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Nature-Symphony 42 (A springtime forest's passing cloud shadows) — In overall character this is quite similar to N-S 41, because this is derived from a field recording in similar conditions — though here it's a bit later in the season and the birdsong really comes to the fore. — Indeed, especially later in the work, it rather overwhelms the chimes when they're very quiet. For me, this one reflects what I creatively got to know of in my childhood as 'Mickey Mouse days' (no point in asking why!). They were those delightfully invigorating spring days with rather cold clear air and fairly strong sunshine, relatively deep blue sky and lots of tall cauliflower cumulus clouds blowing along on a brisk breeze — sometimes developing a bit more to deposit the odd sharp shower; a 'polar maritime airmass', as meteorologists would tell us, at least here in the UK.
Here we have three metal chimes, which are each at least somewhat dissonant in combination with either of the others, so we get moments of disconcerting discordant 'flying fur', quite often briefly achieving 'tone-cluster' status, but these soon resolve as the wind gusts change the balance between the chimes, and meaningful intervals and chords re-emerge. The level of background noise is rather high, and indeed it was twice as strong before I used as much noise reduction as I dared (bearing in mind degradation of the wanted sound). Further background noise came in with the bamboo chimes recording, notwithstanding that having had 12dB of background noise reduction. Anyway, complete absence of background noise isn't the aim in the first place, as, after all, these are natural soundscape field recordings, regardless of their being used musically.
Chimes used:
(layers 1+2)
1. Davis Blanchard The Blues (8 tubes, tuned to a laid-back-sounding Blues scale)
2. Davis Blanchard Debussy Bells (8 tubes, tuned to the whole-tone scale, but also sounding a strong supernumerary note above its official top note, and not on that particular whole-tone scale)
3. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (6 tubes, tuned to a mode on an Eastern European Gypsy scale)
(Layers 3+4)
3+4. Locally purchased Indonesian bamboo wind chime, large and small (not sure quite what scale those are on, but they key in with the metal chimes in a creative and sometimes surprising manner)
I made the original metal chimes recording on 11 April 2018, on rough steep ground just below Hunting Gate, highest point on the Hunter's Path, Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. In this particular case it appears that for some reason I didn't upload the original recording here. The bamboo chimes recording dates from 18 February 2013, on the narrow Hunter's Tor ridge at west end of north side of Teign Gorge. The geolocation is for the metal chimes recording.
Advisory
To get the best out of this, with its mass of detail, listen with high-grade headphones.
The following recording taking place in the same session (recorder hidden); this recording had the Gypsy Soprano chime in addition.
Techie stuff:
Because of high level of background noise (River Teign far below), I used the noise reduction function in Audacity for both recordings, followed by an EQ tilt away from the treble to compensate for a tilt towards the treble caused by the noise reduction.
Recorder for the metal chimes was a Sony PCM-D100, with two nested custom Windcut furry windshields, on a Zipshot Mini tripod.
Post-recording processing was to apply EQ in Audacity to correct for the muffling effect of the windshields.
Layer 1: speed reduction to get pitch reduction of a fifth below original, then a further 1 semitone pitch reduction to total a minor sixth below original; acoustic: middling foreground in cathedral;
Layer 2: half-speed and thus an octave below original; acoustic: moderate back of cathedral.
Recorder for the bamboo chimes was Sony PCM-M10, with Røde DeadKitten furry windshield (original, more effective version), on Velbon Mini tripod.
Layer 3: quarter-speed, thus two octaves below original; acoustic: back of cathedral.
Layer 4: quarter-speed, then further pitch reduction by a fourth to total two octaves plus a fourth below original; acoustic: back of cathedral.
Please remember to give this recording a rating — Thank you!
This recording can be used free of charge, provided that it's not part of a materially profit-making project, and it is properly and clearly attributed. The attribution must give my name (Philip Goddard) and link to https://freesound.org/people/Philip_Goddard/sounds/726213/
Type
Flac (.flac)
Duration
58:14.599
File size
222.8 MB
Sample rate
44100.0 Hz
Bit depth
16 bit
Channels
Stereo