Preparing for Field Recordings

As I mentioned in my previous post, I recently picked up a Zoom H2 to do some field recordings as a source of sample fodder. This actually isn't the first time I've done such a thing, as many, many years ago I owned a Sony TCD-D7 portable DAT recorder and snuck into the construction site for what would become the Bryce Jordan Event Center at Penn State in the dead of night and recorded some girders and metal percussion sounds. That night ended with me being chased by a (thankfully) severely overweight security guard. Since then I've learned a few things that have made this process run a little more smoothly, so I thought I'd share those with you today.

1. Scout Your Locations
Have you ever watched one of those car commercials that centers around beauty shots of the car driving through absolutely stunning scenery? That didn't happen by accident. Before the film crew even schedules their flights, someone went out, found the location, studied it for potential trouble spots, and took extensive test shots. This saves the film crew untold amounts of time and trouble and is a practice you should consider when making field recordings. Visit the location first and study it for things that might interfere with a pristine recording... heavy traffic, an air conditioner or fan, attack dogs, etc. Is there a time of day when these sounds might not be an issue? Which brings me to...

2. Learn to Really Listen to the Environment
Human beings, especially those of us who live in the city, are quite talented at learning how to block out the background noise that permeates our lives. This is one thing you really need to unlearn to get the best out of your field recordings. When you really start paying attention, you'll probably be amazed at the cacophony you tune out every day. Planes flying overhead, trains sounding their whistles in the distance, police sirens, the dull rumble of freeway traffic, electrical hum from heavy lighting... all of these can make getting a crystal clear recording more difficult. But if you learn to hear them in the field, versus when you're editing in your studio, you'll save yourself a lot of frustration.

3. Be Aware of Yourself
Obviously, there are many things you can do to avoid outside interference with your field recording, but what probably screws up more amateur field recordings than anything else is the recordist themselves. If you're using a high quality condenser mic (which you generally will for such endeavors), even one with a very narrow pick-up pattern, you'll be amazed at how much it picks up. The rustling of clothes, breathing or coughing, even just shifting your stance can ruin an otherwise great recording if you're not aware of them. If you have trouble controlling these types of issues, consider setting up your device to record and walking away from it for awhile. If you are indoors, be aware of other low level sounds such as computer fans, air conditioning, or even such seemingly innocent things as an aquarium.

4. Use Headphones
The best way to save yourself time and catch mistakes before you get to editing your sounds is to monitor what you're recording with headphones. You'll want closed-back headphones for the best results, as these will cut you off from the environment when you're listening or double checking a previous recording. Headphones let you adjust your monitoring to taste and can help you catch those low level or background noises much easier.

5. Pay Attention to Your Levels
Aside from background noises, the thing that ruins more field recordings than anything is improperly set input levels. Most field recorders worth their salt have adjustable gain levels, or at least a simple way of lowering or raising your recording level so it doesn't clip. Some modern field recorders even have options to strap a built-in compressor or limited across the inputs, but this is recommended only for when you are recording extremely loud things, as it is much more preferable to retain the natural dynamics of a sound in the raw form so you have more flexibility when it comes time to edit. Take time to get the levels right. Make sure it's not so quiet that it'll get lost in the noise floor and not so loud that the resulting recording sounds like bacon frying.

6. Embrace Imperfection
As reader Fractured rightly pointed out in the comments of the previous post, pristine recordings are great, but there is a certain character to imperfect recordings that shouldn't be written off either. Obviously, some applications demand perfect, clean sounds. However, if you're recording sounds for sampling purposes, a little background hum, the squeal of a car with crappy breaks, or a distant train might just add that special something that really gives the sound an identity. Never underestimate the value of happy mistakes.

And finally... if you want to make a recording on private property, get permission first. That next security guard might not be so overweight. So how about it... any other field recording enthusiasts out there care to share their experiences or tips?