Kevin & Mike, et al--
I've been recording all-night (8-12 hour) takes, 5-7 nights/week
since last Fall and have come-up with some "improvements" in my
procedures that might be of interest to you.
1) I record in 16/48K with an application called, Amadeus Pro
http://www.hairersoft.com/AmadeusPro/AmadeusPro.html directly to a
computer hard-drive. One can get 500GB internal hard drives for
laptops today. I used to record at 24/48K bits but I found that I
could not discern any difference if my background levels in the 16
bit originals did not drop below -55dB based on 96 dBFS. All post
work is done in 24 bits.
2) When I click "stop" or use Amadeus' timer to stop the recording,
the application creates a waveform "overview" file that shows the
_whole night_. I have found this view really useful for gaining a
sense of the night's rhythms, sensing the passage of time and finding
events-- especially compared with working with numerous segments. I
take a screen shot of the night's overview and place it in my log. I
ca use the the waveforms "see" seasonal developments like the onset
of insect species, the affects of weather changes, man-made
intrusions, etc., by comparing waveform views.
3) Storage is no longer a hassle for me. After I make "outs" or
smaller sound files I want to collect and study later, I use, "save a
copy as .flac" and the _entire_ 8-12 hour sound file is saved as a
compressed (lossless) file that is only 1.8 - 3.0 GB in size. That
file, along with the "outs" and my log notes will burn to an 26 cent
"archive" quality DVD-R in 24 minutes at 2X speed. I scan the DVDdisk
to my master disk catalog file (Disktracker) so I can find them
anytime by numerous search methods. Then I can free-up my hard drive.
4) I monitor with wireless headphones as I work in the evenings and
as I sleep to increase the chances of detecting events. I also enjoy
taking 30 minutes in the morning to "spot play" the master recording
and make excerpts before I trash the full res 16k/48 files. The
lossless .flac file retains everything for future uses. The only
thing I'd like to automate is the location of the "outs" I make on
the master file-- the saved .flac master doesn't retain these
regions, I have to enter them in my log manually.
For me, I prefer creating a record of the whole night and it has
turned out to be less of an headache than dealing with a bunch of
fragments that take more work to identify/make relevant. Amadeus is
$40USD, but, unfortunately, its only for Mac. Rob D.
= = = = =
At 1:13 PM -0600 8/26/08, Kevin Colver wrote:
>Mike,
>The decision on how much to store depends on the purpose I was
>recording. If I am after a specific species or sound I will scan and
>save the recordings of that sound while splicing out and discarding
>the trash. Some recordings are done for soundscape archival and
>future scientific reference, these are saved intact with full
>documentation of location, weather, time, ect.
>
>I just hope the price of memory storage keeps dropping as fast as my
>collection grows. I remember being excited to have a 1 gigabyte hard
>disk not too long ago, now the 500 gig is filling up.
>
>Kevin
>
>On Aug 26, 2008, at 12:59 PM, Michael Oates wrote:
>
> > Kevin,
> >
> > Thank you, what puzzled me was you said "set to start a new file
> > every 60 min", I was
> > aware of the option to start new files after a set size limit was
> > reached, but not after a
> > time limit. The menu number is 41 on the 744T.
> >
> > So I guess you either record at 24/48 stereo or use single tracks
> > and use 24/96
> >
> > Good idea!
> >
> > Now then once you have gathered these all night recordings, how do
> > you go about checking
> > them for sounds you want to keep. Do you actually listen to it all,
> > or do you skim through
> > looking at a spectral display so that you can see where possible
> > sounds may be and just
> > listen to parts.
> >
> > Going on from there, these files take up masses of storage space,
> > once you have gone
> > through the files and taken cuts out of the good bits, do you then
> > delete, or do you
> > archive the whole lot?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Mike
> >
> > >Mike,
> > >On my 722 menu there is option 33: File: Max Size which I set at 950
> > >megabytes which is about one hour. There are also options of about
> > >30 min and 2 hours. At the end of the megabyte limit the 722
> > >immediately launches into a new file with continuous recording.
> > >There is no loss of data or pause between the blocks of sound. I can
> > >splice them together if needed.
> > >
> > >BTW, I also have a Sony PCM D1 but haven't been able to figure out
> > >how to set a limit on file size or duration. It will go on recording
> > >more than 2 hours in one block and finally stop when memory is full
> > >or battery dies. Anyone know if the file size can be set on this
> > >machine?
