I will write a little bit more on the meaning, what I was aiming for with this Imaginary Sound Walk, in the future. Briefly, I was trying to express the diversity of sounds heard on a daily basis, all within 7 minutes. I aimed to capture the sounds that I hear sometimes within minutes of each other. I love parks, I run, I take the bus, I bike, I'm not fond of the mall - but I find myself there sometimes, I like parades and music, and then reality sets in and I am forced to go to work. It's almost a day in the life of me. One could hear it as such, I start with a dream state of being on the water and running through the woods, and then I wake up and I am really running to catch the bus, I get on get off, bike to my next stop, strangely find myself at a mall and float around ride its machines, then open the elevator doors to experience the joy of leaving the mall - the music triumphing thrown into a parade. Then that fun drifts off and the reality of working the restaurant scene sets in. With the music, its flow of sounds and spaces.
I used a lot of my recordings for this, but not all of them. I omitted a space here and there. I really had a blast with it. I first composed more conspicuous design of panning and fading. That was a strong thematic element, almost a motif, in the first production. It might have sounded a bit unnatural and artificial, and it was suggested to bridge it more together without all the 'obvious' pans, so I changed the theme a lot. A lot of the pans and fades were extended over more time, or lowered in degree or amplitude. I tried to make it more of a realistic journey from places I experience, the many spaces in a time limit, while still making it feel natural. I did manipulate many stationary recordings into making it feel like the character, let's call him/her 'the hero', was moving through these spaces and into new ones. I think it worked. And now for the descriptions.
BEGINNING SEQUENCE - waves better drs park stereo, birds and waves quieter, river closeup rain trees, running through leaves; wind:trees:rain, breathing, to bus wait and ride
waves better - This was a recording I used in my previous sonic snapshot. As described in an earlier posting, this recording was 4 channel with a zoom and an NT4 pointed and angled forward on the left and right side of me within a foot of the water breaking at Doctors Park, along the beach. The waves were less choppy, and I could more range of frequencies with this recording, a nice true sound, water moving behind the mic then back in front, then behind. I believe I didn't do anything to this initial recording, left it was it was, and put it in there. If I did do anything, it was very minimal equalization to cut the lower frequencies just a little.
I have this track starting out at 6 dB and slowly beginning to fade out at 13 seconds until it reach -64 dB at 47 seconds. I used the enveloping tool to fade it out. I put a gradual minimal pan -38 from the center to slightly behind from 20 to 32 seconds to give the feeling that the person was moving from being engulfed with waves to reaching the shores of the beach and slowly moving away from the water breaking. As this was fading out, I started up the next track (at 14 seconds until 21 was the fade in), which was a recording taken on a different day at doctors park. It was recorded farther away from the water breaking, more into the woods of doctors park, just slightly up the hill and into the woods of Doctors park but with the waves slightly visible/audible through the trees. I was stationary when recording this. I wanted to have it come in from the right and then out the left. As if the character was standing looking out over the water with the water all around him (without this track, then track starts -birds and waves quieter) then turning around walking away from the water breaking, and up the hill. I tried to subtly make the character seem like they were walking up the steep hill like many people do, parallel to the waves, and then turning at the pass, and walking parallel in the other direction, but still up the hill. Thus, having a pan move the waves come from the right and then the left ear made sense to me. Even though when I did this (without recording) I just ran straight up and down the hill. I had the pan start immediately when the track did, at 100 percent right at 14 seconds, then panned left until 52 seconds, then slowly fading out and behind the character.
I wanted to have a rhythm start with the waves, then slowly walking the beach up into the woods, where one can hardly hear their footsteps, then into the woods where one does hear steps - with running and breathing. From 7 seconds to a minute I included the river closeup rain trees. This recording was recorded in Jacobus Park in Wauwatosa on a windy, rainy, afternoon/early evening. I believe I used 4 channel for this recording, but it may have been a nt3 closeup and then duplicated, made into a stereo file. I really can't remember. Anyway, I liked the idea of moving through the space of a beach and woods with a landmark - the creek (it was a really small little stream I recorded). For this, we'll call it a river. It starts at 7 seconds and lasts until the 1:10 mark. It starts in front of the character and to their left, and then they hop over the little stream - its at the center, then goes slightly to the right and behind the character as they run onward.
The breathing track I added to the piece to give it a more personification. It was recorded with an seinheiser nt3. I made some noise removal, keeping the breathing steady but naturally bumping around, then duplicated and created the stereo track. To signify the hurry that the character was in to leave this natural space and rushing back to civilization. It starts when the character starts to run away from the waves, past the stream, and then up out of the woods onto pavement until the bus stop. The running tracks were two different recordings. The first starts at about 30 seconds, right when the stream starts a steeper incline in volume. The river was slowly building as the character was supposed to moving away from the waves. This first one was recorded with an NT3 in Jacobus park in the woods near the stream, it was raining and windy, and I was running along a leaf filled dirt trail with occasional stone steps climbing upward. I made this track into a stereo file in audacity and then put what i wanted from it into the soundtrack pro project. The transition from this recording into the next running sequence presented some challenges to make it sound natural. The character is running through the woods, past a stream, then out of the woods, all in the rain, then onto pavement where there is some natural protection from rain, then the rain picks up steam and they run faster to catch the bus on time and get out of the rain underneath the bus shelter. The second running file was with a zoom recorder in stereo, recorded on a quiet nighttime on a suburb street with the zoom held as low, and pointed as downward at my feet as possible. I started running faster in the recording to give a different sound, and experiment, and decided on the hurrying up to reach the bus/get out of the rain, once I connected it with the church bells in the rain file.
The church bells in the rain is faded in as I begin to run faster. This was recorded with a 4 channel outside my apartment in riverwest on a rainy night without much traffic around. I tried to make the bells seem farther away and then have them draw closer with the fade in. The water draining from gutter was recorded 4 channel outside my apartment in the rain. I messed around with reverb to get a sound of what it sounded like to be under a bus shelter in heavy rain. It slowly builds up to it's height of volume as the hero stops running and reaches it. During this I have traffic sounds from a bunch of recordings.
I recorded a bunch of bus sounds, getting on the bus, getting off it, riding the bus, etc. One of those was recorded when the road was wet, to get the sound of cars driving by accurately - traffic sounds different in the rain, you know of course. So I used the waiting for the bus, 33, talking with marvin track for this sound. A bus does stop nearby, but I don't board it on this track, the talk with Marvin I didn't want to include, so I put another getting on bus track in addition to this one. That was the 1, getting on bus, starts to drive away decent track. I had it build up until you could hear the sound of the bus beeping. The waiting for bus track 33 stays on to keep the sound of wet tires and traffic. These, along with the next track of the bus doors opening/closing, were recorded with a zoom. All the zoom only tracks were recorded using a leather glove and the little screw-in handle, to keep bumps at a minimum. The actual boarding the bus and riding it track is the next one, a later part of the waiting for bus 33 track, where you can hear slight squeak of my foot as a I take a seat on this bus. This riding track then goes until I mesh it together with another bus track recording, bus 33, get off bus, grab bike. I know it's a very short bus ride, but that's the point, to go quickly from one space to another, but still keeping it realistic. I felt a long, long, bus ride doesn't need to be heard. Many times when I ride the bus, I simply doze off, but still awake, and time and space seem to operate on illogical levels, especially when reading. So the bus driver announces route 76, my stop, at 60th and Vliet, it's the end of the line. Thus, the bus stops, shuts down, and waits to depart.
BUS TO CITY BIKING BY SCRIMMAGE TO ENTERING MALL SEQUENCE
This brings us to the next sequence and space. So is the hero getting off the bus. During which the sounds from outside can be slightly heard while still inside. This includes many different tracks of different spaces and types of recordings. The church bells, seagulls, runner past, plane, truck track picks up as one gets off. This was done with a zoom on state and 2nd st. A runner ran past me as I started the recording and seagulls and church bells can be heard. Another traffic building up and then out as I depart the bus is the cars over bridge in waves track. This was recorded stationary with a zoom facing the bridge just west of the Marcus PAC and some hotel. Cars going over it made interesting noises from left to right, so I wanted to include it, as another symbol of rhythmic traffic and continuing hustle and bustle. I also added in the sound of the wind from my front porch. This wind was held minimal until the recording of biking. It was recorded with a zoom and nt4, 4 channel. It was a very windy day, and the leaves of autumn were still scraping along the streets. I live up a little hill, on the second floor, with the privilege of having two giant pines in my front yard. These resilient beasts created some cool wind sounds, which I put in for the sound of wind both swirling around me as I biked. So then we come to another track during this sequence, that slowly picks up as I bike away from the traffic noises. This is sound of a soccer scrimmage, at Valley field, on a pretty quiet night (around 9:30 pm). My initial attempt to sneak-zoom into a casino failed, so I took the gear to the middle of the field, (the 50 yard line, on the sideline, and recorded the adult scrimmage. Done as a 4 channel recording, stationary hand held zoom and mic stood nt4 (as all my 4 channel recordings were), one pointed slightly left and one pointed slightly right, kind of like a V, but a very wide V. My four channel recordings of stationary spaces usually were done so, with this shape, still getting that sound directly in front of you, though.
