field recording

[billygoatmersh]

Hey everybody

I've been into home recording for nearly a year now. I use a pentium 4 computer with an audiophile soundcard, powertracks, a pre amp, and a shure 58. Recently, I have wanted to get into field recordings and sound collages. What I would like to do is go around town gathering various sounds, then transfer them to the computer, take the raw date, cut and paste the sounds away from each other, then put them in the order I want. Do any of you know what further equipment I would need for this?

[twilightdark]

Well the best way to do it (if you have the money) is to do it like a real location audio guy would on a video or film shoot. Get a field recorder (R-DAT, Nagra, or hard disk) and get a shotgun microphone (you might not need a boom pole, a pistol grip might be good enough for what you're doing). You'll also need headphones to monitor.

If your budget (and/or expectations of quality) isnt that big, maybe you could get a minidisc recorder and rig your 58 into it.

[billygoatmersh]

Hey man that sounds great, I am kinda strapped for cash, do you know how much the minidisc recorder and everything would cost by any chance?

[twilightdark]

Actually, you know what might be cheaper and easier to hook up. One of those Boss digital recorders with all the built in drums and lame effects. It's got XLR, so you wouldnt have to frig around with adapters if the minidisc recorder didnt have it.

Actually I have used one of those boss digital recorders to grab dialogue, outdoor sound effects, footsteps, engine and wind sounds while driving across a bridge, etc... We used it because we didnt have access to a field mixer or portable recorder, but we did hook up a shotgun mic to it. Biggest beef I have with it is that it sucks for monitoring, because whenever you monitor (through headphones) what you're currently recording there is this really, really bad thick reverb. But other than that, it did the job.

Also, I would recommend if you can't afford an actual shotgun mic, at least look around and price condensor microphones with a hyper-cardiod pattern (a shotgun mic is basically that, but it has REALLY good rejection from the sides, so it's hyper-card pattern is really tight and fucused). It would work a lot better than the 58: it would reject noise that is off access, so you wouldnt get a lot of background crap, and it would be more sensitive, so you could grab quieter sounds or sounds far away. Walking around the street with a shotgun mic is fun, because you can actually inconspicuously point it at people and hear their cellphone conversations, etc., and they don't even know it.

[billygoatmersh]

That's really an ideal set up. Unfortuneatly I have very little money, do you think this would be at all possible with a 4 track recorder and I could just transfer the data into the computer some magical way?

[twilightdark]

Any device that you can lug about and audio can go in and audio can go out will work. However, it's just a matter of ease of use, and fidelity.

[scuzzrockdeluxe]

Unless you want to pick up wind outdoors or if it's a windless day or you're trying things indoors, try a condenser mic, as well. I know the good ones aren't cheap and you're on a budget like myself, but if you can manage to get one it's the best for ambient, detailed sounds. Everything from the insects up close to the train in the distance will be on there. Although suprisingly enough, I've gotten plenty obscure sounds from a little minicassette recorder and catching sounds that way. Resturants, street performers, airport terminals, conversations, etc...If you don't mind the lo-fi quality (just above telephone quality), it's a great way to go for collage. Normalization with a noise gate might be necessary.