).

2 being the center position (-10dB).

3 Moving toward the Mic's opening (0dB)

4 The position closest to the Mic's opening (10dB)

The microphone itself, is basically omnidirectional. However, there is also an optional acoustic horn available (which typically costs approx. €8).

The acoustic horn is attached to the Mic using built-in neodymium magnets. Attachment of this horn makes the reception noticeably more directional / less sensitive to off-axis sound. Planar plots demonstrating this may be seen on Page 4 of the User Guide.

Physical characteristics of this unit are as follows:

80mm Long X 30mm Wide X 16mm High (thickness).

It weighs only 24 grams.

With Magnetic Cone attached, hook & loop/Velcro also provided.

A few more technical details:

• It uses a 32 bit ARM Cortex M4 microcontroller for it's CPU.
• It uses 15mA of power from whichever host it's connected to.
• It utilizes 2 SPU0410LR5H microphone elements from Knowles.
• Recording format is linear PCM format.

Current price, directly from the Dodotronic Site, at the time of this writing is €220.

Amoung the applications listed for this microphone (as per Manufacturer's site) are:

• Bioacoustics:

Detection/recording of ultrasounds of insects, cetaceans, rodents, and bats.

Bat activity at wind farms.

Mice vocalizations for medical and pharmacological studies, etc.

Various soundtracks which require the slowing down of ultrasounds.

• Industrial: 

Leak detection (gas line leaks, etc.).

Monitoring machine motors for prediction of faults.

Listening for high frequency noises from switching power supplies, LCD screens, various turbines, and energy saving lamps.

The Ultramic 384K Evo is designed to be used with your PC and/or Android phone.

Whether connected to a smartphone or a laptop, The Ultramic Evo is generally easy to use. Having said that, I would advise you to consider the importance of choosing a compatible App, which you find comfortable and convenient to use.

In both domains of smartphones and laptops (PC & Apple) - not all Apps are created equal. 

Luckily, you have a substantial assortment to choose from:

• SEA Sound Emission Analyzer
• Multi-Instrument
• GoldWave
• Audacity
• SpectraPLUS-SC
• Tadaria
• Reaper

For Android devices:

• Bat Recorder
• USB Audio Recorder Pro
• Audio Evolution Mobile Studio

For iOS:

• Ultrasonic Analyzer

As far as mounting goes, I've had satisfactory results when hand holding the Mic - However, the unit is sensitive enough to pick up sounds of even small movements of the hand that's holding it. 

The unit doesn't have a built-in tripod socket; but since it's so incredibly light (and small) there are nearly endless options for temporary mounting locations: All that is required is some good quality masking tape & your imagination.

Again, the Ultramic 384K Evo is not waterproof, so here we're discussing mounting in areas where you can keep an eye on it. For relatively "long-term" recordings, your only real limitations are:

• Your supply of expendable memory/hard drive space.
• The length of time of good weather.
• And how willing you are to search/sort through the considerable amount of recordings later.

I believe there would be a fair number of Ecologists, and those involved in Bioacoustics who would be interested in using this USB microphone.

For instance, it would be ideal for someone who:

• Needs to record both audible and ultrasounds simultaneously. 
• Is ready to move on from all-in-one detectors.
• Requires comparisons of recordings between smartphone and laptop.
• Prefers to have recordings saved directly to a laptop for analysis and processing, etc.

Not long ago, I wrote a post about how I wanted to record mammals heard in my area; at a distance...I was hearing both Foxes and Coyotes vocalizing at night.

I wondered what the best option would be in my situation. The sounds seemed to be originating from between 50 to 150 meters away.

I considered a good digital recorder, along with a fairly good-performing shotgun microphone.

Luckily, it wasn't very long before I received the Dodotronic Ultramic - And realized that it had the potential to capture the sounds I wanted.

I have made several good recordings of our local owls: Barred owls (

, as well as a couple of (as yet unidentified) woodland animals. Sadly, I haven't had the opportunity to record the original mammals I was after.

But, I should still have time...

One of the advantages to keep in mind, when comparing this Ultramic 384K Evo to a shotgun microphone - is the ability to drastically adjust the Ultramic's gain settings. When experimenting with the higher 2 (of the 4) settings, it's easy to overload the device (and cause clipping). 

With more experimentation (combinations) of both hardware and software gain settings, a good balance can be reached.

One where: There's enough gain to properly pull-in/record the distant animal sounds; without any overloading, or clipping of the signals.

Another situation where Dodotronic microphones would excel would be in controlled laboratory environments. 

