Dawn Chorus

The Wildlife Recording Society was asking for dawn chorus recordings a few months ago and they are now all available online. A recording I contributed is entitled 'From the bedroom window in Falmouth' on page two.

Follow this link... http://www.wildlife-sound.org/dawn-chorus.html 

For whatever reason I'm having problems streaming the files on my macbook, but I found by clicking on the dropdown box and selecting save as source I can play the file as an m3u through itunes no trouble.

Lavalier windshield solution

A while ago I purchased a pair of handmade lavalier type microphones from Ian Brady, a member of the Wildlife Recording Society. They are a terrific pair of mics but it's taken me some time to work out a way to effectively shield them from the wind, due to being busy finishing off my degree and finding a solution that was compatible with my student finances!

I instinctively turned to Rycote and found their lavalier furries however these didn't do the trick. I determined what I needed was something like the Baby Ball Gag to create 'dead air' around the microphones, and finally a fur covering to enclose the gag or caging. I firstly found my enclosure for the mics in the form of a tea infuser, I bought mine from eBay, searching for the largest ones I could find. I cut a small hole to pass the cable through and then slotted the mic housing into the space. A coating of duct tape around the mic housing protects it from scratching from the infuser, I'm not totally satisfied with this solution however I imagine I could smooth the edges somehow...

Infuser with mic inside

Infusers with holes cut

 My inspiration for the fur covering came from the Rycote Zoom H2 windjammer I own. I noticed how it fit quite comfortably around the tea infuser, yet did not create a satisfactory seal around the bottom. The next step was to get hold of some fake fur, I aimed to find the longest pile and thinnest backing. So with the help of my mother and her sewing machine, we copied the pattern of the H2 windjammer! However we added an elastic drawstring around the bottom to gather the fabric and create a wind proof seal, also in addition to the thin backing of the fake fur a piece of silk was sewn. This not only provides a further layer of protection but also prevents the infuser from catching on the fur. 

Here are a few more pictures...

Fake fur covering

Inside of fake fur covering with silk lining and elastic drawstring

My fur cover on left, Rycote cover of right.

Stereo pair with mics inside

Hopefully this post might give someone a few ideas, I think the trick is to find what suits your own needs and be creative! Finally here is a recent recording I made using this set up.

  The Lake District, Styhead Tarn by miles out in the field

Recording at Styhead Tarn

A young persons guide to hustling in music and the arts.

An guide written by Lawrence English that gives some good advice.

http://lawrenceenglish.com/post/7443865383/a-young-persons-guide-to-hustling-in-music-and

My dissertation for your reading pleasure

I decided to share my dissertation with whoever wishes to read it. I discuss subjects relating sound, listening, field recording and memory. Anyway here is an abstract which explains things a little better... 

"Place is always moving, like a sleeping cat” 

The potential for sound in shaping perception

'Sound is something that everyone is in contact with during daily life, it is not possible to filter out in the same way as the closing of the eyelid. Due to this fact many take sound and listening to their environments for granted, however listening is a deeply rewarding exercise. Work from musicians and sound artists such as John Cage, David Toop and Chris Watson detail the deeply affecting nature of sound. In the preliminary research for this essay the focus was on those mentionings of an ‘essence’ in sound, also listening and the relationship between that sense and human perception. The key case study in reference to these areas was the Hungarian film Hukkle (Pálfi 2002) as the sound mix presented in this film is unique in its execution. The objective of the following essay it to determine the extent to which sound is a factor in the forming of perception and memory, and explore Hukkle as a transferable mode of listening. The first chapter explores John Cage in relation to his ‘silent piece’ 4’33” and the pioneer of musique concrete, Pierre Schaeffer. After tracing these early steps in rethinking the way sound is heard, the second chapter focuses on Hukkle and looks in depth at the sound mix. The final chapter explores music and field recording before concluding on the findings.'

Download here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21294742/Dissertation%20Miles%20Bowe.doc 

Weekend Retreat

A film I worked as boom operator on last summer now has its own website with trailers, pics etc.

Here is the trailer...


Weekend Retreat Trailer from Brett Harvey on Vimeo.



Check this link... http://weekendretreatmovie.com/

Pixel8 Film Festival

Quick bit of news about an upcoming film festival showcasing the work of my fellow classmates! My film will be screened on the last night of the festival in the place of 'Virtual Duality'. I've been submitting Surface Tension to various festivals, so hopefully more news of it being shown to come soon. 

Surface Tension

Surface Tension from Miles Bowe on Vimeo.


Well here it is, the final edit for my short film piece.

I will be designed some packaging for it to go in and will also be working on a tape sometime after next week.

The video has a password because some film festivals have guidelines against an online 'premier'. Enter: surfacetensionvimeo