Choosing equipment for animal bioacoustic research

Abstract

Studies of animal bioacoustics require equipment to record and analyze sounds and sometimes to play back recorded sounds. Choosing the right equipment can be a difficult task for the novice bioacoustician. In this chapter, we outline the components that make up a typical recording or playback setup, define some of the commonly used terminology for describing the instruments, and present some illustrative studies that required the use of specific types of equipment. We cover instruments used in both terrestrial and aquatic bioacoustic studies. The ensuing discussions will introduce the reader to some of the commonly used microphones, hydrophones, amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, projectors (loudspeakers), as well as programmable autonomous recording systems. Where applicable, we also discuss some of the pros and cons to be considered when choosing a particular product for a study, and the limitations that specific equipment may pose to the planned research. We also present equipment that can be used to record directly to a computer. Often, it may be necessary to use calibrated equipment so that accurate measurements can be made. We present considerations for calibrating the different components of the recording setup. Finally, we present some additional equipment used in biotremology to measure vibration and particle motion, and we list some smartphone-based applications used in bioacoustic studies.