It is extremely accurate when it reproduces sound. At this time, I've only uploaded 2 recordings to The SoundCloud site - I hope to add more soon:

Here is a non-amplified recording, made with the 384K Evo, of Barred Owls at about 100+ feet distant.

Here is another non-amplified recording, made with the Evo, of what I believe is (possibly) a Whippoorwill (a common night bird in NE United States) at about 100 feet distant.

Pros:

• Records audible and ultrasonic sounds simultaneously. 
• Relatively low-cost (List price on Dodotronic's site: 220 Euros).
• Super portable - Box containing Mic and Directional Horn can fit in almost any pocket.
• Substantial assortment of software available to choose from.

Cons:

• Must be tethered to a computing device.
• Not waterproof/weather resistant. 
• Only one software option available for iOS phone users. 

You may order an Ultramic 384K Evo directly from the Dodotronic website; and I was able to find just a few Dealers who stock it (all in Europe).

I plan to add more to this review - It is a work in progress...

Until next time, Happy bat detecting!

Review: SoundChaser Software From Acounect

Review: SoundChaser Software From Acounect (France)

SoundChaser is a (Windows-based) software application; which has been developed by Acounect, to enable users to record wildlife sounds, with a great deal of accuracy. The application is very versatile, featuring modules which may be easily loaded/unloaded:

SoundChaser Software

The SoundChaser software from Acounect has gone through many changes over the past couple of years. This latest version (1.1), is by far the most competent and capable. One of the most important additions, has been the ability to trigger recordings. I was very happy to see this feature implemented. Having an auto-trigger feature available allows you to set-up SoundChaser for unattended (overnight) recording. This ability makes it easy to utilize an UltraMic for passive monitoring/recording of bats. Something that wasn't possible until now.

SoundChaser is currently available in two, distinctive versions:

• SoundChaser Discovery

• SoundChaser Expert

Since my Readers and I are most interested in recording bats, this review will focus on The SoundChaser Expert software. Which is the version best suited to bat recording.

An important factor, which I'd like to point out straight away - Is that SoundChaser software is free to download and use; for 15 days. I encourage you to visit the Site, and have a look!

Whenever I review software, which happens to be freely available for downloading -
Whether it's completely free or free-to-try (like SoundChaser): I feel, that there simply isn't a need to write such a lengthy/detailed review; since anyone who is interested, can simply download and try the software themselves - For free. 
This is still currently the case with several excellent software applications. 

Below, is an excellent demonstration video (made by Acounect):

SoundChaser Demo video on a Tablet PC

The hardware (and software) requirements are quite simple; you will need:

• An UltraMic, from Dodotronic any version will work (including the very first ones released). The two versions currently available, are: The 200kHz sample rate unit, and the 250kHz sample rate unit.
• A laptop, sub-notebook, or tablet PC - Running a late version of Windows software as it's operating system.
• SoundChaser Expert software.

As per Acounect's Web Site:
"Recommended requirements: Windows Vista, 7 or 8, Intel iCore (or equivalent),  ATI or nVidia GPU graphics card, screen resolution of 720p or 1080p HD, touch screen."

The Folks at Acounect have also provided a neat, and useful list of compatible/recommended Tablet PC's in PDF format Here. Each for under 400 Euros.

Installation is easy, and is outlined in their Installation Guide. 
If you are using a small notebook computer (small screen), you should select 'Full Screen' from the opening dialog box (when you first launch the application). I find it to look a lot better than the other option ('Windowed'). Again, this is something you may try-out yourself; it may be considered a matter of personal preference.

By default, the software will choose the following (syntax) Windows directory to store your recordings in: C:\Users\*Your Username*\SoundChaser Sessions - Of course, this may be easily changed to whichever location (path) you would like.

Pros:

• Free to download and use for 15 days.
• Only hardware purchase needed (for owners of Windows-based machines) is an Ultramic from Dodotronic. 
• Fairly easy to start using.

Cons: 

• Technical Support slow to respond.
• Fairly high Start-up cost (for SoundChaser Expert).

Good luck! Have fun, and...

Happy bat detecting! 

*Next Post - will be the full review of the brand-new 'micro trio' from Ciel.

New Bat Detectors: Available Now! -And- Coming Soon!

"We interrupt our regularly scheduled bat detector reviews, to bring you news of the following new developments"

There are some new bat detecting devices available now – several manufacturers have produced and released new detectors for sale. 

I will be testing and reviewing the following two brand-new systems soon:

In order of their release:

• The pairing of Dodtronic's Ultramic (200K) -And- Ultrasonic Analyzer (for iPad and iPhone); produces a full-featured bat recording solution. I'll be performing my testing and review, on a borrowed iPhone.

