The Frontier Labs Bar-V2 is the newest bioacoustic recorder in their lineup, offering all the capabilities of the BAR-LT in a smaller, lighter form. It features a battery pack that provides up to 600 hours of recording time and includes two high-sensitivity, low-noise omnidirectional microphones. The Bar-V2 also has a built-in GPS and supports 16-bit WAV and FLAC formats at sample rates ranging from 8 kHz to 96 kHz.
Design
The BAR-V2 features a rugged, waterproof, lockable, and camouflaged enclosure made from durable UV-resistant plastic. Its compact, stackable design ensures efficient packing, while the integrated spiked base grips securely to trees and allows multiple units to be locked together for streamlined, large-scale deployment.
Recording Capabilities
The BAR-V2 includes one SD card slot supporting cards up to 1 TB. It records in 16-bit WAV and FLAC (lossless compression) at sample rates ranging from 8 kHz to 96 kHz, with corresponding anti-aliasing filters to ensure accurate signal capture.
GPS Features and Localization
A built-in GPS automatically time-syncs and geo-stamps all recordings.
When deployed in an array, BAR-V2 units enable precise 3D localization of animal calls using GPS time-synchronization and time-difference-of-arrival calculations. This allows researchers to pinpoint animal positions in 3D space, opening possibilities for individual counts, spatial behavior studies, and more.
Click here to learn more about 3D localization.
Schedule Recordings with Ease
All Frontier Labs recorders include intuitive scheduling software. Configure any recording schedule effortlessly—from sunrise/sunset-based triggers to day-specific schedules or future wake-up events—making long-term or seasonal monitoring simple and reliable.
Microphones
The BAR-V2 comes equipped with two high-sensitivity, low-noise omnidirectional microphones, each containing its own internal memory chip. The recorder automatically logs each microphone’s serial number and manufacture date for every recording, enabling accurate microphone-age tracking. These microphones share the same technical specifications as those used in Frontier Labs’ other recorders, but with a more minimal, compact design.
Internal Filters
Built-in filter options eliminate the need to purchase multiple microphones for different environments. Choose from low-frequency, standard, or 1 kHz high-pass filters directly within the recorder interface to optimize audio capture for your specific deployment conditions.
Power & Batteries
The BAR-V2 provides over 600 hours of recording time, which can be scheduled across weeks, months, or even years. Its ultra-low-power sleep mode allows the device to hibernate for extended periods and automatically wake for seasonal or time-specific recordings. Power options include a rechargeable lithium battery pack (included with the BAR-V2) or 4 × AA alkaline batteries.
To charge the included lithium batteries, you can choose to charge a single battery pack of four batteries with the USB charger. If you want to charge multiple battery packs simultaneously, you can also choose the 5-port battery charger. Frontier Labs’ new 5-Port Battery Charger can charge up to five recorders simultaneously, simplifying turnaround between deployments—especially valuable for large-scale field projects.
Techinal specifications of the Frontier Labs BAR-V2
| Weight | 360 grams |
| Run time | 600 + hours |
| Storage | 1SD card up to 1TB |
| Microphones | 2 x ultra-low noise omnidirectional micrphones |
| Recording formats | 16bit WAV and FLAC lossless compression which effectively doubles your storage capacity, meaning you can record up to 2TB of equivalent wav files! |
| Built-in filters | 20Hz, 110Hz, 1kHz to remove unwanted background noise from your recordings, e.g. wind, road, surf noise etc. |
| Sample rates | 8kHz, 16kHz, 22.05kHz, 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 96kHz (with corresponding anti-aliasing filters) |
| Gain | Fully adjustable gain in 1dB increments up to a total of 60dB |
| GPS time sync | GPS time sync allows 3D localization of animal calls |