So the biking tracks were two different recordings as well. Both were done with a zoom hand held with the screwed on handle -as all them were, with strong grip leather gloves, and a windscreen and windsock of the mic, facing forward and a little down to get the wheel/wheel on the ground sound. The first one I had start at 2:05 and go until 2:24, this one ends with me putting on the brakes, which are hardly heard over the traffic going by, but the intention, at first, was to make it sound like the truck was cutting off the biker - forcing the biker to stop. This turns out to sound like traffic just kind of picks up and then stops. The biking does pause for a bit after braking, then continues on another biking recording - biking, car door shut to bike fall. I did actually fall on this recording because I couldn't reach the brakes, ha. I was ok, but I didn't include that fall sound. So this biking track picks up, after a brief pause and one can hear a whistle and some cheers from the soccer players. I raised the amplitude on both the biking tracks, and you can tell I am biking, at least I can, because that's what my bike sounds like. At first I had me ride around the running track by Valley field (around the soccer players), so they would be louder in the right ear and quieter in the second and would move around me. This apparently sounded too artificial, so I just made it so I was biking through and past the scrimmage. So I have the scrimmage go from 1:55 to 3:05. Starting in front of me and to right 22 degrees, then at center, then to the left 22 degrees and far behind me. I did do equalization on this track, as it was kind of a wet night, and traffic behind me could be really heard on the initial recordings. So I tried to locate and frequencies of the voices and kicks/running of the players, I felt I did so. In the latter half of this track the entrance mall music picks up. Malls always play this music, you can hear me get off my bike, it makes a bumping noise as if I am going down a curb. The scrimmage is taking place right before I reach a mall, with the mall on the left and ahead of it.
I chose not to include any more prominent footstep noises from here on. I could have, and maybe the piece would have sounded more realistic, but I didn't feel like including steps throughout the composition. I just didn't want to keep that theme throughout it. I could, and maybe I will, in another edition. When walking through a mall I hardly ever hear my footsteps, it's the last thing I can hear. The mall is an artificial space, so in this sense, the mall is kept artificial by the fact that footsteps can barely be heard as he walks towards Santa's workshop upon entering. As people are heard in the left and right, faintly, speaking to customers.
I really wanted to explore the mall sounds, and I think I did. The character enters with the music growing and the scrimmage is heard in the distance. Until he enters the entrance of the automatic doors. This entrance track was one recording. It was a 4 channel recording that became just a zoom, and the nt4 was pretty bumpy along the way (bumping into people leaving the mall didn't help). The voices heard hear were all from one recording, except for the recognizable distant voices of soccer players. As the entrance recording slowly comes from the left to center and staying there until it fades away, the Santa's workshop 4 channel recording begins and is gradually inclined as the character gets closer. As the character does get closer, recordings from different merchants are heard. All these were recorded with an NT3 closeup. I went around the mall, rarely telling people I was recording them, but kept the mic facing them as I asked questions on products, and to give me their best sales pitch. I aimed to have the character enter and then immediately hear shopping talk on their left, right, and in the middle. So I chose three, the shades talk on the right, moccasin talk in the middle building up and fading out as I reach center of Santa's workshop, then right before that ends is the basketball shoe talk on the left. The moccasin talk I chose to include because the voice says..."and, as well, you can take out the sole so if it's ever, um, if you want a new sole you can replace those". Replacing the sole of a moccasin seemed interesting to me, especially since I just came from a beach, river, woods; natural landscape where my footsteps were heard to a space where no footsteps were heard. Who replaces the soul at the mall? The "how many pairs of basketball shoes do you own?" question also intrigued me. There is only one thing that I think I am better at than all the people I know well or have hung out with more than once, and that's basketball. I own many pairs of bball shoes, but never wear a pair one day and another the next. It's always wear a pair until their completely unstable and untenable, then reluctantly give in and buy. The woman trying to sell me sunglasses was used because her logic was great. I would like what she held because a character named Snookie wore them. I initially had their voices higher and more moving from left to right/right to left, but I was told it sounded too artificial, which I probably did, so I lowered their volume and kept the panning left to right minimal, to keep it simple, and I hope more natural. Then the character stops having reached the epicenter of the mall, Santa's workshop. This was a 4 channel recording, that I don't think I was allowed to record, but I guess I looked like I was hired by Santa, or something. Santa's sound helper.
So that track initially starts at 3:06 and ends at 3:58, but is all by itself from 3:30 to 3:58. It fades out from 3:58 to 4:24, as the other 4 channel of Santa's workshop / Mall epicenter picks up. At 3:05 it is at 82 or so in front of the character, then at 3:30 it is at the center and stays there until it fades out entirely. This was done to create the mall sounds way out in front and then at one's center. I used surround stereo with the enveloping tools of volume, with surround pan x, and surround pan y almost exclusively, except for times I slightly increased the width of certain tracks.
I decided to include the "Colin, where's dad at?" bit. First, it's part of the santa's workshop track, and I wanted to include voices here. It's just that question that opens the ears of direction. But also because I had a neighborhood friend named Colin, who went canoeing down a river one summer day with his dad, and his dad drowned. I found about this after calling and asking if he wanted to catch a brewer game, and his aunt told me. I remember it as the first time I dealt with death. Repetitive listening to the track triggered this memory, and everything else, and I'm definitely over-thinking this, but it's what I hear when I listen to it, now, and sometimes that's all that matters.
This is the one time the character actually stops moving, from 3:30 to 3:59, they are in the Santa's Workshop, which was in the very middle of the ground floor of Mayfair Mall. I felt it more of an establishing shot at Mayfair, as if the character arrives from running, bussing, and biking and finally stops, relaxes a little, with the music, and thinks about where they are. At about 3:52 I included a very quiet closeup recording of a woman selling me a calendar saying, "Nuns having fun, it is just old pictures, of Nuns having a good time". I maybe should have increased this amplitude but it fits as almost inaudible talk in the middle of the mall. I tried to make it seem far away to the left. So I was about 11 feet away from the line to Santa, with Santa on the left forward about 15 feet away, and photographer on the right forward about 15 ft away. These two recordings were slightly different. Both were 4 channel, but the second one to come in, I positioned the mics a little bit more downward direction (parallel to the ground). The other 4 ch had them positioned slightly upward off the ground axis.
From 4:15 to 4:27 there is the good closeup register recording. It was recorded with an NT3 closeup on a register printing out the days transaction history. The register was in the middle of the mall, near some random Kiosk. The woman behind it offered me a complimentary butterscotch candy sucker, and I agreed to have it, but only if she let me record her actions. So then I asked her to open it up and close it. I felt it was necessary to get a register at the mall, and decided to place it here at Santa's workshop.
ESCALATOR TO FOOD COURT WALK AROUND SEQUENCE
At 4:28 I started the riding up the escalator recording. This begins farther away in front and to the right of the character and builds up in sound and then comes to center at its peak volume. This occurs as the Santa's workshop recording fades out and behind the character. During this escalator ride is the mutant alien talk it is supposed to be someone in front of the character as he rides up the escalator and reaches the next floor landing. The talk is occurring on the landing and builds up with the sound of the escalator getting louder. During this is the buildup of the food court recordings. From 4:34 to 5:34 the food court is there. These were two recordings. One was of me walking around the food court with the restaurants on my left. I held a zoom facing the restaurant lines and such during this. I panned it to the left to give the feel of the restaurants there. I put the 4 channel stationary recording from the center of the food court to the right. I tried to get the feeling of walking around the court with different sound coming from the left and right.
I added some recordings to this sequence. I added the chopping of food from my restaurant here, put it on the left, in front and then behind the character. I added some foreign language behind said by a cook in the food court walk around, put it to the left, front and then behind. The kid crying recording was from barnes and noble, and I had it in the middle front then middle behind the character. I added the sound of scooping up ice from a recording being in line at barnes and noble's cafe, and put it on the left, after the word 'sprite' is heard.
