Freesound Forums
Recording individual nature sounds
Started March 9th, 2010 · 6 replies · Latest reply by nicStage 14 years, 8 months ago
Newbie question - How does one go about recording individual nature sounds? ie recording crikets or frogs or birds etc without taking them out of their environment and without all the ambient noise/sound. Obviously getting close to the subject is ideal to increase the signal but these things often don't let one get close, or if one does get close they go quiet!
I am assuming some this will mean some method of increasing the recorded signal and post processing....
Cheers
David
OK, extra mikes are beyond my means the moment ($600+ for shotguns downunder, no idea about long shotguns) so I guess rule of thumb is - just get in as close as you can.
Cheers
David
leave your microphone hidden and unattended
Always a good idea. No humans around puts animals at their ease. If using a fur windshield, try and camouflage it with some military type scrim or similar material because the fake fur can look like a predator.
http://www.surplusandadventure.com/images/product/main/scrim_net_scarf2.jpg
Tripods/stands can be shiny and unnatural also, therefore consider camouflaging them as well.
Get to know your subject, observe and listen. Some birds for instance will have a preferred roost and time of day for calling, this means you can set up your equipment beforehand. Some recordists even make dummy mics and cables so that the subject can get used to the dummy equipment in all weathers before they actually switch to real cables and mics.
Develop copious amounts of patience, you will need to.
Good luck and have fun.
LOL - I don't know if I will ever be that serious about gathering sound.
Cheers
David
Benboncanleave your microphone hidden and unattendedAlways a good idea. No humans around puts animals at their ease. If using a fur windshield, try and camouflage it with some military type scrim or similar material because the fake fur can look like a predator.
http://www.surplusandadventure.com/images/product/main/scrim_net_scarf2.jpgTripods/stands can be shiny and unnatural also, therefore consider camouflaging them as well.
Get to know your subject, observe and listen. Some birds for instance will have a preferred roost and time of day for calling, this means you can set up your equipment beforehand. Some recordists even make dummy mics and cables so that the subject can get used to the dummy equipment in all weathers before they actually switch to real cables and mics.
Develop copious amounts of patience, you will need to.
Good luck and have fun.
this is excellent advice which I'll certainly be trying my best to remember.
It's so true about leaving your mic unattended as well. I used to record bees as a very small boy using my cheep Fisher-price recorder. I didn't do badly when I was running round the lavinda bush chasing the buzzing sounds, but when I left the recorder there and went away bees actually came and sat on the microphone and everything. It was great!
Go where the sounds the animals are making are the only sounds you can hear. That's primary ingredient to all good nature recordings. It can't be avoided. Any attempt to avoid this will reduce the quality of the recording.
After that, everything that's already been mentioned. Reduce the likelihood that your presence will be noticed. Blend in. It's basically the same as hunting but you hit record instead of making a kill. 