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llaamaboy · Location: USA Posts: 9

Ok I have a self made recording of some frogs (I can see the rockers rolling on the floor now... Smile

)

I have noticed at least some are interested in Nature sounds (rain, waves, birds, etc). I have CEP2; could any of you fine folks give some tips on what which affects you start with to enhance nature sounds?

I also am starting to think that earphones are a really good thing. By the time the speakers are up enough to hear some subtle detail, the wife comes in and gives "the look". Thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

AndyH · Posts: 1425

I only use headphones, but I sometimes wish I could have speakers. My work, however, is different, and more limited, than yours. You might want to read this, if you want some thoughs

http://headwize2.powerpill.org/articles/lxh2mix_art.htm

Graeme · Member Location: Spain Posts: 4663

To answer the main question, why would you want to 'enhance' nature sounds? Surely that would only serve to make them unnatural?

ozpeter · Location: Australia Posts: 3200

I agree with Graeme - it's not usually a subject for effects, except perhaps filtering (if for instance you are trying to record the sound of a bird against a background of traffic rumble, you might need to filter out the traffic rumble). It's more a matter of mic technique - getting close to what you want and away from what you don't want. As for type of mic, I'd go for an MS stereo mic to give an all-round feel for the ambience of a natural site, ideally with built-in width control (although that can be varied in post-processing - there you are, another example of using effects). (But as memory serves me, you are using a video camera for the purpose - if so, you may need to use noise reduction to get rid of motor noise - another effect!)

The other aspect which springs to mind is the possibility of a collage - overlaying various natural sounds to build up a picture of an ideal location - varying what is going on at different times etc. so you'd hear some birds singing along with your frogs, even if they didn't oblige at the time.

I've dabbled a bit with this from time to time - at one time I tried combining the output from 'Environs 3' (search the forum for previous references) with Syntrillium's Wind Chimes program to achieve some nice relaxing background ambience.

Good luck with it!

- Ozpeter

VoodooRadio · Location: USA Posts: 3971

I could see using something like a "Quality" reverb to put thing in perspective in regards to depth, but other than that... (like Graeme alludes to).. "would only serve to make them unnatural". If your building a "collage" as Oz refers to, then the different "samples" should serve this same purpose and negate the need to apply an actual effect. To each his own.... ;)

BTW; I wonder what a "frog file", run through a Marshall 50 watt Plexi with a nice thick chorus and a butt-load of reverb would sound like??? Question

....... gotta go catch me a frog!!!

Zellmer · Posts: 78

Voodoo, I too am interested as to what this would sound like, if you actually go for it, put it up on the web, so that we can all get some kicks:clown:
just dont hurt the poor little froggies:D

Caleb · Posts: 93

"It's more a matter of mic technique - getting close to what you want and away from what you don't want"....

How do you get close enough to the frog?

Have you considered any say.. wolverine sounds? Smile

Graeme · Member Location: Spain Posts: 4663

SoloTune · Location: USA Posts: 194

I saw this show on either The Discovery channel or Nature, or something like that, where the whole episode was on precisely this subject. They'ld get these amazing "sounds" of the twigs and leaves crackling as a beetle walked, or the muffled snapple of a dung beetle rolling his prize.

They came right out and said, these sounds are impossible to get, and the other 90% of the episode showed how they faked all the sounds using ordinary sound-effect techniques. I was quite surprised. I'ld always wondered how they "mic-ed" those spider-munchings!

Solotune