Hi Martin
Seems like you've done a fair bit of travelling over the years. I still
haven't been beyond Europe. In fact for a long while I didn't venture beyond
the UK; I lived in London and used to get away to the Highlands 3 or 4 times
a year. My granda lived in the Cairngorms area. It kept me happy, so why go
further!
Re the fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis), I'm not sure which recording you'll
have heard - maybe the Collins guide. if it's the sea-cliffs sequence, it's
at a relatively much higher level than the previous sequences, so maybe
that's why it feels like being there - you're getting blasted by the sound!
It was put together in 1995 on the first digital editing system I had
(Yamaha CBX-D5 with cubase audio on an Atari Falcon). It was really
unreliable and regularly missed out edits when trying to run out a master.
The systems we have now are a dream for cost, functions and reliability
compared to just 10 years ago.
Anyway all my fulmar recordings were done with a Sennheiser MKH 30/50 MS
set-up. Basically I use this or a 30/40 combination by preference for almost
everything, recorded to DAT. Set up on a tripod, often on longish leads (up
to 150m). And for the last couple of years the Sound Devices MP2 after
recommendations on this list; I'm very pleased with the sound I get through
the mics and this pre-amp. The hard, time-consuming stuff is working out
what, when and where is going to give a good subject! For more opportunistic
recording - the MKH50 in a 20 inch reflector or an MKH70, depending on pitch
of voice and closeness of likely subjects.
Fulmars are mostly vocal perched in pairs at their nest sites, and that's
what my recordings cover. The only other vocalisation I've heard is an
occasional short snort in flight. I've got some nice recordings with wing
sounds of birds swooping in around nesting cliffs, but I don't think I've
put these out anywhere yet.
I do any voice-overs in the studio, for the same reasons you've found -
timing! Though like everyone, I guess, I put voice notes to tape when doing
short lead field work.
The corncrakes were on Tiree, outer Hebrides, the corncrake capital of
Britain in terms of population density. AFAIK there have been modest
increases in the UK population over the last couple of years, with a slight
increase in the scattering of birds on the mainland. And there's a
re-introduction plan running to try to establish a population on the wet
meadows in south-east England. Mind, there are still lots of corncrakes in
eastern Europe and further east.
The first of the autumn gales is blowing, after an incredible summer over
here; and the geese are flooding in. Take care, Geoff.
Geoff Sample
Wildsong Studios
Northumberland, UK
http://www.wildsong.co.uk
.........................
'Music is everywhere if only we had the ears to listen'. John Cage
on 3/10/03 5:06 pm, at
wrote:
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2003 21:07:35 -0700
> From: "Martyn Stewart" <>
> Subject: Re: raven beak clicking
>
>
> I originated from Airdrie just in between Edinburgh and Glasgow as they
> say!
> I was dragged up there until I was 11 then me mom took me to Manchester
> for 8 years, then I moved to the midlands until I was 30 years of age, I
> moved back to Scotland and lived in the highlands in Blair Atholl,
> Perthshire, great place for birding, I was there for about 5 years then
> took off to Spain, Australia and now the USA.
> The midges used to do my head in but only when the wife wasn't with me,
> they would attack her first!
> It's the Mozzies here!!!!
> I got some diver recordings in Ullapool too back in 1990, but never
> red-throated so well done, I have been successful here in the States
> getting most of the Loons with the fabulous Telinga, was able to record
> really clear.
> I was impressed with your Fulmar recordings Geoff, were they swooping
> you when recording? Sounded like I was there mate!
> What gear do you use and do you talk as you record or is that studio
> work?
> I get in the habit of talking when I am out recording and sometimes my
> voice-over, drops in at the wrong time just as a bird is calling, the
> worst I did was at Loch Garten back in 1991 trying to record an Osprey,
> I waited for over 3 hours with nothing, the bird then called as I was
> talking, thank God we have Osprey here!!!
> The sounds of your corncrake took me back in time too, are they still on
> the decline over there?
>
> Great stuff Geoff :-)
>
> Martyn
>
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