Freesound Forums

I have an iPhone app called Ambiance that is pretty successful. In that app, I use freesound sounds all the time, and I though I would give back to the community by recording my own. I did some research on field recorders and purchased a R-09HR!

Being blunt, I don't know how to do proper field recordings. I read the manual and played with it, and can get sounds recorded, but I am looking for tips as to the best way to minimize unwanted noise, hums, contact noises. What is the best way to position the recorder for recording different types of things? What should the record settings on the Edirol be? Is an external microphone necessary? I am just looking for any advice anybody can give here.

Thanks,
Matt

coneybeare
I did some research on field recorders and purchased a R-09HR!

Being blunt, I don't know how to do proper field recordings. I read the manual and played with it, and can get sounds recorded, but I am looking for tips as to the best way to minimize unwanted noise, hums, contact noises. What is the best way to position the recorder for recording different types of things? What should the record settings on the Edirol be? Is an external microphone necessary? I am just looking for any advice anybody can give here.

I've done up an audio field recording tutorial for beginners. I hope that helps. I know handling noise can be such a bitch!

Good luck.

Thanks a bunch for this — it really helped.

coneybeare
Thanks a bunch for this — it really helped.

I'm delighted, thank you.

Username attribution would great in your app as well!

Further to all this, thanks to the help I've had here from other freesounders, I've made a downloadable PDF and audio file which are now available for whomever wants them.

Enjoy.

coneybeare
I have an iPhone app called Ambiance that is pretty successful. In that app, I use freesound sounds all the time, and I though I would give back to the community by recording my own. [...] I am looking for tips as to the best way to minimize unwanted noise, hums, contact noises. What is the best way to position the recorder for recording different types of things? What should the record settings on the Edirol be? Is an external microphone necessary? I am just looking for any advice anybody can give here.

Thanks,
Matt

JustinBW
Username attribution would great in your app as well!

Matt, after writing my guide partially with helping you in mind, after re-reading your original post about giving back to the community, and after perusing your website for your app, I notice that you have no username attribution of any kind on your website, and only one text mention of freesound in your faq with no hyperlink.

Are you aware that using audio from freesound without individual attribution contravenes copyright and therefore is also illegal? If you truly want to give back to the community, I'd start with respecting the terms of the license which made those sounds available to you in the first place, and properly attributing the audio recordists and freesound publicly on your website with hyperlinks.

I'm sure I don't need to remind you that those audio recordists' work has allowed you to benefit financially from your commercial product, so the least you can do is respect the law and the terms of the copyright license which allowed you to benefit from other people's work.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this, I really do appreciate it.

You'd probably be best off recording loud sounds with the R09, especially if you use the on bord microphones. It's a fairly noisy unit so the louder the sound the better the signal-noise ratio. using external mics and/or external pre-amps would help greatly.

Make sure florescent lights, Air conditioning, mobile phones, dimmer switches, basically everything except what doesn't absolutely need to be on or that you can't turn off is off. Remember too that a silent mobile phone still emits periodical interference.

Happy recording.