> > >
> > >Thanks,
> > >Kevin
> > >
> > >
> > >On Aug 26, 2008, at 10:56 AM, Michael Oates wrote:
> > >
> > >> Kevin,
> > >>
> > >> I am new to SD recorders, I have a 744T. How do you setup the
> > >> recorder to start a new file
> > >> every hour. And are there any gaps in the recording or can they be
> > >> pieced together without
> > >> any gaps or glitches.
> > >>
> > >> Thanks,
> > >>
> > >> Mike
> > >>
> > >> >I agree, it's nice to hear a bit of a blog on Dan's recording
> > >> >adventures. When we hear stories like this we pick up little tips
> > >> >that can only be learned by experience, ours or those of someone
> > >> >else. Please all, send in your stories.
> > >> >
> > >> >Agreed; that leaving the recorder on is helpful. Bernie taught
> > that
> > >> >to me and I've captured some great material by recording hours
> > at a
> > >> >time. My SD722 is set to start a new file every 60 min, so in the
> > >> >studio at home I can review the recordings in manageable 60 min
> > >> >blocks. Sometimes, when something great comes out of the night,
> > you
> > >> >want to have the preceding several minutes to frame the
> > interesting
> > >> >sound.
> > >> >
> > >> >And it's nice at night to have the mic at the other end of a long
> > >> >cord. Bernie's recordings of a bear mouthing the mic and a jaguar
> > >> >growling at it in pitch darkness are dramatic. Once I was startled
> > >> >out of a half sleep while monitoring at night by an angry loud
> > >> >hissing. I jumped because it sounded like something was right
> > in my
> > >> >face. Lucky for me, the patrolling bobcat was down at the other
> > end
> > >> >of the 100 foot cable and I was reclined safe and warm in my
> > parked
> > >> >truck.
> > >> >
> > >> >Kevin
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >On Aug 25, 2008, at 6:21 PM, Romilly Hambling wrote:
> > >> >
> > >> >> --- In
><naturerecordists%40yahoogroups.com>
>Dan Dugan <>
> > wrote:
> > >> >> >
> > >> >> > Sharon Perry and I did our second Yosemite sequoia groves
> > >> expedition
> > >> >> > August 8-10. ... To be continued.
> > >> >> > -Dan Dugan
> > >> >> >
> > >> >> >
> > >> >> Nice to resurface on the list and find Dan writing about
> > recording
> > >> >> adventures out in the wild again -- AND at night. I look
> > forward to
> > >> >> hearing samples from that 4 channel 3032 setup.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> Dan, run the thing all night, turn in and get some proper sleep!
> > >> Do I
> > >> >> know what it's like "sleeping" with headphones on and a finger
> > >> on the
> > >> >> pause button. Then you get a good day, and back home you go
> > through
> > >> >> the files knowing you've missed absolutely nothing. Well,
> > yes, it
> > >> >> takes time, but what a lot there can be -- some of which would
> > >> never
> > >> >> wake you up or . . sort of heck, it's 3.37 am and can I
> > really be
> > >> >> bothered with this 57th possible false alarm.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> Most I excerpt, but one or two I keep as they're so magical. All
> > >> those
> > >> >> tiny noises, things dropping (as Dan says), and oh so mysterious
> > >> >> visitors to the mics. Can be quite creepy sometimes.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> I was forced into this (leaving equipment running while getting
> > >> some
> > >> >> sleep) because the dreadful piece of tinny plastic I'm currently
> > >> using
> > >> >> has all of a two-second buffer. All but useless unless you're
> > >> prepared
> > >> >> to turn yourself into a nervous wreck with arm cramp! So I just
> > >> left
> > >> >> it running. Still haven't been through all the files!!
> > >> >>
> > >> >> As to jets, etc, I'm now resigned to Sats and Suns, tho jet
> > traffic
> > >> >> can start up un Sun in anticipation of Mon I find. Oddly some
> > >> weekdays
> > >> >> are passable, but you have to get to know which. I've no idea
> > >> why they
> > >> >> should vary. Round us the night to avoid is Monday -- invariably
> > >> >> awful.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> On another note, I'm fairly sure digifish got his 3032s at least
> > >> >> partly because he heard my samples. I got my 3032s (now 2 pairs)
> > >> >> entirely because of this list, especially of course Eric
> > Benjamin's
> > >> >> report. Use'm all the time. Now many are wailing because they're
> > >> >> unobtainable. tee-hee.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> Three cheers for nature recordists, night recordists and 3032s!
> > >> >>
> > >> >> romilly
> > >> >>
> > >> >>
> > >> >>
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
--
|