Audio Detection is a feature that can be a very reliable way to capture a conversation or other important sounds that need to be recorded. It allows a security camera with a built-in microphone or audio line-in to trigger recording when sound is detected. You no longer have to rely on video-based motion detection to try and capture audio of an event and missing out on everything that was said. With audio detection you can even capture video/audio when persons are conversing outside the camera's field of view, but near enough to activate audio detection. You can finely adjust the sensitivity and threshold settings to decrease your storage needs. In this guide we show you how to setup and use audio detection with surveillance cameras purchased from CCTV Camera World.

With Audio Detection you can set up alerts and triggers just like you would for traditional video motion detection. Email, buzzer, and alarm upload features are all supported when an audio event is detected allowing you to be notified immediately. This can save you a lot of time of having to sift through hours of continuous audio/video recording looking for a small segment of conversation or sound.

This guide focuses on demonstrating the steps necessary to configure Audio activated recording when using an IP camera system from CCTV Camera World that is composed of our IP cameras with audio and NVR. The features demonstrated below are not supported on third party cameras.

What do you need?

  1. An IP camera with built-in microphone or an IP camera with audio input for a security camera microphone
  2. A compatible NVR that supports audio detection
  3. Audio stream already enabled on the camera in the video Encode settings
  4. Storage schedule enabled for Alarm based recording

 

How to set up Audio Detection?

Step 1. Mount the camera or microphone to capture good sound, and video

It is important that you mount the camera strategically to capture good video and audio. This includes making sure that the camera or microphone is not near constant background noise that will trigger audio detection and create false alerts. Conversely ensure that the audio device is close enough to capture the desired recording. Keep in mind that sensitivity settings can be adjusted and fine tuned for most applications. Mount the camera pointed in a direction and angle where the sound will be coming from to avoid missing out on important events.

Step 2. Enable Audio Detection on the NVR

It is fairly easy to enable audio detection. Make sure you already have the microphone activated and audio enabled on the main and sub-stream of the camera channels you are interested in. If you are unsure about how to do that, please watch the first video in this guide. Then continue to follow the steps outlined below. You may also want to watch the video tutorial below which walks you through Steps 2 thru 4.

  1. Navigate by right clicking and then using the Main Menu button
  2. Login to the DVR using the graphical password or username and password
  3. Click on the Alarm section at the top right of the screen
  4. On the left-hand side click the Audio Detection tab
  5. To enable Audio Detection make sure you tick the check-box labeled Intensity Change and click apply
  6. The Enable Input Abnormality option is meant to detect when audio has stopped working or if the audio input or microphone has been compromised by vandalism.

 

Step 3. Finely Adjust your audio detection settings

Under the Intensity Change text box you will find there are two bars for adjustment:

  1. Sensitivity
    - It is important to change as this setting will increase or decrease the amount of sound required to trigger an event above the threshold. Sensitivity is a finer setting than the Threshold setting.
  2. Threshold - This setting determines how loud a sound must be to trigger an Audio Detection event, if you are getting too many false alarms increase the Threshold setting.

Step 4. Select the event trigger settings according to your needs

After you have your camera and recorder detecting the audio it’s important to make sure you set up the proper schedule and events to trigger after audio is detected.

  1. Open the Schedule setting to set the schedule for the camera to detect audio
  2. Record Channel can be selected if you want to record video for that channel, or additional channels you have connected to your recorder
  3. Post record is the amount of time to record after the audio event has ended and there is no more sound triggering the event
  4. Alarm out provides an option to sound an optional alarm that is connected to the recorder if the NVR supports it
  5. Picture Storage allows you to capture a snapshot of the scene in the video if snapshot recording is enabled
  6. PTZ Linkage can have a PTZ pan, tilt and zoom to a specific preset
  7. Tour is the display tour for the monitor to show that channel, or a set of channels when the event triggers
  8. Other features include Push notifications, Email, or Buzzer that are useful for additional alerts.

Matt Rossi is a Technical Support Manager at CCTV Camera World, a leading CCTV Camera distributor located in Buffalo, NY. He is a technical support expert for everything video surveillance related.

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