4. Deploying the Song Meter Micro 2
Deployment Checklist
Below are some basic steps we recommend taking as part of each deployment. These steps are described in greater detail elsewhere in this documentation.
Before You Go to the Deployment Location
Install brand-new or freshly charged batteries into the Song Meter Micro 2.
Install the latest version of the Song Meter Configurator app from the Apple App Store or Google Play store.
Format the microSD card (see Format the SD Card).
On the Status screen for the recorder, confirm that the installed firmware version matches the latest available version on our Downloads page at wildlifeacoustics.com/account/downloads.
See Download Firmware Updates for update instructions.
On the Status screen, check for SD Card Error Messages.
Pair with the recorder and confirm that all settings and the schedule are correct (see Pair the Recorder with the Song Meter Configurator App).
(Optional) Set the deployment location and time zone manually (see Location & Time Zone Screen).
At the Deployment Location
Make sure batteries were not knocked loose during travel.
Pair with the recorder to synchronize its clock to your mobile device (see Pair the Recorder with the Song Meter Configurator App).
If desired, accept the prompt during pairing to automatically set the recorder's location and time zone to match your mobile device (see Automatically Set the Recorder’s Deployment Location).
On the Status screen, check for SD Card Error Messages.
Unpair from the recorder (see Unpair from the Recorder).
Latch the recorder shut, making sure nothing blocks the enclosure from sealing.
(Optional) Use a cable lock to secure the recorder (see Security).
After the Deployment
Slide switch to before removing the microSD card.
Back up all contents of the SD card to a long-term storage drive, including
summary.txtfiles and.minidiagsfiles.See SD Card Contents for information about the types of files the Song Meter Micro 2 saves to the microSD card.
If you will be storing the Song Meter Micro 2 for a long period of time, remove the batteries to prevent the possibility of battery leakage.
Install the Song Meter Configurator App
The Song Meter Configurator app is available free-of-charge and is necessary to configure the Song Meter Micro 2. The Song Meter Configurator app is available on the Apple App Store for iOS devices and on the Google Play store for Android devices.
On your iOS device, open the App Store app.
If you cannot find the App Store on your device's home screen, you can search for it using the built-in Spotlight Search feature on iOS. See this Apple Support article on Spotlight Search for instructions.
In the App Store, tap Search and search for "Song Meter Configurator."
In the list of search results, find the app titled Song Meter Configurator.
Tap the Get icon to download the Song Meter Configurator app and install it to your home screen.
If you previously had the Song Meter Configurator app installed, you will see a
icon instead of a Get icon. Tap this icon to reinstall the latest version of the Song Meter Configurator app.
If you are unable to install the Song Meter Configurator app, check your installed version of iOS. The version number must be at least 12.0.
If you are unable to check your iOS version or have continued difficulty installing the Song Meter Configurator app, contact Apple Support.
On your Android device, open the Play Store app.
If you cannot find the Play Store on your device's home screen, you can search for it from the All Apps menu. See this Android Help article on finding apps.
In the Play Store, search for "Song Meter Configurator."
In the list of search results, find the app titled Song Meter Configurator.
If the Song Meter Configurator app is not already installed on your device, you will see an Install button.
If an outdated version of the Song Meter Configurator app is installed on your device, you will see an Update button.
If the latest version of the Song Meter Configurator app is already installed on your device, you will see an Open button.
Tap the Install or Update button to install the latest version of the Song Meter Configurator app to your device.
To open the Song Meter Configurator app, tap the Open button in the Play Store entry, or tap on the Song Meter icon in your device's home screen or All Apps menu.
If you are unable to install the Song Meter Configurator app, check your installed version of Android. The version number must be at least 8.0.
If you continue to have difficulty installing or accessing the Song Meter Configurator, refer to Google's Android Help Center for general Android documentation and for links to contact your device's manufacturer for direct assistance.
Pair the Recorder with the Song Meter Configurator App
To set the Song Meter Micro 2's date and time and to configure the recorder's settings using the Song Meter Configurator mobile app, you must pair the app with the recorder.
The Song Meter Configurator app can only be paired with a single recorder at a time. When you are done configuring one recorder, unpair from it before trying to pair with the next one.
Pairing does not affect the recording schedule nor interrupt a recording in progress. The Song Meter Micro 2 recorder will not go to sleep while paired. If the recorder finishes a recording period and is ready to go to sleep, it will not go to sleep until it is unpaired.
Enable Bluetooth® in your mobile device's settings.
On iOS or Android, open the Settings app and select the Bluetooth page to turn Bluetooth on or off.
If using an Android device, ensure that Location is turned on in your device's settings.
See this Google support article for instructions on how to turn on Location.
Make sure the Song Meter Configurator app has been granted all requested permissions.
On iOS:
Open the Settings app.
Tap the Song Meter entry to open the settings page for the Song Meter app. Permissions can be toggled from this page.
On Android:
Open the Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap on the Song Meter app entry.
Tap Permissions.
Enable all permissions on this page.
Important
On some devices, GPS and Bluetooth connections are handled by the same hardware component, so the Song Meter app must have access to Location permissions in order to use Bluetooth.
Open the Song Meter Configurator app and tap on the Recorders icon if the Recorders screen is not already shown.
