First Attempt at Recording Natural Sound? Here are Some Tips for You!

Imagine when you escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and run into a forest, close your eyes and what do you hear? Can you hear the sounds that water babbling down a stream, or leaves rustling in the wind? Will you be attracted by the these various sounds of nature? 

Sounds from nature have their magic so that it can bring people a sense of happiness and peace. I believe if you have ever listened to such sounds in nature, you would like to record them. By recording the sounds, others around you or those who share your interest can also listen to or perceive them. But we know, it would be hard for you to start at the first time. You might want to know how to record sounds at the first time, how to do preparation, and what equipment should be chosen to record the sound you want. Therefore, in order to give you some ideas on how to get start, there are several simple tips and advice for you to start with!

01 Check the Weather

By checking the weather, you can make sure you have the right clothing, food and drinks. Consider what you are recording is the right time of the year.

02 Do Your Research

When you have decided what you are going to record. You can go online to do some research. Such as Habits of animals, appropriate times and places, and precautions. Also, it would be better for you to talk to the locals. The expert found that locals like anglers have a brilliant insight into what is going on around the vicinity as they have the time and interest to reflect on what is going on around them.

03 Check Your Gear

You should check if your batteries are charged and bring a power banker to make sure all your leads are working before you drive has miles into the forest or desert. You do not want to find one of your leads is not working when you are in the field.

04 Learn About the Significance of Proximity

When recording natural sounds, proximity is everything. For specific subjects, such as animals or birds, you will need to get as close as you can to capture the noise of the subject as clearly as possible. You might need to use your ingenuity to come up with ideas. Then use devices to record your subject without scaring them off. Besides, if you are going to record inanimate things, such as streams or rocks, you should be generally in the driving seat. As I have mentioned before, proximity is important. For example, if you are about to record the stream and you are too close to the stream, then the noise might be too much for the listeners' perception of that scene. 

05 Choose the Right Equipment

Assume you have to hike to a site, you do not want to be lugging masses of gear around all day. You might need to focus on the specific kit and capture the sounds that you want. Proximity is everywhere, one vital thing is to consider where your sounds effects are played out. 

If you have a platform that can play a 3D audio, then it would not be really fun to do a totally immersive experience for your listeners. However, you are still encouraged to try any sorts of 3D audio equipment that you can borrow or rent. If you cannot play 3D audio, you might consider binaural audio. Binaural sound records the sound from the perspective of your ears and it tends to put the listener into the space by giving them the perception of hearing that space as they were standing there. 

If you are recording a stereo, then you should play with different stereo mouths. There are some types of microphone configurations that are great for different styles of recording. They all bring something different to their perception of the sound. You will need a stereo bar and you can get stereo bars from a few companies, including Rycote and Road. They have got everything marked out on the bar so that it can help you save time. The main stereo modes will be A-B, X-Y or T-F. A-B mode is two mics pointing straight out and they are 16 inches apart. X-Y mode is common and it looks like the two mics are at 90 degrees to each other. Finally, T-F mode looks like 17 centimeters apart with an angle of 110 degrees. 

                                                                                           A-B MODE           

                                                                                          X-Y MODE     

                                                                                         T-F MODE     

After reading these tips, I believe that you have got the ideas on how to better prepare for your recording, how to pay attention to the details of the recording process, and how to choose the right recording equipment! Then do not hesitate and act on your ideas! There is always beauty in nature that needs someone to record, and I am sure you will be that person! 

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