A Brief Review Of Three Software Applications For USB Microphones

A Brief Look at 3 Software Applications For USB Microphones

• Bat Recorder for Android phones
• AudioMoth Live for Laptops
• Ultrasonic Analyzer for iPhones

Each of these applications are available from their respective locations on the Web. Each may be reached by clicking on it's name/link above. 

The Mics used for these tests

What are they?

• The Ultramic Evo 384K from Dodotronic
• The PiPPYG (DIY) from Omenie.com (Phil Atkin)
• The Brand-new (not-yet-released) AudioMoth USB Mic

Back to the software...

Bat Recorder, for Android smartphones, is found on the Google Play Store, and is listed at a price of $6.99.

AudioMoth Live is found on The Open Acoustic Devices Site, is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux; and is free.

Ultrasonic Analyzer, for Apple iPhones is found on The Apple Store, and is $19.99. Bat Recorder works on Android phones (only), is very bat-friendly, and  packed with features. It seems to be designed with the bat recordist in mind.

AudioMoth Live - Works on laptops - This can be a PC running Windows, Linux, or Mac operating system.

AudioMoth Live is well designed and simple. Perhaps the fact that it's so simple to use, translates into a good design?

Ultrasonic Analyzer - Works on Apple iPhones only, is quite advanced, with several features commonly seen on bioacoustic recording software: Cursor position (area tapped) displays: Frequency, Sound Pressure Level, etc.

This iPhone based App is designed for users who like to have options; there are plenty of customizations available.

Features & Facts - Some Pros & Cons:

Bat Recorder - Will not work with The PiPPYG USB Mic (at the time of this writing). It does work with either of the other two Mics.

AudioMoth Live App - In addition to 'Off' - You have 'Monitor' and 'Heterodyne' while monitoring/recording.

Works well with AudioMoth (obviously) 

Monitor gives you a relatively complete "audio picture" so to speak.

Heterodyne gives you a thin, moveable, white line as a tuning needle. It's free to download from Open Acoustic Devices.

Ultrasonic Analyzer - This App worked well with the AudioMoth USB mic and Dodotronic’s Evo 384K USB mic, and sometimes the PiPPYG mic. You can see high resolution screenshots of this App on the Apple store.

Easiest to use? I'd rank them from best (easiest) to worst as follows:

1. AudioMoth Live - It's so easy to use, you could probably teach a 10 year old how to use it efficiently. And it wouldn't take long! Don't like reading User Manuals? This is for you. It currently tunes down to 12kHz (via built-in heterodyne). 

2. Bat Recorder - Takes some getting used to, and you'll really need to read the (online/Built-into-app Manual) to use it properly. Ideal for anyone chasing bats.

3. Ultrasonic Analyzer - If you like Avisoft's software, then you'll like this App. Reading of the User Manual will also be required. It may be well-suited for those who are interested in recording a larger range of animals.

I can tell you that each of these Apps provide excellent accuracy in the reproduction of sound.

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!

The USB Microphone By Open Acoustic Devices Has Arrived!

Just a brief post, for now: The USB Mic, which has just been developed by Open Acoustic Devices arrived the other day (here in upstate NY - From England).

There will be a full review here on the blog in the future. However, the first debut and discussion of it, will be on July 24th, via The BatAbility Club. You may follow this link: The BatAbility Club to find out more about them.

As mentioned in the preceding post, the software covered, will mainly be:

• Bat Recorder - An Android phone App from Google Play Store.
• Audiomoth Live App - by Open Acoustic Devices.
• With a brief look at Ultrasonic Analyzer (iPhone App).

Unboxing 

I'm very excited to share my first impressions of this brand-new USB Microphone here; after having Tweeted about it, etc.

This is the back of the microphone

Back view of the microphone plugged into laptop 

• It's small and light - All that's needed is a USB to Micro USB cable.
• Using it (with The AudioMoth Live App) is super simple.
• It has a built-in 3.5mm jack - for plugging-in an additional microphone. This is an outstanding feature for experimenters!
• It works flawlessly on laptops.
• I've used it without incident on Android smart phones (with Bat Recorder).
• I've also used it on my iPhone (w/ adapter) and Ultrasonic Analyzer (iPhone App).

