Frequently asked questions about Sound Analysis & BatSound
If you have other questions than those answered here, you may want to try to find the answer through the on-line help in BatSound. To access the on-line help, download a demo version of BatSound and use the Help command. To install the demo version, run the file setup.exe. Before installing, you may want to check that your computer meets the System requirements.
Question.
I have made a recording with BatSound, but no signal is displayed in the window. What can be the problem?
Answer.
1. Check the cables and connectors in your system. Is the cable from your tape recorder or detector connected to the appropriate input of the sound card (connecting a microphone to the line input will result in very weak recordings)?
2. Check the volume control and input channel selector settings of the sound card. There may be a knob on the sound card that controls the output level to the speakers. In addition to this, it is also possible to adjust playback and recording levels using the 'volume control' utility that often comes with the sound card. Enabling/disabling of the input channels is usually also possible.
The Windows Volume Control offers similar options. You can access the Windows 'Volume Control' (the name may be different on your system) either by double-clicking the loudspeaker symbol to the right in the Windows task bar or by choosing "Programs - Accessories - Multimedia - Volume Control" from the Start menu. If you use the Windows Volume Control, please note that there are separate sets of controls for recording and playback. Normally the playback controls are displayed automatically when you start the Volume Control. To show the recording controls instead, start the Volume Control and choose Properties from the Options menu, and check 'Recording' in the 'Adjust volume' box.
3. If you make a 'mono' recording, some sound cards use only the left channel (or mixes both channels). Change the recording mode to 'stereo' and view both channels to check if this is the cause of the problem. If so, use the 'stereo' mode, but choose to view only the desired channel (using the Spectrogram settings command).
Question.
There is severe distortion in the recordings I make with BatSound. What can be the problem?
Answer.
Make sure that the sound level from your sound source matches the input of the sound card. E.g. connecting the output of a tape recorder to the microphone input of the sound card is likely to result in a distorted sound. Connect the tape recorder to the LINE input instead, or use an attenuator to lower the signal level before connecting it to the microphone input.
You may also need to adjust the recording level in the Windows "Volume Control" (see above!).
Question.
Why don't I get any shades of gray when I print diagrams from BatSound on my printer?
Answer.
Usually this is a problem with the printer driver or the configuration of the printer. Try changing the printer properties for printing graphics and make sure you are using the latest printer drivers. Most printer manufacturers make new printer drivers available to download from their web sites.
Question.
When I try to print or copy a power spectrum/pulse length/pulse interval diagram from BatSound, I get the oscillogram/spectrogram instead. What am I doing wrong?
Answer.
The print command in the File menu and the Copy command in the Edit menu work on the main window only (containing the oscillogram and/or spectrogram). To print or copy diagrams from the other windows, use the Print or Copy command in the 'right mouse button menu' of the respective window. To invoke this menu, position the mouse arrow anywhere in the Power Spectrum, Pulse Interval or Pulse Length diagram and then click the right mouse button.
Question.
When I attempt to run BatSound for the first time, the error message 'Error in installation data' appears. Why?
Answer.
You have probably entered an incorrect Serial Number during the installation of the program. Uninstall BatSound and then install it again. Please note that the serial number is case sensitive.