Greetings,
I am new to the list. I started nature recording ten years ago when I was c=
aptivated by the soundscape of the Bay of Fundy and wanted to be able to li=
sten to it all year. I bought what was available to me locally, a used Sony=
minidsc and a horrible tie-tack microphone (the audio dealer knew nothing =
about nature recording and neither did I).
Since then I have upgraded my equipment within a very limited budget, mostl=
y from eBay. I have a Zoom H2 (which I use more for music than for nature),=
a Sony MZRH1, ME66/K6 and Rode NT4, and several homemade mics from radio s=
hack condensers that are pretty noisy. From this list I learned about the -=
12 dB pad in the Rode cable and successfully removed it. I have had good re=
sults using the Hosa MIT-156 impedance matching transformers on both the ME=
66 and the NT4 (bought three Hosas and rewired two of them so one handles l=
eft channel and the other right channel for use with the NT4). I use Amadeu=
s Pro and Soundtrack for most of my editing.
I am also a part-time musician, playing cello and Irish low whistles along =
with my partner who plays Celtic harp. Our concerts are partly educational =
programs, introducing people to the sounds of the wild world (whales, seals=
, frogs, owls, thrushes) and blending our music with those sounds. We are p=
articularly inspired by the Scottish folk tradition of the singing of the g=
rey seals. We play several of the traditional tunes that are said to have c=
ome from the seals, and combine them with a recording that I made a few yea=
rs ago of grey seals singing.
That recording was made on the fly, with my homemade mics, because the whol=
e event was entirely unexpected. I have returned to the same location with =
better gear, and have never managed to get another recording. Either the se=
als weren't singing, the gear failed, or the seals started to sing and then=
were shot by the local fishermen. I have lots of recordings of gun fire.
Here is my account of the morning I first heard the seals sing:
http://blog.naturalcontemplative.com/2009/01/singing-of-seals.html
And here is a section of the recording:
http://soundcloud.com/the-natural-contemplative/grey-seals-singing-2008
I am seeking a better recording of what appears to be a pretty elusive phen=
omenon. The recording I have is compromised by poor equipment, being over a=
mile distant from the source, wind and surf noise. With a little EQ manipu=
lation I was able to pull the singing of the seals out of the background, b=
ut it is still pretty faint. I have contacted several seal researchers but =
still have not found anyone who has a better recording than the one I made.
Any leads on recordings or information or other experiences recording these=
in-air, melodic vocalizations of grey seals would be of great interest to =
me.
John
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