Sound designer and recordist Charles Maynes has written a great nuts-and-bols article about mid-side recording, posted on the field sepulchra blog a few days ago. The theory and practice of Mid-Side recording doesn't get as much attention as its rockstar cousins, A-B and X-Y stereo configurations, which is odd because Mid-Side is an efficient, logical and just useful technique … [Read more...]
Interview with The Sound Tracker
Gordon Hempton is one of the world's foremost nature sound recordists. He's won an Emmy, been the subject of a documentary, is an activist for acoustic ecology, and...in what many may deem a tragic irony...is also losing his hearing. Our focus on field recording this month is the perfect opportunity add his voice to our little community here. DS: How did you get into field … [Read more...]
Tips on Recording and Using Wind from Gordon Hempton
If you haven't heard of Gordon Hempton before...aka The Soundtracker, documentary subject, author of One Square Inch of Silence, field recordist...we'll be remedying that this week. We'll be posting an interview with the man himself later this week. For now, why not check out some of his thoughts on recording wind and decoding its characteristics based on the time of day and … [Read more...]
Field Recording Competition Time
Tim Prebble recently launched the first in a series of field recording competitions via his blog - a neat coincidence given that here at Designing Sound we've dedicated October to all things field recording. The premise is of the competition is simple: one month, one subject, one recording. Competition hopefuls are invited to upload their best recording of a cardboard box … [Read more...]
Recording FX In 5, 6, 8, Or More Channels?
Guest Contriubtion by Randy Thom Acoustic Authenticity Versus Entertainment Value When designing a set for a film, the art director tries to use what is good about the real world place where the scene will be shot, but also tries to avoid being straight jacketed by what is there. The cinematographer usually has a similar approach in deciding what to shoot and how to shoot … [Read more...]
As Chris Rock Said…Be POLITE
This article is about one of those universal inevitabilities that surrounds recording in the wild, dealing with the police. Sooner or later, we all have our encounters with them. Before I go further, let me lay out the persepective with which you should read this. I am not a lawyer. This article should not be construed as legal advice. What follows is a set of common sense … [Read more...]
October…Get Out and Record!
Thanks you for indulging us as we tried a different approach last month. We feel it's important to break out of tunnel vision every once in a while, and it was a nice (but relevant) departure for us. So let's get into October! This month, we're going to focus on the art of field recording, and it's a great month to do so. We're in that seasonal transition time where it's a … [Read more...]