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Re: equipment advice

Subject: Re: equipment advice
From: Klas Strandberg <>
Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 13:51:04 +0100
Dan, I think this is exactly the discussion needed. "What is "Quality"??"

When contacted by a potential buyer I always ask: "What do you want to use
your recordings for? Documentary? Science? Film-sound? CD-making? Else?
Please describe what it is you want to listen to, when you hear your
recordings?"

That is: "What kind of illusion do you want to create".

Klas.

At 11:50 2003-03-02 -0800, you wrote:
>Jon Reisenbuechler, you wrote:
>
>>     I am a beginner currently shopping for equipment to record
>>natural sounds.  My primary interest is to record a bird/natural
>>chorus in a given location.  The recording should be similar to the
>>actual human audio experience.
>
>Welcome, Jon. Forgive me for using your message for a brief
>philosophical excursion.
>
>A recording is an artifact, a creation. There is no more such thing
>as a "true" recording as there is a "true" photograph. Making a
>recording "similar to the actual human audio experience" involves
>quite a bit of art and craft; a well-crafted fake usally seems more
>natural to the observer.
>
>For example, you're watching a nature program on TV, and you see a
>bird perched on a branch singing his little heart out. A beautiful
>visit to nature, but an experience you could very rarely actually
>have in nature, let alone record. The close-up picture of the bird
>can only be obtained by shooting with a giant lens on a tripod. The
>clean recording of the bird singing can only be obtained with a
>super-directional microphone like a parabolic dish or long shotgun
>mike.
>
>It's unlikely that a field crew will be able to do both these things
>simultaneously. Quite likely the filmmakers used their synchronous
>field recording as a "scratch track," a guide for laying in a
>recording of the same species obtained from a nature recordist like
>those on this list. The recording may be altered in tempo and even
>phrasing to match the picture.
>
>"Reality" in media is an artfully constructed fake!
>
>Getting off my soapbox, I suggest starting with an economical MD
>recorder like a Sharp, and a one-point-stereo mike.
>
>-Dan Dugan
>
>
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>
>
>
Telinga Microphones, Botarbo,
S-748 96 Tobo, Sweden.
Phone & fax int + 295 310 01
email: 
       



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>From   Tue Mar  8 18:23:25 2005
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 00:38:05 -0800
From: Dan Dugan <>
Subject: Re: Computer Editing

Welcome, Martyn. You asked,

>and is there a school you can go to that
>teaches you these fundamentals? It's a long day from cutting and
>splicing tapes!!

The Nature Sounds Society holds an annual Field Recording Workshop, 
where pros and beginners trade tips and learn together, and sound 
editing classes.

http://www.naturesounds.org

Unfortunately, the web site is not up to date. This year's field 
workshop is June 20-22, the next editing class is tentatively April 
19.

-Dan Dugan


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