RECORDER Manual
| |
Avisoft-RECORDER Help Content
|
|
Introduction
Avisoft-RECORDER is a versatile multichannel triggering harddisk recording system. It was designed for the special needs of bioacoustics, but it can also be used for any other audio signals. Possible applications are:
- Long-term monitoring and recording of acoustic events both in the laboratory and in the field.
- High-speed harddisk-recording with sampling rates up to 1 MHz* with various data acquisition boards (Avisoft-UltraSoundGate, National Instruments and soundcards or audio interfaces (up to 192 kHz).
- Pre-trigger recording of sporadic animal vocalizations in the field (either manually or automated using one of the various triggering options : threshold / manual / digital input / timer / time program ... ).
- Individual triggering and saving of single channels from multichannel soundcards or data acquisition boards.
- Multichannel real-time spectrographic display (frequency [kHz] vs. time [s]).
- Multichannel real-time spectrum display (amplitude [dBFS] vs. frequency [kHz]) with temporal averaging and temporary peak hold.
- High-pass filtering for attenuating low-frequency noise.
- Real-time acoustic monitoring of ultrasound signals by using heterodyning, aliasing or envelope tracking techniques.
- Playback through both standard audio interfaces and National Instruments DAQ devices, optionally with playlist functionality.
- USV monitoring option for counting and measuring rat or mice ultrasonic vocalizations.
- Batch mode for processing large numbers of animals in USV drug testing procedures.
- Acquiring GPS location data from NMEA 0183 or Windows Location API compatible GPS receivers and logging the geographic locations of the recorded .wav files into metadata chunks and into separate .gpx, .kml or .shp files (automatic geotagging).
- The dedicated Bat Call Trigger Filter tool can distinguish bat echolocation calls from other unwanted signals, such as insect noise.
- An automated call parameter measurememt tool can quantify various call parameters and classify the calls based on these parameters in real-time. The created log files provide a quick overview on the recorded data, which can also be easily transferred via low-bandwidth internet connections (these log files are much smaller than the original .wav files).
- Customizable metadata input tool for embedding user-defined database records directly into the recorded .wav files. These embedded data records can afterwards be accessed from SASLab Pro and subsequently integrated into a metadata base.
- Real-time weather data logging (into dXML and bext .wav file metadata chunks) from Kestrel 4xxx Pocket Weather Tracker, Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 / Vue / Envoy and Airmar LB150, PB150, PB200 series devices and many other common PC weather stations through a generic real-time log file interface option HID TEMPer, Weather Station Data Logger, Cumulus, Weather Display, Heavy Weather, KlimaLogg Pro).
Data flow scheme
Installation procedure
The RECORDER software can be installed from the supplied USB flash drive media by launching the setup.exe installation program located in the subfolder RECORDER if you have purchased the universal RECORDER software (part #10301, 10201, 10201 or 10202) or RECORDER USGH if you have an UltraSoundGate that comes with the bundled RECORDER USGH software. The most recent software versions are available from the Avisoft website at www.avisoft.com/downloads.
The supplied USB Hardlock key should be plugged into computer after the installation has finished (not before). If you are using one of the Avisoft-UltraSoundGate devices, the Hardlock USB key is not required. In this case, the UltraSoundGate-specific software versions RECORDER USGH, (rec_usgh.exe) or RECORDER USG (rec_usg.exe) must be used.
In case the Avisoft-RECORDER should be used with 3rd party high-speed data-acquisition devices, the driver for the acquisition board must first be installed from the software installation CD provided by the device manufacturer.
There are various versions of the Avisoft-RECORDER software, each dedicated to a specific type of recording hardware:
RECORDER (recorder.exe) is the standard version, which supports soundcards and audio interfaces that comply with the Windows multimedia interface (MME, WDM, USB audio class driver).
RECORDER 32 (recorder32.exe) is equivalent to the above recorder.exe, but supports up to 32 channels.
RECORDER USG (rec_usg.exe) supports the old Avisoft-UltraSoundGate models 116 and 416 manufactured before 2008 (with limited sample rate support on Windows 7/8/10). A Hardlock key is not required (the UltraSoundGate device itself will act as a key).
RECORDER USGH (rec_usgh.exe) supports all Avisoft-UltraSoundGate devices under Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10. A Hardlock key is not required (the UltraSoundGate device itself will act as a key). Note that it is also required to install the Avisoft-UltraSoundGate device driver (USGH.SYS) to run this software version.
RECORDER USGH with NIDAQmx DIO support (rec_usgh_nidaqdi.exe) is equivalent to the above RECORDER USGH, except that it replaces the USG TRG input by a National Instruments DAQ DIO port. This software version requires that the NI-DAQmx driver has been installed.
RECORDER NI-DAQ (rec_ni.exe) supports both soundcards and National Instruments E-series DAQ devices (Traditional NI-DAQ driver).
RECORDER NI-DAQmx (rec_nimx.exe) supports both soundcards and National Instruments E, M and X-series DAQ devices with 16 bit resolution (NI-DAQmx driver).
RECORDER CB (rec_cb.exe) supports both soundcards and Measurement Computing (formerly ComputerBoards) devices.
RECORDER DT (rec_dt.exe) supports both soundcards and Data Translation (DT-Open Layers compatible) devices.
The device-specific versions recorder_xxx are located in the Avisoft Bioacoustics program files directory. These programs will only run if the appropriate manufacturer-specific driver has been installed.
Getting Started
The drop-down menu structure
Monitoring
Options
LOG-Files
Play
Help
Other Interfaces
Command line options
DDE command interface
Tutorials
Frequently asked questions
|
|