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2. Re: Mixing using Headphones

Subject: 2. Re: Mixing using Headphones
From: "hartogj" hartogj
Date: Mon May 28, 2012 9:37 am ((PDT))
Hi Jez,
Your point of view is clearer to me now.  When it comes to creative process=
es there are infinite possibilities.  I would say any sound art requires ca=
reful listening - it is not sound art after all until someone takes care to=
 listen to it.  Regarding nature sound recording as sound art, there is no =
reason to limit the form to any specific medium. I might consider wax crayo=
n on cardboard a nature sound recording where it is evocative of natural so=
und.

John Hartog
rockscallop.org


--- In  "Jez" <> wrote:
>
> what about the opinions of 'experts' that differ from that ? For me this =
is the point - that it is the material that matters & like it or not the mu=
sic / sound that we respond to is made, mixed & edited in all kinds of diff=
erent spaces - with or without headphones & with a wide range of speakers.
>
> I'm all for quality of course, but this is an individual choice. I have g=
ood speakers (a few different pairs in different rooms) & a pair of good he=
adphones - the same pair I use in the field.
>
> As i've said before, I don't have any issues with anyone who chooses to b=
uild a studio space or an acoustically treated space - each to their own of=
 course, but in 35 years of involvement & interest in field recording in it=
s many different forms & on all levels, it has been proved to me over & ove=
r again that material can communicate even if its been mixed in less than w=
hat some folks would describe as 'ideal' circumstances. I think my concerns=
 when any aspects of a craft or art form gets herded towards some 'ideal' i=
s that what happens is, whilst precision becomes more achievable to more pe=
ople, things tend to edge towards a mainstream, middle of the road approach=
 & less personal.
>
> Perhaps one of the difficulties with this conversation on this particular=
 group is that a large number of members are mainly interested in the, tech=
nically, 'best' recording of a certain species or environment. For many peo=
ple however, whilst getting good & powerfully eloquent recordings is a focu=
s, what they are aiming for is an emotive or creative impression of the loc=
ation.
>
> We are talking about something that isn't set in stone here & I think for=
 me I find it both interesting & I confess a bit puzzling that anyone would=
 take pleasure in listening to bird song (for example) in the 'real' world =
& then take a recording of the same back to a studio setting & try to 'perf=
ect' the sound of the recording. Its a personal view point of course but to=
 me we already know that we can't capture a 'neutral' recording - they are =
always coloured by mic, recorder choice etc & therefore, if one lets go of =
that to some degree, what becomes more interesting is capturing something o=
f the experience of being in that location at that time.
>
> When it comes to editing (& I should declare here that it has been my app=
roach for some time to do not processing - I top & tail & on rare occasions=
 might eq out some hiss if the mic used has not performed as i'd have liked=
, but thats it) I do this on headphones simply because i'm listening for an=
y 'problems' - ie. not natural or man made sounds in the location but mic p=
ops or other such issues. I tend to live with recordings for some time befo=
re I do anything public with them & therefore I would guess that the way I =
'listen' to them critically for the most part involves playing them back on=
 the same system I listen to every day.
>
> so, back to the advice of experts bit & with the understanding that this =
is another can of worms, what's an expert ? & what happens when some say on=
e thing & others say another ? I know were discussing fine hairs here but, =
for example, I sometimes get referred to as an expert in field recording & =
I always say i'm not  because we are all engaged with listening to a world =
we don't control. We can gather knowledge of course but the moment we assum=
e we know exactly what we're doing is the moment we've lost the most import=
ant point - to let go of our human need to dominate, control & make assumpt=
ions of what is / will happen & instead engage more closely with the listen=
ing & the simple act of being in a place for a period of time. Expert - urg=
hh. We're not plumbing in a sink here :)
>
> --- In  "hartogj" <hartogj_1999@> wrote:
> >
> > The definition of "mixing" was confusing from the beginning of this mud=
dy thread.
> > Is mixing limited to only the combining of separate sounds or tracks, o=
r is the meaning extended to include other post production processing techn=
iques that may be applied to an original recording?
> >
> > For critical analysis and fine adjustments of any recording, I will go =
along with the experts on this group who have in the past many times recomm=
ended good monitors and good headphones, and an acoustically treated space.=
  Listening with two more different pairs of good headphones is better than=
 using only one pair.  I liked Bernie's description of his studio made with=
out parallel walls or ceiling.
> >
> > John Hartog
> > rockscallop.org
> >
>








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