Review: The Newest Echo Meter Touch 2 (Non-Pro Version) From Wildlife Acoustics

From Wildlife Acoustics 

So, here's a bat detector which needs no introduction... The Echo Meter Touch 2

Stock photo from Wildlife Acoustics website.

This is how the unit arrives, double-packed, directly from Wildlife Acoustics.

Very well protected inside the cardboard box

The Echo Meter Touch App, is what you download for free, from the Google Play site online - In order to operate the unit on your cell phone. All units manufactured after 2021, will have a USB—C connector.

It's important to keep in mind that a USB—C to Micro—USB, or Micro-USB to USB-C adapter may also be used...These are inexpensive, and readily available. Any adapter used, should conform to the On The Go specification.

The Echo Meter Touch 2 is very small and light, some would say amazingly so!

One of the reasons why I mention this specifically, is because it seems to me, to be even lighter than any of it's predecessors.

At the time of this writing, it is selling for $179 US dollars — directly from the Wildlife Acoustics website.

The echo meter touch 2 in it's protective carry pouch

(very neat!)

You will find that the echo meter touch 2 is very reasonably priced, and available from many different sellers — online. Including NHBS in the British isles; and Wildlife & Countryside Services.

It doesn't take very much practice before becoming comfortable using the echo meter touch app. You are able to easily toggle between compressed and expanded mode, using the icon on the main monitoring screen.

Remember to configure your Auto ID mode. Enter the Auto ID mode: and select from North America, Europe, United Kingdom, Neo Tropics, and a South African region (should be available in the latest version by the time you're reading this).

There is also a small manual record button — Red, and marked with an M. — which you can use to initiate a recording..... This button may be used on its own — or while triggered recording is in session... This is helpful in case the trigger misses something. You may read more about this in section 2.5 of the User Manual.

As always, I recommend reading the the freely downloadable User Manual — preferably in it's entirety!

You also have the ability to stop the recording label icon to open the notes page. Voice and text notes are saved as metadata in the recording, and they are transferred along with the recording to your PC. You can later use the search feature, to search the text of any text notes you had may have added.

The app has a limit of 10,000 recordings— after that, recordings will need to be transferred or deleted.

Another interesting feature is that in live mode, heterodyne can be tuned automatically or manually.

In GPS view: you can see the different locations, since each recording session is shown with a different path colour.... The KML file is generated and stored with the session, in the session folder.

I'm glad that you are able to adjust The Real Time Expansion on a previously made recording. 

In order to adjust pitch (1/10 is higher pitched [and the one I prefer] and 1/20 is lower pitched).

The nightly sessions mode is very neat, and behaves as a sort of unattended recording mode. Nice.

There are several methods of transferring your recordings onto a computer. You may use WiFi, a USB cable, or email. I experimented with all of them.

Part 5.2 of the user manual discusses audio specifications, of both the EM2 and the EM2 pro. Very informative, as you would expect.

You can also have a look at this page, on the Wildlife Acoustics site; which shows a neat side-by-side comparison - between The EM Touch 2 and The EM Touch 2 Pro.

The Echo Meter Touch 2 is very easy to use; and would be ideal for a beginner, or just about anyone interested in listening to, and/or recording bat calls.

And as always, I recommend the EM Touch 2 Pro to those who prefer better performance and features.

You can use The EM Touch 2 to save triggered recordings to .wav files. You may listen to the recordings, in either RTE (Real Time Expansion), HET (heterodyne), or traditional Time Expansion. In other words, while recording —Or while listening to the recorded files on your phone.

You can use the Touch, to transfer recordings to your computer. The app bundles the recordings into a zip folder, and allows downloading by entering a short URL into any web browser.

The screenshot below, shows the spectrogram of Lasionycteris noctivagans, a species of Vesper bat, here in The Northeastern United States:

 

A recording of a Silver-Haired Bat, made with The EM Touch 2

Viewed using Kaleidoscope, and Zoomed-in on a bit.

Pros:

* Price: Reasonably affordable, considering what you get (providing that you already have an Android cell phone).

* Easy to use, with a lot of features - not the least of which is Auto ID.

* Lightweight and robust.

