Hi John,
I live in an urban neighborhood of Portland Oregon, so I know what you mean=
about a contradiction to drive a noisy, gas guzzling vehicle into the coun=
try side in search of a quiet places to record.
It would be nice if I could ride a bicycle for a couple hours and be somewh=
ere quiet. There are some quiet moments to be caught within 100 miles of th=
e city on early Sunday mornings, but realistically to find good noise-free =
periods of time, "quiet" means "remote" and that typically requires a minim=
um two hundred mile trip away from the city - and still a whole lot of luck=
.
For those further trips, which always seem too few and far between, careful=
planning is key. I watch the weather and reserve alternative dates to allo=
w flexibility. Plan to arrive on location well before sunset, stay as many =
days as possible, leave well after sunrise and do not drive or start the en=
gine anytime in between. Enjoy listening, have quiet conversations in camp,=
be careful with car and outhouse doors and clanking cook gear.
Urban areas are not devoid of natural sound, and these sounds can be import=
ant to document and fun to record. With the rising importance wildlife habi=
tat restoration in urban areas, I think there are plenty of good opportunit=
ies for nature recordists to explore. The hard part is the audio editing wh=
ich requires a lot of listening to the same urban noise over and over. When=
presented properly, such recordings will be well received and meaningful t=
o your audience.
John
John Hartog
rockscallop.org
--- In "John Crockett" <> wrote:
>
> Greetings all,
>
> Trying to record soundscapes around southern Vermont has become a very fr=
ustrating experience. I have hours of recordings, and only a few minutes wi=
thout some kind of engine noise: mostly jets, but also prop planes, chainsa=
ws, atvs, cars and trucks and motorcycles, skidders, and who knows what els=
e. It appears that we are in a direct flight path for Logan airport in Bost=
on, so that accounts for a lot of it. These are sounds I have effectively s=
creened out in a lifetime of living here. I have always thought of this pla=
ce as quiet. But turn on the recorder and suddenly all that engine noise co=
mes to the fore. Not quiet at all.
>
> It makes no sense to me to get in my own noisy car and drive all over the=
countryside trying to find quiet places. How contradictory is that! I'm no=
t having any luck finding quiet places anyway. This noise has become such a=
frustration that I am sorely tempted to give up recording altogether, havi=
ng only barely begun.
>
> How have others dealt with this frustration? How have you worked around i=
t? Anybody have an airplane noise canceling microphone?! Should we be hopin=
g the price of oil goes through the roof?
>
> best wishes,
>
> John
>
> John Crockett
> Westminster, VT
>
> Let us live in harmony with the Earth
> And all creatures
> That our lives may be a blessing
>
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