<p>Here is the response to <a href="https://github.com/kahst/BirdNET-Analyzer/issues/144" rel="nofollow noreferrer">my inquiry to the BirdNET development team at Github</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>BirdNET uses the librosa library to load the audio files, its load
function has the option to convert the signal to mono after reading.
You can find the source here, but basically the audio signal is
converted by averaging samples across channels.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, to answer my own question, you cannot specify a specific channel for BirdNET analysis and output.  Further, if the input sound file has multiple channels BirdNET will average them into one.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-21T15:49:23.043Z
2023-06-22T15:49:26.210Z
2023-06-22T15:49:26.210Z
Stu Smith
<p><strong>Background:</strong></p>
<p>I've been asked to analyze a 2-channel (which I presume means stereo) .wav sound file to identify a single bird species with BirdNET (I'm not sure of the software version, but the GUI shows a 2022 copyright).</p>
<p>The process works fine, outputting to a Raven Pro selection table.</p>
<p>However, I notice in the output selection table that the column <strong>Channel</strong> is <em>always</em> populated with the value <strong>1</strong>, as shown in this screenshot:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LiTUi.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LiTUi.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Out of curiosity, I wondered if I could instead output channel <strong>2</strong>, but I could not find that option, either in the BirdNET interface (GUI or non-GUI), or in the documentation.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>
<p>How to force BirdNET to output either channel 1 or 2, when using a 2-channel input sound file?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-08T17:27:49.317Z
I searched the BirdNET-Analyzer Github repository for insight around channel selection, and didn't find anything. I usually use the R output type instead of Raven selection table, and channel is not even a column in the R output type. It's also not an input command line argument. This makes me suspect channel 1 is a default for BirdNET, and perhaps the channel column only exists for compatibility with Raven Pro. Your best bet may be to ask your question of the BirdNET development team directly by submitting an issue here: https://github.com/kahst/BirdNET-Analyzer/issues
Cathleen B
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-13T17:45:41.817Z
Thanks, Cathleen.  Your comment makes sense, and if you'd like to turn it into an answer I will give you credit.  At your suggestion, I've posted to GitHub at: https://github.com/kahst/BirdNET-Analyzer/issues/144
Stu Smith
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-13T22:18:39.210Z
Hi Stu, if the BirdNET team's response answers your question, I think you can actually summarize that here as an answer to your own question, and accept it! (Moderators, please correct me if I'm mistaken.)
Cathleen B
<birdnet>
How to force BirdNET to output either channel 1 or 2, when using a 2-channel input sound file?
# How to force BirdNET to output either channel 1 or 2, when using a 2-channel input sound file?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-06-05)

**Background:**

I've been asked to analyze a 2-channel (which I presume means stereo) .wav sound file to identify a single bird species with BirdNET (I'm not sure of the software version, but the GUI shows a 2022 copyright).

The process works fine, outputting to a Raven Pro selection table.

However, I notice in the output selection table that the column **Channel** is *always* populated with the value **1**, as shown in this screenshot:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/LiTUi.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/LiTUi.jpg)

Out of curiosity, I wondered if I could instead output channel **2**, but I could not find that option, either in the BirdNET interface (GUI or non-GUI), or in the documentation.

**Question:**

How to force BirdNET to output either channel 1 or 2, when using a 2-channel input sound file?

**Tags:** birdnet

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I searched the BirdNET-Analyzer Github repository for insight around channel selection, and didn't find anything. I usually use the R output type instead of Raven selection table, and channel is not even a column in the R output type. It's also not an input command line argument. This makes me suspect channel 1 is a default for BirdNET, and perhaps the channel column only exists for compatibility with Raven Pro. Your best bet may be to ask your question of the BirdNET development team directly by submitting an issue here: https://github.com/kahst/BirdNET-Analyzer/issues  
> **username_0**: Thanks, username_1.  Your comment makes sense, and if you'd like to turn it into an answer I will give you credit.  At your suggestion, I've posted to GitHub at: https://github.com/kahst/BirdNET-Analyzer/issues/144  
> **username_1**: Hi Stu, if the BirdNET team's response answers your question, I think you can actually summarize that here as an answer to your own question, and accept it! (Moderators, please correct me if I'm mistaken.)  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2023-06-21. Score: 3

Here is the response to [my inquiry to the BirdNET development team at Github](https://github.com/kahst/BirdNET-Analyzer/issues/144):

> BirdNET uses the librosa library to load the audio files, its load
> function has the option to convert the signal to mono after reading.
> You can find the source here, but basically the audio signal is
> converted by averaging samples across channels.

So, to answer my own question, you cannot specify a specific channel for BirdNET analysis and output. Further, if the input sound file has multiple channels BirdNET will average them into one.


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