Hunting for a Final

 Recording

 I wanted to capture the experience of gun hunting for deer in Wisconsin. I first wanted to set the stage with a stationary recording of the ambiance of the forest during opening morning, the sounds of nature contrasted with distant booms of gunshots. Then I brought in some conversation I captured while the deer was being prepped to be skinned, it starts warm and comical but as the skinning starts the recording gets more somber. I wanted to end the mix with a dose of the brutal reality of taking the life of an animal. I wanted the audio to come from within a sculpture of  a hanging deer carcass to ground the piece in a physical element.  

I wanted to make a simple composition that transitioned from one aspect of the hunt to another.




The mix is made up of three very long recordings (between 1-3 hours) each individually compressed into shorter tracks and then blended 
together.

Final Project Idea

For my final project I want to capture the experience of gun hunting for deer in Wisconsin. I plan on recording the entire process from my tree stand to (if luck permits) the finding, gutting, skinning, and butchering of the deer.  

Class critique #3

Recorded in stereo, with internal zoom h4 mics.
Sketch selection #3

Other Recordings

Recording #1 (10:00am)

Recording #3 (5:30pm)

Class critique #2

Recorded in 4-channel with two Rode shotgun mics, and internal zoom mics.
Sketch selection #2

Other Recordings

Recording #1 (12:00pm)

Recording #3 (2:30pm)

Class critique #1

Recorded in stereo with two Rode shotgun mics.

Sketch selection #1

Other recordings

Recording #1 (5:00am)

Recording #2 (11:30am)

#1 Stationary recording 

a) 5th floor Kenilworth, zoom on-board mic 90*/120*

(9/16) The recording is a little noisy, we chose it because of the nice ambient music.

#2 Stationary recording

a) NT3, 3rd floor Kenilworth
b) Zoom on board mics

(9/16) I think these recordings accurately document the space.

#3 Audio Closeups: handheld

a) NT3, Oak Leaf Trail
b) Zoom on board

(9/16) The recordings sound intimate and close, I would have liked to adjust the levels to avoid capturing some of the traffic noise.

#4 Mobile Capture

a) NT3 under North ave Bridge
b) Zoom on board mics

(9/22) I chose, a poor location, I was walking through tall grass, it was difficult to move through, so my sounds dominate the recordings.

#5 Wind (via trees and other objects)

a) 2x NT3 stereo

(9/22) Wind was almost non-existent, so I had to go close to the lake, this resulted in a lot of traffic noise.

#6 "Swiftly" moving water

a) NT3: 360* turn
b) NT3:Close up/ Far
c) NT3: Up/ Down

(9/22) I feel these accurately captured the sounds of the river.

#7 Steup of your choice

a) 2x NT3, Oak leaf Trail, recording close up stick in the mud.

(9/16) I think this "zoomed in" sound of an ordinary object yields an interesting result.

Stereo Recording Exercise: Thursday 9/11/14

A.     Large Reverberant Space

We recorded in the open middle section in the third floor of Kenilworth. At the time we recorded there was almost continuous foot traffic through the room.

We found that the “near coincident” yielded the best recording. We found that it resembled closest how our ears heard the space, so it felt the most real and natural. We found that the Zoom’s on board mics, XY, and AB variation recordings all distorted the space and also picked up more ugly noise.

B.     Smaller Reverberant Space (stairwell or foyer)

We recorded in the large escape stairwell at the third floor. At the time we recorded a dance class was rehearsing a dance routine in the stairwell.

We found that the AB variation resulted in the best recording. It resembled closest the way the location sounded to our ears, it allowed us to focus on what we wanted but preserved the dimension of the space. All three of the other methods aimed the mics at too wide a range, resulting in picking up unwanted reverb from the stairwell exit.

C.     Outdoors, Open Space

We again found that the “near coincident” yielded the highest quality recording, it captured the space in a way that preserved the natural dimension of the space. The other methods of capture were also successful, but they did not offer the same dimension and range that the “near coincident” stereo recording did.

I went to an area I had gone for a bike-ride at the weekend before, then it was peaceful but now on a weekday the soundscape was radically different.

EXERCISE #1: ACTIVATE YOUR HEARING

-I hear construction, a massive project on a bridge; beeps, motors running, the distant sound of men yelling, saws cutting, and a massive vacuum system sucking.

-Traffic, small but consistent behind me.

-Trucks loading and unloading from across the harbor.

-Factories creaking menacingly in the distance.

-Crickets chirping relentlessly.

-Tall blades of grass and wild flowers scraping against each other all around me, as the wind blows them.

-Aspen leaves blowing in the wind behind me make a sound similar to rain falling.

-Boats quietly troll past sloshing in the calm water; with the faint sound of their running motors.

-Music plays quietly in the background at a small restaurant, as people quietly chat.

-Water gently sloshing and slapping the iron girders that line the concrete structure.

EXERCISE #2: ATTENTION SHIFT

1-      LOUDEST: The sound of construction still dominates the space; it is the sound of a massive vacuum system collecting the dust from the construction. It joins the sound of the factories at a similar frequency they blend together. For brief moments the sound of nearby ducks commands the space, followed by the frantic chirping of some animal in distress.

2-      LOW FREQUENCY: The Drone of the massive machinery, the deep roar of airplanes flying overhead, and the distant yet always present sound of traffic.

3-      HIGH FREQUENCY: Chirping of cicada, the whine of the massive vacuum system, and the screeching sound of metal being cut with an angle grinder.

4-      SMALLEST: Gentle pitter-patter of water slapping against the rocks and garbage that make up the shore. The sucking sound as water is forced into and out of holes and crevasses, and the faint sound of leaves rustling in the wind overhead.

5-     OVERALL: Shielded by the large dock I sit beneath the sounds of the construction are dampened, and the smaller sounds are given some of the stage.

           

          

         EXERCISE #3: MAPPING