Assembling cheap, high-performance microphones for recording terrestrial wildlife: the Sonitor system

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Bioacoustics
• Engineering

Background:

• Passive acoustic monitoring is crucial for wildlife research but relies on expensive, specialized commercial microphones.
• Existing systems often lack comprehensive technical specifications and durability for field use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate Sonitor, an open-source, low-cost microphone system for terrestrial wildlife acoustic monitoring.
• To address the limitations of commercial microphones in terms of cost, specialization, and technical transparency.

Main Methods:

• Developed Sonitor, an open-source microphone system with five configurations for different budgets and requirements.
• Evaluated system cost, durability, and performance trade-offs (weatherproofing, windproofing, signal loss, amplification vs. directivity).

Main Results:

• Sonitor offers sturdy acoustic sensors covering the full frequency spectrum of terrestrial wildlife sounds.
• The system provides a cost-effective alternative, with unit costs ranging from 8 to 33 EUR.
• Identified and measured key performance trade-offs inherent in microphone design.

Conclusions:

• Sonitor provides a viable, affordable, and flexible solution for ecologists conducting acoustic monitoring of terrestrial wildlife.
• The open-source nature of Sonitor promotes accessibility and customization for diverse research needs.
• This system democratizes acoustic monitoring by reducing reliance on expensive commercial equipment.