FOOD COURT TO ELEVATOR TO PARADE SEQUENCE TO RESTAURANT
Then comes the kid crying at barnes and noble recording, another part of it. This was done with a zoom as I walked towards the escalator at barnes and noble's 2nd floor. I liked the phone ringing and hello, as well as the sound of the escalator signifying that I had walked in a complete circle around the food court and was back where I began, the escalator. As this is fading out, I fade in the sound of the elevator track, at 5:18, while the food courts are still heard but quieter. This was done with a zoom getting on the elevator and then off. I rode it a few times and chose this one, it was the quietest ride I got, even though a man says 'this is kinda a creaky elevator, isn't it?". I liked the 'Feliz Navidad' being heard as I boarded, and then when I depart there's the Dia De Los Muertos Parade sounds. As this ride is going on, I add in a couple of recordings the parade. The first is at 5:44, a zoom, of just people walking around the parade making noises, the second is of a band walking by my zoom at the parade, which starts at 5:47 and fades in as I get reaches it max as the elevator door opens. I put these two zoom recordings on top of each other to create more of a 4 channel feel. These recordings, I messed with the surround panner of course a little, with the sound in front and then going behind the character. As they are fading out and going further behind, I put in the church bells off a 60th recording at 6:14. This was a new recording of bells, 4 channel, actually at 55th and Highland, outside St. Sebastian's in Milwaukee. I tried to make it sound like the character was moving away from parade, and back to work, and with these bells I had a smoother transition from the parade to the restaurant, as if the parade was right next to my restaurant, because bells were heard at both places.
At 6:35 the restaurant recording begins and it flies solo from 6:51 to the end. It was recorded with a zoom as I entered from outside on a city street, open one door, open another door, then in a lobby area, then quickly open another side entrance door to the restaurant, and then walk through the restaurant, push open the swinging doors to the server alley, someone says hello, I grab the key (which is connected to a metal handle that occasionally bumps stuff and makes a ringing tone). I walk through the alley, turn left past the kitchen on my right and dishwasher to the left, someone says 'adios pepe', ringing of the key metal thing, then opening and closing the door to the outside hallway. End of Sound Walk. This is the exact walk I take when I arrive to work, I walk through those doors, grab the key, and walk through the place, and close the door to the hallway - the hallway leads to the lockers where we change. I kept this recording centered through until the closing of the door. I walked through the restaurant with a zoom numerous times and chose this one. I liked its flow, and liked the ringing tone immediately after someone said something to me. And it ends with "adios pepe", a ringing tone, then something faintly heard, and the door shuts - THE END
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
SOUNDSCAPE FINAL - IMAGINARY SOUNDWALK
LINK TO MP3 FILE of SOUNDSCAPE
Keep in mind that the quality is not as good as the wave form; wave is 267 mb and this is only 17.7, so there is probably some hiccups in this. ENJOY. https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/xythoswfs/webview/fileManager.action?entryName=/jrklett/public/final&stk=42E25F26038D6BA
Keep in mind that the quality is not as good as the wave form; wave is 267 mb and this is only 17.7, so there is probably some hiccups in this. ENJOY. https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/xythoswfs/webview/fileManager.action?entryName=/jrklett/public/final&stk=42E25F26038D6BA
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
sonic soundscape: rough idea
traveling from one space to another. Going on a larger scale, getting on a bus, departing, boarding a train, getting off the train, walking around Chicago, into a coffee shop, taking the L, getting back on the train.
Another idea - I want to capture the sounds of biking around town. This might best be done with a wireless mic attached to part of the bike.
I want to get some park sounds as well. I am also thinking of doing the canoe/kayak plan too. If I can get into one, I'll try it down the Milwaukee River. I want my body going through space during these soundscapes. So we start with no-low tech and gradually increase to a plane. So first is walking, then biking, then a bus, then a car, then a train, then a plane. All of which have sound recorded from inside/on them, maybe include some noises while boarding and departing them. There is an idea so far, and will likely change a lot.
Another idea - I want to capture the sounds of biking around town. This might best be done with a wireless mic attached to part of the bike.
I want to get some park sounds as well. I am also thinking of doing the canoe/kayak plan too. If I can get into one, I'll try it down the Milwaukee River. I want my body going through space during these soundscapes. So we start with no-low tech and gradually increase to a plane. So first is walking, then biking, then a bus, then a car, then a train, then a plane. All of which have sound recorded from inside/on them, maybe include some noises while boarding and departing them. There is an idea so far, and will likely change a lot.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sonic Snapshot - Track Descriptions
Waves Closeup NT3
Recording - This recording was done on a partly cloudy day at Doctors Park, six feet from the water. On this day, I recorded over 25 recordings of the waves with different tech. Because someone forgot to return their zoom on time, as well as their mini-disk kit. I was left with a soundsystem box device, which was risky to bring beaching due to its $5000 price tag, and two NT3s. I recorded many with the two zooms, but kept getting different wave sounds, due to only having a true windsock on one of the NT3s. I thought many of the recordings would have sounded terrific, as I moved the NT3s around in different angles, facing the waves, facing the woods, deeper in the woods, closer to the top of the hill. I tried to get that true field of sound, placing the NT3s in the directions we were discussing. But it was really windy, and I chose to record with only one NT3 at least once, and this is that recording. There was only one NT3 hooked up to a soundsystem box. I was aiming for a closeup of the waves breaking. In post, I duplicated it and created a stereo track. I didn't compress it. I did do some equalization of the piece, limiting the low frequencies, as well as lowering its amplification to create more of a background set.
Stream waves in background - I recorded this with an NT4, as a stereo track above a creek/drain/little waterfall about 30 feet from the water. The mic was facing the water breaking and picked up some waves in the background. I didn't compress this, as I didn't compress any of these files. I lowered its amplification by moving the bar to the left on audacity.
Stream drain waves in bground - This recording was shortly after the previous one. It was at the same location, with an NT4 again, in stereo. I did the same with this one but also increased the higher frequencies to bring out something a little different, in post.
The third audio track is simply a continuation of the previous track, but because of some glitches and bumps in the initial recording, I cut it the bumps out, and added this one.
Birds in woods - This was recorded with an NT4 directed at a bunch of birds making noise. It was recorded more uphill from the waves, closer to the parking lot of Doctors park. There are a few cars heard in the background in the initial recording. I used the most clear part of the recording as a sample of the birds in the woods of Doctors park. In post, I raised the high frequencies to bring out the birds, didn't compress it, and kept them as they were but through equalization tried to remove the heavier, deeper frequencies, isolating the birds.
Waves Better Doctors Park stereo - I recorded this one with an NT4 connected to a zoom on a different day at Doctors Park. I was less windy, and less choppy on the lake. The waves weren't breaking as roughly today, but they were creating very interesting sounds on the water. It was easier to capture their true sound, I feel, and so I chose to include this track as one of the main tracks on this snapshot. I didn't do anything to this track, I believe. If I did it was very minimal equalization cutting the deeper frequencies. I thought it sounded alright as it originally was.
NT4 doctors park - This was the second major track on the snapshot. It was with an NT4 and zoom, initially, but I was picking up two different sets of waves breaking with the zoom and with the NT4. I also picked up too many bumps and hand movement with the zoom, and chose not to include its recording, but kept the NT4's. This was recorded farther away from the water. It was recorded halfway down/up the hill in the woods, in between the park grass and the water, with a building and trail between me and the water, and then finally beyond that was the water. I chose to include it due to the range of different sounds I got. I was getting birds, wind, leaves falling beside me, a man and his kid talking to each other having fun, and then finally someone running in the distance getting closer and closer to me. I still don't know where or who this someone was. I never saw them. It does sound like they are really close, so this must have been the case. I did quite a bit with this track, namely getting rid of little bumps here and there, as well as some EQ in an attempt to lower the sound of the waves, and increase the sound of the leaves falling, the child and man, and birds chirping. I had some difficulty getting rid of the constant hum of the waves and the building. I felt like the building was a sound that created a nice background, in a way, it was a constant, and constants do not change, to create a sense of being in one space at one time.
Dog bark
This one was recorded with an NT4 at the same location as the previous track, but in a different direction, but nearly the same time. I had some dog barking and birds chirping in this one and chose to keep it. I liked the balance it created with the rest of the location. There were less sounds of the building, and of the waves, but the recording wasn't long enough, and this was why it didn't last the entire piece.
Audubon Field -
I recorded this one with an NT4 and zoom I believe. I searched for a little field and found one. It was about 30 yards from the beach, but there were trees in between me and the water, which limited the wave noise. I tried the capture the wind blowing in the tall grassy field. I created a sense of increasing wind with a gradual increase in amplification.
