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I am Gordon Hempton

Subject: I am Gordon Hempton
From: "pipestonecanyon" pipestonecanyon
Date: Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:03 am ((PDT))
Hello everyone,  I am grateful for the compliments and even for the
other statements because it shows that in someway my work influences
others and we all do want to become better listeners, most of all,
me.  I will be `brief', only because the discussion about my work
seems mostly complete, but anyone is welcome to contact me at
 .  I try to stay as uninvolved as possible
with the internet and as close to where I live as possible=97just
outside of Olympic Park, a place that is my Listener's Yosemite, and
a place that I am trying to protect from further noise pollution
through www.onesquareinch.org  Regarding microphones and placement
and locations and editing:  I use about a dozen different microphone
systems including the Neumann KU-81i, modified SASS, M/S, DSM's,
hydrophones, etc., to satisfy client needs, but if I am in the right
place (a relatively intact community with noise-free intervals in
excess of a couple of minutes), it is clear to my ears that only the
KU-81i provides stunning results.  It is also clear to me that when
this system is used there is very little that needs to be done other
than located the head exactly where the foreground features and
middle and backgrounds across the soundstage and 360, are balanced.
And this is not nearly as apparent or needed for any other microphone
system.  So I understand the confusion.  Also, I support my claim
that there are fewer than a dozen great quiet places left in the
lower 48, and by great, I mean of many square miles, Olympic Park is
one of them.  The evaluation period is just before dawn under ideal
conditions for both listening and recording, just before the first
awakenings of new life.  If the evaluation period where at noon the
usual wind and mixing of atmospheric layers scatters the apparent
noise pollution and gives the perception of a quiet places but in
fact, the listening opportunity is poor (short horizon), and I can't
help but feel that the pollution is just harder to `see' but it is
still there.  Almost all of my recordings were recorded during this
very delicate window where listening to many square miles is
possible.  Regarding teaching, I used to teach, and now I give
tutorials on request near my home using my equipment or yours.
Regarding the availability of my work and the confusion over the
billabong piece, I published under Earth Sounds back in 1990 and
these albums were often series of slide shows, if you will, where
each sound image (unedited and unmixed for several minutes) was cross-
faded into the next sound image, often with a reason such as
following dawn around the world to portray it as a endless wave
(Earth's Morning Song album on Earth Sounds).  But my real interest
has always been to simply be in one place at one time and listen to
the concert.  In 2003, when I lost my hearing for 18 months, I vowed
that I would return to simple sound portraits of nature done in the
same style as classic landscape photographers, and I did, with the
Environmental Sound Portraits found at www.soundtracker.com.  Enough
for now, let me apologize in advance for anyone who might contact me
and waits a long time for a response, again, I try to stay
unplugged.  And let me also say I think this group is wonderful,
especially in the technical help offered to new entrants and the
diversity of opinions.  I refer people to it often.=97All the best,
Gordon.




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