Freesound Forums

I want to talk about the approach to recording soundscapes.
In response to this https://freesound.org/forum/freesound-project/45105/?page=1#post105320
And Mohammad aka u/sounds_from_palestine 's Freesound (20th anniversary) day talk/presentation.

Similar threads :
Strategic recording times for soundscape archiving https://freesound.org/forum/production-techniques-music-gear-tips-and-tricks/44623/
Mic setup for research https://freesound.org/forum/production-techniques-music-gear-tips-and-tricks/44901/?page=1#post104083

Isn't it marvellous, that despite the same activity of recording and preserving soundscapes, we approach it with a different manner?

During Mohammad's u/sounds_from_palestine superbe talk, he mentioned his thoughtful and intentional recordings. Offering the best "picture" of a subject, an intentional presentations of sounds his livelihood. In a way, realistic snippets and documentation of being a person in palestine.
(I hope to summarise and present you well, please correct me if I'm wrong.)
I notice Mohammad's recordings are about 2min30 on average.

While Klankbeeld mentions "every location is always new to me and others, even if we have been there before. [...] I set up my equipment in a more or less random spot. [...] any place at every time is good for recording sound"
I find this to be a sort of opposite approach to field-recording.
I notice Klankbeelds recording are anywhere from 1-5min or 1h long

I shall share my approach; which is similar to Klankbeeld's.
I record more or less at random too. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased to the soundscape removing myself and my choices where I can. Really, my ideal would be if people could go back anywhere, anytime and hear the place for themselves. I try to enable them that by recording a wide net of places and times with long form recordings (hours long drop recordings, or 10-20min by foot recordings). Of course, having limited time, I cannot do that ideal and so I do choose and focus on places of interest (crowds, roundabouts, roads, squares, touristic attractions, markets, forests, fountains etc...) stuff I think people will want to search and hear.
Again, I do need to be selective and so put on an artistic approach : Stereo setup/mics used, mic placement for the best balancing of sounds or quality of the elements. Etc… I cannot avoid bias and be transparent.
What I try to do though, is by the length and amount of locations is to not filter what happens there and then.
Even if it’s silent / boring, to not only show what was there, but also what wasn't, as it's also informational.
(Then long form recordings take up space so I compress in OGG. And I do cut Lossless snippets of interesting stuff)
In a way I do not wish to offer photographs of the past, but portals there if that distinction makes any sense.

I wish I had the same patience or methodology as Klankbeeld and Mohammad’s to provide the same quality of documentation, with notes of events, photographs, etc…
I do provide GPS, accurate date/time, and subject / recording hardware, tagging. I wish I did better for weather, photographs, and event notes.

All this is not to say one way is better than the other! I think they’re all equally important and diversity is what provides the bigger picture!. One may want the 8h recording, another may want the 2minutes of how a person saw the place and memorable events.

What’s your approach ?

Hey friends !

My approach ?
Well… Go with the flow !
I mean, sometimes, I’ll stay somewhere, and decide to records what happens, even if its not so exciting, just to document the place, or because I like the atmosphere. And if a surprise occurs (hopefully it happens sometimes), this is just a bonus !
Other times, I decide to record intentionally, because I have a goal in mind, for example to get a predictable event (bells ringing, thunderstorm coming, etc…). But sometimes, it may also turn differently as what I’ve expected, and this is the magic of life and field recording !

Wishing you all the best, and very curious to read your experience !

Kevin

Hi Sadiquecat,

Thank you for summarizing my talk so carefully. You captured the intent well. Yes, my recordings are generally around 2–3 minutes on average. A lot of them come from a sense of nostalgia, a way to remember the places I’ve been. I think that’s also why my recordings tend to be shorter compared to Klankbeeld’s. My focus is on capturing intentional, thoughtful snapshots of a place, almost like presenting a “portrait” of a moment in Palestine.

I really appreciate your reflection on Klankbeeld’s and your own approach. It’s fascinating how diverse our methods can be while working toward the same goal of preserving soundscapes. Your approach with longer recordings, wider coverage, aiming for transparency and letting the place speak for itself is just as or maybe more valid and important. Capturing silences and ordinary moments gives listeners a different kind of context, almost like opening a portal into the place rather than taking a snapshot.

I agree completely: diversity in approaches is what builds the bigger picture. Some may want brief, curated moments, others long, immersive experiences and both contribute to the richness of soundscape archiving.

Thanks again for your thoughtful reflections and for sharing your process.

Warm regards,
Mohammad

Yes Mohammad, agree with you ! In my opinion, this wonderful diversity is probably the richness of Freesound : sounds and field recordings aren’t formatted, allowing the listener to hear soundscapes from as many perspectives and approaches as there are sound artists.

Wishing you all the best !

Kevin

I usually set out to capture something specific, but usually come away with a result that's completely unexpected and very different from my original intentions.

Often agitated and upset at the time by the unanticipated, only to realise later that these are actually the elements that made for a success.

I think very few of my objectives come out as originally intended.

But that's not a bad thing.

Colin.

Hey Colin and friends,
I think this is the initial trajectory of most of us, including myself !!
When you start with field recording, you often go out with a goal in mind, press record, and are repeatedly disappointed when the result isn’t the one you expected.
In that case, a good approach is to keep the recording, and listen to it later, with a fresh mind. Very often, you’ll realise that, even if it might be very different from your initial expectations, the recording is great anyway !
From my own experience, an other way to avoid disappointment is to always get a recorder with you, ready to catch any unexpected moment, therefore your mind is always open to what might happen. In that case, you’ll have more occasions to get pleasantly surprised by the unexpected recordings that you would encounter, and it would also help you to go out without any expectations, just ready to record and appreciate what the magic of life will bring to you !

Cheers !

Kevin

Indeed.

There are two very different methods of approach mentioned here:

Demonstrated to its extremes with Mohammad and Marcel.

One with a clear vision of objective, and the other an opportunist.

Both are subject to disappointment, and for different reasons.

But also necessary for a sense of achievement;

I pursue specific sounds that I love. However, it's good to keep an open outlook.

As you say; either way one can be pleasantly surprised.

Colin.

Indeed, both approaches are interesting and very instructive !
Wishing you all the best !
Kevin