Dana,
For a quick fix for flies and mozzies I usually spray a piece of light
cotton cloth with repellent then drape that over the furry mic cover. I
don't think spraying the fur direct is a good idea as this might affect the
mic. I've seen in cut-price stores a nifty expanding cylindrical laundry
basket made of very fine gauze, might be useful? Haven't tried it myself
yet, but I think it could be very useful if the air is thick with buzzing
critters.
Vicki Powys
Australia
on 27/6/06 9:22 AM, Dana Blackmer at wrote:
> Clay,
>
> I am also interested in how one might decrease insect noise while
> recording, particularly mosquito noises, which most people experience as
> having it fly right in your ear. It may be "natural," but I seldom find =
it
> desirable.
>
> I've thought about the idea of somehow suspending a tent of "no see-em"
> type netting, like they use in tents, around the mics. Wouldn't this
> decrease the volume of the noise by the square of the distance to the
> mics? For instance, if a mosquito flies 6" from the mic to produce a
> certain volume, then the bug-to-mic distance was doubled to 12" due the t=
he
> netting, wouldn't the volume drop by two times the distance squared - in
> other words, would it not produce a sound 1/4 as loud?
>
> If so, this may be a way to at least minimize the "get the mosquitos out =
of
> my ears" feeling. The trick, it seems to me, is how to construct and
> suspend a "net blimp" over the mics. I'm sure someone out there has done
> something similar or better. Maybe they'll enlighten us!
>
> Dana
>
> At 11:08 PM 6/26/2006 +0000, you wrote:
>
>> --- In
>> <naturerecordists%40yahoogroups.com>=
com,
>> "John Hartog" <>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Nice recording Dana, thank for sharing.
>>>
>>> Although sounds of insects flying are indeed part of the natural
>>> soundscape, they can easily dominate a recording. I charish the cool
>>> mornings of early Spring with no mosquitoes. One reason I avoid hand
>>> held arrays =96 is for the times I was chowed alive while attempting to
>>> stand motionless. Insect fly-bys might be fine, but it's not fine when
>>> they zoom in and fly circles around the microphones. In such cases,
>>> cutting the section between the first approach and the final exit may
>>> yield a result similar to natural flyby.
>>>
>>> When a mosquito lingers to close to the mic, I usually just slap the
>>> air beside my headphone until it goes away.
>>>
>>> - John Hartog
>>>
>>
>> any other potential solutions for reducing insects at the source?
>> e.g., DEET flavored deadcats?
>>
>> I'm (sorta) kidding,
>> clay
>>
>>
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