Thanks Greg, that makes perfect sense :)
Eric
On 03/01/2014, at 2:58 PM, Gregory O'Drobinak <> w=
rote:
>
> Eric;
>
> It is most likely that you overloaded either the mic's internal preamp or=
the input of the outboard mic preamp or both.
> Depending on the circuit topology and supply rails of the outboard mic pr=
eamp, one can overload the input stage.
> But it is more likely that the mic capsule or its internal preamp got ove=
rloaded.
>
> That is why it looks like you have not exceeded the 0 dB record level, bu=
t you still have distortion.
> Moving the mic away from the sound source keeps it from being overloaded.=
>
> I have had personal experience with this type of recording, e.g., bells, =
gongs and carillons and gamelan. Often one needs to engage the mic's intern=
al pad (10 or 20 dB), then use the lowest gain setting for the outboard mic=
preamp. Judicious placement of the mic is also of paramount importance. Al=
ways use your ears, with a good pair of closed-back headphones, to setup th=
e recording before hitting record.
>
> - Greg
>
> From: Eric Fassbender <>
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, January 2, 2014 9:43 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nature Recordists] Distortions when recording tibetan singi=
ng bowls/gongs
>
>
> Hi all and sorry for the very late response, I just haven't had time to a=
nswer.
>
> So here is a sample of the recording: https://soundcloud.com/australianna=
turesounds/gong-with-distortions
>
> The photo shows the spectral analysis in which you can see the distortion=
s. Note that at the loudest point the recording is still at -7.6 dB so it c=
an't be the volume.
>
> Also, I should mention that this is a sample of a gong and not a tibetan =
bowl as I originally wrote. The reason I chose this sample is because the e=
ffect is much more prominent, however, I have had the same issue with singi=
ng bowls.
>
> To answer some of the other questions, it was not the attenuation that wa=
s the problem. But moving further away from the gong and then increasing th=
e levels in post worked well. So it could be that the max SPL was reached b=
ut I somehow doubt that because it wasn't really that loud.
>
> Regards,
>
> Eric
>
>
> Please consider donating to our fundraising campaign to extend national p=
arks
>
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>
>
>
>
> On 27/10/2013, at 11:14 AM, Aaron L. Rosenblum <> wro=
te:
>
>>
>>
>> Has anyone experienced ultrasound distortion with insect recordings? It =
seems perfectly possible, and this summer I made a recording of a field at =
sunset that was positively alive with crickets and other buzzy things. The =
recordings have a loud buzz that was not audible IRL and doesn't seem to ha=
ve come from any nearby equipment (there was a house A/C unit in the distan=
ce, and it's audible as you would expect). There seemed to be a certain amo=
unt of axis sensitivity to the distortion. I puzzled over it for a while an=
d wondered what kind of electromagnetic potential insects have. But ultraso=
und having an effect on the mics sounds much more likely.
>>
>> Also, to the original post, I have certainly experienced clipping or dis=
tortion with loud signals while recording with my Tascam set in high sensit=
ivity mode (of three modes), with the more granular level control set prett=
y low to avoid (so I thought) clipping. The solution for me was to change t=
o a lower sensitivity setting (the -20dB pad in your case, I guess) and the=
n modulate the more granular level setting from there as need be.
>>
>> Aaron
>>
>> I once spent two months recording Tibetans in the Zanskar Valley and am =
now
>> involved in ultrasound with bat recording. My guess is that it is ultras=
ound
>> distortion in the mic or input stage from the percussive instruments. Th=
is
>> is not included in the spec of most mics.
>> David Brinicombe
>>
>
>
>
>
>
"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause.
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