I really, really, really tried to create a sense of being in one space at one time. It was incredibly difficult for me to get out to Doctors Park, especially without a car. I did end up getting out there four times, but each time I felt rushed because I didn't get to spend over two hours there each time. I did experiment with various equipment, the soundsystem box, the zoom, and NT4, and two NT3s. I recorded closeups, ambient shots, and searched for birds along the beach, in the woods, and near the audubon center. I have the birds placed where the plane comes in, the balance the low and high, and birds act this way sometimes when planes fly overhead. I also have the wind pick up during the times leaves are beginning to fall around me. I had the kid speaking up/yelling to someone right before I chose to lower the slow breaking water and increase the sound of more violent waves breaking (the NT3 closeup shot), to give the feeling that the kid may have been pointing out, "hey! look at that!", and then wooosh! I also tried to limit the white noise that was naturally occurring, not only on many individual tracks, but especially when two tracks with waves breaking were together (even distant waves breaking with closer waves breaking created a masked sense of sound). That was the most challenging aspect of this project, as well as finding out how to get there. So that's why I used the enveloping tool on the two main tracks. To bring their two distinct sounds in and out. I tried to create a sense that someone was standing right at the point where the trees end and the beach sand begins, and they were slowly (every minute or so) spinning around in a circle focusing on the sounds they were facing, but still keeping the lower track in the background. I had fun with this one Kelly, and look forward to the next project. Thanks for the feedback and help!
Recording - This recording was done on a partly cloudy day at Doctors Park, six feet from the water. On this day, I recorded over 25 recordings of the waves with different tech. Because someone forgot to return their zoom on time, as well as their mini-disk kit. I was left with a soundsystem box device, which was risky to bring beaching due to its $5000 price tag, and two NT3s. I recorded many with the two zooms, but kept getting different wave sounds, due to only having a true windsock on one of the NT3s. I thought many of the recordings would have sounded terrific, as I moved the NT3s around in different angles, facing the waves, facing the woods, deeper in the woods, closer to the top of the hill. I tried to get that true field of sound, placing the NT3s in the directions we were discussing. But it was really windy, and I chose to record with only one NT3 at least once, and this is that recording. There was only one NT3 hooked up to a soundsystem box. I was aiming for a closeup of the waves breaking. In post, I duplicated it and created a stereo track. I didn't compress it. I did do some equalization of the piece, limiting the low frequencies, as well as lowering its amplification to create more of a background set.
Stream waves in background - I recorded this with an NT4, as a stereo track above a creek/drain/little waterfall about 30 feet from the water. The mic was facing the water breaking and picked up some waves in the background. I didn't compress this, as I didn't compress any of these files. I lowered its amplification by moving the bar to the left on audacity.
Stream drain waves in bground - This recording was shortly after the previous one. It was at the same location, with an NT4 again, in stereo. I did the same with this one but also increased the higher frequencies to bring out something a little different, in post.
The third audio track is simply a continuation of the previous track, but because of some glitches and bumps in the initial recording, I cut it the bumps out, and added this one.
Birds in woods - This was recorded with an NT4 directed at a bunch of birds making noise. It was recorded more uphill from the waves, closer to the parking lot of Doctors park. There are a few cars heard in the background in the initial recording. I used the most clear part of the recording as a sample of the birds in the woods of Doctors park. In post, I raised the high frequencies to bring out the birds, didn't compress it, and kept them as they were but through equalization tried to remove the heavier, deeper frequencies, isolating the birds.
Waves Better Doctors Park stereo - I recorded this one with an NT4 connected to a zoom on a different day at Doctors Park. I was less windy, and less choppy on the lake. The waves weren't breaking as roughly today, but they were creating very interesting sounds on the water. It was easier to capture their true sound, I feel, and so I chose to include this track as one of the main tracks on this snapshot. I didn't do anything to this track, I believe. If I did it was very minimal equalization cutting the deeper frequencies. I thought it sounded alright as it originally was.
NT4 doctors park - This was the second major track on the snapshot. It was with an NT4 and zoom, initially, but I was picking up two different sets of waves breaking with the zoom and with the NT4. I also picked up too many bumps and hand movement with the zoom, and chose not to include its recording, but kept the NT4's. This was recorded farther away from the water. It was recorded halfway down/up the hill in the woods, in between the park grass and the water, with a building and trail between me and the water, and then finally beyond that was the water. I chose to include it due to the range of different sounds I got. I was getting birds, wind, leaves falling beside me, a man and his kid talking to each other having fun, and then finally someone running in the distance getting closer and closer to me. I still don't know where or who this someone was. I never saw them. It does sound like they are really close, so this must have been the case. I did quite a bit with this track, namely getting rid of little bumps here and there, as well as some EQ in an attempt to lower the sound of the waves, and increase the sound of the leaves falling, the child and man, and birds chirping. I had some difficulty getting rid of the constant hum of the waves and the building. I felt like the building was a sound that created a nice background, in a way, it was a constant, and constants do not change, to create a sense of being in one space at one time.
Dog bark
This one was recorded with an NT4 at the same location as the previous track, but in a different direction, but nearly the same time. I had some dog barking and birds chirping in this one and chose to keep it. I liked the balance it created with the rest of the location. There were less sounds of the building, and of the waves, but the recording wasn't long enough, and this was why it didn't last the entire piece.
Audubon Field -
I recorded this one with an NT4 and zoom I believe. I searched for a little field and found one. It was about 30 yards from the beach, but there were trees in between me and the water, which limited the wave noise. I tried the capture the wind blowing in the tall grassy field. I created a sense of increasing wind with a gradual increase in amplification.
I really, really, really tried to create a sense of being in one space at one time. It was incredibly difficult for me to get out to Doctors Park, especially without a car. I did end up getting out there four times, but each time I felt rushed because I didn't get to spend over two hours there each time. I did experiment with various equipment, the soundsystem box, the zoom, and NT4, and two NT3s. I recorded closeups, ambient shots, and searched for birds along the beach, in the woods, and near the audubon center. I have the birds placed where the plane comes in, the balance the low and high, and birds act this way sometimes when planes fly overhead. I also have the wind pick up during the times leaves are beginning to fall around me. I had the kid speaking up/yelling to someone right before I chose to lower the slow breaking water and increase the sound of more violent waves breaking (the NT3 closeup shot), to give the feeling that the kid may have been pointing out, "hey! look at that!", and then wooosh! I also tried to limit the white noise that was naturally occurring, not only on many individual tracks, but especially when two tracks with waves breaking were together (even distant waves breaking with closer waves breaking created a masked sense of sound). That was the most challenging aspect of this project, as well as finding out how to get there. So that's why I used the enveloping tool on the two main tracks. To bring their two distinct sounds in and out. I tried to create a sense that someone was standing right at the point where the trees end and the beach sand begins, and they were slowly (every minute or so) spinning around in a circle focusing on the sounds they were facing, but still keeping the lower track in the background. I had fun with this one Kelly, and look forward to the next project. Thanks for the feedback and help!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
SONIC SNAPSHOT
Above is the screenshot of the audacity project file. Each individual raw file can be found on my pantherfile public page, in the folder SONIC SNAPSHOT
Friday, October 14, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
INITIAL IDEA : SONIC SNAPSHOT
Location
I have a couple of ideas for this. I like them all, and will decide very soon which direction to go in.
First, I'm thinking of the estuary of Milwaukee. So we have a confluence of the KK, the Menomonee, and the Milwaukee, all connecting with Lake Michigan. It's Milwaukee's namesake. This isn't a totally normal space, and does offer some exciting opportunities for field recording. However, this location is somewhat close to traffic. The Hoan Bridge is an issue, as are smaller streets where, really, hardly anyone ventures down. It's at the southern end of the Third Ward. I wont be recording while in a motorized boat, but I could record in a canoe or kayak. I could get access to one. The Marina offers such chances. I could paddle or float around a while. On a calm day, this would allow for sounds of water brushing against the canoe as it moves. Probably some seagulls, some louder waves, occasional people in the distance, other boat traffic. Traffic from the city would be in the background, the foreground would likely be the water running by the canoe - paddling n such, and in the middle would likely be seagulls, waves, paddling, some closer traffic, etc. It would be pretty quiet at times, except for when boats toot their horns. Unfortunately, wind would certainly be heard. This would create some challenges, and thus, I don't know if getting a canoe in the lake would be the best, but maybe just one of our rivers would work.
I am also thinking of going to a little brushy field along the Hank Aaron trail. It's close to 35th and St. Paul, but by the river. There's an old Milwaukee train track that still is in use along this river. There's a spot distant from train tracks, close to the river (I could sit on a rock-or canoe in this). Salmon love to jump here. I would get some splashes. There is a road that runs along the Hank Aaron bike trail, but it's not entirely busy for large portions of the day. If I recorded at this location, I would go early in the morning, let's say 4 or 5 am, before the morning rush of workin coffee drinkin drivers. In the foreground would be water of the river, along with some walking footsteps from land and then into water, in the middle ground would be some wind, trees, leaves blowing and falling, and in the background would be lightly heard traffic, occasional horns and maybe a train.
