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Re: was: What is a good nature sound recording?

Subject: Re: was: What is a good nature sound recording?
From: "Scott Varney" scottvarney1968
Date: Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:46 am ((PST))
Dear Folks,

I just purchased a Marantz PMD 661 recorder to use with my new parabolic mi=
crophone. Just wanted to say thanks to all who gave me valuable input.
It seems that wildlife sound recording is a challenging "sport" to get into=
...a bit like getting into fly fishing...there are few people interested an=
d even fewer who will readily give up their secrets to success. As a novice=
 recorder, I thank all those who broke the "rules" of the sport. Happy Holi=
days!

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 15, 2012, at 5:30 PM, Klas Strandberg <> wrote:

> Hi Kevin!
> "Deep reflections" I don't know, probably it is not cold enough, haha!
>
> The first snow came with a blizzard about ten days ago, which is sort
> of normal. Since then, the temperature has varied between -25 and
> zero, and a Disney landscape has melted and got frozen again, with
> all that it means of frozen hand brakes and slippery steps.
>
> You work only with M/S, don't you? In my opinion, a M/S recording can
> only be compared to other M/S recordings. Then you can never be a
> "purist" anyway, as the stereo picture is manipulated, compared to
> what a human head can hear.
> But then, on the other hand (why is there always..?) - we get into
> the replay situation with loudspeakers, where M/S might be more
> "true" than an omni rig, but never as "true" as headphones and an
> omni rig... and we have to write a book.
>
> Good to hear from you, too!
>
> Klas.
>
> At 22:40 2012-12-15, you wrote:
> >Hi Klas,
> >I see nature sound recording as a creative effort similar in some
> >aspects to photography. The "soundscape" recording corresponds to
> >scenic photos and the directed or parabolic recordings correspond to
> >telephoto lens shots. I have to be as talented in finding and
> >"framing" my subjects with my microphones as a photographer is with
> >her lenses. Whether either I or the photographer "Photoshops" or
> >alters the sounds afterwards is a matter of artistic license.
> >Both the photographer and I are capturing a moment of the universe
> >in an artistic way. Neither of us are creating, ex nihilo, as the
> >musician or painter does. Nevertheless, I still see both the nature
> >recordist and the photographer as creative artists.
> >
> >Always good to hear from you. It must be deep winter up where you
> >are, giving you time for some deep reflection.
> >
> >Kevin Colver
> >
> >
> >On Dec 15, 2012, at 2:05 PM, Klas Strandberg <> wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Keith and others!
> > >
> > > So we did (at least) get some agreeing about the issue that a Telinga
> > > SSM demo file should be uploaded raw and if it was filtered it
> > should say so.
> > > It pleases me. I agree.
> > >
> > > Keith, since you wrote your serious reflections to me, I have been
> > > trying to look into "ethics" and nature recording / music / media.
> > > Just to make up my mind.
> > > It has been like playing chess with oneself. As soon as you find an
> > > argument for something, you also see the argument against it. So I
> > > agree with you, it feels like having to write a book, which very few
> > > are going to read.
> > >
> > > When chatting with people about it, it seems to be quite a big
> > > difference between Americans and Europeans. What is total fraud for a
> > > European, is not very upsetting to an American.
> > > Also, what is seen as a fraud to a person over 50, seems to be
> > > natural to a person under 30.
> > >
> > > This is an example of a few questions that I have asked "people": A
> > > battery manufacturer (A) sells a 3,6v/100 mAh battery, which can be
> > > measured as the true value. His competitor, though, announces the
> > > same battery as 3,6v but 150mAh, which is a lie. Question: Does this
> > > justify that manufacturer (A) also starts lying and announces his
> > > battery as 3,6v 200 mAh?
> > > People my age seem at least to be a bit stressed by the question,
> > > while young people say "yes, what else can he do?"
> > > Well, those are my "findings" - not science, but enough convincing fo=
r me.
> > >
> > > When it comes to making SoundScapes, I cannot at all identify with a
