PREPARING TO BE SURPRISED
With few exceptions field and found sound capture relies on a mobile recording device. For professionals, there are a host of high-end recorders, shotgun mics, and wind shields at professional prices, but what about those dipping their toe into the outside recording world? Fortunately there are many affordable options, from handheld stereo recorders by Zoom (H1N is a bang-for-buck beast), Tascam,
Roland and Sony to the phone/tablet compatible mics by IK Multimedia, Rode, Sennheiser and Shure. For those with a handheld video recorder or SLR camera, why not add an external mic (by the same manufacturers) to get your field recording game on? Note: always budget for a wind shield.
Finding the unexpected
The world is brimming with so many sonic variations it can be hard to know where to start. If you have a specific sound in mind, try planning a foray into the outside world, or within your own home, to find the sounds you are looking for, but be aware of two things.
First, the sounds may not translate as expected without the visual cues you’re used to, so expect to work a little to capture something evocative, as opposed to literally being the object or scene you imagined. Second, be prepared to come across unexpected sounds and record them for future projects as they may well be one-offs.
Though many sounds present themselves easily and are recordable in a way that needs little processing, many won’t and will need teasing out of their environment. Whilst listening through your microphone(s), experiment with proximity and angle, making use of the objects around you (nature’s baffles). Be aware of how sounds are reflecting off nearby surfaces and either direct your microphone towards them to maximise reverberations or use your body and other objects to block that sound path.
Whether you’re recording an object you’re manipulating as a found sound or capturing an ambient scene in the ‘field’, explore the spaces where the mic may be influenced tonally, such as a gap in a building site wall or in a bed of woodland moss. The discovery of new and unexpected soundscapes feeds the imagination and builds layers of experience that no amount of pre-planning can predict.
Transferable skills
Traditional studio recording skills are valuable and relevant in this context, especially the golden rule: use your ears. The key difference is that you’re recording objects that weren’t designed to be listened to in environments that may be working against you. On top of that you’ll have less equipment at your disposal to mitigate these negative aspects. There are few rules beyond being prepared to record immediately and travelling light, but the scope for learning about sound recording is enormous and deeply rewarding, often refining skills that can be applied in studio-type sessions.