With both these locations, I am aiming to record the diversity and textural sounds of a peaceful, quiet, and natural setting across land and water. That brings me to my last option, because I would love to record far away from the city, and am thinking of going to a farm, or in my uncle's town of New London, WI, to record some sounds along the Wolf River. I think it would be a great space for recording, there are some rapids, but primarily just consistent lazy river rolling. So there are occasional fisherman. They would be in the background, unless they walk right up close to me. There is no traffic to note. It's in the woods and there certainly is more wildlife here, but mainly birds. It's pretty quiet and the dominant feature would be the river water. There is a farm near my uncles where I might go as well, it borders the woods and the water, which would offer all three things I want to record - water moving, woods wildlife and trees, and distant animal noises. That's where I am thinking of going. In the foreground would be whatever comes my way, be it wind, be it a rooster, be it a horse, or the water. The background would likely be everything from trees, to distant animals, to maybe the sound of waves. In the middle-ground would be the brushy bushes and their inhabitants. I am thinking this is spot I'm going to choose.
I have a couple of ideas for this. I like them all, and will decide very soon which direction to go in.
First, I'm thinking of the estuary of Milwaukee. So we have a confluence of the KK, the Menomonee, and the Milwaukee, all connecting with Lake Michigan. It's Milwaukee's namesake. This isn't a totally normal space, and does offer some exciting opportunities for field recording. However, this location is somewhat close to traffic. The Hoan Bridge is an issue, as are smaller streets where, really, hardly anyone ventures down. It's at the southern end of the Third Ward. I wont be recording while in a motorized boat, but I could record in a canoe or kayak. I could get access to one. The Marina offers such chances. I could paddle or float around a while. On a calm day, this would allow for sounds of water brushing against the canoe as it moves. Probably some seagulls, some louder waves, occasional people in the distance, other boat traffic. Traffic from the city would be in the background, the foreground would likely be the water running by the canoe - paddling n such, and in the middle would likely be seagulls, waves, paddling, some closer traffic, etc. It would be pretty quiet at times, except for when boats toot their horns. Unfortunately, wind would certainly be heard. This would create some challenges, and thus, I don't know if getting a canoe in the lake would be the best, but maybe just one of our rivers would work.
I am also thinking of going to a little brushy field along the Hank Aaron trail. It's close to 35th and St. Paul, but by the river. There's an old Milwaukee train track that still is in use along this river. There's a spot distant from train tracks, close to the river (I could sit on a rock-or canoe in this). Salmon love to jump here. I would get some splashes. There is a road that runs along the Hank Aaron bike trail, but it's not entirely busy for large portions of the day. If I recorded at this location, I would go early in the morning, let's say 4 or 5 am, before the morning rush of workin coffee drinkin drivers. In the foreground would be water of the river, along with some walking footsteps from land and then into water, in the middle ground would be some wind, trees, leaves blowing and falling, and in the background would be lightly heard traffic, occasional horns and maybe a train.
With both these locations, I am aiming to record the diversity and textural sounds of a peaceful, quiet, and natural setting across land and water. That brings me to my last option, because I would love to record far away from the city, and am thinking of going to a farm, or in my uncle's town of New London, WI, to record some sounds along the Wolf River. I think it would be a great space for recording, there are some rapids, but primarily just consistent lazy river rolling. So there are occasional fisherman. They would be in the background, unless they walk right up close to me. There is no traffic to note. It's in the woods and there certainly is more wildlife here, but mainly birds. It's pretty quiet and the dominant feature would be the river water. There is a farm near my uncles where I might go as well, it borders the woods and the water, which would offer all three things I want to record - water moving, woods wildlife and trees, and distant animal noises. That's where I am thinking of going. In the foreground would be whatever comes my way, be it wind, be it a rooster, be it a horse, or the water. The background would likely be everything from trees, to distant animals, to maybe the sound of waves. In the middle-ground would be the brushy bushes and their inhabitants. I am thinking this is spot I'm going to choose.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
SOUND ASSIGNMENT - DESCRIPTION
This was a good learning experience. I have much to more to learn, but I have a greater understanding of the importance of sound recording locations, settings, as well as how to work through problems. I only used Audacity for this, and will be using Soundtrack Pro as well in the future. Now onto the descriptions of my recordings, their edits, and what I was aiming to do with them. The LINK TO SOUND ASSIGNMENT FOLDER is updated and hopefully you have access to it.
Water Dripping, Shower On
LINK TO SOUND ASSIGNMENT FOLDER
I recorded this with an NT4, in stereo. This was recorded with the shower room's door closed, so there wasn't much conflicting outside buzz. I was trying to get rid of the room rumbling noise on this track. With the Graphic EQ, I tested 60 and below taken off, and then 100 & below. I then went to drawing curves on the EQ. I lowered everything from -22dB below 100Hz, then 200Hz, then upward ramping to 400Hz. At 400 Hz there was a little detail lost, but it ridded the rumbling. So I decided to have a gradual ramp from 100 to 200Hz from -22dB to 0dB. Then I lowered the high pitches at 10000Hz down to -22dB. Then I messed around with the compressor, but decided not to use it. I think it got rid of most of the reverberations of the bath tubs walls, while still sounding like a shower getting turned on and so forth.
Plane Traffic Bird
#2 from previous assignment
I was trying to rid the background noise to isolate the birds. There was a runner running past stomping down the hill. I thought I was enclosed from outsiders, standing in the woods, but he came running pretty far away (but close enough) for me to hear him hockin a lugee, or something was in his throat, I don't know, but I tried to get rid of that too. I normalized it to 0dB, tried equalization at 1,000 Hz, a slow gradual incline. This didn't work so well, it made it too thin. Then I tried noise removal, got the noise profile. At -24dB it sound weird, took down to -15dB noise reduction, rose the attack time to .41. This didn't do much. I then selected noise profile again on a better portion of the track. Noise reduced to 48dB, then 42 dB, with the sensitivity to 1.65, and 150 frequency smoothing. This worked better, it ridded most of the background buzz of distant traffic. I didn't yet compress it yet, tried to, but didn't think it sound right. I did a high (band) pass filter to remove the car sound @ 15 seconds. This made it complete to me.
Creek Closeup Lawnmower
#9 previous assignment
This was recorded with the NT4 stereo setting as a closeup (6 inches from the H20 source) on a little flowing stream surrounded by walls 6 feet away. I targeted the distant lawnmower in the background, to get rid of it. I went to the EQ drawing board and put it at -26Hz until 100Hz and then ramped it up to gradually to 1000Hz. I did a double EQ at that setting, this double EQ and decreased the noise of the right ear lawnmower noise, enough. I messed around with the compressor and compressed it. I brought the ration to 1.5:1, was less aggressive. This sounded right to me.
Squirrel
Walking slowly and moving mic recording, part of assignment for movement.
I recorded this when it was windy outside, trying to capture the wind, and then this squirrel started to interrupt, so I tried to get his/her sound. There was wind, some traffic, and the sound of trees and the leaves. I started messing around with the noise removal of the wind/tree/leaves, to isolate to the squirrel noise. But I chose removal and not isolate on the selection tab. I put the settings to, in order from top to bottom, 31, .15, 150, to .14. I tried but wind got in the way, so I decided to use the equalizer first. I got rid of everything (-25dB) below 200 Hz, slowly up to 0dB at 100Hz. Then did noise profile at the traffic and normal noise sound (trees and leaves buzz) to isolate the squirrel. I was having difficulty, so I then I normalized it. Then to noise removal again because there was more sound (louder) to capture for profile. I tried to compress it, messed with the threshold at -12dB, then set the ration to 1.5 to 1, then 3 to 1, noise floor at -80. I clicked/unmarked the Make up gain for 0dB, I didn't compress it, I decided against it, feeling like I had what I wanted. I moved around during this take, a little at least, and the mic was moving from the wind and trees to the squirrel on a specific branch.
Wind front yard
This was taken with the same recording as the squirrel, it's what I had intended to take initially, but the squirrel kept up. There were trees, a car driven in the distance, and leaves blowing. I equalized it at first, got it to just get leaves, it was pretty thin. Then I tried normalizing, but it was way too loud, started different equalization, a little less, before 100Hz at -24dB, -6dB at 300Hz, then 1000Hz at 0dB. Tried bass boosting at 1dB, didn't like it that much. I undid the equalization, lowering the high frequency too, liked it more, at 10000Hz to -24dB. I did a little noise removal of the trees, to try to get just the wind on the mic, not the leaves or the tree. I amplified one dB up, normalized at 0dB, did noise removal again of just the leaves, I tried bass boost after after this to 4dB. In the future, to record wind, I am going to need to find a place far away from anything at all. I felt this eventually sounded like only the wind on the NT4 mic, for the most part, which is what I was aiming for. I had all the windscreen gear on and everything, two layers of it in fact, oh but I may as well try and catch the wind.