I mention this last point, because it demonstrates how versatile this Mic is - It works well on an App which was developed before the Mic existed. The iPhone App even displays the name of the Mic. The reason why isn't earth-shattering; but it's still neat!

It is also a great indicator of the smooth operation that one can expect, from this little piece of hardware. I also like the idea of the documentation stating its splash proof; thanks to the use of a Gore® protective vent over the Mic element. Not that I would ever "test" its ability to repel water (and neither should you) it's just nice to know it's there.

It may begin to drizzle one night, when you least expect it...

Obviously, I'm just sharing very basic bullet points - These points (and others) will be greatly expanded upon going forward, and in future blog posts.

It is a pleasure to use, provides sensitivity similar to a (low-cost) shotgun microphone - the compact types made for DSLRs - with the advantage of ultrasound, of course. The intuitive AudioMoth Live App allows one to tune (the Mic) all the way down to 12kHz. 

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!

A Muon Detector (nothing to do with bats), The Dodotronic Evo 384K USB Mic Review, Another TeensyBat, PiPPYG's, and Batwalks...

OK, this isn't a bat detector...And it basically has absolutely nothing to do with bats. I apologize; but it's just too cool not to share. 

The complete (unbuilt) Muon Detector Kit

from UKRAA (Link Here).

It's a Muon Detector kit. It detects particles called muons, which originate from cosmic rays entering Earth's atmosphere - And I will confess: Lately, I've become a wee bit obsessed with them. In any case, I'm determined to acquire a kit.

For those of you who don't solder/build kits - There's

a fully completed/tested kit, in enclosure available (Here).

Now, after some substantial web searching, you'll find (as I did) that Muon detector kits aren't easy to find. It turns out that, as with everything else I adore, the best kits are found in The UK! From The UK Radio Astronomy Association (www.UKRAA.com).

The (scarce) Muon detectors normally encountered (when one searches fervently for them) are almost always DIY units. Such as this one (what the UKRAA kit is based on). The issue with this one, and all the other (hobbyist-level/DIY) kits, is that in order to build it, one has to order the various components from several different suppliers/locations. 

That is what makes these kits from UKRAA so attractive: They come complete with everything in one package - Even down to the small quantity of optical grease needed for construction! (in small syringe).  

I've been researching them left, right, and center even delving into Particle Physics along the way! The most complex math equations I've ever seen in my life!

As for bat detectors: The Evo 384K USB Microphone from Dodotronic is currently under test. I certainly plan to put it through it's paces. Note: This device records ultrasound and audible sound simultaneously. So far, I've made short recordings of Barred Owls, Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus), and some unidentified creature(s) from the woods. All I keep thinking is - It's time to consult the 'Is That a Bat' book!
The Evo 384k will be featured in a presentation review on BatAbility Courses & Tuition on Tuesday, May 30th!

I am slowly but surely making progress on building more PiPPYG's and Batwalk units...My goal is to provide any supplemental information, construction notes, tips, etc. for these units.  

Best wishes & happy bat detecting!

The 2 New Bat Detectors Are Here!

 So, the two (new to me) bat detectors arrived on time/as expected (on October 6th). The SSF BAT3 from Germany and The Teensybat 4.1 from The Netherlands.

As always, here is a pic of how the units arrived, to me here on the East coast of North America:

The Teensybat 4.1 kit on the left, The SSF BAT3 on the right

Unboxing The SSF BAT3 - Just a peek!

The SSF BAT3 is a factory-assembled, ready-to-use detector. So, I got to charging the battery immediately. 

It's battery life is stated as being about 3-6 hours. Initial charge time for the new battery (before 1st use) was stated as 8 hours in the user manual. I was able to achieve full charge in about half that time...

Pros:

• Uses a nice, sensitive, electret microphone element. It deems to perform as well as many other pro level detector microphones. 
• It's tiny! If someone were in the market for a James Bond-sized/secret/full featured bat detector, this would be it.
• It has the potential to be very loud - Plenty of audio, even for a large-sized group to hear on a bat walk.
• It has a built-in torch - LED. Which features an auto shut-off.

