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Re: Re: What's wrong with this (sound) picture?

Subject: Re: Re: What's wrong with this (sound) picture?
From: Dana Blackmer <>
Date: Sat, 01 Oct 2005 17:20:59 -0400
Dave,

Thanks for your comments.

I did all the separate recordings in stereo with an M/S system, using an
MKH 30 and 40 in a Rycote zepplin with a Windjammer.  I mixed the tracks in=

Adobe Audition, using a VHS plug-in that allows you to control the stereo
width of each track during the mix.  I mixed the far field recording using=

only 52% of the side mic, as I pointed the mics upstream and the side mic
added little of the stream and a lot of what sounded like white noise that,=

in my opinion, didn't create a realistic illusion of the stream.  The other=

tracks were recorded close up to three different cascades, and I used 100%=

of the side mic in each of these tracks.  I then played around with
adjusting the volume of the four tracks until I got it as close to what I
wanted as I could.

If this sounds like I have even a remote idea of what I'm doing, I've given=

the wrong impression!  I just did what I thought that Bernie talks about in=

one of his books and winged the rest.  Now that I've given more detail
about how I went about doing this, maybe some of the more experienced folks=

can help us both out with some other ways such recordings could be
done.  All I can tell you is that I had a blast doing it, and I can't wait=

to get out there again!

By the way, are you close to the Smokies?  I did some photography out there=

a couple of years ago in the Spring, and it would be a great place for
stream/waterfall recordings.

Dana

At 04:45 PM 10/1/2005 +0000, you wrote:
>Hi Dana,
>I think you did a great job on the recording. I'm something of a
>newbie to this too and I have a question for you. Unless I missed it
>somewhere in this thread, did you record the separate elements in mono
>or stereo before you combined the tracks into the finished piece? I'm
>just curious if there are any "issues" unknown to me by doing it one
>way or the other. I'm hoping to try something similar in Tenn. this
>fall with a few streams and waterfalls. If you did this in stereo,
>which way did you do it (M/S, ORTF, etc.)?
>
>dave
>
>
>
>--- In  "Dana Blackmer"
><> wrote:
> > I've been having fun doing some nature recording for the past
>couple
> > of months.  I'm anxious to get better at it.  Toward this end, I am
> > attaching a link to a 30-second .wav file of a mountain stream that
> > I recorded last week-end, and I would like some feedback on it.
> >
> > www.danablackmer.com/AudioFiles/HogcampBranch.wav
> >
> > I recorded this in four parts - three of the tracks were recordings
> > of small cascades done about six to twelve inches away The forth
> > track was of the stream as a whole, recorded with the mics facing
> > upstream from a height of about 12 feet.  I mixed them in Audition.
> >
> > Many of the recordings that I hear of streams on the web sound
> > either like single cascades or white noise.  I was trying to get a
> > sound picture of the ambiance, but since I'm new at this I'm sure
>it
> > can be done better.
> >
> > If you have any comments about how I might improve this in any way,
> > I'd love to hear your thoughts.  I am not sensitive to constructive
> > criticism and my goal is to use any feedback that I can get to
> > improve my recording skills.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your help.
> >
> > Dana Blackmer
>
>
>
>
>"Microphones are not ears,
>Loudspeakers are not birds,
>A listening room is not nature."
>Klas Strandberg
>
>
>
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