Bat Recorder
by Bill Kraus
Version 1,000+ 💾 2 Mb
📅 Updated Eligible if bought after 7/2/2016.
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Bat detector that records ultrasonic sound using an ultrasonic USB microphone.
Features Bat Recorder
This app works in conjunction with a separately purchased USB ultrasonic microphone to record and analyze ultrasonic bat echolocation calls (and thus can be used as a bat detector), as well as other high frequency bioacoustic signals from cetaceans, insects, and other animals.
It can also be used to record audible signals such as bird songs using a non-ultrasonic USB microphone.The app supports many USB microphones (ultrasonic or not) that conform to the USB audio class specification, such as any Dodotronic Ultramic USB microphone or Hydromic USB preamplifier, the Pettersson Elektronik M500-384 ultrasonic microphone (note that the M500-384 is a different model than the Pettersson Elektronik M500), Avisofts UltraSoundGate 116Unb ultrasonic microphone, or the non ultrasonic Samson GoMic USB microphone.
The app also supports Binary Acoustic Technologys miniMIC line of ultrasonic microphones.
By default, the app will use the highest sampling rate supported by the USB microphone - however, the apps Settings allows for specifying other sampling rates if the USB microphone supports this feature.
Note also that the app records in 16-bit mono only.The app can also be used to record audio from the Android device microphone or from frequency division, time expansion, or heterodyne bat detectors using an audio cable plugged into the TRRS jack.
However, please note that in these cases, the incoming signal is not ultrasonic.This app displays a real-time spectrogram (on a linear or logarithmic frequency scale) and the wave amplitude for both incoming signals, as well as for previously made recordings (saved as uncompressed, geotagged WAV files).
The display can be zoomed, and the visualization can be enhanced using a variety of configurable color palettes.
The app also can display a power spectrum for any point in a recording.
Finally, in order to facilitate quick field measurements, the app has a caliper tool, which attempts to place a frequency and time axis overlay on top of any sound feature that a user double taps on.This app supports the ability to audibly monitor ultrasonic sounds simultaneously while recording, using real-time frequency division, heterodyne tuning (manual and automatic), or frequency low pass filtering of the incoming signal.
Recorded ultrasonic signals can additionally be played back in the audible range using time expansion.
Time expanded versions of recordings can also be exported.This app also can be set up for recordings to be triggered automatically based on frequency and intensity.
In addition, listening periods can be set up using a timer, and the app can send SMS messages and/or emails whenever a recording is automatically triggered.
The app can store metadata (location, recording device model, time stamp) inside recorded WAV files using either the XMP or GUANO metadata format.
The app can also save recordings directly to a writable SD card if your Android device supports it, as well as export GPS Exchange File formatted tracks, useful for transects.Please note that the USB microphones require an Android device that supports USB OTG for power.
In addition, you must use a USB OTG cable (a standard USB cable will not allow a USB microphone to be powered).
This is not a requirement for non-ultrasonic microphones plugged into the TRRS jack.IMPORTANT note to Android 6.0+ users: The location permission and SMS permission are optional - the location permission is only needed to geotag recordings, and the SMS permission is only used to send text messages when a triggered event occurs.
All other permissions must be granted for the app to run - otherwise you will get a permissions error message.
A PDF version of the Bat Recorder user manual in several different languages can be found at http://manuals.batrecorder.com.In order tor resolve AndroidX compatibility issues, saving to an SD card is no longer an app feature.
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Personalization
Customize the app to match your preferences and workflow.
See the Bat Recorder in Action
What Our Users Say
Don't just take our word for it. Here's what our users have to say about our Android app.
"How can one monitor the ultrasonic sound in realtime? Can't manage to do that. In echo meter you can hear the bats in real time. Didn't manage to so it in this app. Is it an option?!"
Daniel Meir
"I have purchased and installed the app to run my M500-348 bat microphone. I am using Xiaomi Mi 11 lite with Android version 11. I almost tried 4 different type C OTG to run this software. Every time microphone is getting the power but the app constantly giving notifications no OTG or microphone device found. Tried many times with changing different cables but the same notifications. Does this app have sone issue or it is only can work in some devices? Suggest me some solution."
Bony Ghosh
"I'm a bat professional. I have been doing acoustics for over a decade. This app is absolutely amazing! It is a great viewer with all the right options for customization."
Michael Whitby
"Wonderful application. Lots of options (tip: carefully read the manual located in the options menu). I get excellent sound with the Petterson M500 384 combined with this app on my Samsung S8. On a full battery I can use the app for 2.5-3 hours. It really has everything you need from a bat detector. Especially the sonograms and 10x time expansion are very useful. I use it to record all activity (in 5 minute blocks) which means full spectrum recordings of the entire time in the field."
RJ
"great app for recording bat sounds. would be wonderful if the app can be used in protrait view too. also curious if the developers have any plan to make it avaliable for iOS"
Joe CC Huang
"This is a fabulous app. I've tested it with the new Pettersson u256 microphone on Moto G4 and G7 phones and it works brilliantly. My dissertation students are now using this for their summer bat projects. The ability to export GPS data for each file or folder is awesome. One minor gripe is that there is so much fantastic functionality in here that isn't detailed in the manual, so there is a bit of trial and error to get things just how you want them. Once you have it set up though it is superb."
Dean Waters
"I bought this app to use with my Echo meter touch 2. It does not work . The info for the app states it works with the Echo meter touch, I presume it means the old modal which is no longer available. This is very misleading. It does not work with the Echo meter touch 2."
A Google user
"Fantastic piece of software, does everything you could want as a spectrum analyser and ultrasonic detector, great work. thankyou!"
A Google user
"A remarkable tool for amateur and experienced bat aficionados. Exceptional functionality and documentation. Well thought out and implemented."
Donald Endicott
"This is actually a lovely app, with a nice interface and the settings mostly allow me to record in the way I like to. It would be nice to have the continuous recording mode break the recording into 4 or 5 minute files, but I can get close to the same effect by using triggered recording and just hoping there is enough background to keep the device triggered. Only three stars because it only works on a few devices. Fine on my Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Android 6) with a Petterson M500-384. Also works on a Xiaomi Redmi 2 (Android 4.3) with a 20cm OTG cable but not with 0.5 or 1m cables. On my Teclast tablet with Android 5.1 and my Oukitel K6000 Pro (Android 6) they detect and recognize the microphone (and its 'active' light turns on and off) but no data appears on the screen at all. Shame as I bought the Oukitel specially for batting as it has a nice large 6000mAh battery."
Justin Halls
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Available for Android 8.0 and above