A Maryland Nature Recordists road trip led to south Carolina for a weekend of recording workshops and exchange of ideas. Recorded at the SONG Conference in June, 2007. In the Carolina Sandhill National Wildlife Refuge, “Pool E”. Carpenter Frogs, Eastern Wood Peewee, Red Cockaded Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, are among the many species heard in this recording. Special thanks goes out to Robin Carter for putting this event together. ORTF, Schoeps MK21,SD 744t
The Tubman Road Trail is a remote trail that doesn’t pull many visitors away from the main part of the refuge (not at 7pm Saturday evening anyway). The day I was there there was a lot of wildlife, snakes frogs, etc. Northern Bobwhite, Northern Cricket Frogs, and Laughing Gulls can be heard. The front was recorded with my standard ORTF Schoeps array, the rear is a set of omni mics about 1 meter apart on either side of the ORTF. This is a four channel recording.
May 5th, 2007 6:40am The Maryland Nature Recordists captured this dawn chorus on Saturday morning. The spring woodland features, warblers, vireos, blue jays, red-bellied woodpecker and a brown-headed cowbird. Originally part of a surround recording, these are spaced DPA 4006 omni mics apx. 1m apart.
We’re back from China, didn’t find many quiet serene places but did come back with a wealth of urban soundscapes which I’ll be posting in the next few days. We visited Beijing, Xi’an, and Simatai (Great Wall), we loved our time in this beautiful country. Nicole spent almost 7 weeks there finishing her final clinical rotation for nursing school.
It was about 2pm in the afternoon when this bell started ringing across the square in the center of the city. The belltower (钟楼), across from the appropriately named drumtower, and between the Belltower Hotel, once contained a much larger bell used for announcing the time. Captured with DPA 4060 lavaliere mics into the SD 744t. Use headphones for best effect.
April 25th, 2007 Across from our hotel in Xi’an was a fish market: eel, flounder, toads, and jellyfish were among many that were unknown to us. The highlight of this recording for me was a boy of about 6 or 7 who paused in his shrimp de-veining duties (or whatever his family was doing) and said “hello”. The sound that comes out of his mouth sounded like a musical note, or the ploink of dripping water. Captured with DPA 4060 lavaliere mics into the SD 744t. Use headphones for best effect.
April 23, 2007 Returning from our exploration of this steep and remote section of the Great Wall, my traveling partner Ron and I came across this blind man playing his sanxian (三弦). He blessed us with two songs, the second of which is represented here. Derived from an MS recording, Schoeps MK21/8 into a Sound Devices 744t.
It is Spring at the Summer Palace (頤和園), my wife Nicole and I were exploring the freshly blooming flora and we came upon this ethereal voice from the far reaches of the woods. The close singer, reports Nicole, seemed to be mocking the mysterious voice. Hordes of Chinese tourists were also present. Captured with DPA 4060 lavaliere mics into the SD 744t. Use headphones for best effect.
April 22, 2007 / 9:22 am Nicole and I were heading to the Summer Palace. We picked up this bus near Wangjing District and took it to Chaoyang, near the hospital where she was working at the time. The bus was packed pretty full, comfortable for those of us used to riding MUNI buses through San Francisco’s Chinatown during rush hour. DPA 4060 lavaliere mics into the SD 744t. Use headphones for best effect.
Maryland Nature Recordists outing with Danny Meltzer, his recording can be found here. This is based on a double MS recording, featuring Schoeps MK21 sub -cardioid capsules. Download the wma file to listen.
In late March 2007 I headed up the Yearling Trail in Ocala National Forest on a windy spring day, I found a spur trail just into the longleaf pine edge of Pat’s Island. There isn’t much to hear here besides the wind in the tall trees, but the quietude was exceptional that day.
Cliff Swallows & Yellow Headed-blackbirds, CA Jun 2005 Another Nature Sound society workshop, this was recorded at the truss bridge. There were Black Ibis and American Coot in the area as well. ORTF, Schoeps MK21, Grace V3, HHB MDP500
Recorded at Alcatraz Island, GGNRA, CA May 2005
The next morning the same side of the island, very strange Dan Dugan and I spent the night in cellblock B. You can hear a Pigeon Guillemot at the very top of the recording, it’s the very high pitched one. Also Western Gulls and Brant’s Cormorants (the croaky, grunty one). ORTF, Schoeps MK21, Grace V3, HHB MDP500
Feeding on Alcatraz GGNRA, CA May 2005 Dan Dugan and I were invited to record some of the nesting birds. This was a superb location on the south side of the island, we were able to place the mics within 5′ of the nesting birds. There were juvenile herons flying in and out throughout the late afternoon light. ORTF, Schoeps MK21, Grace V3, HHB MDP500
April 2005 Another listening/recording workshop put on by Paul Matzner and myself. Just off of highway 1 on the south side of Arcata at the nature center. If you listen carefully you can hear Paul across the marsh doing his soundwalk. ORTF, Schoeps MK21, Grace V3, HHB MDP500
Featuring Tundra Swans, At the Lodi Crane Festival, November 2004 Paul Matzner and I were presenting a recording/listening workshop for the second time. This year we had time for some recording, this represents my first (and last) effort at field recording with a laptop. I powered my MOTU 896 HD from a 12v battery and an inverter. The laptop gave out before the interface. It really proved to me the difficulty of field recording with a laptop. A-B, Schoeps MK21, Grace V3, MOTU 896, Laptop Based on the original surround recording with the “gregga array”.
November 2004 This is a small sample of what the whole four channels sounded like that morning, if I recall the front channels were the MK21 sub-cardioids and the rear were the DPA 4006 omnis. Recorded out of the uniquely colored Oakland Museum station wagon. Quad recording into a laptop (you wil need a surround compatible sound card and setup)
3rd of July, 2004 The morning was full of mosquitoes, a cardinal was calling, a few red-wing blackbirds were around as well. I retreated to the car as soon as I started rolling. M-S, Schoeps MK41/MK8, Grace V3, HHB MDP500
Sequoia National Park, CA June 2004 5:00 am There was a lovely stream or two running through our camp, Nicole and I encountered a bear and cub on our way up to the camp spot. For some reason there were deer around the campground as well looking and licking for salt urine, or at least that is what they seemed to be doing. There is a stream in the distance running through Mehrten Meadow. ORTF, Schoeps MK21, Grace V3, HHB MDP500
Sierra Valley CA June 2003 This was during the Nature Sounds Society workshop that year. I’m sure there was a fine mist burning off of the sunrise, and the cows were getting ready to break into their morning song. ORTF, Schoeps MK21, Grace V2, HHB MDP500
