Dan wrote: "I record mostly in the national parks, with research permits. I=
ask them what areas they want documented. Serious volunteers are welcomed.=
I record the whole soundscape with everything, in surround. I turn in docu=
mented and annotated raw recordings to the parks."=0D
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That sounds really interesting. Does anyone know if anything like that is b=
eing done in other countries?=0D
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And why do you need research permits? Do you record in places that require =
permits to access?=0D
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It's interesting that you appear less distressed by noise than the OP (sorr=
y, forgot your name). Perhaps that's because even your noisy recordings hav=
e a purpose?=0D
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Peter Shute=0D
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Sent using BlackBerry=0D
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From: =0D
To: =0D
Sent: Tue Jul 10 15:03:43 2012=0D
Subject: Re: [Nature Recordists] the frustrations of engine noise=0D
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> How are other recordists dealing with this? Are you spending hours at the=
computer applying filters?=0D
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No, very rarely. Only when a particular piece is needed for a production th=
at someone wants to purchase for a film or museum.=0D
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> Are you stitching together a minute here and a minute there?=0D
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Yes, I splice together all the uninterrupted parts of a session to make a s=
uite.=0D
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> Are you traveling extensively looking for quiet places out of the flight =
lanes?=0D
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Yes, I prize the quiet spots and times. There's often clean time in the spr=
ing and summer after nautical twilight but before the aircraft start. I cam=
p in the location to be there for it.=0D
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> How do you feel about having to do that?=0D
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Comes with the territory. Thinking positively, I celebrate the quiet spots.=
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> What are you doing with your engine-filled recordings. Archiving? Erasing=
? Editing?=0D
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I record mostly in the national parks, with research permits. I ask them wh=
at areas they want documented. Serious volunteers are welcomed. I record th=
e whole soundscape with everything, in surround. I turn in documented and a=
nnotated raw recordings to the parks. I make artistic pieces out of the goo=
d bits. I keep everything.=0D
=0D
> It's interesting to me how little of this engine noise we normally hear. =
One of the consequences of the recording and listening that I have been doi=
ng is that I have told many people about the challenge of engine noise. And=
invariably they tell me of such and such a place, usually their house, whe=
re it is perfectly quiet. And I go there and the noise is nearly constant. =
They just aren't hearing it. Their brains are filtering it out, it is so co=
mmon. But now they are aware of it because I have drawn their attention to =
it, and they are astonished.=0D
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Yes, I've had that experience with park rangers who have guided me to a rea=
lly quiet spot--not.=0D
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> Maybe some good can come of that, although in the short term I'm probably=
not spreading happiness. Our filters exist to protect us, I suppose.=0D
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> This desensitization to environmental damage concerns me though. I do not=
want to be a desensitized person. I do not want to be constantly filtering=
the world out, mentally or electronically. Recording has helped me open my=
ears, remove or at least reduce the filters. That's one of the main reason=
s I am recording, to listen more fully. But I don't like what I am hearing =
most of the time! Like the right whales in the Bay of Fundy who are stresse=
d by the noise of ships, I find this constant engine noise stressful.=0D
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My first experience was taking a binaural rig and a cassette recorder acros=
s the country on the bus. I realized that the soundscape was motor noise an=
d more motor noise.=0D
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> So there is the dilemma I am trying to resolve or live with. How do we ke=
ep listening and keep recording and deal with this stress of becoming more =
and more aware of the noise that is reshaping the soundscape of the planet?=
It's a similar challenge for anyone doing any kind of environmental monito=
ring. How do we open our senses and our hearts fully and not become discour=
aged by what we see and hear and feel? I've been doing some kind of environ=
mental monitoring for about 15 years and I still haven't figured this out. =
I'd love to hear more about how others are approaching this.=0D
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With the interruptions you are still making great "point counts" of the spe=
cies present. If documented this is valuable citizen science, and you can h=
arvest the pure bits for production.=0D
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> best wishes to all,=0D
>=0D
> John=0D
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Happy recording to you, Dan=0D
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