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We are just heading into the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic surge here in California. I needed to get my new recording rig out locally to confirm that I can backpack it (yes), not damage it while traveling (yes) and fit all of my necessities (tent, sleeping bag, etc.) (probably). My backpack in the the far right middle of the photo.

The crackling you hear is from the power lines above, this is in Chico, California’s Bidwell Park and the city rumble is heavily rolled off the bottom end. One can hear park users in the distance. It is a quad recording so if you can figure out how to listen to four channels please enjoy the immersion

I recorded in the same place about 10 years ago as outlined here. That was stereo, this is a quad with a sub-cardioid (MKH 8090), into a SD MixPre10 II.

Photo Courtesy of t_camuti ©2006

The sound you are about to hear is one that fascinated me the first time I took a walk in Bidwell Park.  In January I recorded it, reported to be the third largest urban park in the US, Bidwell Park is located within the city limits of Chico, CA near “Lake” Oroville and the Oroville Dam whose power travels along said lines.   The crackling that is heard is an effect called corona discharge [Wikipedia] and is caused by the interaction of power and humidity or other particles in the air surrounding the lines  (as I understand it).

As you can hear the city of Chico is on the right side of the image, it is somewhat heavily rolled off to provide a more pleasant listening experience.

MS, Schoeps MK21, SD 744t