Its a mixture of microphone/pre-amp noise (I was using a "low-end" sony mic=
with minididsc)and the breeze in the long grass.
cheers
T
--- In 404 <> wrote:
>
> Thanks for listening, Tony. Just so you know though, all the recordings a=
re real-time and unedited. so no derivations from spaces but the actual spa=
ces.
>
> And the Daintree is amazing. Spent a few days there a couple of years ago=
. Couldn't believe how loud it was, especially at night.
>
> Loved listening to your causse-du-larzac recording. Is that sizzling a ne=
arby river or brook, or the microphones? Curious cos I have that in a lot o=
f my quiet recordings as well...
>
> Peter
>
>
> On 06 Jun 2012, at 16:47, soundings23 wrote:
>
> > Thank you for all the contributions.
> >
> > David, I like the idea of being able to hear the thermal sound of air (=
"a clear high pitched hiss"). And also your point that "most listeners' noi=
se backgrounds are higher than the "quiet" sounds of nature" - which to me =
makes recording and presentation of such sounds even more interesting.
> >
> > Vicki, my experience of listening to creatures at night is that they of=
ten appear to my ears bigger than they actually are. I stood in the dark of=
Daintree forest in Queensland once, what later I found out were scrubfowl =
sounded as if they were cassowary - which we'd been told can be aggressive.=
As you say, that does rather focus the hearing!
> >
> > Peter - quiet as the space between events is compelling - and yes, I ce=
rtainly recognise that in Feldman's work ("For Philip Guston" for instance =
to me is much about the space between events as the events themselves). I l=
istened to your recordings btw, and liked the different "quiets" derived no=
doubt from the resonances of the different spaces in which they were recor=
ded. Has prompted me to think of seeking out such places ... and I posted o=
n Soundcloud a recording I did some years ago on the Causse du Larzac - whi=
ch is quiet, but at the same time full of detail. http://soundcloud.com/ton=
ywhitehead/causse-du-larzac
> >
> > all the best
> >
> > Tony
> >
> > --- In 404 <404@> wrote:
> > >
> > > yes, silence is too difficult a term. I use "quies" for my work. "res=
t, repose, quiet" in latin.
> > > Because like the stories that are related here, quies (or silence, or=
quiet) is not a stable state, it's what happens in between sonic events. t=
he space between sound if you want. and the space in which sound happens.
> > > in music, quies is morton feldman to john cage's silence, if that mak=
es sense.
> > > in nature it's the ... before the storm, or in my experience, that lu=
ll when the wind drops in the desert
> > > in the theater, it's that split second at the end before the audience=
breaks out in applause or taboos
> > > most importantly, it's a state of mind, rather than a state of nature=
, because we all know there's never nothing in nature. and besides, whether=
things are really there or not might not matter all that much, as listenin=
g is a subjective experience anyhow.
> > >
> > > On 06 Jun 2012, at 06:11, soundings23 wrote:
> > >
> > > > Clearly "silence" is a contested word, but personally I don't have =
any issue with not attributing it to situations that might better be descri=
bed as quiet.
> > > >
> > > > The differing experiences of "quiet" are however very interesting.=
> > > >
> > > > Years ago, I was standing with a group of people at night (composer=
s/sound artists on a course as it happened) by the River Dart here in Devon=
. We were on a sound walk and it was a particularly still August evening. C=
onversation fell away and we became still. As we did so I felt a "rushing i=
n" - an almost physical pressure. It was quite startling, but I've experien=
ced it a number of times since when I've purposefully put myself in similar=
situations. Its the sort of experience that is personal and no recording t=
echnology could replicate - but I recognise it in experiences related in th=
is thread.
> > > >
> > > > I don't wish to overanalyse, but I'd be intrigued in a wider sharin=
g of experiences of such quiet places to see if there's any commonality, or=
if our experience's differ widely.
> > > >
> > > > --- In "Jez" <tempjez@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > quickly:
> > > > >
> > > > > these 'silences' aren't silent. What tends to happen is the extre=
me quietness combined with the listeners attempts to perceive it lead to a =
situation where:
> > > > >
> > > > > 1) on a psychological level, one accepts the definition of silenc=
e
> > > > > 2) on a physical level, the ears attempt to adjust to the surroun=
dings & to 1)
> > > > >
> > > > > the combination means that 'silence' is the surface perception. T=
here are all kinds of sounds present, even in the disorienting stillness of=
the most quiet places on earth (such as deep caves or deserts) but, as is =
the way of us humans, it is easier for us to apply filters to our perceptio=
n of what is there.
> > > > >
> > > > > micro / macro listening to these places or recordings of them rev=
eals a wealth of sound, all be it on a sometimes very subtle level.
> > > > >
> > > > > it's amazing to perceive stillness & amazing to hear whats there =
at those times.
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In 404 <404@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks for this, Raimund. Fascinating stuff!
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On 05 Jun 2012, at 19:39, Raimund wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > <But every now and then there's moments where the wind lies d=
own and the
> > > > > > > flies stay away and it's silent. Not quiet. But silent. I'm s=
ure that anyone who's ever driven into the Australian outback or desert kno=
w what I'm talking about. I can highly recommend it>
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Peter,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I think I know what you are talking about. I experienced that=
stunning silence several times shortly after sunset while camping in the S=
onoran Desert (Arizona).
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > There is a simple explanation for that kind of silence: A str=
ong temperature gradient in the air above the ground creates a sonic shadow=
region for each sound source (the ground is still hot, but the air is gett=
ing cooler at night). See http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/refract/ref=
ract.html. So, I think there is still some noise around, but it just cannot=
be heard due to these refraction effects.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > > Raimund
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
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