My wife is in Ecuador, and she decided to collect some vocalization
data to go with the other data she is already collecting on cebus
albafrons (white-faced capuchin monkeys). She is new to this type of
analysis, but knows she wants to do a "bioacoustic spectrogram"
spectral analysis to compare different vocalizations at different
times by different monkeys in the group. She plans on using Raven Pro
for analysis.
She has tasked me with buying her a portable recorder that will
collect sufficient sound samples for this analysis, while trying not
to break the bank (we are paying for all the equipment out of our own
pocket, so far she hasn't been awarded any grants).
I'd prefer something solid-state and preferably something that could
record to flash memory (like an SD or CF card) but am open to options.
She does have an external mic, but I don't have the brand/model/specs
for it because it is already with her in Ecuador- I just know that it
has a battery in it (gun-type mic) and has an external switch for
"regular" vs "unidirectional" recording. It has a standard 1/4" plug,
so if she can use that, great (if not, I'll need microphone
recommendations as well).
Parabolic mics are unnecessary because she can get within a few meters
of the animals, and bad because the monkeys are habituated and
curious- anything they can grab, pull, etc. is less desirable than a
small mic that can be jammed in a jacket pocket if the monkeys attack.
They do "attack" regularly if there is anything they are curious
about, so smaller equipment is better.
The professional equipment I see on ebay and other sites include
M-Audio devices, the Edirol R09, and the Marantz 660. I also saw some
personal dictation type devices that claimed to record uncompressed,
but I don't know what the sampling rate was so I didn't bookmark any
of those.
So bottom line, I'm looking for any suggestions on equipment,
preferably on the less expensive end, that will still be sufficient
for spectral analysis. The animals are close, and I believe that most
of their vocalizations will be in the human range, since they are
fairly related (vocal and eardrum apparatus).
Thank you for any advice,
Keith
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