I've been thinking for a while about what people from this group
actually are doing while they are recording in the field.
Of course I know that many people are monitoring their recordings with
headphones, so they have to keep silent and motionless, maybe sitting a
couple of meters away from their microphones.
For me this never was an option. Even if you're many meters away from
your mics I find it extremely hard not to make the faintest noise to not
interfere with the recording. Martyn mentioned tummy rumble which might
be an issue in a very quiet environment if you had lots of beans :-).
Another idea is that if I am intersted in the biophony I would like to
have the biophony without the influence that the presence of a human
might have on it.
So what I typically do is as soon as I set all my meters and buttons
right and found the result pleasing to my ear when listening through my
headphones I push my record button, close the Pelicase that I keep my
recorder in and move away from my gear leaving it all alone in the wild.
And here my personal intimate listening experience starts. I wander
around in awe what other sounds there are in the area. I can totally
forget about the recording and for example enjoy a dawn choir that will
never be on any recording that is just now and for me. And I really do
enjoy this. During the course of the two hours I typically record in one
place I might walk a couple of miles discovering many new places and
sounds so that I always have new ideas for further recordings at this
specific site.
Eventually I return pack up my gear looking forward to listing to my
recordings at home, where I am often surprised by an unexpected event in
my recording.
Volker
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