• The micro trio, from Ciel EaM - This bat detector is currently very new, and only available to the public via Advance Orders (for now).

Each of the preceding bat recording solutions look very promising!

The solution from Dodotronic & Ultrasonic Analyzer is available now. 

The brand-new bat detectors from Ciel Eam (there are several) are available as pre-order items right now. Others are set to be released soon...

I will also be writing a short review of the latest version of SoundChaser software (works with Dodotronic's Ultramic series of microphones). From Acounect in France. They are also currently offering a free 15-day trial of their software Here. So, if you own an Ultramic, you should have a look and try it out.

Now, on to a few more new bat detectors!

Please Note: At this time, there is no indication that I will have the opportunity to review any of the following new devices. I list them here, for the sake of being complete, and thorough. As always, one of the main purposes of this blog, is to inform the public of new bat detectors as they become available.

Be that as it may, I do plan to purchase and use a Momimic from Dodotronic. So a review of this super-small microphone will eventually be posted here. I am planning to build a homemade, ultrasonic, parabolic dish to record singing insects with. And I plan to use The Momimic as the microphone for it.

Elekon AG - The latest model of their wonderful Batlogger M, has had a few minor changes. The small, external GPS antenna now resides inside the case (no longer visible). In addition, the GPS system itself, now utilizes data from The GLONASS satellites. This is especially helpful, to those in Europe and Russia, etc. Read more at the Newsletter Archive Page.

Avisoft Bioacoustics has recently announced updates to their USG116Hm/116Hmn

Titely Scientific, is poised to release their brand-new AnaBat Express very soon...And, from what I've seen so far - It looks very interesting.

BatBox is supposed to be coming out with a new bat detecting device! No one knows much about it (yet!)

Once again, I will not be reviewing any of these devices, so please contact the manufacturers with your questions.

The "busy season" for new bat detecting devices is here; and once again, I have two (software) reviews in progress...

"We now return to our regularly scheduled bat detector reviews...Part 2 of The Echo Meter Touch review coming up next"

Happy bat detecting!

A Little Info About Me & How This Blog Came To Be

A little info and history of this blog...
It's been quite a few years now, some details are still hard to remember... But, it all started innocently enough... Years ago, I'd written some reviews for a bat detecting Web site in the UK. And then, another UK site asked if I'd write a review or two for their page... At some point, I learned of an interesting bat detector, from a small company in Italy called Dodotronic. It was called the Dodoultra. A somewhat odd name, for what appeared to be an otherwise capable system.

• The detector remained relatively unknown.
• It was never produced in any large numbers. 
• Finally, production was stopped.
• And that was the end of the Dodoultra.

I studied this scenario, and was saddened by it. For a host of reasons, as you can imagine - Not the least of which was: I never got a chance to buy one!
Basically, the Dodoultra (pictured below) never made it - It never had a chance, to at least be experienced, by bat detecting hobbyists at large.

I simply decided to make it my "mission" to not let this type of scenario play itself out again. I didn't want to learn of another company (regardless of size) having to go through this.
...All the work of designing and producing a bat detector, only to fail, due to a lack of exposure.

I started to get serious about writing reviews, and started my own blog. I never wanted to hear of another bat detector "falling through the cracks". So, I've been on "alert mode" ever since. I'm periodically searching the web, always looking for new bat detectors, bat detector companies, etc. Especially small operations in Europe, and other non-U.S. locations. I do everything I can, to ensure that new bat detecting products get some exposure.

I dedicate all of my free time (and any discretionary funds I have) to this blog. I must save and put aside (my own) money, to pay for the (expensive) shipping of the detectors, back to the manufacturer after the test & review.
Of course, I'm not begrudging any of this. It's a labor of love!

Because of my education, background and previous career(s): Reviewing ultrasonic devices such as bat detectors, just happened to be an excellent fit for me. I've never posted an 'About Me' section, because it would take up entirely too much space. Just to give you an idea, my resume is 3 pages in length. I'd never want to impose on any visitors with my background. Boring stuff, really. Since we're on the subject; suffice it to say, that:
I have an extensive background & experience with: Mechanics, Electronics, Sound / Radio waves, and Computers.

In regards to the way that I write my blog posts...
Many times, I have chosen to present posts in an informal manner, writing as if we were in the same room, carrying on a conversation. Of course, most of what is contained on this blog are my personal opinions, based on many years of my own experience and the shared knowledge of others. I am Friends with several Bat Workers and other Bat Research Professionals, and Authors of bat books. I only seek out the brightest minds that I can find, to glean what I can - to supplement my knowledge of these fascinating subjects.