> > > photographer or a musician. My only and biggest creative effort, I
> > > think, is that I have selected the equipment and spent time putting
> > > it somewhere. I might not even be there, and the time and place is
> > > mostly chosen more or less by practical reasons like "it=C2=B4s a qui=
et
> > > place" or "you can get there by car". Apart from such matters, and
> > > selecting the track, - I don't see that I have any "creative"
> > > contribution into the recording.
> > > (I DO admit that a FEW people are working differently! They are very
> > > talented. But they are... few.)
> > >
> > > Using a parabol is different, as there is a great difference between
> > > the recordings a "average" client is doing his first birding season
> > > and his next! I cannot pinpoint what it is, but I am sure that it
> > > has to do with "not doing the same mistakes" or something. Clients
> > > who have been working with a Telinga for a long time, absolutely make
> > > more really "good" recordings than the beginner! So, using a parabol
> > > is more a "creative" issue than placing a stereo mike somewhere,
> > I would say.
> > >
> > > But the topic was "manipulation" vs. "purism," which cannot include
> > > the use of parabols, as there is no "purism" in such recordings
> > > anyway, even though they might sound "nice".
> > >
> > > My question was: Do I want my new born grand child to listen to my
> > > recordings in twenty years from now, PRESUMING that there is a lot of
> > > filtering done, even removing a high way?
> > > No, I don=C2=B4t.
> > > Do I want him to hear my "best" raven passing by, saying "wow, that
> > > was a great mixing job!"
> > >
> > > No. I Don't. I want him to hear, as real as possible, what I could
> > > hear with my own ears, trusting his ears and PRESUMING that no
> > > manipulation was done!
> > > Will that happen? Probably not...
> > >
> > > Klas.
> > >
> > > At 01:54 2012-11-08, you wrote:
> > > >Thanks, Klas.
> > > >I look forward to reading your thoughts.
> > > >Keith
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >On Wed, Nov 7, 2012 at 5:39 PM, Klas Strandberg
> > <> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > **
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi Keith,
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks for your warmhearted greetings.
> > > > >
> > > > > I have printed out your mail and will read it in bed tonight.
> > > > > And consider as carefully as I am able to.
> > > > > And reply.
> > > > >
> > > > > Klas.
> > > > >
> > > > > (PS: changed the subject line. I mixed it up in the first place.)
> > > > >
> > > > > At 23:54 2012-11-07, you wrote:
> > > > > >Klas, you're ahead by 5 grandchildren. My first arrived in Augus=
t :D
> > > > > >
> > > > > >"Do "we" want that?"
> > > > > >I'm not sure the choice is "ours".
> > > > > >
> > > > > >I've wanted to respond to your recent posts in a fullsome
> > and heartfelt
> > > > > >manner, but have struggled to find a way without writing a
> > book. I do feel
> > > > > >your angst. While nature recording is new to me (and far
> > more difficult
> > > > > >than I'd ever imagined), natural recording is something I've str=
uggled
> > > > > with
> > > > > >much of my life as a freelance musician. As a player, this
> > struggle first
> > > > > >confronted me in dealing with the fundamental dishonesty of
> > the overdub.
> > > > > >It's something that no player wants to do -at least in the
> > sense of fixing
> > > > > >something - but it also has tremendous creative potential.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >What to do? Even in the event of fixing a flawed improv idea or =
a bad
> > > > > >performance, the end result is still something that I
> > created/performed
> > > > > >(and is thus, bona fide?). I might add that the problem is
> > worse when your
> > > > > >rotten note is the only wart on a performance that included
> > several other
> > > > > >players who just gave the performance of a lifetime;)
> > > > > >
> > > > > >As I've grown older, I've been apt to take a more existential at=
titude
> > > > > >toward problems like this:
> > > > > >Who am I here to serve? Hopefully, in my case it's the Muse.
> > Can I make a
> > > > > >musical point clearer with an overdub? Perhaps. Do I need to red=
o the
> > > > > whole
> > > > > >piece from scratch, just to prove that I can? Hmm. Wouldn't
> > that just be
