Field Supplies for Sound Exploration
From DIY hydrophones, contact mics, and microphones to sound experiments and field recording location tips.
It is no secret that wind can be one of the major obstacles when capturing field sound, especially when using sensitive microphones. Having a dead cat (aka a wind muff, wind jammer, or furry) at your disposable is mandatory.
Video of a sound experiment using contact mics attached to tree branches while wind is blowing.
Headphones Recommended I attached a pair of 35mm Contact Mics (via my DUAL OPA Impedance Buffer) to a metal fence at Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach and waited for some birds to drop by. I was mainly curious if the vibrations from the bird movement and calls passing through the fence would be enough … Read more
Most Croakers are gregarious, community animals and make noise by way of oscillating their swim bladder as part of their spawning ritual. The swim bladder is a pocket of air inside most fish that helps keep them afloat and facing upright. Male croakers use this sound to attract females. Being the first day of Spring … Read more
I dropped a couple of hydrophones in a funky puddle at Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach and was surprised at what I could hear. The video has 2 sound files layered on top of each other but no other editing. Hydrophones For Sale
Headphones Recommended – Just a fun little sound experiment with our lizards food. I attached 2 – 35mm piezos to a small tub of meal worms via my Dual OPA field buffer and then into the trusty Mix Pre 6 II – kind of what you would expect, lotsa scratchy little legs in the saw … Read more
In early December last year (2023) I was driving around the peninsula area of Long Beach, looking for seagulls to record for a project I was working on when I stumbled on a group of Afro-Cuban drummers chanting and making offerings to Oshun. My gear was already setup in my front seat so I parked … Read more
I boxed up a couple of the piezo buffers from a previous post. A lot of the time a piezo plugged directly into a recorder or amp is fine. You will get sound. However, most objects really benefit from a piezo buffer circuit. This will be a handy addition to my field bag.
I passed by an Arlo doorbell camera on a business near my place and just knew it was hiding some sound secrets, it was.