Summer update...

Yes, the summer solstice was yesterday. I spent the day walking on Blakeney Point on the Norfolk coastline. I took a few photos that I might upload here at some point. It is a fantastic area, very quiet and remote. I plan on returning there with a microphone.

So the field recording has hit a bit of a standstill in recent times. My life has been a bit up in the air as I've moved back home from Bristol, and other things have been occuring that have kept me away from having much creative time and headspace. I think part of the problem is that I'm not fond of editing and looking at computer screens for long periods of time. So when I do occasionally go out and record things I rarely get round to uploading them.

However one of the things I've felt continually frustrated with is the lack of a proper professional microphone. I've worked with my Zoom H2, Fostex FR-2LE, and a pair of handmade omni-directional 'Brady Mics', as I named them after the man who kindly made and sold a pair to me. The setup I was primarily using was the Fostex and Brady mics, but I feel i've reached the limits of this now. So I have my eye on a Audio-Technica BP4025, which I believe is the sort of microphone I'm looking for. It has low self noise, produces a fantastic stereo image and looks sleek and compact. I had been considering the Rode NT4. But although I've used this mic before and was very impressed with it, I did find it a bit bulky and heavy. I have also read reviews comparing the two and the general consensus is that the BP4025 is much better.

I don't know when I'll be picking this microphone up. Probably next month after I've earned a bit of cash because it's not particularly cheap!

Anyway aside from all that I recently gave Traktor a go and made a mix of some random tracks I like. So here it is:



Enjoy.

Sounds from summer

I took a short midweek camping trip in the eastern area of the Brecon Beacons in summer during a spell of good weather.

I have only just got the photos developed from that trip which I wanted to pair with the recordings, it was a very beautiful area.

Children Playing

A recording I made this afternoon out my window...


  Children Playing by miles out in the field

Back with something old

So I haven't posted on this here blog for awhile but things have been busy as I've relocated from Falmouth to the dizzying heights of Bristol. Anyway I should be getting more active with my sound experiments now I'm a bit more settled. I have a lot of recordings I need to listen through and tag and I've got a few ideas going on, but today I put something together I had been meaning to do for ages but kept forgetting.

   Talkingmakesnosense - Volumes In G (Sicily mix) by miles out in the field

This is the result of a recording I made whilst stopping at an organic farm in Sicily in the summer of 2009, the track is playing out of a small stereo in the kitchen whilst I sat outside. I think my original intention was to use it as an opening for a mix series I was occasionally doing at the time (look at the exploration of ambience stuff on my soundcloud) but I never got round to it I suppose. Anyway it brings back great summer memories for me of the intense midday sun, dusty grounds, hammocks, weather vanes, vineyards, old tool sheds, sleeping out in the open air, and so on and so on. The artist Talkingmakesnosense is also terrific, so do check him out.

Cheers, more stuff soon.

Goonhilly Winds

   Goonhilly winds by miles out in the field

Whilst trekking about on Goonhilly Downs I encountered some rough weather as a low mist descended all around. Sat beside the large fencing that encloses the satellite station I began to record the sounds of the howling wind, whispering grass, and pattering rain.

Tanker prepares to leave port

   Tanker prepares to leave port by miles out in the field

Hydrophone extended ten metres whilst floating opposite Maenporth beach.

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.