Hi Eric,
Flies that land on your mics are pretty much impossible to remove
with audio editing altho you can modify them a little with something
like RX.
I agree with Dan, the best bet are those folding clothes hampers made
with fine mesh which would stop the flies actually landing on the
mics. That way you will hear the flies as part of the environment
but without the intrusion of 'landing in your ears'. Another thing I
used to try was a piece of lightweight cotton cloth, give that a
light spray with aerogard, then drape it over the mic rig, there
would be just enough scent to stop the flies landing on the rig but
not enough to damage any equipment.
It's all very well for Andrew to say 'don't record in areas where
there are flies' but one of the most beautiful locations I came
across in Kakadu for recording Little Shrike-thrush was laden with
large stripey purple flies, obviously the birds liked to eat them. I
rested the mic rig on a log and gently waved a leafy branch back and
forth to stop the flies landing, whilst dreaming up a foolproof fly
net for my next visit!
Just a few ideas,
Vicki
On 21/01/2013, at 10:54 AM, Eric Fassbender wrote:
> Hi all and thanks for welcoming me to the community.
>
> I currently live in Darwin, Australia so most of my recordings
> feature sounds from the tropical north. If you are interested, feel
> free to have a listen on my website or on Soundcloud (details below).
>
> One problem that I often face are flies that mess up my recordings
> (being in Australia's outback, flies are a very common occurrence).
> Does anyone have suggestions on a) how to remove the nasty buzzing
> sounds from existing recordings or (and this would be even more
> helpful) b) how to prevent flies in recordings in the first place?
>
> In regards to a) my current approach is to just chop the bits where
> the flies are too dominant but in some recordings that means that I
> not only lose 70% of the recording but it is also a whole heap of
> work where the 3 minute outcome does not justify the 6 hours of
> editing. The problem is that the buzzing sound goes right across
> the frequency spectrum from about 300 Hz to about 3KHz. It would be
> great if someone had a suggestion on how I can remove or mask this
> annoyance.
>
> In regards to b) I've been thinking about all sorts of
> constructions, like mozzie nets that can be installed around the
> microphones or some sort of repellent to keep the flies away,
> however, the problem with mozzie nets is that the additional weight
> and stuff that I have to carry and the time it takes to set
> everything up does again not seem to justify the result. And
> apparently there is no fly repellent that really works, so that
> just seems to be pouring money down the drain for something that is
> very likely to not work. Plus, I wouldn't want to spray any
> chemical on the windjammers anyway.
>
> My recording gear includes a Marantz PMD661 with a pair of matched
> Rode NT5's. The NT5's are very sensitive and not normally the best
> choice for even slightly windy situations, however, when combined
> with a blimp and windjammer they create a brilliant and authentic
> stereo image of the locations. I am very happy with this setup as
> it is very compact and the quality of the recordings is very good
> too. It's just the bloody flies that I need to get rid off. So if
> anyone has some recommendations or tricks on how to remove flies
> from existing recordings without compromising too much of the
> actual desired sounds or on how to prevent flies from entering the
> recording space in the first place, that would be much appreciated.
>
> I look forward to hearing from you,
>
> Eric
>
>
> Website: www.australian-nature-sounds.com
> Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/australiannaturesounds
>
"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/
<*> Your email settings:
Digest Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
|