David,
Thank you for the reply, your recordings are clear and very beautiful. Could
you tell me more about how you choose an angle, or what happens when you change
it? Have you ever set up your mics above the ground, on a table or in a tree?
Do you think the tent changes the quality of your recording?
The recordings I've listened to on your website seem to be a mix direct and
stereo sounds. And you are using two Sennheiser micsfor stereo? Presently I'm
set on a Sennheiser and am considering a Telinga for ambient sound.
Also many thanks for suggesting Messiaen.
Niki
--- In "Avocet" wrote:
>
> Niki,
>
> It is difficult to follow Max's excellent summary. Too much advice can
> be distracting, but I would list one other type of mic - a gunmic.
> These have a less active area all around and behind and are good for
> picking out more distant sounds but are also good for close sounds.
> These are the "industry standard" mics inside the sausage windshields
> you see wielded by news crews or mounted on cameras.
>
> With stereo, you will see advertised "mono-stereo" or "mid-side" mics
> using a gunmic for forward sounds. Unfortunately the "side" mic picks
> up sounds from all over, losing the benefit of the gunmic for nature
> recording. You can of course fade out the "side" mic and just use the
> mono sound and that is why they are popular with the media.
>
> I use old used Sennheiser gunmics from eBay in pairs for stereo, but
> mounting them at a angle of about 40 degrees is a problem. I have also
> got a long "rifle" gunmic which is excellent for pulling in distant
> sounds but which can be a bit large and heavy to use.
>
> I've got a pic of my stereo pair in a tent to keep the weather off
> them on:
> http://www.stowford.org/recordings.htm#aprildawn
> Note that they are mounted low - you don't need a tripod.
>
> > ... and a third is to maybe, one day, make music with portions of
> > it. When I was in college I picked up a CD by Manuel Obregon at
> > Monteverde cloud forest in Costa Rica. It was a "conversation"
> > between his piano and the forest.
>
> This is the best idea. Listen to the following slowed down recording
> in the above link to hear what we are missing in much of the birdsong.
> Also look out for the classical composer Messiaen, who used tropical
> birdsong in his music.
>
> David
>
> David Brinicombe
> North Devon, UK
> Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce
>
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