Hi Arwen, Gary and all,
See below for comments from Vicki Powys regarding the SongFinder.
Cheers, Carol
From: vickipowys Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 08:00:40 +1000
Hi Carol,
Arwen mentions the SongFinder. I believe it was Lang Elliott, renowned US birder and wildlife sound recordist, who developed the SongFinder initially because he himself had a hearing defect. My understanding is that the SongFinder is an excellent device. By the time one buys a recorder and directional microphone, for the same cost or less you could have the SongFinder, especially useful if you were not interested in recording but more in bird watching. Sounds perfect for Gary.
I see from the SongFinder website that Max Moulds, entomologist and retired cicada expert from Australian Museum, is delighted with his SongFinder, to find those higher-pitched small cicadas. I feel sure it was me who mentioned the SongFinder to Max some years ago when we were corresponding about cicadas and Max mentioned he could no longer hear many of them.
It looks like the SongFinder also allows you to record from it but I don’t know any details of this aspect. If I had lost my high frequency hearing I would certainly get one!
cheers,
Vicki
>From: “Arwen B. Ximenes” >Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 22:26:53 +1000 >Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Grey Grasswrens and how to boost high >frequency hearing > >Gary and others, I’m a novice, but my understanding is: some >microphones are more sensitive to sounds directly ahead (and above) >and others have wider pick up fields, and omnis I think pick up >sound equally around the full 360 degrees (on a 3D plane). An >omnidirectional microphone can alert you to the presence of the bird >(which would help if your brother isn’t with you) but a directional >microphone will also help him locate it if you’re not with him, as >the sound simply gets louder if it is pointed towards the bird (and >of course if you move closer to it). To make an omnidirectional mic >directional you can put it in a parabolic reflector (or a wok!) and >wave it around. I haven’t tried this yet, but apparently it works >(not only does it cut out some of the sound coming from the sides >but it should also amplify those sounds in front of you. >Alternatively a directional mic waved around. > >It is interesting birding with a microphone running, and I imagine >in the case mentioned it would be very handy as those higher >frequencies would be amplified, so people with hearing loss in the >upper frequencies might have a chance of hearing them (but after a >while they may not be able to – if they can). However listening with >a mic sounds a bit unnatural, expecially with the handling noise and >footsteps etc. which can be so distracting that I prefer my own ears >most of the time. It is a little disorienting if you are used to >using your ears to locate birds i.e. waving your head around rather >than waving a mic around. Also the danger is if you have louder >noises mixed in (such as a flock of cockatoos screeching as they >take off nearby) you can risk adding noise induced hearing loss to >the age related issue (though this is more likely to affect lower >frequencies)! > >OK, I was just about to post and then I remembered I had seen >something somewhere, a bit of digging and here it is: >an article on hearing loss and bird sounds on Nathan Pieplow’s >Earbirding website: http://earbirding.com/blog/archives/2105 >Which then has a link to a review of a very interesting sounding, >SongFinder: http://earbirding.com/blog/archives/1538 >And here is the link to the SongFinder website for those who want to >go direct: http://www.nselec.com/ > >In a nutshell I think it will play back all the sounds above a set >frequency (input by the user) at a lower frequency (also set by >user), so you can actually hear the sounds you would normally hear >without any distortion, and the sounds you can’t hear would be at a >lower frequency than normal so you can hear them. Withough looking >into it in too much detail it seems a very useful device – though >not cheap. I would be very interested in feedback if anyone goes >down that route. Incidentally the husband of a friend of mine has >developed an app which is supposed to show you what your children >will sound like when they are adults (iGrowUP) – so I wonder then if >there is an app like SongFinder – there’s an app for everything >these days – might not be far away. > >Regards, Arwen >………………………………….. >Arwen Blackwood Ximenes > > >> Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:09:17 +0930 >> From: gary.wright.email@gmail.com >> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Grey Grasswrens and how to boost high >>frequency hearing >> >> Hi Judith >> >> Thanks for info. I have been assessed as borderline for hearing aids so >> haven’t gone that path. My hearing loss is in the high frequencies. My >> brother is completely deaf in one ear but can hear well out of the other. >> We are like Mac and Myer for hire when we go birdwatching together as he >> can hear the bird but doesn’t know where it is(only one ear hearing) and if >> I could hear it I would know where it was! When you say the recorder is >> directional I assume it wouldn’t help in his case, but only mine? >> >> Gary >>
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