Cons:

* Speed and responsiveness are directly related to the speed and responsiveness of your cell phone (new, fast phone = fast bat detector).

* Audio output isn't very loud. On the late model Samsung cell phone I used, I found myself wishing it was much louder.

So, the other minor Con, would be that it's no longer manufactured for use on any Apple devices.

Note: When rushing out to detect bats using the default settings (presuming you're recording bats in rainy conditions - from a dry refuge!): You will hear light rain / raindrops being registered. 

This may be remedied by making adjustments in the frequency response parameters - Basically the "window" of frequencies you allow the unit to record - An incentive to become familiar with the customization's The Touch is capable of; as well as The User Manual in general.

Which all serves to help you get the most out of The Echo Meter Touch 2.

This pretty much sums up The echo meter touch 2 (non pro edition). I plan to add some more info to this review in the near future; along with some recordings, et cetera.

Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics for providing the unit for review! The EM Touch 2 has been sent to The BatAbility Club (in Scotland) - Where it will be featured in an upcoming free giveaway—For BatAbility Club members!

Until next time, Happy bat detecting!

Review: The New Echo Meter Touch From Wildlife Acoustics - Part 2 Of 2

Review: The Brand-New EM Touch From Wildlife Acoustics - Part 2 of 2

As we've established, in Part 1 of this review, the ideal buyer for The new Echo Meter Touch, would be someone who already owns a compatible Apple iOS device.
This product is also good for someone who prefers a bat detector, which has the ability to constantly improve. This is accomplished, via The EM Touch Software -and- Firmware updates. These will be released regularly, from Wildlife Acoustics.
  
Further good news, is that (as with other iOS Apps) you will be prompted/notified, directly on your Apple device. So, there are no worries about missing or overlooking an e-mailed Newsletter.
The following, are conclusions which I've reached, after using The Echo Meter Touch (with iPad mini Retina) for almost a month now.

So far, I've confirmed The Echo Meter Touch recording bats from a distance of just over 20 Meters. Fairly impressive for a bat detector in this price class. However, I have a feeling that it will be able to pick up bats from even greater distances.Therefore, I will continue to test the EM Touch, to determine the outer limit of it's recording range.
Just a bit more testing, in a different location should corroborate this for me. And of course, any findings, etc., will be published here - In an future (update) post.

The distance at which a bat detector can detect and/or record bats, has always been one of the most important factors (for me). This is the case whenever I evaluate any bat detector. 

The GPS performance is absolutely wonderful! Thanks to the constant access to Google Earth/Maps. I have not seen a GPS system this accurate, since Elekon's Batlogger M. 
Thanks again to Internet access, the live (and recorded) GPS' accuracy seems to be just a hair more precise than even The Batlogger's. For example - When doing some simple bat detecting from within a home: The Batlogger M almost "knew" which room of the house you were in. With The EM Touch, it actually does "know" exactly which room the unit is in.
This observation simply illustrates just how accurate the GPS is. By default, the exact location of The EM Touch+iOS device is represented by a pale blue dot (not shown in photo below). I was pleasantly surprised by it's accuracy. And those performing Transects will be too!

In the photo below, each colored line represents a different recording. Typically, these will be of various bat calls. And will serve to represent the location where each bat was recorded. However (in some cases) there may also be some, from non-biological recordings (man-made noise for example). 
Since the recordings shown below were made from inside a house: The GPS readings tend to get confused. Which, results in the random squiggly lines you see in the image below. This does not occur when using the Echo Meter Touch outside, in the field.

The GPS screen (satellite view) of The Echo Meter Touch. LANO stands for Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silver-Haired Bat).

Pros:

• Many people already own a compatible iOS device, so the only purchase necessary, is The EM Touch unit itself. 
• The basic Echo Meter Touch software is free; and very easy to use.
  
• It possesses almost all of the most desirable features in a bat detector: The ability to monitor, record, playback, and identify* bats; all via finger-taps on your iOS device. (*with the optional software).  
• Being coupled to a modern & dynamic iOS device, and being a fully upgradeable bit of hardware itself, are both desirable traits. Both halves of this EM Touch system, are dynamic.