> > > > > >serving my ego? Does using the technique lessen the musical
> > value of the
> > > > > >end product? Not if the listener is unaware, but it still
> > offends my sense
> > > > > >of authenticity.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >Classical music has taken this to insane extremes. A number
> > of years ago
> > > > > >there was an album of Paganini's 24 Caprices for Violin by a
> > well known
> > > > > >guitarist. A friend of mine was working in the same studio a
> > year or so
> > > > > >later and informed me that the whole thing had been expertly pas=
ted up
> > > > > from
> > > > > >small fragments. I imagine the artist faced the same
> > questions. To clearly
> > > > > >mark the album as Heavily Edited would have been suicide, even i=
n an
> > > > > >environment where everyone else is doing it too (stories of
> > hundreds of
> > > > > >edits per album are legion). Perhaps he should have scrapped
> > the project.
> > > > > >If he had, he would have denied all of us the chance to
> > experience what
> > > > > was
> > > > > >really a very fine recording.
> > > > > >What to do?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >Using photography as an analogy is limited, but perhaps useful. =
Even
> > > > > >snapshooters have to contend with offending poles, wires,
> > reflections and
> > > > > >what have you. You change viewpoints, 'shop' only the worst
> > of them, use
> > > > > >them creatively or give up the shot. But what if the subject
> > is unique or
> > > > > >rare; well worth putting up with rest of the 'noise'? How far do=
 we go
> > > > > with
> > > > > >the editing? This may well change the originally held
> > purpose of the shot.
> > > > > >Then, who are we serving? The subject/event, the story, the
> > photo Muse or
> > > > > >ourselves? I said 'limited' because the instantaneous visual and=
 the
> > > > > serial
> > > > > >sound experiences are so fundamentally different. Choosing a
> > viewpoint to
> > > > > >avoid a wire seems trivial compared to dealing with an
> > unexpected ATV half
> > > > > >a mile behind you while trying to get 30 minutes of near silence=
.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >Getting back to Nature Recording, doesn't the Purpose and
> > the Fitness for
> > > > > >Purpose really tell it all? A relaxation recording might be
> > 30 minutes of
> > > > > >pristinely recorded wilderness bliss or a 20 mintue loop of
> > Alan Ginsberg
> > > > > >going "Ommm" (if that works for anyone --I bet it would sell bet=
ter).
> > > > > Using
> > > > > >Rx might allow an Ornithologist a 'green-screened' version
> > of a bird call
> > > > > >in the very near future, if not today. The 5 minutes of a Pileat=
ed
> > > > > >Woodpecker working a tree stump that I recorded a couple of week=
s ago
> > > > > won't
> > > > > >be submitted here. It's full of city traffic, airplanes and
> > my creeping
> > > > > >along a gravel path to get closer, but it's a thrill for me
> > as a personal
> > > > > >first. It suits my purpose as a lesson on what not to do, next t=
ime.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >I'm not trying to make the call, here. It just seems that,
> > the way we're
> > > > > >going, the future arbiters of what's good, bad, interesting, or =
boring
> > > > > >(both your grandkids and mine) are going to care a lot less abou=
t how
> > > > > >something was done (except to copy the technique) than they
> > will about the
> > > > > >information on the bottom line.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >This leaves us free to serve a scene, a species of wildlife,
> > an ambience,
> > > > > >an idea. It doesn't stop us from simply labeling our work as
> > Not Edited,
> > > > > >Denoised Only, something to that effect. Perhaps something
> > like a SPARS
> > > > > >code as used on CDs might be adopted to delineate techniques use=
d or
> > > > > >avoided?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >Just my 2 cents, with all empathy and best wishes,
> > > > > >k
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >On Tue, Nov 6, 2012 at 8:20 AM, Klas Strandberg <=
.se>
> > > > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > **
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > My son Jon had a boy a month ago, my sixth grandchild!
> > > > > > > (Congrats most we









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