Field Recordings

Flying Solo With Recording Gear – Mistakes and Successes

Pelican full of gear
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I’ve been doing a lot of flying lately for a sound effects library I’m working on. It’s been a nice change of pace; Using my library sales to fund these trips, rather than spending it on gear and props. However, as many know, flying can be a pain in the rear–especially in America. Add on to that carrying a bunch of suspicious-to-TSA looking audio gear, and you’ve got a recipe for frustration. Through my various trips, I’ve found some ways to make things less frustrating, and I’d like to share them with you! Continue reading →

Learning to Record on Two Wheels

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Harley Onboard Recording
AJ can’t ride a bike with sleeves holding him back.

One of the things I’ve had almost no experience in until this year is onboard vehicle recording. To be honest, I probably  subconsciously avoided it for so long because of how difficult/time consuming it can be to get right. There’s a lot of things to factor in: Number of mics, Mic placement, Wind protection, Gear protection, Performances to capture, etc. Continue reading →

Lifting Michigan Avenue

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du sable bridge chicago

One of the things Chicago is known for is it’s some what infamous river. The Chicago river (as beautiful as it is today) was once so sludged full of sewage and other waste that rats could run across the build-up on the surface. Humans, on the other hand, had to build bridges to travel to the other side.  Because many large ships used to travel the river regularly, the bridges had to be capable of lifting out of the way for them to pass.

So how do you lift a bridge? Continue reading →

The Weirdos with Microphones

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If you’re reading this post, chances are you’ve done some field recording. If you’ve done a lot of field recording, chances are you’ve had a few run ins with police, security, and the general public where they thought you were up to no good. I’ve written about one of my not so pleasant run ins with police while recording trains, but I’ve noticed a number of similar stories pop up on blogs and social media. I thought it might be fun to compile a list of these stories for everyone to read (and maybe learn from). Continue reading →