Cons: 

• It seems to be based on a (Nokia?) cell phone platform. It's not very robust, in fact I might describe it as closer to delicate.
• The included wrist strap would be a must!
• It's only a heterodyne detector, although it does have an Auto-Het tuning feature (which is nice).
• The door which holds the micro SD card, is the most delicate one I've ever encountered. 

Having worked in the technology field for many years, I've probably opened/closed hundreds of these types of slots (from many different manufacturers)...When I went to insert the micro SD card, the metal door came right off in my fingers - Yikes! I got it back on, and locked the SD card in place.

It has a few neat little informative "pages" (screens) about bats, bat calls, sonograms, etc., - Like a micro encyclopedia (for lack of a better description). I'll share pics of these screens in the full review. It's available in both the German or English language. Something to look at during lulls in bat activity.

All in all, I like it so far. Mainly because it packs so many features into such a tiny package. I also purchased the belt loop carrying case.

First opening of Teensbat 4.1 kit

Major components of The Teensbat 4.1 detector kit

I think it's very interesting to look at both this detector, and The Teensybat - which I've already started to assemble... I made sure that I had every last component ready to go, so that when the detectors arrived - No time would be wasted!

Until next time,

Happy bat detecting!

Two Wonderful Bat Detectors Are On Their Way!

Just a quick post for now - I'm excited to announce that two unique bat detectors are currently on their way here!

To make it more fun, I'll only share a few clues and hints (for now): 

• They each have lovely, colour touch screen displays, featuring live spectrograms!
• One from the Netherlands, the other from Germany.
• Both from non profit entities (I had to purchase them).
• Chances are, you've never even heard of, or seen either of them.
• The one from the Netherlands, is a DIY kit which will require soldering.
• I've been wanting to get the one from Germany since at least 2019.

The DIY bat detector kit from the Netherlands, is currently out of stock - With no ETA as to when kits will be available again. So, there's no point in discussing it any further at this point in time. 

The bat detector from Germany is in stock & available for purchase. So, I'll tell you a little bit about it:

It's The SSF BAT-3 from Microelectronic Volkmann 

The very neat-looking SSF BAT3

Check out the All About Bats page - Originally in the German language; most of the related web pages are (using the Google Chrome browser provides auto-translate).

The SSF BAT3 provides live spectrograms

in a very compact size

That's it for now! Of course there will be lots more to share over the next few days!  Including more pictures, and links!

Happy bat detecting! 

Random Thought for July

I'm running a bit behind schedule with these random, Random Thoughts Posts...

I'm just going to skip June - So here's July's Random Thought:

Can your favourite hobby stand-up against occasional set-backs? Can your chosen hobby withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?

What about disappointment after disappointment?

Well, I actually went through some similar situations, to those I've alluded to above... However, my bat detecting wasn't the hobby! In fact, while on the subject, I should point out that my love of bat detecting has been put to the test (over the past 12 years) ...and has obviously survived unscathed. 

No, in my situation, the hobby whose feet were held to the fire was Amateur Astronomy.

Spoiler alert: My astronomy hobby didn't "survive".

I'll make a long story short - I was on the precipice of really taking the plunge into visual astronomy/observing (and pencil sketching Deep Sky Objects) again. 

I was making preparations for many weeks. I was slated to receive not 1, but 4 vintage telescopes: A dream come true for many amateur astronomers any way you slice it. These weren't just old telescopes, but models which are much-sought-after. In addition: I was getting these telescopes for a very modest cost, they had each been meticulously restored & cared for, and were owned by someone who wasn't only a expert astronomer, but a bona fide Scientist (he was also a very nice guy).

I was obviously very excited about receiving these instruments; and made plans for where each would reside, when & where they'd be used, etc. I was doing more than just counting the chickens before they hatched...I was organizing them as well.

Unfortunately, with the passage of time, small "hiccups" in the logistics of the situation ensued: Some expected (inclement weather), some unexpected... And as these obstacles waxed and waned, my interest and dedication to the hobby itself simply waned. In fact, it gradually waned until I'd lost not only hope, but just about all of my interest in the hobby altogether. It just happened.

So I eventually ceased my (formally incessant) pursuit of acquiring these instruments. And declined the offer to go through with the purchase/acquisition of the telescopes.