Cons:

• Cannot charge/plug-in The iPad while the EM Touch is in use - There would be an advantage to this: Whenever the Echo Meter Touch is used from inside a house.
• The microphone sensitivity cannot be adjusted.
• The Trigger threshold cannot be modified/set.

*The interesting thing, about the issues in the above list of Cons, is that at least two of them can (and may) be reconciled via firmware updates. Specifically, the Microphone sensitivity adjustment and Trigger threshold setting. Once again, it's hard to ignore the flexibility (and possibilities) of The Echo Meter Touch.

In closing, I'd like to share a quick video I made, demonstrating one of my favorite features of The EM Touch Auto ID software. I highly recommend going for the In-App purchase! You'll be glad you did. In this quick (and spontaneous) video, "shot" in my living room, you can see The Auto ID software analyzing each of the recordings: The blinking yellow bat icon, represents the analysis being performed on each individual recording. 
When the blinking bat goes from blinking to solid - It means that a bat was recorded (and identified!). The standard, date-time format of the recording's name, is appended with the abbreviation of the bat's Species name. Which, in the case of this short video, was 'LABO' (Lasiurus Borealis) - An Eastern Red Bat. I apologize for the poor quality of this video, I hope to replace it with a brighter version soon.

As with several of my recent reviews, I will certainly be revisiting The EM Touch; via future blog posts over the coming months. I promise to help everyone keep abreast of any new developments.

Happy bat detecting!

The Echo Meter Touch From Wildlife Acoustics - Addressing Recent Concerns

Review: The Brand-New EM Touch From Wildlife Acoustics - Part 1.5 of 2

An effort to address recent concerns

Since this iOS-based detecting/recording system is so new, and drawing a lot of attention - I felt that perhaps an attempt to address some common questions was in order. In regards to The Echo Meter Touch I'd like to address some of the concerns, which a friend (and Bat Working Professional) has brought to my attention.

Driven transects:

The EM Touch is fine for driven transects, as long as precautions are taken to avoid wind. In any case, this is true when using all bat detectors. I've performed my amateur-level, driven transects with various bat recorders over the years. One quickly learns the tricks necessary, to avoid contacting wind while recording from a moving vehicle. One must remember that The FG mic element employed by The EM Touch is very sensitive. Which is a good thing, of course. More on this subject, in Part 2.

This Bat Working Professional (friend of mine) also suggested that "...The AnaBat system is better and clearer."

I presume the device being suggested for comparison, in this case, must be the new AnaBat Express. Since, it is the lowest-cost system that AnaBat currently offers. It has been touted as a competitively-priced bat detecting solution.  

 

Admittedly, I haven't had the opportunity to test or review an AnaBat Express. 

 

The EM Touch allows a user (even a youngster!) to: Detect, Record, View the Spectrogram of, and Identify said bat, down to species. I'd say this pretty much runs the gamut of what one may even expect from a bat detector in 2014.

A concern, for the memory capacity (of the required iPad device) was mentioned. This was actually addressed (from the very start), in Wildlife Acoustics' FAQ Section of The EM Touch Page. It's entitled 'How many recordings can you store on the iOS device?'
And is located at the bottom of This Page, just prior to the last question listed.
Using a 16GB (model MF066LL/A) iPad mini Retina for this test and review, presented no issues whatsoever. And, I was especially pleased (and relieved) to see this.

My friend also brought up the (very real) and very relevant concern; one of safety - The safety of, and risks involved, when bat detecting using an iOS device (which thieves find attractive).
On this point, I am in agreement with my friend, an experienced Bat Pro (in The UK). In regards to bat detecting, the concern was "...walking around with a £300+ iPhone or iPad out in the open, plus the detector...nice chance you will be mugged!" 
Indeed. 

When considering the prospect, of performing your bat detecting in the field: You must use your discretion, and common sense.

The vast majority, of traditional "stand-alone" (hand-held) bat detectors can easily pass for: An AM radio, a radio scanner, an (inexpensive) MP3 player (i.e. The Batango), or some homemade gadget (in the case of bottom-of-the-range detectors). Nothing too conspicuous, in other words.
Fortunately, there are many places, where one may do some bat detecting, without the risk of being mugged. This, I can practically guarantee - It simply requires a bit of forethought on your part. Be safe.

