Fw: [ND-BIRDS] remote mic to hear birds outside

[James Tyler Bell]

Forwarding this from the ND-Birds listserv. If anyone has any ideas, let me know and I'll forward them.

TIA!

Tyler Bell

jtyle...@yahoo.com
California, Maryland

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To: "ND-B...@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU" <ND-B...@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU>

Sent: Monday, April 1, 2019, 1:15:33 PM EDT

Subject: [ND-BIRDS] remote mic to hear birds outside

Does anyone know of a remote microphone to pick up bird chirps outside (without running outside to turn it on and off)?

Sort of like a baby monitor- to hear the noises outside from inside the the house, remotely?

I'm having no luck researching this.  I'm probably not using the correct terminology.

[Andrew McGann]

Hey Tyler,

My solution is not wireless. However, it is modular and flexible, with several interchangeable parts.

1.) MICROPHONE:  I use a small wired microphone from a company called “Edutige” which I originally purchased for my iPhone, several years back when I wanted better audio in my digiscoping videos. Nearly any small microphone would work, however the best part is that they offer good furry windscreens as accessories, necessary because nearly any air movement would otherwise result in unpleasant buffeting.  http://www.edutige.net

2.) PRE-AMP: The critical middle piece of hardware in my setup is an audio recording device, because the system requires a pre-amp. Simply plugging the microphone in to the Aux jack on a speaker usually doesn’t work without amplification. I use a Zoom H5 in my setup. It’s a bit overkill for simply a “monitor” situation, but the advantage of using a decent audio recording device for your pre-amp is that you can apply lo-cut filters to reduce the rumbling bass of distant traffic in realtime, as well as a limiter to avoid having to adjust the gain/volume lower whenever a singing bird gets closer to the microphone. Zoom is a Japanese company that offers pretty good bang for your buck. The audiophiles at the Macaulay Library and Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics wouldn’t use these as professional grade recording devices, but they are solid and reasonably priced. https://www.zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/field-recording   (and… you can just hit the red button if you want to get eBird documentation of something calling!) 

3.) SPEAKER: There are thousands of choices here. Many people probably already have one that will work. In my solution now, I use a portable “wireless" speaker that has Bluetooth and a rechargeable battery, but I used to use a set of powered computer speakers. The biggest factor to consider is to ensure that there’s an Aux input jack (as opposed to Bluetooth wireless only), so that you can plug in any pre-amp/device with a stero-to-stereo cable. (i.e. a “headphone plug” on both ends.) And an AC adapter is a must-have for this kind of monitoring situation. (So it ends up not being very wireless after all.) 

In my setup the microphone cord is simply pinched by the closed window, and the microphone is not waterproof, so I have to remember to bring it in before it rains! It’s not the most elegant solution, but it’s flexible and leverages equipment that I already owned. 

Finally, a word of caution. The idea of an acoustically-transparent window that lets in the music of the natural world is a simple and seductive idea. But if you go through with experimenting with a setup like this, you will probably find out why most window engineers have been making building materials increasingly noise-proof. There’s a big noisy world of traffic, trains, aircraft, and other unnatural sounds outside most people’s windows. Saturdays are full of lawn mowers! Your outdoor environmental sounds may not match your expectations when you pipe them indoors. Most of us are not lucky enough to live at the end of a long driveway on a lightly-traveled road without major arteries nearby.  

The positive side of this harsh reality is that it can enkindle a new appreciation for anthropogenically-quiet environments. (For more on this subject: watch this short video: https://vimeo.com/213540540 ) If the idea of natural soundscapes is what you’re really after, you may want to bring your audio recording equipment into the field to record a “better” (more naturally beautiful) acoustic landscape, full of birds, where the only “noise” is the whisper of the wind through the trees. If you capture recordings, you can just as easily bring them home, play them on your speakers, and let your mind drift back to the woods and fields. There is even a modern social networking platform for hosting and sharing your recordings, just as easily as you would share photographs. “SoundCloud” is the site, and for top-notch profiles, check out Martyn Stewart https://soundcloud.com/martynstewart and Lang Elliott https://soundcloud.com/musicofnature  Lang Elliott recently released his own iOS app featuring “binaural” recordings of utterly sublime soundscapes. https://musicofnature.com/app/ (Note that these recordings were made such that if you listen via headphones, the experience is truly “3D” and mimics the acoustic spatial pattern that you would have experienced had you been standing exactly where the microphones were placed.) 

