Here is a recording that came as a surprise after I put it in Spectrogram, because I was sure that I had not recorded anything special.
Earlier the evening before the recording started, a lot of wind had been forecast for later that night. So I was not spreading recording equipment around me as I would have liked in this wonderful and secret place in the highlands.
However, I decided to use Lewitt LCT540s in an IRT cross in a sheltered place from the coming storm. Two of the four microphones were pointed as much as possible into the ground, while the other two were allowed to point out into an open area. The recording seemed to only sound interesting in the wind that was present when I started the recording. The entire time I had been at this place in the highlands, I had not heard birds or any other life. Only in the wind and the flow of water in the nearby water sources.
But later that night while I was sleeping, a completely calm weather came that seemed to awaken a lot of birdlife. Birds that I had neither seen nor heard earlier the days before.
However, I never noticed this peaceful weather that night or this bird song. I just went to sleep in the breeze and woke up in a storm. It was therefore quite amusing to discover that I had managed to record the birdsong even though the microphones were placed in the wrong place for such a thing. It was first and foremost the microphones facing the ground that captured the most bird song. Those facing out into the open mainly recorded the behavior of Red necked phalarope which were at a considerable distance and goose in far distance.
To be honest, considering the placement of the microphones, this is a surprisingly good recording. This can probably be attributed to these excellent Lewitt microphones, also because they were not very visible to the birds that are best heard because they do not emit warning sounds. But if I had worn the microphones in something other than fur and been positioned closer to where the birds were, I would have achieved incredibly clear recordings in the most subtle way. In addition, very distant sounds would have become more clear and focused. But it is always difficult to be prepared for such weather conditions that it is possible to be without fur in Iceland when such times are perhaps 6-12 hours a month.
You can hear in the entire recording running water, also a kind of rumbling from running water that I assume could be a stream of spring water below the ground. But in this area there are huge water sources that could probably serve a city of millions with fresh water. The sound was recorded at +50dB gain and increased by +20dB in post up to -10dB. No RX noise reduction, mainly because I have never been satisfied with the result when I have used the LCT540. But EQ was used. Sharply pulled down below 50hz and above 10Khz, mainly to bring down unnecessary rumble and white noise from the equipment.
Quality open headphones are recommended while listening at low to mid volume.
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(mp3 265kbps / 66Mb)
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6
Mics: Lewitt LCT540s (IRT cross setup)
Pix: Samsung S22
Weather: Calm cloudy, about 7°C
Location. Secret place on the Icelandic highland
HLJÓÐMYND - SOUNDIMAGE 