All-in-all it seemed to me, to be an interesting chain of events. For instance, there were many ways to look at the situation. As well as other options available to me... For example, I could've simply purchased a modest, brand-new telescope. Although the choices/selection were very dismal at that point - due to the trucking/shipping shortage in The USA at that particular time.

The take away from all this, is that I reached a point where I was done with it. I'd gone from the very lofty heights of excitement, joy and expectation, to the very dismal lows of losing hope. I found myself not wanting to be involved (or active) in this particular hobby any longer.

One of the odd things about it, is that I couldn't foresee this happening. I was fortunate enough to have the space to safely house the telescopes; and the great fortune of dark skies. Yet it happened anyway. 

In some strange way, I may be glad that it happened. Going through this ordeal of highs & lows, frustration, etc., literally forced me to reassess the importance/value which that pastime represented to me. It forced me to seriously asses the situation, and cut my losses. 

Bat Detecting Forever!

The next review here, will be of the very latest Echo Meter Touch 2 (with USB-C connector) from Wildlife Acoustics. 

Happy bat detecting!

The Batlogger M2 From Elekon - Updated 10/13/2022

The Batlogger M2 From Elekon

The BatLogger M2 comes to us from Elekon AG, in Switzerland. It is a high-end, professional bat detector; and possesses many advanced features.

It is very versatile, and is very well adapted not only to active bat recording (during bat walks, transects, etc.) but also for nightly passive recording. I find this both an excellent and very welcomed feature. Whenever testing and using bat detectors over the years, I always use them in this fashion (overnight/unattended recording). So, I was very happy to discover this ability.

When the unit arrives, the outer packaging / outer box is as one would expect (usually, with packing tape sporting the logo "Elekon" on it). However: Once you get to the inner box - the one holding the Batlogger M2, and it's included cables, etc., then the uninitiated may begin to feel like Indiana Jones in The Temple of Doom...Searching for the hidden "switch" or pressure point which will magically allow the box to open - Granting the new owner access to this high-tech scepter.

More than one user of the new BatLogger M2 has experienced a bit of frustration, while trying to figure out exactly how this box opens...

Well, in hindsight...after experiencing what this bat detector can do, I feel that a box which has the potential to be a bit of a puzzle is quite fitting!

Here, we can think along the lines of The Sword in The Stone, and similar stories...

The formidable capability of this powerful new BatLogger cannot just be handed over to anyone. You must first pass a test, to prove you're worthy!

"With great power, comes great responsibility" - Uncle Ben, from Spider-Man.

The BatLogger M2 measures 220 x 70 x 46mm, and weighs only 222 grams. This is excellent, and it feels relatively light, and very comfortable in the hand. This is also partly due to the detector's ergonomic design. Very nice.

The M2 measures 220 x 70 x 46mm, and weighs only 222 grams. 

It feels lighter than it’s predecessor (The M) and is quite comfortable in the hand. This is due to the detector's ergonomic design.

Holding The M2 for long periods of time should present no issues, or cause fatigue for the majority of users: It features a unique shape, with an ergonomically designed handle. 

The M2 is robustly built, and even features a built-in attachment point for a (user-supplied) lanyard.

The BatLogger M2 - Using Halloween Theme

When considering the (unique) design of The BatLogger M2; I'd like to take this opportunity to point-out that: It's predecessor, The BatLogger M was also fairly comfortable to hold (due to it's hourglass shaped design). However, it is a heavy, solid unit.

Holding The M2 for long periods of time should present no issues, or cause fatigue for the majority of users: It features a unique shape, with an ergonomically designed handle.  

The M2 is robustly built, and even features a built-in attachment point for a (user-supplied) lanyard. 

As for features, there are numerous...

I found The BatLogger M2 very easy to use.

• The M2 uses a built-in, rechargeable, Li ion battery.

• It is currently priced at right around $1,200 USD, directly from Elekon’s Online Shop.

• It is also in stock at many Dealers throughout Europe (NHBS [in The British Isles], etc.)

• The M2 uses a MicroSD card as it’s storage medium - Be sure to get a fast/good quality SD card for best results.