Lastly, if you’re the kind of person who has fallen down the budget-busting rabbit hole of photography, or especially videography, there is an entire universe of glorious high-end microphones, amplifiers, recording devices, and equipment out there. It’s a slippery slope...

But the upside is that I think anything that engenders enhanced appreciation of the natural world is a good thing! 

Best,

Andy

--

Andy McGann

Washington, DC

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[Phil Davis]

Hi Tyler:

We have one called the "Bird Bug" but they are long out of business.

Googling around, it looks like there are some outdoor security-related microphones that might work ...

Phil

At 13:29 04/01/2019, 'James Tyler Bell' via Maryland & DC Birding wrote:

Forwarding this from the ND-Birds listserv. If anyone has any ideas, let me know and I'll forward them.

Tyler Bell
jtyle...@yahoo.com
California, Maryland


----- Forwarded Message -----
To: "ND-B...@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU" <ND-B...@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU>
Sent: Monday, April 1, 2019, 1:15:33 PM EDT
Subject: [ND-BIRDS] remote mic to hear birds outside

Does anyone know of a remote microphone to pick up bird chirps outside (without running outside to turn it on and off)?
Sort of like a baby monitor- to hear the noises outside from inside the the house, remotely?
I'm having no luck researching this.  I'm probably not using the correct terminology.

==================================
Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland
                  pda...@ix.netcom.com
==================================

[George Jett]

Tyler 

I wish u would change your fonts or make them bigger.  My old eyes strain to read your notes.

George

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On Monday, April 1, 2019, 'James Tyler Bell' via Maryland & DC Birding <mdbi...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Forwarding this from the ND-Birds listserv. If anyone has any ideas, let me know and I'll forward them.

TIA!

Tyler Bell

jtyle...@yahoo.com
California, Maryland

----- Forwarded Message -----

To: "ND-B...@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU" <ND-B...@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU>

Sent: Monday, April 1, 2019, 1:15:33 PM EDT

Subject: [ND-BIRDS] remote mic to hear birds outside

Does anyone know of a remote microphone to pick up bird chirps outside (without running outside to turn it on and off)?

Sort of like a baby monitor- to hear the noises outside from inside the the house, remotely?

I'm having no luck researching this.  I'm probably not using the correct terminology.

[scott bates]

On Monday, April 1, 2019 at 1:29:48 PM UTC-4, Tyler Bell wrote:
> Forwarding this from the ND-Birds listserv. If anyone has any ideas, let me know and I'll forward them.
>

> Google outdoor sound monitor and you'll get several products.
>
>
>
> TIA!
> Tyler Belljtyle...@yahoo.com

[JimC]

That was a great reply, Andy. 'Always interested in good information.

It prompted me to see what my Prime service offers. There's an interesting Bluetooth karaoke machine for ~$70. ....but the range is only 30'. (probably less through windows/walls)

I get pretty decent audio in the kitchen —about 500' away— from a security camera placed in a clearing in our woods. We can hear geese flying overhead and chickens crow about 1/4mi down the creek.

Jim Salisbury/Hebron

[JAMES SPEICHER]

On 4/2/19, 'George Jett' wrote:
> Tyler I wish u would change your fonts or make them bigger. My old eyes strain to read your notes.George

> On Monday, April 1, 2019, 'James Tyler Bell' wrote:
TIA

The font isn't an issue for me, but "TIA"...???

Jim Speicher

[James Tyler Bell]

TIA = thanks in advance.

And, since we're not talking about birds, I've gotten complaints that people can't read my emails. The font is unreadable and/or too small. If that's the case, please email me privately. I'm curious if this is widespread or if it is localized on the recipient's computer.

Oh, and had a singing Yellow-throated Warbler in Edgewater on 4/1. For real :)

Tyler Bell

jtyle...@yahoo.com
California, Maryland

[James Tyler Bell]

My inbox exploded validating George's initial complaint. So, how's this? Please don't respond online and hope the listowner doesn't give me the boot!

Still waiting for my FOY Louisiana Waterthrush. Will have to do battle tomorrow with the Ospreys that are trying to build a nest on the SERC meteorological tower in Edgewater. They're persistent some years and keep bringing sticks back sometimes into late May/early June before they finally throw in the towel.

Tyler Bell
jtyle...@yahoo.com
California, Maryland

[George Jett]

Tyler

This was my second request.  I can now read your notes easily.  My eyes thank you.

Is the ROWR still in St. Mary’s?

Hi to Jane.

George

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