Manual

Setting up your Howler step-by-step.

Please make sure your micro SD-card meets the requirements:
– FAT32 formatted
– Class 10, UHS-I (U1)
– A2 class cards do not work
– SanDisk’s ‘Ultra’ & ‘Pro’ line cards do not work
– We have best experience with 16GB and 32GB cards of low/mid range brands (i.e. Samsung, Kingston) with specs: class 10, UHS-1 (U1), V10, A1
– If you buy/bought a SD-card through our Kickstarter/webshop it’s properly formatted by us.

We strongly recommend to get a 16GB or 32GB card as the work out of the box and don’t involve reformatting that may go wrong.

If you still go for a 64GB+ SD-card, please re-format to FAT32. To re-format 64GB+ cards to FAT32 you may need to install 3rd party software on Windows. Use 32kb cluster size/allocation unit size if asked. We have good experience with this Windows program. For macOS users: use the already installed Disk Utility app on your mac and use “MS-DOS (FAT)” as format type. This will result in FAT32 format.

If you are still encountering problems after formatting the SD-card to above specs, please fill in the contact form at the end of this page describing your problem and SD-card your are using.

Step 1

Connecting Audio

A) Connect the REC output of your mixer/device directly to the RCA input connectors of your Howler (IN).
B, optional) Don't have a dedicated REC out on your mixer available? Just wire any sound output of your mixer/sound device (i.e. Master/Booth) to your Howler's RCA IN connectors. Then wire the RCA output connectors of Howler (OUT thru) to the PA system.

Step 2A

recording setup

A) Insert your MicroSD card*. It can take up to 10 seconds before your SD card is initialised after inserting/turning on Howler.
B) Choose record format, MP3 and WAV using toggle B.
WAV is higher quality, but bigger file size of max ~3.5 hour recording (=~4GB file size). Will create a new recording automatically if SD-card is formatted at FAT32.
MP3 allows max ~40 hour recordings per file size (FAT32), and no recording duration limits on exFAT.
C) You're ready to record your musical masterpiece! Press the RECORD button (big push button on top) and start your performance. Good luck and have fun! To stop & save the recording, press the RECORD button again.

*MicroSD card must be in FAT32. exFAT may not work.

Startup sequence

When starting Howler, the BATTERY indicator turns on and after a few seconds the RECORD button may quickly flash a few times indicating it's initialising the SD card. After this, Howler is ready to use for recording.

Proper recording behaviour

Howler is correctly recording when the RECORD button is blinking constantly, and the LEVEL indicator is blinking green. See the Indicator Colors section below for more information.

Step 2B

Livestreaming setup

Want to use your Howler for a livestream or as an audio interface instead?
A) Simply connect a smartphone or computer to your Howler's USB-C port.
B) Set toggle to STREAM/TRANSFER. Your Howler will now be recognised by your smartphone or computer device as an external audio source. You can select it on your favourite streaming platform to start your livestream. Your mobile device should automatically take Howler as audio input when launching a livestream app or camera app.*

*iPhone users require a so called USB camera adapter, or our iPhone pack available in our webshop. If your Howler is before October 2023 and you are unable to connect it to your iPhone properly, even with the adapter/iPhone pack. We have fixed this in firmware version 1.2! Get the firmware update here.

LED indicators

indicator Colors

If your LEVEL indicator is blinking red then turn down the volume of the source sound to avoid clipping in the recording.

The BATTERY indicator is blue if Howler is switched on but not charging, red when charging, and green if it's fully charged. Howler is able to record around 20 hours on a full battery.

* Howler firmware update 1.2: Battery LED blinks blue and red when you have around 1 hour left of recording. You are unable to start new recordings until you connect a charger. Battery LED blinks red rapidly when the battery is totally depleted. Howler automatically saves the file to the micro SD-card just before depletion. If your Howler is before October 2023 its firmware version 1.0 and you can get the firmware update 1.2 here.

If the RECORD button stops blinking soon after you've pushed it, there is something wrong with the SD card, or the SD card is full.

Optional

Dongle Add-on Use

If you want to keep your smartphone charged while using your Howler, we've got you covered. Using the dongle you can connect both your Howler and a charging cable to your smartphone. Make sure to connect your Howler's USB-C port (A) to the left port on the dongle (B), the charger cable to (C), and plug the dongle's cable (D) into your smartphone.

Need help?

Check our Frequently Asked Questions for more info.

Still can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Ask your questions via the form or send us a DM on social media!