• Front / User-facing Mic for recording comments

• USB-C connector (under rubber SD card cover)

• 3.5mm headphone jack

• Standard ¼” socket for tripod mounting

 

• USB charging cables are provided

• Live Recording Level Indicator

• Recording Modes: Auto / Manual / Paused / Interval Mode

• Live, adaptive Spectrogram Screen Display

• Auto ID! 32 European bat species

• Recent Recordings - displays Metadata for 20 recordings

• Transect Mode - Way-points dynamically displayed in different colours

• Sensors! Temp in ℃ / % r. H. / Lux / GNSS 

• Also height above sea level and velocity

• In/Out Counting feature for bat roost surveys

• Torch Mode

(My Apologies - Image was temporarily lost...

working on it)

An interesting consideration, is that The M2 is well-suited to meet the needs of many bat working professionals. In no small part, due to it's versatility...

Which translates into this BatLogger M2 being very good for:

• Bat Workers
• Ecologists
• Biologists
• Researchers

(My Apologies - Image was temporarily lost...

working on it)

BatLogger M2 - 'Almond' Coloured Theme - Sensor status displayed

The BatLogger M2 also possesses many additional features:

• Ability to add voice comments during a recording session.

• Ability to add a tag to a specific recording.

• Ability to view and/or playback recordings directly from the device.

Ability to change the way it sorts through recordings: Name ascending, Name descending - Date ascending, Date descending.

After an adequate amount of testing, it was easy to confirm the accuracy of not only the recordings, but the M2's valiant attempts to auto ID the species detected.

Now, of course, I reside in The U.S. and the unit currently only Auto ID's European bats. 

(My Apologies - Image was temporarily lost...

working on it)

BatLogger M2 - On windowsill - Passive recording (Green theme)

The BatLogger M2 can display the metadata of each recording such as: 

• The Trigger frequency.

• Temperature.

• Profile used (Explore, Passive, etc.).

• A graph with the spectrogram (spectrum data is averaged).

(Sorry - Image was temporarily lost...

working on it)

The M2 - Displaying detailed GPS satellite Info

Some of the other data, accessible directly from The M2 includes:

• The Log (Batrec.log file) - Displaying hardware/Mic events.

• Ability to create custom Recording Profiles (this may also be done via the desktop app).

• Ability to check/change sample rate (312.5kHz, 384kHz or 500kHz)

Pros:

• A feature-rich, Pro-level bat recorder, which will meet the needs of the most demanding Biologists.

• Ability to create several customization's - Via device, and/or via the free desktop app (BatExplorer).

• It is as sensitive, accurate, and as pleasurable to use as you might expect from a top-of-the-range bat detector.

• It’s simple enough to use straight out of the box - Yet has enough advanced features to keep a user busy for many days - Just learning how to use them all!

• The GPS/GNSS is extremely accurate, and the resulting .gpx files may be viewed with a myriad of Apps.

• With a user-replaceable microphone module, this detector has the potential to last many years.

Cons:

• It froze on me once. I had to plug it into my laptop’s USB port, in order to power it down.

• I occasionally find the BatExplorer software to be a little slow.

So, I'd like to share some information recently acquired (Oct. 2022) via e-mail correspondence with an acquaintance of mine, who is a Professional Bat Researcher. His name is Jon Whitehurst, IoW Bat Group Operations Officer - IoWbats.org

He is also a long-time user of The Batlogger M, in September, he wrote to ask what my thoughts were regarding the new Batlogger M2. 

I advised him that The M2's microphone, recording range, and rejection of non-bat sounds was superior to The M. Also, that The M2 has so many features, as to almost make The M seem quite plain (in comparison). And a couple of other things I like about it.

Having recently acquired the new M2, he's had opportunities to use both the M/M2 side-by-side in his work on The Isle of Wight.

I was granted permission to quote him, with the caveat that these are casual observations from some of the first outings, rather than scientific comparisons.

With that stated, I shall simply quote him directly:

"Hey Al, just got my first two surveys in with M2 and classic back to back. Performance wise, the M2 had better trigger reliability than the classic (M2 set to high and classic on crest triggering).

M2 is more sensitive and looks better signal to noise, and first glance better linear dynamic range.