"Absorb what is useful, reject what is not" - Bruce Lee

Happy bat detecting!

Review: The Batango From Dodotronic

Review Of Dodotronic's Batango

One of the newest bat detectors on the horizon, also happens to be the smallest. It is the latest offering from Dodotronic, makers of the now well-known Ultramic series of microphones. It is called The Batango. And, believe it or not - It is a fully operational, frequency division bat detector that is made to fit on your key ring!

The Batango's design is simplicity itself: A very small black plastic enclosure; with one momentary push button, and one red LED indicator. This simple ultrasonic detector, is controlled exclusively by this one button. Each of the different settings - Such as: Power On/Off, Volume Up/Down, and Frequency Division Factor settings - Are all adjusted entirely by a simple sequence of button pushes.
See Dodotronic's Batango Web page; for a complete, graphical explanation.
As you can see: The unit is small! Now, you'll never have to miss listening to/or recording some unexpected bat activity!

One side of the unit features the MEMs microphone element (not shown in photo above), along with a 3.5mm Earphone Jack - Which provides audio output.
The unit is powered by a small, "button-type" battery (CR1220 3V Lithium cell) which lasts a good long while. The battery supplied, is still going strong (after a lot of testing).

In the beginning, I've found that it's a good idea to have a print-out of the instructions handy (just until you become familiar with it's operation).

Since Winter is upon us, and my area is currently experiencing very cold temperatures - Ivano Pelicella of Dodotronic, also supplied me with a small, electronic bat sound emulator (this very small circuit was shown on Dodotronic's Web page demo). Pressing a momentary micro switch on the circuit, produces ultrasonic chirps for testing, etc. In addition, I'm also trying to sort through my CDs, .wav files, and some online resources; to locate some (raw) bat recordings, which I would like to try The Batango on as well.

Preliminary tests, using only a pair of (average/inexpensive) earphones were very good. The unit is excellent at rejecting man-made ultrasonic noises. Such as: The ever-popular, rubbing of index & middle fingers against your thumb, or clicking of fingernails, etc. I've recently been informed that this is by design - The unit was designed to reject sounds below 20kHz in frequency.
At the same time, however - It has no problem picking up the ultrasonic pulses produced by the bat chirp emulator. So, this is great news!

I did notice that The Batango does not feature the same kind of pick-up range, as a normal/full-sized detector. At the same time, I realize that this key-chain-sized detector would not be used in settings where long pick-up range is needed. In my opinion, it's great to have handy for serendipitous monitoring of bats. In other words, in those situations where/when you unexpectedly see bats flying about (while you're away from home).

Some other examples, of settings/locales: You may happen to be visiting, with your Aunt Adele (or your Uncle Dominick). And, when evening begins to roll around...you notice that your Aunt (or Uncle's) backyard has more natural bat habitat that you originally remembered.
Or, there is a small wooded lot or other "batty looking" area that you hadn't noticed before... Or, you are dining at a restaurant, and step outside for some fresh air (while waiting for the main course to arrive) and you notice what you are almost sure was the erratic flight of a bat... I'm sure you can understand my point; and you can just imagine the different possibilities!
The other nice thing about it, is that it can be used very discretely. Most onlookers, or a passerby will think you're simply listening to your MP3 player...

Again, since these types of spots are places where your first indication of bat activity is likely to be visual; the pick-up range of the Batango will be adequate.

In regards to The Batango's recording performance, and sonogram production: The unit wasn't exactly designed with those uses in mind. I will share some excerpts, of a recent e-mail, from Ivano Pelicella of Dodotronic:
"...As I've written in my website it's not suited for audio recordings since the outcoming waveform is synthesized and the spectrogram can have a lot of harmonics due to the square waveform of the internal sound generator. For ultrasound recording the Ultramic is the best solution.

The frequency range is 20 khz ~ 140 khz...Batango has an internal filter that cuts all the signal below 20khz, this is the reason why it's so immune to normal audio..."

So, I've given it some thought - And, after careful consideration: I've decided that instead of writing a Part 2 to this review, I will leave it as-is. And, if any additional info needs to be added - I will add it to this post.

The completed, full production units will be available for purchase from Dodotronic in a few months. In the meantime, any questions may be directed, via e-mail to Ivano Pelicella at Dodotronic.

Winter is a good time to organize your notes, sound recordings and sonograms; to be ready for Spring...