Dan,
I built my first "stereo" system in the mid 50's from HeathKit
components. I do recall an early 1812 album that I purchased to
exploit my new sound system. I am not sure whether it was the mono
or later stereo version that I enjoyed playing just to listen to the
cannon shots.
Your comments regarding the recording of gunshots are very
interesting. It is similar to what (as I understand it) Bernie and
others have stated, that the recording of 'difficult' sounds
requires a number of techniques that will result in the effect of
realism in the final recreation, as opposed to the accurate and
undistorted recording of the original sound.
For those who that have not seen (and heard) "Open Range", I feel
that it may be worth your while to visit a big screen and listen to
the sound track of this movie. I am not sure whether it is the
newly acquired sensitivity to sounds that I have gained from those
on this forum, or just my new interest in sound recording that
caused me to focus on listening to this sound track. I went online
and read a number of reviews of the movie, and others were obviously
moved by the thunder and gunshot sounds.
-Bill-
--- In Dan Dugan <> wrote:
> Bill Mueller wrote,
>
> >I suspect that gunshots are as difficult
> > >to record and recreate as thunder and surf.
>
> My understanding from the film recordists I work with is that the
> successful way to record gunshots and door slams is to let the
> impulse saturate the hell out of the tape, so that the early
> reflections and reverberation are really what's faithfully
recorded.
> This only works with analog tape.
>
> <codger mode> I was doing theatrical sound design in the 60s.
Mercury
> Records came out with a great mono 1812 Overture, which had a
> documentary of recording the cannon and bells on the B side. That
> cannon was a godsend for sound design, much better than the
available
> sound effects LPs. It was heard in a lot of shows!
>
> At some point, Mercury re-recorded the piece in stereo, and
published
> it in the same format. I ran right out to get it, but I was very
> disappointed in the sound of the new cannon recording. It was a
puny
> crack. I suspect the engineers didn't know the old saturation
trick,
> and recorded the cannon "properly" so the impluse didn't distort.
> That put the reflections and reverb probably 20 dB down...
</codger
> mode>
>
> -Dan Dugan
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