Concern was also expressed, in regards to potentially dropping (and damaging) your iOS device while bat detecting. However, this is easily remedied by safeguarding your iOS device, with an appropriate protective case. There are currently a wide selection of iOS device covers available, providing various levels of protection. Many not only provide very good protection, but may be had for under $20 US Dollars.

The final concern, was in respect to the future. Basically, the future of both the Echo Meter Touch and of Apple's iOS devices. My friend, was concerned that perhaps "...the detector will only be useful for the time period you have a current iPhone/iPad device for..."
Luckily, this is far from the actual case. The reality is, that The EM Touch can (and will) roll with whatever changes come. Simply because that is the kind of device it is. The ability to be dynamic, and easily adaptable is one of it's main strong points. It is sure to continue to grow, develop (and change, if need be) right alongside the iOS devices that it interfaces with.

Now that these concerns have been addressed, I can continue working on Part 2 (the final installment) of this Echo Meter Touch review. To be posted soon...

In addition, I would just like to add, that Elekon AG has just released a new firmware update - For their Batlogger M. As well as updates to their (free) BatExplorer software.

Happy bat detecting!

Review: The New Echo Meter Touch From Wildlife Acoustics - Part 1 Of 2

Review: The Brand-New EM Touch From Wildlife Acoustics - Part 1 of 2

The Echo Meter Touch Module

By now, even those with a passing interest in bat detecting will have (no doubt) heard about, or seen the brand-new Echo Meter Touch from Wildlife Acoustics. There have been several Photos and video Demos of this new bat detector circulating The Web.

Some seemed to have already "passed judgement" on The EM Touch. It seems that a few people have already made up their minds; both for and against it. 
Perhaps this may be attributed to the fact, that this device is so new, there aren't enough actual owners/users yet? 

Therefore, my responsibility as an objective reviewer seems to loom ever greater...

I will confess, right at the start - Even I made a few (minor) assumptions, prior to having access to the User Manual and receiving the equipment for test. Read on...and all will be made clear.

It's hard to deny, that Wildlife Acoustics ranks among the very few companies, which rather enjoys being on the cutting edge of bat detecting technology. One need not look any further than their past and current bat detecting solutions. 

I once read, that "If you truly love a Hobby, you want to share it with others...with everyone". This is essentially what I try to do, when it comes to the hobby of bat detecting. It's also why John Dobson spent many nights on the street in San Fransisco, allowing passerby's to have a look through his telescope...
And a passion to share, also seems to be the case with certain detector manufacturers. Yes, of course they are a business, but in addition to selling bat detectors...There's the subtle attitude, of wanting to share new technology with those who record bat calls. In fact, one can plainly see, that Wildlife Acoustics is one such company (there are, perhaps one or two others). 

Apparently, this time - Someone there had Apples on their mind (no, not fruit) - The Apple computing devices. The EM Touch is currently compatible with almost all of the newer Apple iPads and iPhones. Click Here for a complete (and dynamic) list.

Of course, the list of compatible devices is likely to expand in the future, as The EM Touch is not simply a stagnant bat detector - But a lively, progressive bat recording device. An ultrasonic recorder which will be constantly morphing and improving; all while hovering at the bleeding edge of technology. I have a feeling, that this prospect will appeal to many. If bats and portable computing technology are among your interests: Then you'll certainly want to set yourself up with one!

The packaging of the Echo Meter Touch is really cool:

The attractive box which The EM Touch is packaged in

This brand-new Echo Meter Touch features an omni-directional, FG microphone element; which has the added benefit of being weather resistant. Some may choose to use it for some unattended recording, with the aid of a Lightning Cable extension. Although, while testing the review unit, I managed fine without one. 

Even though, Wildlife Acoustics themselves would be the first to tell you: They do not intend for the EM Touch to be used for unattended monitoring.
I have used it for unattended monitoring/recording of bats quite a bit. When set-up near a window, in a rural/quiet environment (sans man-made noises) it performs admirably, for a whole evening's worth of monitoring.
I presume that many potential owners, might make the very same (or other) assumptions; simply based on how The EM Touch looks. As seen pictured in several (small) advertisements, in online catalogs, and other Web sites: It seems to give one the impression, of being a dynamic, hand-held bat recorder - Fine for use in the field. 
But, few would ever guess that it also:

• Performs well as an unattended monitoring solution.  
• Has built-in automatic triggering, for the exclusive recording of ultrasounds.
• Can still perform, in the background, while you work with other Applications.