Turn on the Song Meter Micro 2
If the recorder had been set to broadcast Bluetooth beacons, the recorder name will appear in the Recorders list. The Received text should read “Just now” or a duration of less than one minute.
Press and hold the button on the Song Meter Micro 2 for three seconds.
A Pair icon will appear to the right of the recorder's name in the Recorders screen.
Tap the Pair icon in the app.
The app will display messages indicating it is updating the recorder's clock and reading the recorder's settings.
The app may prompt you to update the Song Meter Micro 2's Time Zone and/or Location settings to match the settings on your mobile device. See Automatically Set the Recorder's Time Zone and Automatically Set the Recorder’s Deployment Location.
In the Recorders screen, Configure and Unpair icons will be displayed to the right of the paired recorder's name and to the left of the Status icon. The recorder name and all three of these icons will be colored green to indicate Paired status.
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Unpair from the Recorder
To unpair from a paired recorder, tap the Unpair icon to the right of the recorder's name in the Recorders screen.
The Configure and Unpair icons will disappear, and the recorder's name and Status icon will change color from green back to white.
Format the SD Card
Formatting an SD card erases all of its content and resets the structure of the card. This reset allows the Song Meter Micro 2 to make full use of all of the card's available space. We recommend formatting the card prior to the start of each deployment.
Simply moving files to the Trash or Recycle Bin using a computer is not a replacement for formatting the card. “Trashing” files from the card can leave behind the structure of those files, preventing the Song Meter Micro 2 from making use of the full space and resulting in missing recordings.
Beginning in firmware version 4.4, formatting an SD card using the Song Meter Micro 2 renames the card to the first 11 characters of the recorder name.
Several SD card errors can be resolved by reformatting the card. See SD Card Error Messages for details on common SD card errors.
Caution
Formatting erases all data on the SD card. Verify that you have backed up any important configuration files, recordings, or other files before formatting the card.
It is important to reformat the SD card prior to each deployment to allow the Song Meter Micro 2 to make full use of the card's storage space. However, if you wish to use your SD card to update the recorder's firmware[1] or load a configuration file[2], reformatting the SD card will also delete those files.
If you first format the SD card, then save a firmware file and/or configuration file to the SD card, you do not need to format the card a second time before your deployment. Formatting the card first ensures the firmware and configuration files are saved to the start of the SD card's storage space, with the remainder fully available for the Song Meter Micro 2's recordings.
Firmware files and configuration files are small enough that they will not meaningfully reduce your available recording space.
When paired with a Song Meter Micro 2 that has an SD card installed, you can use the Song Meter Configurator app to format the SD card.
Install brand-new or freshly charged batteries into the Song Meter Micro 2.
Insert the SD Card you wish to format into the Song Meter Micro 2's card slot.
In the Song Meter Configurator app, open the Utilities menu:
Pair the Recorder with the Song Meter Configurator App.
Configure and Unpair icons will appear next to the recorder's name.
Tap the Configure icon for the paired Song Meter Micro 2 in the Recorders screen.
Tap the Utilities icon in the upper-right corner of the Configuration Editor.
In the Utilities menu, tap Format SD card.
A confirmation message will ask if you are sure you want to reformat the card.
Tap YES to confirm the format operation.
A FORMATTING activity indicator will appear onscreen, followed by a success message.
If the format operation is unsuccessful, check the recorder's STATUS screen in the Song Meter Configurator app for SD Card Error Messages.
The SD Association provides a free program for formatting SD cards at https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/.
If you want to format an SD card using a desktop or laptop computer, this program is the recommended tool.
Insert the SD card you wish to format into an SD card reader attached to your computer.
Open the SD Card Formatter application.
Use the Select card menu to select your SD card.
Under Formatting options, select Quick format.
Optional: Use the Volume label field to enter a name for your SD card.
Select Format.
Eject the SD card from your computer according to your operating system's instructions.
Begin a Recording Deployment
The Song Meter Micro 2 will automatically begin running its programmed schedule when it is powered on. If any of the recorder's settings are edited, it will pause its recording schedule for ten seconds, then resume its schedule automatically.
See Deployment Checklist for a list of best practices to make sure every deployment occurs without issue.
Check the Song Meter Micro 2's Status over Bluetooth
By default, the Song Meter Micro 2 broadcasts status beacons over Bluetooth once every ten seconds. When your mobile device is within Bluetooth range (typically under ten to twenty meters) of the Song Meter Micro 2, it will receive these status beacons, and you can check this status using the Song Meter Configurator app without pairing with the recorder. Status beacons include information like SD card usage, battery voltage, and installed firmware version.
In order to receive status updates when not paired with the recorder, Send Bluetooth Beacons? must be enabled (see Send Bluetooth Beacons?).
Open the Song Meter Configurator app.
Navigate to the Recorders screen.
Bring your mobile device to within 10-20 meters of the Song Meter Micro 2.
When you are within Bluetooth range of a recorder that is broadcasting status beacons, the text should read “Just now.”
Tap the Status icon to the right of the recorder's name.
The Status screen for the recorder opens. See Status Screen for a description of all information available on this screen.
To close the Status screen, tap the < Back icon.