Creek Closeup Plane
#12 from previous assignment
4 channel with the zoom on board and the NT4 this time. I liked this noise but tried to get rid of the plane noise. At the time of recording I liked the plane going on in the background, but now I tried to isolate only the closeup creek. I aimed to lower the rumbling plane and other noises, isolating the higher pitch creek. Tried equalization, didn't like it at 100Hz at -24dB, slow ramp up to OdB by 200Hz, tried normalizing, didn't like it. So went to equalization and tried a much more gradual ramp at 100Hz -24dB, slowly up to 1000Hz at 0dB. Now tried to boost the bass, but not to my liking. Think it's good without it, a little trouble in the beginning of the take, I can hear the plane but not much as it goes on. I tried another equalization, more gradual incline, in a circular arc shape toward 1000Hz. This worked. I finally normalized it at 0dB to get louder sounds. I decided that even though it's lighter there is hardly any, if any, sound of the plane in the background. It still sounds like a creek, and a lot different one from the other recording of the same creek, which is okay by me.
Bird Chirp, Steppin, Zip
#6 from previous assignment
I was in the woods, but apparently not deep enough as there was distant traffic, planes flying overhead, a runner running past, kids, etc. This was intended to be a hand held closeup of my feet stomping on the ground, this bird kept chirping as I did it, and thought it could sound all right next to said bird. I aimed to single out the steps on the brush and the bird chirping as one, without the distant buzz of traffic. I normalized it to 0dB to boost all the audio. I highlighted second 2 of just background traffic. I noised reduced this to 25 dB, 7.67 sensitivity, 290 smooth, and 0.00. I got rid of the kid noise using a fade in from 0 to 1 second. I was weary of using noise reduction on this part because there was a bird chirping within the second of the kid. The kid's voice can be heard, but it's a lot quieter after the fade. I amplified the track to 4.8dB. Then I tried to get even more background sound out. I amplified it a little bit more to get the chirp up. Tried bass boosting to 12dB at 200Hz, and used noise removal at the noisy moving of the hand held mic at 40 seconds. I started this as a closeup on my feet and then moved the mic around toward the bird chirping, then back down to my jacket zipper to record a zipping noise. I feel like there was some movement and track diversity here.
Shower Curtain, Door
This one I recorded after my initial assignment posting. I wanted to capture the shower at different rates and different equipment. I first did some EQ work with the drawing curve. At -25dB from 20 Hz to 61 Hz. Then 61 Hz to 400 Hz slowly ramps up to 10000 Hz, it stays up from 400Hz and up. It goes upward this time in the editing to 15dB to get that high pitch even higher. I once again was trying to get rid of the lower rumbling noises. I normalized it to bring up the the overall audio level, and liked what I had.
Water Dripping, Shower On
LINK TO SOUND ASSIGNMENT FOLDER
I recorded this with an NT4, in stereo. This was recorded with the shower room's door closed, so there wasn't much conflicting outside buzz. I was trying to get rid of the room rumbling noise on this track. With the Graphic EQ, I tested 60 and below taken off, and then 100 & below. I then went to drawing curves on the EQ. I lowered everything from -22dB below 100Hz, then 200Hz, then upward ramping to 400Hz. At 400 Hz there was a little detail lost, but it ridded the rumbling. So I decided to have a gradual ramp from 100 to 200Hz from -22dB to 0dB. Then I lowered the high pitches at 10000Hz down to -22dB. Then I messed around with the compressor, but decided not to use it. I think it got rid of most of the reverberations of the bath tubs walls, while still sounding like a shower getting turned on and so forth.
Plane Traffic Bird
#2 from previous assignment
I was trying to rid the background noise to isolate the birds. There was a runner running past stomping down the hill. I thought I was enclosed from outsiders, standing in the woods, but he came running pretty far away (but close enough) for me to hear him hockin a lugee, or something was in his throat, I don't know, but I tried to get rid of that too. I normalized it to 0dB, tried equalization at 1,000 Hz, a slow gradual incline. This didn't work so well, it made it too thin. Then I tried noise removal, got the noise profile. At -24dB it sound weird, took down to -15dB noise reduction, rose the attack time to .41. This didn't do much. I then selected noise profile again on a better portion of the track. Noise reduced to 48dB, then 42 dB, with the sensitivity to 1.65, and 150 frequency smoothing. This worked better, it ridded most of the background buzz of distant traffic. I didn't yet compress it yet, tried to, but didn't think it sound right. I did a high (band) pass filter to remove the car sound @ 15 seconds. This made it complete to me.
Creek Closeup Lawnmower
#9 previous assignment
This was recorded with the NT4 stereo setting as a closeup (6 inches from the H20 source) on a little flowing stream surrounded by walls 6 feet away. I targeted the distant lawnmower in the background, to get rid of it. I went to the EQ drawing board and put it at -26Hz until 100Hz and then ramped it up to gradually to 1000Hz. I did a double EQ at that setting, this double EQ and decreased the noise of the right ear lawnmower noise, enough. I messed around with the compressor and compressed it. I brought the ration to 1.5:1, was less aggressive. This sounded right to me.
Squirrel
Walking slowly and moving mic recording, part of assignment for movement.
I recorded this when it was windy outside, trying to capture the wind, and then this squirrel started to interrupt, so I tried to get his/her sound. There was wind, some traffic, and the sound of trees and the leaves. I started messing around with the noise removal of the wind/tree/leaves, to isolate to the squirrel noise. But I chose removal and not isolate on the selection tab. I put the settings to, in order from top to bottom, 31, .15, 150, to .14. I tried but wind got in the way, so I decided to use the equalizer first. I got rid of everything (-25dB) below 200 Hz, slowly up to 0dB at 100Hz. Then did noise profile at the traffic and normal noise sound (trees and leaves buzz) to isolate the squirrel. I was having difficulty, so I then I normalized it. Then to noise removal again because there was more sound (louder) to capture for profile. I tried to compress it, messed with the threshold at -12dB, then set the ration to 1.5 to 1, then 3 to 1, noise floor at -80. I clicked/unmarked the Make up gain for 0dB, I didn't compress it, I decided against it, feeling like I had what I wanted. I moved around during this take, a little at least, and the mic was moving from the wind and trees to the squirrel on a specific branch.
Wind front yard
This was taken with the same recording as the squirrel, it's what I had intended to take initially, but the squirrel kept up. There were trees, a car driven in the distance, and leaves blowing. I equalized it at first, got it to just get leaves, it was pretty thin. Then I tried normalizing, but it was way too loud, started different equalization, a little less, before 100Hz at -24dB, -6dB at 300Hz, then 1000Hz at 0dB. Tried bass boosting at 1dB, didn't like it that much. I undid the equalization, lowering the high frequency too, liked it more, at 10000Hz to -24dB. I did a little noise removal of the trees, to try to get just the wind on the mic, not the leaves or the tree. I amplified one dB up, normalized at 0dB, did noise removal again of just the leaves, I tried bass boost after after this to 4dB. In the future, to record wind, I am going to need to find a place far away from anything at all. I felt this eventually sounded like only the wind on the NT4 mic, for the most part, which is what I was aiming for. I had all the windscreen gear on and everything, two layers of it in fact, oh but I may as well try and catch the wind.
Creek Closeup Plane
#12 from previous assignment
4 channel with the zoom on board and the NT4 this time. I liked this noise but tried to get rid of the plane noise. At the time of recording I liked the plane going on in the background, but now I tried to isolate only the closeup creek. I aimed to lower the rumbling plane and other noises, isolating the higher pitch creek. Tried equalization, didn't like it at 100Hz at -24dB, slow ramp up to OdB by 200Hz, tried normalizing, didn't like it. So went to equalization and tried a much more gradual ramp at 100Hz -24dB, slowly up to 1000Hz at 0dB. Now tried to boost the bass, but not to my liking. Think it's good without it, a little trouble in the beginning of the take, I can hear the plane but not much as it goes on. I tried another equalization, more gradual incline, in a circular arc shape toward 1000Hz. This worked. I finally normalized it at 0dB to get louder sounds. I decided that even though it's lighter there is hardly any, if any, sound of the plane in the background. It still sounds like a creek, and a lot different one from the other recording of the same creek, which is okay by me.