It sports a 256K Sample Rate, 12 Bit full-spectrum .wav file recording, and includes a recording range from 8kHz to 125kHz - Which means I get to record some singing insects when the mood strikes me.

The EM Touch is delightfully small; even when inside it's protective case

Looking at the photo above, one can plainly see: What we have here, is truly a super-portable bat detector. Not just a small frequency division or heterodyne detector, which simply produces clicks, or "plops", etc. But, a full-spectrum recorder, that is quite capable in it's own right. With the added benefits of looking at/recording a live spectrogram while detecting in the field.

In fact, when you stop to think about it - This new Echo Meter Touch is really in a league of it's own. I'm not sure, if typical FD/Het detectors should even be mentioned in the same paragraph!
However, in this case, I bring them up simply because of the similarities in size (and portability).

Although The EM Touch may be even smaller than the average Hobbyist's detector - It is a device several magnitudes more capable than a typical bat enthusiast's detector.
And, yes - It's price is also several magnitudes higher. Especially, if you do not already own a compatible Apple iOS device.
It is true, that in such instances: Your initial monetary outlay may be considerable. All of this is just idle speculation, of course. Everyone has their own particular budget constraints. 
Take me, for instance - I (still) consider myself to be an average bat detecting Hobbyist / enthusiast...  
I have only a (very) modest income, and limited discretionary funds - Yet, I saw fit to begin the process of equipping myself with an iPad mini Retina, to be followed by an Echo Meter Touch, and required software...The EM Touch application is free, on iTunes.

I'd like to try and share, what I found, during my individual "journey": Which consisted of first buying myself an iPad mini Retina. The first thing I found, was that the iPad naturally filled an "opening" or "void" in my daily technology needs. Technology Geeks will no doubt, understand what I'm referring to here!
In layman's terms - I now wonder how I ever got along without one! An Apple iPad, that is. In short, I've found The iPad mini Retina to easily outperform my (usual) Asus mini-notebook; in just about every aspect.

On the other hand... 

What if you do already own a compatible iOS device? Well, then it's a "no-brainer" (as they say) - If the cost of an Echo Meter Touch is in your considered budget - Then, the choice is simple: Go for it!

Why? Because you are simply getting the absolute most-for-your-money in the case of an EM Touch. It is the obvious choice, in it's price range. Remember, that The EM Touch Application is free in the  Apple iTunes Store. 
So, the only software purchase - Which is optional - But, highly recommended! Is the Bat Auto-ID Feature. This is an in-app purchase, currently priced at $149.00 (U.S. Dollars).
In the spirit of clarification, I've taken the liberty of pasting a paragraph directly from The Wildlife Acoustic's Web page below:

"If you need to identify bats in the field you can add the Echo Meter Touch Bat Auto-ID feature ($149.00 in-app purchase). Featuring Wildlife Acoustics Kaleidoscope Pro algorithms, the software quickly and accurately identifies bats species. The Bat Auto-ID feature includes all Kaleidoscope classifiers and will be continually updated with new classifiers as they become available."

[Here, is where I should probably re-iterate, that I am not affiliated with Wildlife Acoustics in any way. As always, I'm simply doing my best to share my experiences and opinions] 

Again, everyone's budget is different, of course! There are many Hobbyists and (especially) Beginners, for whom this route would be outside of (or place a strain on) their budget. And, yet there are many for whom The EM Touch would be exactly what they were looking for. I've had several people message me recently. Each wanted a bat call recorder, which would allow them to record and analyze the spectrograms of bats. They were willing to use external recorders and audio cable connections, to capture the calls picked-up by the already somewhat costly detector. These people were starting out with budgets, which would've easily allowed them to get an EM Touch and the Bat Auto-ID Feature. This is the optional, in-app purchase.

The catch? They would have to already be proud owners of one of the (compatible) iPad devices. Even the correct model iPhone, and they'd be up and running! But...If not, we are back at the "Budgeting table" - Discussing the acquisition of an appropriate iOS device.