M2 GPS not as accurate but OK... In transect mode, it was great to have track and position in front of me as the woodland track I was walking has a number of false paths and potential for getting lost.

However, I think there is a wrong sign in the code that sets the direction of the position arrow - one for me to feed back to Elekon. Also great to have Lux and RH data as well as temperature recorded.

It is a definite game changer - not had time to really delve into optimising the settings yet though..."

-And- 

"Definitely getting much better triggering though - recording bats (common pips) where the classic is missing them, but I need to swap the mic over on the classic, just in case it is the mic that is degrading..." 

I understand what is meant by his last statement. As with enough use and passage of time, The Batlogger M's microphone can begin to lose sensitivity. In some cases this happens gradually (almost imperceptible) and in some, quite rapidly.

Jon was also kind enough to share the following screenshots with me. The first one represents The Batlogger M. The second one, The Batlogger M2:

Red is Pip and Cyan is Bbar

M2

"The missed ones by the classic look to be weak calls on the M2 recordings, so might just be down to sensitivity/signal to noise rather than the trigger algorithm itself.

The GPS track shows you how long the M2 took to stabilise at the start compared to the classic... One to watch really as "GPS lock" does not necessarily OK to operate accurately.

By the way, the transect is a continuous walk at 2km/S, no stopping, both the recorders set to record 500mS pre and 2500 post trigger."

It's been quite some time since a bat detector has impressed me this much. The only other (Pro-level) bat detector which was this impressive, was The AnaBat WalkAbout from Titley. The WalkAbout was a bat recorder which ticked all the boxes.

Next up, will be a full review of The BatLogger S2 - Passive/Static bat recorder also from Elekon.

Until then...

Happy bat detecting!

The Batlogger M2 From Elekon!

I'm very happy to report, that the Batlogger M2 from Elekon, has recently arrived for review! 

It was accompanied by their new Batlogger S2, static/unattended bat recorder as well. The S2 will also be given a test and review...

However, my local weather here in New York has started to cooperate —And has become more conducive to bat activity in the past 2 days. I immediately took this opportunity to test The Batlogger M2.

I set it up on a windowsill (indoors, of course) and selected the 'Passive Mode' recording option - I had already become familiar with the User Manual, so it was very easy to navigate around it's menus.

The good news, is: When I came back to check on it a short time later, I went through the small list of recordings, and saw that it recorded a bat! 

The additional good news is: This new Batlogger M2 is not only an excellent performing, Pro-level bat detector...But it is a joy to use, and absolutely lovely as well! 

Wow! It is packed with wonderful features and abilities - I look forward to providing detailed reviews of it. Both on The BatAbility Club, and here on the blog.

For now, you can have a look at it (and some of it's features) on The Elekon website.

 

As always - Happy bat detecting!

Review: The New Chorus from Titley Scientific Part 2 of 2

The Chorus from Titley Scientific: Review - Part 2 of 2

 

The Chorus

The AnaBat Chorus - First time use:

Connect the microphone(s) you intend to use, in their appropriate sockets (these are also labeled A & B in raised lettering directly on the unit - look closely).

Install new (or formatted) SD card, 4 new AA size batteries; power-on by pressing the 'OK' button...Give the unit half a moment to boot up (in reality, it only takes a few seconds).

Check that the time zone is correct (Clock Settings) - Press OK to confirm. Remember daylight savings time. Allow unit to acquire GPS satellite lock - And accurate time will auto-update. 

Note: You should be aware of whether or not your unit is up-to-date as far as firmware is concerned. My example unit was up-to-date on arrival.  

Select one of the pre-set modes on the right of the screen.

Clam-shell the unit closed (make sure you hear the audible click) and deploy unit.

For most intents and purposes, you'll be well on your way to acquiring excellent quality recordings, simply by following the instructions above. Which are also well-laid-out in The Quick Start Guide. This presumes you are in a hurry to deploy the unit (or possibly more than one). Please be aware: If you don't perform any further configuration, your Chorus will be using all the default settings. 

AnaBat Chorus with Lithium batteries installed

I always outline the quickest deployment scenario, for those who are interested. And that is what I've just outlined. However, for many other users, you'll want to become familiar with the other settings which may be customised. In the very beginning, you may want to have a printed version of the User Manual handy.

