Everything you need to know to get started in field recording
What
Why
How
What is field recording
Field recording is the process of capturing soundscapes and other audio material outside of a traditional studio environment. It involves recording sounds that occur naturally in the environment, as well as intentional recordings of events, such as concerts or speeches. Field recording can be used for a variety of purposes, including documentary filmmaking, sound design, and music production. For this blog, I'll be writing about the uses and benefits of field recording for use in post-production, sound design, and sound editing.
Why field recording
One of the main benefits of field recording is the ability to capture unique and authentic sounds that cannot be replicated in a studio setting. For example, recording the sound of a thunderstorm in the wild, or the sounds of a bustling market in a foreign country can add depth and texture to a film or soundtrack. Field recordings can also be used to create immersive soundscapes & capture the sonic experience of a particular place, time, or event.
Field recording is a great way to capture your own unique sounds for use in your own projects. It's easy to purchase and use sound libraries, and although it is often necessary to do so, it's always great to use your own recordings where possible as it demonstrates uniqueness. A director will always love sounds that get used in their films and nowhere else! We'll cover what to do with your recordings in order to use them, later in this blog. You can also package and sell your sound libraries for people to purchase and use in their projects.
How
To get started with field recording, you will need some basic equipment. This includes a portable audio recorder, microphones, headphones, and a windscreen to reduce wind noise.
What is best for you depends on your budget, and what you are ultimately looking to record. Portable recorders such as the Zoom H Series, offer everything in 1 complete package which is great for portability and breadth of use, but sacrifices quality compared to buying a separate recorder and microphone.
There are many different types of microphones that can be used for field recording, including shotgun, omnidirectional, and contact microphones. Each type of microphone has its own unique characteristics and is suitable for different types of recordings. Shotgun microphones are great for recording isolated sounds such as a single bird or a door opening and closing. A contact microphone is a device that captures sound vibrations, rather than capturing sound waves traveling through the air. I recently used a contact mic to create cinematic trailer sounds by attaching it to a metal gate and recording squeaks and rattles. For recording ambiences or general locations & spaces, it's best to record in stereo to capture a wide sound field. You can buy stereo microphones such as the Rode NT4 or you can purchase a pair of identical microphones, such as the Line Audio CM4 that I own, for more flexibility.
When recording in the field, it is important to choose a location that will provide interesting sounds without being too noisy or distracting. Once you have found a suitable location, it is important to position your microphones correctly to capture the desired sounds. This may involve experimenting with different microphone placements and angles until you find the right balance of sounds. This is arguably the hardest part of field recording, and it often proves incredibly difficult to find an isolated sound source. Try recording a plane flying overhead without any birds, or vice versa. It won't take long for you to find out how tricky this can be, but perseverance and experimentation are key. It requires one to think outside the box to capture isolated sounds.
Andy Kennedy, a sound effects editor whose credentials include the first season of Game of Thrones, shared how he captured the sound of seagulls without wind or the sea. Instead of recording at a beach or coastline, where it would be extremely difficult to isolate the birds, he recorded them at an industrial waste site, where flocks of seagulls circled above to pick up scraps of food, but without the roar of the sea and wind.
After recording, it is important to edit and process your recordings to ensure that they sound their best. This may involve removing unwanted background noise, adjusting levels and EQ, and adding effects such as reverb or delay to enhance the sound. It is generally best to do as little processing on the raw recordings as possible. Only remove things that you know you do not want, you can always do further editing on a case-by-case basis if you need to.
Once you have edited, mastered, and exported your final files, it's important to name and categorise your sounds to seamlessly integrate them into your projects. The Univeral Category System (UCS) has been widely adopted in post-production and is a great way to name your files. Free software such as Soundly, allows you to add metadata to your audio files, which lets you embed information into the audio file itself, for ease of use. It lists the sounds into categories, and subcategories, and, when combined with a short description, give you a file name that makes it easier to find specific types of sound.
Categories include things such as AIRCRAFT, AMBIENCE, CROWDS, & MACHINES. Subcategories include HELICOPTER, BIRDSONG, APPLAUSE, & GARDEN. Combined, the category & Subcategory give a CatID, which is an appreciation, taking the first few letters of the category and subcategory. The CatID for Helicopter would be AEROHeli.
The minimum requirement for a fully UCS compliant file is as follows:
CatID_FXName_CreatorID_SourceID
CatID = Abbreviated Category/Subcategory (as defined by UCS list)
FXName = Brief Description or Title (under 25 characters preferably)
CreatorID = Sound Designer, Recordist or Vendor (Can be abbreviated)
SourceID = Project, Show or Library Name (Can be abbreviated)
An example could be:
AeroHeli_Apache Helicopter In Flight_JF_War Aviation
Whilst it can take some time to get used to the UCS naming system, once implemented into your sound library, and learned yourself, it can make it significantly faster to search for the right sound.
Overall, field recording is a fascinating and rewarding process that can yield unique and compelling audio material. Whether you are a filmmaker, sound designer, or musician, incorporating field recordings into your work can add depth, texture, and authenticity to your projects. With some basic equipment and a willingness to explore the world around you, anyone can get started with field recording and begin capturing the sounds of our world.
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