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Re: Ocean soundscape, two minutes in the Algarve.

Subject: Re: Ocean soundscape, two minutes in the Algarve.
From: "picnet2" picnet2
Date: Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:08 pm ((PDT))
Hi,

Heres a couple of short clips that demonstrate the swooshing for the locati=
on I recorded in. - Since both rigs captured a similar effect, Id put this =
down to mic placement.

Google map: http://tinyurl.com/nu9f7l

Rode NT4 about 1ft above water - as the wave approaches the tone of the noi=
se changes.

(Diffuse EQ)

http://urlme.net/audio/swoosh-nt4-diff.mp3

No eq:

http://urlme.net/audio/nt4-swoosh-noeq.mp3
(noeq=3D cropping to the section and compressing to mp3)

And similar but not the same time from the Binaural Head:-

http://urlme.net/audio/downtobeachswooshing.mp3

Photo of the head "on location"

http://urlme.net/audio/hv4onlocation.jpg

---

Curt was there a sand bank or rise behind you?

I'll process a video which also demonstrates this effect - video camera was=
 placed on top of the dummy head while I panned it around. Should be on you=
tube just as soon as I find the relevant files.

I would imagine in such a diffuse pink noise environment a pair of figure 8=
's may work better?

BR,
Mike.


--- In  Rob Danielson <> wrote:
>
> Hi Curt--
> I'm trying to narrow down what you mean by "hollow." By comparing
> files that exhibit the problem with those that don't (or don't as
> much), we'll all probably learn something. I'm wondering if micing
> distance and array used are the only other variables we'd need to
> know,.. Rob D.
>
>
> At 10:08 PM -0500 7/13/09, Curt Olson wrote:
> >I just got back from a long day of serious trial and error in
> >attempting to understand some of the main issues with recording
> >shoreline sounds. I have several hours of audio to study, but here are
> >my two biggest "takeaway" impressions from the day:
> >
> >1) It's been said on this list that mic placement is pretty much
> >everything. That's for sure!
> >
> >2) In rocky surroundings, omnis are much more likely than cardioids to
> >produce the "hollow" sound I was concerned about.
> >
> >This may be old hat to many of you, but it's all new to me, and very
> >educational. Hopefully I can post a clip or two in the next couple days.
> >
> >Curt Olson
> >
> >On Jul 13, 2009, at 3:24 AM,
> ><naturerecordists%40yahoogroups.com>=
com
> >wrote:
> >
> >>  3b. Re: Ocean soundscape, two minutes in the Algarve.
> >>  Posted by: "picnet2" <yg%40urlme.net> picnet2
> >>  Date: Sun Jul 12, 2009 3:06 pm ((PDT))
> >>
> >>  Hello Curt,
> >>  Ive found that very close produces a tonal change to the noise
> >>  which sounds like a swooshing as the wave approaches. I have over 2
> >>  hours of material, some of it is a walk towards the shore and away.
> >>  Plus close and *really* close as the head fell in the sea - which
> >>  only lasts for 10 seconds until I realized and quickly picked it up,
> >>  good job the capsules were water resistant. Gave a whole new meaning
> >>  to close micing. I actually liked the sound when the head was
> >>  perhaps 1 ft above the waves, walking the shoreline and altering its
> >>  position from close to around 6ft above the waves gave a nice
> >>  effect. Also turning it as the wave passes by / tracking the wave -
> >>  a wet feet affair but well worth it. From around 50 ft the sound is
> >>  wider with less sploshing bass from the waves, the capsules Im using
> >>  do not seem to pickup the roar associated with some recordings ive
> >>  heard, but this is most likely related to different environments. I
> >>  also used a prototype hydrophone to capture the same waves (at
> >>  different times) for the "under" part of my project (Algarve under
> >>  and above)
> >>
> >>  I suspect one issue causing the hollow sound is due to my diy wind
> >>  protectors, those tend to cause a peak around 6khz since they act
> >>  like leaky Helmholtz resonators. When Im back home I'll EQ the
> >>  recordings. I have some material without the ear muffs in place but
> >>  sadly not very much due to the windy conditions. After a week on the
> >>  beach the cycle seems to go from inland wind to wind from the land
> >>  back to the sea, theres perhaps half an hour between the change over
> >>  or temperature inversion thats going on (=3Dstill air) before the cit=
y
> >>  heat heads out to sea or perhaps its the wind simply changing
> >>  direction - in either case that window is easy to miss, but good to
> >>  look out for if faced with similar conditions.
> >>
> >>  Its my last day here, I'd be very interested if you find out what is
> >>  the main cause of the hollow or noise tonality change. For the
> >>  linked recording I actually changed from over the ear to in-ear
> >>  headphones trying to judge the correct head position but after some
> >>  time it seems my ears became accustomed to the sound.
> >>  The recording wasnt actually EQ'ed the pinna response may also be
> >>  one reason for the sound?
> >>
> >>  I still suspect something based on Rob's sphere rigs(TM) would of
> >>  done a far better job, if you have something similar or can borrow a
> >>  bowling ball complete with a mic thread ready to mount on a
> >>  tripod :) it would be nice to hear the lake recorded with a sphere
> >>  setup.
> >>
> >>  A curved perspex head shape with a large acoustic foam baffle behind
> >>  will be my next rig in the array a day department.
> >  >
> >>  Kind Regards,
> >>  Mike.
> >>
> >>  --- In
> >><naturerecordists%40yahoogroups.com>=
.com,
> >>Curt Olson <cro@> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>  Thanks for posting this, Mike.
> >>>
> >>>  Very nice tonal balance. Sweet in many ways, but... I hear a
> >>>  certain "hollow" quality to it that's almost identical to my own
> >>>  recent recordings on Lake Superior. I can't put my finger on
> >>>  exactly what's going on. It might be as simple as being to close to
> >>>  the waves, but I don't know for sure. I'm going back up to Lake
> >>>  Superior tomorrow with several different mic rigs to see if I can
> >>>  get an insight into the problem.
> >>>
> >>>  Curt Olson
> >>>
> >>>  Mike wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>  Hi,
> >>>>  Heres a sample recorded with a dummy head placed close to the
> >>>>  waves.
> >>>>  Recorded on Monte Gordo Beach Portugal / Algarve at 10 PM.
> >>>>  This is cropped from a longer recording and has not been equalized
> >>>>  or post processed besides the compression.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>><http://urlme.net/audio/twominutesinthealgarve.ogg>http://urlme.net/a=
udio/twominutesinthealgarve.ogg
> >>>>
> >>>>  Apologies for the ogg format, no mp3 encoder here.
> >>>>  Audacity or vlc (videolan.org) should be capable of playing the
> >>>>  clip.
> >>>>
> >>>>  BR,
> >>>>  Mike.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
>
>
>








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