Howdy all,
Dan Dugan wrote:
> I prefer to present soundscapes as they are, rather than try to clean
> up natural sounds. How about going out in a kayak to get closer? Are
> you recording with stereo hydrophones?
I agree with Dan here. FFT-based "cleaning" solutions, such as the
noise-reduction plugins in most commercial software, leave you with very
unnatural-sounding results. My usual advice to folks wanting less
"noisy" recordings is to either make the mikes more directive or get
closer to the source, rather than try to clean it up afterwards. In this
case, I'm not sure how to make a more directive hydrophone, so maybe you
should try to get your mic closer.
Chris Watson describes the very lengthy process of recording lions in
one of his releases, where he talks about making a hide for the mic,
laying cable, and waiting many days for the animal to get used to the
mic, then returning to record. Maybe if your casette recorder has a
"voice-activated" record function, you could leave it in a buoy or raft
with fresh batteries and a new tape as close as you can to where you
think your manatees are, and come back in a day or two to hear what
you've got. Janek Schaeffer did a great recording where he mailed a
voice-activated micro-cassette recorder through the London post, and
captured real live British postal workers in their native habitat ;-)
best,
d.
--
derek holzer ::: http://www.umatic.nl
---Oblique Strategy # 189:
"You are an engineer"
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