<p>Real-time audio programming is useful in this case as you can monitor what is going on at any time. Multi-platform open-source software called <a href="https://puredata.info/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pure Data</a> allows you to visually program a threshold and to launch automatically a recording (see objects [env~] or [threshold~] to detect at a level that you can set). There is the more friendly but proprietary version called <a href="https://cycling74.com/downloads" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Max</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-30T10:54:10.013Z
2022-06-30T10:54:10.013Z
Noil
<p>If you're comfortable with coding your own solution, i highly recommend the <code>sounddevice</code> Python package. With the <code>Stream</code> class, you can initiate simultaneous playback/recording if required, and otherwise also just do only playback or recording.</p>
<p>I used it to trigger automated recordings once a threshold was  crossed. The code ran all through my field season with no problems at all. Alternately the <code>pyaudio</code> package is also likely to have very similar functionality.</p>
<p>I do know my bird song colleagues also use other software like Sound Analysis Pro, a GUI program built with many other features.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-29T20:55:18.633Z
2022-06-29T20:55:18.633Z
Thejasvi
<p>I'm looking to trigger recordings as bats pass by my mic array.l, and also to potentially run playbacks too through the soundcard (it has both ADC and DAC capabilities). I have an ASIO based USB soundcard attached to my laptop, that'd I'd le to program to run.</p>
<p>I know SoundMexPro, a MATLAB and proprietary dongle-activated software which my colleagues have used. However I'm looking for something open-source to control the sound card, what options are available?</p>

<recording><experiment-design><fieldwork>
software to trigger and run recordings with USB soundcards
# software to trigger and run recordings with USB soundcards

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-06-29)

I'm looking to trigger recordings as bats pass by my mic array.l, and also to potentially run playbacks too through the soundcard (it has both ADC and DAC capabilities). I have an ASIO based USB soundcard attached to my laptop, that'd I'd le to program to run.

I know SoundMexPro, a MATLAB and proprietary dongle-activated software which my colleagues have used. However I'm looking for something open-source to control the sound card, what options are available?

**Tags:** recording, experiment-design, fieldwork


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-06-30. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Real-time audio programming is useful in this case as you can monitor what is going on at any time. Multi-platform open-source software called [Pure Data](https://puredata.info/) allows you to visually program a threshold and to launch automatically a recording (see objects [env~] or [threshold~] to detect at a level that you can set). There is the more friendly but proprietary version called [Max](https://cycling74.com/downloads).


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### Answer by username_0 on 2022-06-29. Score: 0

If you're comfortable with coding your own solution, i highly recommend the `sounddevice` Python package. With the `Stream` class, you can initiate simultaneous playback/recording if required, and otherwise also just do only playback or recording.

I used it to trigger automated recordings once a threshold was crossed. The code ran all through my field season with no problems at all. Alternately the `pyaudio` package is also likely to have very similar functionality.

I do know my bird song colleagues also use other software like Sound Analysis Pro, a GUI program built with many other features.


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