Installation, is a piece of cake, of course! And the more familiar you are with your iOS device, the quicker it will go. As you might expect - The most time-consuming portion, is the download and install of the software (from Apple's iTunes Store). Which, after all, only takes about 5-10 minutes, at most. If you do a bit of reading on The EM Touch App's page, you'll see that there have already been some small improvements made. And, I've always been a fan of ongoing improvements!

Once installed/set-up - The Echo Meter Touch is truly, very easy to use. Operation of the iPad application is intuitive, and I found it to be a spontaneous, and fun learning experience! The layout of the application's buttons and Menu choices are all conveniently implemented. No one will ever be able to accuse the EM Touch application of being convoluted, or difficult to get acclimated to. It all seems to flow very naturally during normal use; this is a big plus while in the field. 

You may get an idea of just how well everything flows, by watching a couple of the short videos, which have been recorded so far:

The original, from Wildlife Acoustics

A brief one, from NHBS (in UK) via YouTube

A new one from Wildlife Acoustics
 

Yet, at the same time - You can become even better acquainted with it's capabilities at your leisure, via the (dynamic) User Guide, which you can read right on your iOS device.

Now, I cannot divulge any specifics - But, I will reiterate: In the months (and even years) to come, The Echo Meter Touch will improve and morph in ways, which many of you would not expect. The software end is already being updated, my test iPad automatically prompted me to download/install updates (to Ver. 1.0.4 now). And, let's not forget (one of my favourite little wonders) Firmware updates!

Now, more than ever, I hope that my summary and descriptions are helpful. And, I'm currently hard-at-work on Part 2 of this review; which will answer many of the questions (and concerns) on everyone's minds.

Link to Part 1.5 Of 2

Link to Part 2 Of 2

Until then, Happy bat detecting!

The Brand-New EM Touch From Wildlife Acoustics - First Impressions

The long-awaited, brand-new Echo Meter Touch has just arrived from Wildlife Acoustics. 

What Wildlife Acoustics has basically done, is produced a small piece of hardware and an inexpensive package of software (Kaleidoscope) which essentially places the capability of a full ultrasound monitoring system into the hands of those who would otherwise be unable to afford it.

Another way to look at it, would be:
Wildlife Acoustics has taken the normally required equipment, used to record and ID bats - and shrunk it down; to something that may be kept in a large pocket. In the case of an iPhone, for example. 

As for me, I prefer to use The EM Touch on an iPad mini Retina. I believe that the (slightly) larger family of iPad products fuses best with The Echo Meter Touch; as opposed to an iPhone. I've had the opportunity to test the unit on an iPhone. I'd simply rather pair the device up to a larger, more robust device. Just a matter of personal preference.

This certainly marks a new beginning, in the field of bat detecting and recording.
Photos of this neat little device, will be posted very soon.

Review Of Echo Meter Touch From Wildlife Acoustics Part 1 Of 2

Happy bat detecting!

New EM Touch From Wildlife Acoustics Is Now Shipping! I'm Excited!

In case you're not subscribed to the e-mail Newsletter from Wildlife Acoustics...I've pasted it below:

Echo Meter Touch is shipping!

Several weeks have passed since we began taking pre-orders for the Echo Meter Touch bat detector/recorder/analyzer. Today we're excited to announce that Echo Meter Touch Ultrasonic Module is shipping. If you've placed a pre-order, your Module will ship this week. If you decided to wait, you can purchase one now at wildlifeacoustics.com.

Start using the Echo Meter Touch App right now.

The Echo Meter Touch App is now available from the Apple App Store. Download it via iTunes or directly to your compatible iPhone or iPad. The basic app is free and it includes 2 sample recordings. You can also extend the software's capability via In-App Purchases. Currently we offer Bat Auto-ID and Wi-Fi File Export features via In-App Purchases.

Echo Meter Touch works with iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPad Air, iPad mini with Retina display, and iPad (4th generation).

If you're not familiar with Echo Meter Touch visit our website or watch the Echo Meter Touch introduction video.

We hope that Echo Meter Touch will become a valuable tool for your bat research and analysis. We're looking forward to hearing your feedback.

Gratefully yours,

Ian Agranat

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Happy bat detecting!