Sweeping the Front Walk

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Here’s another recording made with the 3g iPod field recording kit I described in the last entry. This time I managed to get the device to record properly using the 96kHz sampling rate. I’m using the mic input on the iPod via the headphone jack, so the recordings are still in mono.

I held the Audio Technica AT822 with one hand as I swept cedar berries off of my front walk with the other. The cedar tree has produced hundreds of these fragrant berries this fall, so I need to sweep them away frequently to avoid litigation from the mail carriers.

Sweeping the Front Walk

 

Good Quality Field Recording on a Budget

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I made this recording of a freight train near downtown Minneapolis today using an old third generation 20 gig iPod running Linux (more info at ipodlinux.org). The microphone I used to capture the sound was an Audio Technica AT822 stereo condenser, list price of $419, but zZounds.com has them for about $250. The nice thing about the AT822 is that it comes with an XLR to 1/8″ stereo cable as well as a standard “Y” cable. This makes it easy to plug it into a hand held portable recording device like a DAT recorder or MiniDisc.

Unfortunately the iPod only records in mono via the headphone jack, but I was able to get a good strong signal into it via the left channel element, and record at a staggering 88.2kHz sampling rate! 96kHz is also supported. There is a way to get a stereo line level signal recorded through the dock connector, but I would need a preamp between the iPod and the mic so I may not bother unless I find something cheap, tiny and battery operated. I’ve ordered a replacement battery for the iPod, and I’m planning on keeping this small kit in my bike bag to make impromptu recordings. I would be interested in hearing about other examples of good quality field recording ACB readers have used. Anyone else have similar techniques?

iPod Recorded Freight Train

Time Stretched 60 Cycle Hum

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To make this sound I increased the gain on some 60Hz buzz that I grabbed out of a bass guitar recording. There’s no bass, just the hum of electrical interference. A lot of boosting was necessary to get an adequate level.

Afterward I time stretched the waveform by varying amounts at consistent time intervals and manged to create this rhythmic pattern. A touch of chorus gave it some stereo spread and a short delay put it into space.

Time Stretched 60 Cycle Hum

Cover Your Eyes

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A lack of galactic space time has forced me to go backwards for the One Sound Every Day project, but I hope you’ll enjoy this track from Keston and Westdal’s latest release, One Day to Save All Life. Cover Your Eyes started out as a loop of sustained Rhodes notes that I had dropped into Ableton Live during a rehearsal for a show. If I remember correctly, we ended up performing the piece the same night that we created it. I love the samples Nils added that are destroyed with processing creating some complex and swirling textures throughout the piece.

Cover Your Eyes

 

Reverberated Graintable Noise

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I produced this sound by programming a scale in a MIDI clip and then sending it to a virtual instrument designed to allow for freely manipulating granular synthesis through several seven point envelopes. I made several takes while I adjusted the envelops and other parameters.

One warning, this take has some piercingly high frequencies in a few places. The sound reminds me of some sort of scrambled futuristic alarm system. This led me to adding a warehouse reverb to the mix to put in into sci-fi thriller territory.

Reverberated Grain Table Noise