Bird Chirp, Steppin, Zip
#6 from previous assignment
I was in the woods, but apparently not deep enough as there was distant traffic, planes flying overhead, a runner running past, kids, etc. This was intended to be a hand held closeup of my feet stomping on the ground, this bird kept chirping as I did it, and thought it could sound all right next to said bird. I aimed to single out the steps on the brush and the bird chirping as one, without the distant buzz of traffic. I normalized it to 0dB to boost all the audio. I highlighted second 2 of just background traffic. I noised reduced this to 25 dB, 7.67 sensitivity, 290 smooth, and 0.00. I got rid of the kid noise using a fade in from 0 to 1 second. I was weary of using noise reduction on this part because there was a bird chirping within the second of the kid. The kid's voice can be heard, but it's a lot quieter after the fade. I amplified the track to 4.8dB. Then I tried to get even more background sound out. I amplified it a little bit more to get the chirp up. Tried bass boosting to 12dB at 200Hz, and used noise removal at the noisy moving of the hand held mic at 40 seconds. I started this as a closeup on my feet and then moved the mic around toward the bird chirping, then back down to my jacket zipper to record a zipping noise. I feel like there was some movement and track diversity here.
Shower Curtain, Door
This one I recorded after my initial assignment posting. I wanted to capture the shower at different rates and different equipment. I first did some EQ work with the drawing curve. At -25dB from 20 Hz to 61 Hz. Then 61 Hz to 400 Hz slowly ramps up to 10000 Hz, it stays up from 400Hz and up. It goes upward this time in the editing to 15dB to get that high pitch even higher. I once again was trying to get rid of the lower rumbling noises. I normalized it to bring up the the overall audio level, and liked what I had.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Recording Log - 9/26
Recordings
1. Location - Hawthorne Glen park, wauwatosa. sitting on a log, the trees/woods form a half moon dome around me on the side i am facing, to my back is smaller brush and then an empty soccer field. time 5:38 pm. September 26th.
Rode NT3 plugged into only input 1. Cloudy but with sun shining through.
44.1 / 16. stereo 1 and 2, audio recording at 100.
NT3 - only could get audio in left ear. starts with plane going by and then consistent birds chirping, you hear a little thump at 40 seconds, must have been losing my grip on the zoom. then hear train blowing horn around 1:05. birds chirping throughout, train comes back at 1:50 onward.
2. 5:45 pm. HGLEN, 9/26. more in the little patch of woods. NT4, at 100 recording level. 44.1/16. 1 and 2 input reading. very distant traffic slightly heard. plane flies by soaring noise, is pretty cool and powerful. birds heard in the distance shortly afterward. you can hear ones from the right and left, as if talking to one another. someone hocking lugee at 1:15. hear steps starting at 1:45. heavy but distant and quiet. go from left to the right, and then it ends.
3. 6pm HGLE, 9/26. same spot as recording 2. rode NT4 and MIC board from zoom. levels at 48/24. at 100 level then lowered it to 75 and 82. 4 channel.
you can hear my steps and movement around the place until 25 seconds. then quiet, with kids talking at 20 to 40. hear movement at 48 seconds, sniffle at 56 - don't like. hand on the zoom at 1:10. breathing at 1:20. loud self produced/unwanted noise at 1:35 to 1:40. I like this recording if it weren't for my own faults. sirens throughout and get louder and louder. wind heard around 2:10 or so, not too bad. 3:05 don't like because of my movement of the cords, you can hear them too loud. but afterward it's something good - kids playing. decent recording if it weren't for the movements and adjustments with the sound recording levels. kept hearing the cords.
4. 6:05 HGLEN 9/26. on board zoom mic only. same spot as 2 and 3. wave 44.1/16 bit. the kid and sirens are decent noise. I am facing now 90 degrees different, then back to where I was, then 180 degrees turn around to face the field more so, then toward 90 degrees west, where the kids were. The kid is hollering over the sirens. switched the zoom to 120 as the kid was talking which disrupted the sound - a lot.
5. 6:20 HGLEN, RODE NT4 only. 44/24 recording at 100. this is a decent recording of constant closeup noise of feet on the leaves and twigs from the left to the right. water falling from the bottle onto the ground below. focusing on the brush below my feet, close up on that. don't like the sticks braking the sound barrier (sound clips), the ones that don't are good.
6. 6:23 HGLEN same as 5, more in the woods like it was. On board zoom mic, this mic picks up more noise than the NT4. 44/24 recording, at 100 recording level. I get the a zipper going on my jacket included in this one. And do the left foot right foot movement, which you can hear pretty well. Unfortunately a problem area are the bumps along the way, the zoom appears to be not as quiet (and handy) as the Rode NT4.
7. 6:30 HGLEN. Moving through space mic and feet moving. Little breezes from the wind caught by moving the mic around. Don't like it that the NT3 only is picking up left noise, also don't like my hand movement heard at . start to hear crickets here.
8. 6:45 PM HGLEN. Using the NT4 at 44.1 /16 bit. I moved the mic in a circular way here, then left and right at the end where the wind picked up with the faster mic movement. hand movement heard at beginning =don't like. I have to keep my movement slower, and then even more slower.
9. 7- 8 pm. Washington Highland's, Wauwatosa, creek closeup, just south of southern bridge. 44.1/16 bit. NT4 only. 1 & 2 stereo. at 80 record level in 1 and 2. Except for the sound clipping once or twice, I feel this is nice recording, probably due to minimal, if any, movement. highest audio levels are at -2 db, but most are hovering around -6 or little lower.
10. 7-8 creek 12-18 inches from source. audio levels are at -6 highest, and usually between -15 and -13. same settings as number 9, with NT4 again. Another solid recording, but i can hear more of the background noise, as the movement away from the water source would suggest.
11. creek background noise. 7-8pm. NT4. records level kept the same as previous 2. This is another decent recording. I've found the better recordings are usually ones where i don't have to move, at all. kids heard far away - footsteps and little people voices. you can hear cars drive by at 39 seconds, and constant lawn mower farther away is more audible than previous two creek takes. audio levels are around -24.
12. creek closeup with the 44.1/16bit, same settings as before but in addition to the NT4, the zoom on board mic attached as well, and 4 channel switched on. The sound hear is a little louder than before, especially the on board mic, which is picking up higher readings than when using only the nt4 at stereo.
13. creek midrange. NT4 and on board zoom mic. same settings as number 12. 12 -18 inches from the creek water source. On all of these there are rocks surrounding the little stream, and theres a 5 foot wall this is a decent one as well, and am picking up some more background lawn mowing going on, cars driving by, and kids again.
14. creek background. about 7 feet from the source. same settings as 12 and 13. Rode NT4 and on board zoom mic. This is very quiet so I adjusted the noise from recording levels at 80 to recording them at 95 at 1 minute, for both the NT4 and the on board zoom mic. I've found it's best not to adjust these levels while in the process of recording, cause you're gonna get that self inflicted cracks when you touch the zoom, of course.
15. Wind recording. This one was difficult but with the screen in the bag given it worked out nicely. there was very little wind going on at HGLEN. so I went to the lake - bradford beach, about 30 ft from shore. and got some decent noise, but still muffled, one hears the muffled wind/waves/seagulls all over the place. Used Rode NT4, with the on board zoom mic at 4 channel, at 85 recording level. about 10pm at night. Okay recording, could use less roughness; it was almost all or none for the wind, need to find the good sound between.
15. backyard of folks house. It's a garden yard, with a nice patch of grass. about 8:15 pm. Crickets are heard. The settings are only with the Rode Nt4 mic, at 44.1 and 16/bit. I was moving too fast, and I could my breath sometimes along with my steps. got to work on being stealth. hand movement heard, plane throughout. crickets heard constant, footsteps-dont like. loud laughter at 35 seconds. steps - don't like. hand on the wires is making noise - this occurred frequently, how do i limit that noise. when I stop its better sound. constant crackling of the wires heard throughout the piece. after i adjusted the audio levels the sound is more clear, but i hear myself making movement louder- of course.
1. Location - Hawthorne Glen park, wauwatosa. sitting on a log, the trees/woods form a half moon dome around me on the side i am facing, to my back is smaller brush and then an empty soccer field. time 5:38 pm. September 26th.
Rode NT3 plugged into only input 1. Cloudy but with sun shining through.
44.1 / 16. stereo 1 and 2, audio recording at 100.
NT3 - only could get audio in left ear. starts with plane going by and then consistent birds chirping, you hear a little thump at 40 seconds, must have been losing my grip on the zoom. then hear train blowing horn around 1:05. birds chirping throughout, train comes back at 1:50 onward.
2. 5:45 pm. HGLEN, 9/26. more in the little patch of woods. NT4, at 100 recording level. 44.1/16. 1 and 2 input reading. very distant traffic slightly heard. plane flies by soaring noise, is pretty cool and powerful. birds heard in the distance shortly afterward. you can hear ones from the right and left, as if talking to one another. someone hocking lugee at 1:15. hear steps starting at 1:45. heavy but distant and quiet. go from left to the right, and then it ends.