I read the Quick Start Guide, and deployed the Chorus - I was quite surprised to have recorded a bat! It was on December 26th, and it was 40℉ (4.4℃) - It was later identified as a Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus).

The fully detailed, step-by-step Set-Up Guide may be found on page 13 of the User Manual.

Amoung the features which are adjustable are:

• Gain (for side A or B, independently).
• Start / Stop times for active monitoring/recording.
• Minimum & maximum frequency.
• Minimum & maximum recording time.

The AnaBat Chorus runs on four AA sized batteries, which can be of any type (Alkaline, NiMh, or Lithium).

The Chorus also features a Micro USB connection, primarily for updating the unit's firmware. As well as a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, for live monitoring of sounds being picked up by the microphones.

During my tests, I tried various brands/types of batteries; as well as different SD/MicroSD cards - No issues were encountered.

During my extensive testing, I put The Titley Chorus through it's paces; including some deployments in sub-freezing temperatures. In all cases, I found the microphones to perform accurately, without any issues capturing and reproducing sound.

Even in this condition:

As per Page 10 of The User Manual:

Amoung the Acoustic Microphone Specifications we have:

• Electret mics with excellent sensitivity and low noise floor: -24dB sensitivity, with 80dB signal-to-noise ratio.
• Built-in low noise preamplifiers.
• Frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz.

For the Ultrasonic Microphones we have:

• Weatherproofing, for use in rainy conditions.
• Built-in low noise preamplifier.
• Improved frequency response, when compared to previous generation electret-based ultrasonic Mics.
• Useable frequency response of 10kHz to 140kHz (response rolls-off beyond this point) - Which would be interesting to experiment with...

These are great specifications.

The Barred Owl (Strix varia) calls, recorded with The Chorus (in stereo/2 Audible Mics) may be heard on my YouTube Channel (Batdetectors1). Distance to unit: Approximately 75 Meters.

Eastern Coyotes were approximately three times as far; which is probably why I have yet to locate a solid recording worthy of sharing…

The Chorus produced excellent sounding recordings, both in acoustic mode and ultrasonic mode: The file names of acoustic recordings may be set to have an "ac" prefix. While the ultrasonic recordings may be set to have a "us" prefix.

Pros:

• Robust construction.
• Very flexible - Due to dual Mic options.
• Ability to record in FS or ZC.
• Independently adjustable gain (for each Mic).
• Myriad of versatility: The ability to schedule Ultrasonic and/or Acoustic recording for different times of the day (24 hour period).
• The quality of the recordings are excellent.

Cons:

• May be considered expensive, when factoring in the cost of an additional Mic.
• Not as quick to deploy as the AnaBat Express or AnaBat Swift: Having more features and abilities, equates to more time to configure before deployment.
• AnaBat Insight software not as fast or robust as others.

The Chorus may be purchased directly from Titley Scientific (main Website).

You will also find it in stock at many Dealer's Sites, including Wildlife & Countryside Services and at NHBS.

The Titley Chorus - Things I happened to like and dislike:

I liked the robust build, the simple Dashboard/4 icons, the choice of Mics, and relative flexibility of settings like: Filter, independent gain for microphones (A/B).

I didn't like the time and effort required to go from power-up ~to~ deployment. Again, since The Chorus has more features and variables available, this equates to a bit more time to configure.

If you haven't read it already, see Part 1 of this 2-Part review Here.

As is the custom for Titley Scientific devices - there is a hidden game on this unit as well... It's called 'FlappyBat' and I must say, it's rather cute. Here's how you can access the game:

When you hold down the Power button to turn off the detector, You'll see the menu pop-up that lets you choose between sleep and power down. At this menu, press the mode button and a new icon will appear. Arrow across to this one and press OK...

The latest (auto) update/version of AnaBat Insight software has really made a difference in overall performance! A lot of major and minor issues have been addressed with this latest update. It's much more robust now (noticeably better overall). I experienced no freezing of the application, even on my slowest laptop.

Until next time - Happy bat detecting! And animal recording!

🐾🐺🐦🐸