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[request] one minute recordings...

Subject: [request] one minute recordings...
From: Aaron Ximm <>
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 01:49:50 -0800 (PST)
Hello recordists,

My name is Aaron Ximm, I'm relatively new to the list but have at least
gotten a few posts in in the last week.  With this one I would like to
take the opportunity to invite you to contribute to a feature I've
recently added to my Quiet American project website, called "one-minute
vacations":

 http://www.quietamerican.org/vacation.html

Background: Quiet American is the name of my composed-field-recording
sound art project; source field recordings and the compositions I make
with them are available at the site for downloading. I get a fair amount
of traffic from people who find my DIY section or recordings through
referral or web search.

One-minute vacations: on Mondays I've been putting up a new one-minute
recording (unmanipulated, though generally normalized if necessary) that
documents a compelling place, environment or event around the world.

I am actively interested in having other recordists contribute moments
they are fond of.  The only requirements are that (a) the recording is
from the field and unmanipulated and (b) one minute in length.

Recordings need not be fresh, or "high quality," only transporting.
Obviously the original contextual recording can be any length, but I'm
interested in offering one minute segments only.

I'd be very interested in members of this list contributing, since nature
recordings are an area I have been weak in. Recordings of natural
environments free from the incursion of human-made sound (especially
recordings of animals and birds) would be an excellent contrast to my more
human-centric library -- particularly if paired with an informed and
enthusiastic description of the circumstances, implications and context of
the recording.

Errata...

I'll be hosting the recordings into the forseeable future, and of course
anyone who contributes will be fully credited (with appropriate links if
desired) in the page text.  I would like to be able to collate and
distribute the "vacations" on CD at some point in the future;  I
anticipate no profit from such an endeavor, but if you're concerned please
write me off line as I'm sure we could figure out something equitable.

For the moment it'd be easiest for me to either download a (192kbps) MP3
from your site (or WAV if you have hosting space), or get a CD via mail;
my mail box is not kind to large attachments. (Note:  I can generate a
RealAudio file and stream it, given your WAV or MP3).  I will also need a
description of the circumstances of the recording; see the existing page
for a sense of appropriate length.

Best regards, and please write me with any questions,
aaron

  
  http://www.quietamerican.org



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>From   Tue Mar  8 18:22:17 2005
Message: 24
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 12:02:37 -0500
From: Lang Elliott <>
Subject: Re: Microphones

The "sputtering" quality of the noise floor with the DPA mikes (then B & K)
was subtle, but noticeable.

I'm just saying that the noise floor sounded uneven and changing, as opposed
to the smooth, open noise floor of the Sennheiser MKH 20. There was a
definite difference which was quite noticeable in one instance where I
recorded a distant saw-whet owl tooting away on a very quiet night. As I
pushed the signal level up to get a decent recording (using both types of
mikes), I could easily hear the louder noise floor of the DPA as well as the
uneven, "sort of sputtering" quality. The sound of the Sennheiser noise
floor was clearly more preferable to my ear.

Lang

> Roger C Boughton wrote:
>> 
>> Dear All,
>> 
>> It seems that the only mics that are recommended are either Seinheisser or
>> Telinga !
>> 
>> Surely there are other worthy mics about?
>> 
>> What about DPA, Scheops, etc
> 
> If someone will give me some I'll be happy to try them.
> 
> Lang told me at one point he tried DPA in the SASS, but it's noise floor
> was not a smooth hiss, but sputtered. Making it much more noticeable. My
> only experience with that line is in the versions in quality sound
> meters where you don't actually listen to the sound. From the meter
> readings I got I don't think they sputtered. But, then sound meter mics
> run at entirely different voltages.
> 
> Scheops has some interesting stuff, lot of money. Not much for distant
> recording. Also unclear how weatherproof it is. Theirs seems much more
> like a line intended for indoors and fairly close.
> 
> It's a very expensive game trying these high end mics. I'd love to try
> them all, but I think I might need some food money as well. I have
> considered renting some, but even that runs into money, and it really
> takes using them for a while to find out what they are like.
> 
> The Telinga stereo is virtually a one of a kind, the reason for it's
> position is obvious. Mono parabolics, there are probably a few other
> good ones. But the commonly found ones tend to have too small a dish, or
> use cheap, noisy mics.
> 
> There are other shotguns that can probably hold their own against the
> less expensive Sennheiser line of shotguns, but the MKH line is getting
> fairly unique. They got in that position catering to the movie folks
> looking for boom mics. Since a movie set is pretty rough and tumble and
> often outdoors it's not too surprising their mics work well for nature
> recording too.  The Sennheiser's we are depending on the collective
> experience of lots of nature recordists.
> 
> We are really no better than anybody else, nature recordists are a herd
> too... 
> 
> Walt
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 



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