3. 6pm HGLE, 9/26. same spot as recording 2. rode NT4 and MIC board from zoom. levels at 48/24. at 100 level then lowered it to 75 and 82. 4 channel.
you can hear my steps and movement around the place until 25 seconds. then quiet, with kids talking at 20 to 40. hear movement at 48 seconds, sniffle at 56 - don't like. hand on the zoom at 1:10. breathing at 1:20. loud self produced/unwanted noise at 1:35 to 1:40. I like this recording if it weren't for my own faults. sirens throughout and get louder and louder. wind heard around 2:10 or so, not too bad. 3:05 don't like because of my movement of the cords, you can hear them too loud. but afterward it's something good - kids playing. decent recording if it weren't for the movements and adjustments with the sound recording levels. kept hearing the cords.
4. 6:05 HGLEN 9/26. on board zoom mic only. same spot as 2 and 3. wave 44.1/16 bit. the kid and sirens are decent noise. I am facing now 90 degrees different, then back to where I was, then 180 degrees turn around to face the field more so, then toward 90 degrees west, where the kids were. The kid is hollering over the sirens. switched the zoom to 120 as the kid was talking which disrupted the sound - a lot.
5. 6:20 HGLEN, RODE NT4 only. 44/24 recording at 100. this is a decent recording of constant closeup noise of feet on the leaves and twigs from the left to the right. water falling from the bottle onto the ground below. focusing on the brush below my feet, close up on that. don't like the sticks braking the sound barrier (sound clips), the ones that don't are good.
6. 6:23 HGLEN same as 5, more in the woods like it was. On board zoom mic, this mic picks up more noise than the NT4. 44/24 recording, at 100 recording level. I get the a zipper going on my jacket included in this one. And do the left foot right foot movement, which you can hear pretty well. Unfortunately a problem area are the bumps along the way, the zoom appears to be not as quiet (and handy) as the Rode NT4.
7. 6:30 HGLEN. Moving through space mic and feet moving. Little breezes from the wind caught by moving the mic around. Don't like it that the NT3 only is picking up left noise, also don't like my hand movement heard at . start to hear crickets here.
8. 6:45 PM HGLEN. Using the NT4 at 44.1 /16 bit. I moved the mic in a circular way here, then left and right at the end where the wind picked up with the faster mic movement. hand movement heard at beginning =don't like. I have to keep my movement slower, and then even more slower.
9. 7- 8 pm. Washington Highland's, Wauwatosa, creek closeup, just south of southern bridge. 44.1/16 bit. NT4 only. 1 & 2 stereo. at 80 record level in 1 and 2. Except for the sound clipping once or twice, I feel this is nice recording, probably due to minimal, if any, movement. highest audio levels are at -2 db, but most are hovering around -6 or little lower.
10. 7-8 creek 12-18 inches from source. audio levels are at -6 highest, and usually between -15 and -13. same settings as number 9, with NT4 again. Another solid recording, but i can hear more of the background noise, as the movement away from the water source would suggest.
11. creek background noise. 7-8pm. NT4. records level kept the same as previous 2. This is another decent recording. I've found the better recordings are usually ones where i don't have to move, at all. kids heard far away - footsteps and little people voices. you can hear cars drive by at 39 seconds, and constant lawn mower farther away is more audible than previous two creek takes. audio levels are around -24.
12. creek closeup with the 44.1/16bit, same settings as before but in addition to the NT4, the zoom on board mic attached as well, and 4 channel switched on. The sound hear is a little louder than before, especially the on board mic, which is picking up higher readings than when using only the nt4 at stereo.
13. creek midrange. NT4 and on board zoom mic. same settings as number 12. 12 -18 inches from the creek water source. On all of these there are rocks surrounding the little stream, and theres a 5 foot wall this is a decent one as well, and am picking up some more background lawn mowing going on, cars driving by, and kids again.
14. creek background. about 7 feet from the source. same settings as 12 and 13. Rode NT4 and on board zoom mic. This is very quiet so I adjusted the noise from recording levels at 80 to recording them at 95 at 1 minute, for both the NT4 and the on board zoom mic. I've found it's best not to adjust these levels while in the process of recording, cause you're gonna get that self inflicted cracks when you touch the zoom, of course.
15. Wind recording. This one was difficult but with the screen in the bag given it worked out nicely. there was very little wind going on at HGLEN. so I went to the lake - bradford beach, about 30 ft from shore. and got some decent noise, but still muffled, one hears the muffled wind/waves/seagulls all over the place. Used Rode NT4, with the on board zoom mic at 4 channel, at 85 recording level. about 10pm at night. Okay recording, could use less roughness; it was almost all or none for the wind, need to find the good sound between.
15. backyard of folks house. It's a garden yard, with a nice patch of grass. about 8:15 pm. Crickets are heard. The settings are only with the Rode Nt4 mic, at 44.1 and 16/bit. I was moving too fast, and I could my breath sometimes along with my steps. got to work on being stealth. hand movement heard, plane throughout. crickets heard constant, footsteps-dont like. loud laughter at 35 seconds. steps - don't like. hand on the wires is making noise - this occurred frequently, how do i limit that noise. when I stop its better sound. constant crackling of the wires heard throughout the piece. after i adjusted the audio levels the sound is more clear, but i hear myself making movement louder- of course.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Soundwalk
Location - 20 yards south of Lake Park, on top of the hill, open valley part, at the end of Bradford. (Milwaukee).
1. My footsteps leading to the stopping point, then the sound of me sitting. runners footsteps to the west, constant traffic below to the west (louder as I was closer to the valley - where there were no trees to block sound). some cars driving past to the west - almost rhythmic. people talking behind and west of me. I could hear distant west traffic, almost in a constant state but with jarring noises every now and then. The sound of the trees' leaves as the wind tossed them around - this was rhythmic and flowing all around me. Pants of runners, talking too, very soft. paper in the wind, this was loud. Leaves blowing on the ground with texture, softly and then louder and rough as they grew close. tall grass in the valley, constant, close, soft, and to the east in front of me on the hill. birds - fairly regular and repetitive. faint sound of crickets to the east and north - constant buzz. 1 sound of a seagull, distant to the east and lower by the beach.
2. Walked north 100 yards to a more enclosed space. closer to the woods. Now in Lake Park, where there were trees blocking my view of the beach, so the easterly sound was occluded somewhat. The constant sound was much louder of leaves blowing in the trees to the wind's rhythm. the high frequency sounds were of cars driving past behind me. another high one was the sound of branches breaking as something was festering in the woods, likely a squirrel as I saw one come close shortly afterward. Lower sounds included the traffic way to the east by lake drive, and way west. The lower sounds were of the runners steps farther away behind me (west), soft. Birds chirping were soft, then louder with a group of seagulls making their noise lower to the east near the beach behind the trees. Tiniest sounds were of writing this, leaves moving around me on the ground, leaves falling from the trees. I heard a distant child to the west behind me. The crickets i couldn't hear as well, they were very faint, as the day was breaking. I couldn't hear the runners steps as well either, as i moved farther from their path.
3. I am trying to scan my map now, at UWM
1. My footsteps leading to the stopping point, then the sound of me sitting. runners footsteps to the west, constant traffic below to the west (louder as I was closer to the valley - where there were no trees to block sound). some cars driving past to the west - almost rhythmic. people talking behind and west of me. I could hear distant west traffic, almost in a constant state but with jarring noises every now and then. The sound of the trees' leaves as the wind tossed them around - this was rhythmic and flowing all around me. Pants of runners, talking too, very soft. paper in the wind, this was loud. Leaves blowing on the ground with texture, softly and then louder and rough as they grew close. tall grass in the valley, constant, close, soft, and to the east in front of me on the hill. birds - fairly regular and repetitive. faint sound of crickets to the east and north - constant buzz. 1 sound of a seagull, distant to the east and lower by the beach.
2. Walked north 100 yards to a more enclosed space. closer to the woods. Now in Lake Park, where there were trees blocking my view of the beach, so the easterly sound was occluded somewhat. The constant sound was much louder of leaves blowing in the trees to the wind's rhythm. the high frequency sounds were of cars driving past behind me. another high one was the sound of branches breaking as something was festering in the woods, likely a squirrel as I saw one come close shortly afterward. Lower sounds included the traffic way to the east by lake drive, and way west. The lower sounds were of the runners steps farther away behind me (west), soft. Birds chirping were soft, then louder with a group of seagulls making their noise lower to the east near the beach behind the trees. Tiniest sounds were of writing this, leaves moving around me on the ground, leaves falling from the trees. I heard a distant child to the west behind me. The crickets i couldn't hear as well, they were very faint, as the day was breaking. I couldn't hear the runners steps as well either, as i moved farther from their path.
3. I am trying to scan my map now, at UWM
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