Week Three

Back on the moor to record ambient sound: a mountain beck close to source, using a matched pair of stereo microphones.

To create a stereo recording I used two microphones which have been matched for their performance- in terms of responsiveness. To create a stereo recorded they are separated by about 10” and wired into a recorder (Zoom H5) which records each microphone on a separate track. They are omnidirectional and therefore ideal for recording ambient sound. The timelapse above shows how they were placed adjacent to the stream to ensure a clean recording with minimal interference from wind.

Microphones used: The Clippy EM272 XLR which uses the popular Primo EM272Z1 capsule, made in Japan. This capsule is known to be extremely low noise (typical 14 dBA self noise) and high sensitivity (-28 dB).

https://micbooster.com/product/xlr-stereo-clippy-em272-microphone/

Reflection:

The sound of the beck is clear and clean. However, I don’t think the subject was a good choice to illustrate the value of stereo recording as the sound captured by each channel was almost identical. Will try again with in a more ambient setting with a greater diversity of sound. To be used in a soundscape it needs to part of a more diverse range of sounds based on the theme of waterflow. Add examples taken from different parts of the stream to capture the change in tone due to differing flow rates. Also add some specific underwater or bubbling sounds. It would also be good to capture some surface sounds eg over stones etc.

Adding a short timelapse has helped to illustrate the use of the microphones. Adding a soundwave onto the video looks a bit naff but was done as an editing challenge: using a combination of Adobe Premiere Pro and Aftereffects.