Transformed wind chimes: Nature-Symphony 7

Nature-Symphony 7 (Processional in solitude) — transformation of https://freesound.org/people/Philip_Goddard/sounds/704218/ .

For the most part natural sounds are very sparse, but this recording is graced by a little nature drama in which a couple of blackbirds either have a little spat, or possibly sense a potential predator nearby and end up uttering their alarm calls for a few minutes. In this transformed version the blackbirds sound quite surreal, yet also are an integral part of the inner drama of this Nature-Symphony.

Chimes used:

1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Chimes, Mezzo (Eastern European Gypsy scale, lower range)

2. Bamboo chimes, large and small set (rather indeterminate tuning, with a touch of whole-tone scale — bought cheaply at local store)

I made the original recording on 28 November 2012 in a spot where I wouldn't normally record, because the spots by the Hunter's Path, high up on the north side of the Teign Gorge that I'd previously used successfully were too sheltered from the northerly breeze. So I walked up to almost the top of the hill, where the breeze was coming across sufficiently.

The only problem was that I was then too far removed from the River Teign for me to get more than a faint hint of 'continuity' background sound from the River Teign down in the bottom of the valley, which latter was behind rather than in front of the recorder, so reducing that sound even more in the recording.

Another factor minimizing the level of the natural soundscape, to detriment of all recordings made in this session, was that I hadn't properly appreciated how loud and penetrating was the tone of the Gypsy chimes. Really they always needed to be a fair way back from the recorder, and indeed from any other chimes that I had. In this case therefore, the bamboo chimes were distinctly quieter than intended in all the recordings in that session, as well as the overall soundscape being overly quiet in order that the Gypsy chimes wouldn't make uncomfortable listening and indeed get clipped peaks.

This transformed version does rather suffer from those deficiencies, but still has worked out well on its own terms.

One interesting peculiarity is the tendency for the revolving swing of the chimes' windcatcher to keep emphasizing and repeating the top E (in the original recording). At that pitch, although oft-repeated, it's gentle in the original. But in the lower-speed versions such as this, that top note comes out much more strongly and becomes really obsessive at times, reminding me of the obsessive repeating E in the Longings! Longings! Longings! section of my Symphony3 and its trio sibling called Monument and Reflections.

For more info about my Nature-Symphonies, including their significance and how they originate, please see the introductory notes for my respective pack, https://freesound.org/people/Philip_Goddard/packs/39136/ .

This recording taking place. The wind was coming over the top of the hill, i.e., from straight ahead in this view.

Techie stuff:

The recorder was Sony PCM-M10, with Rycote Mini Windjammer furry windshield. It was set up on a Hama Mini tripod, which I regard as not just 'mini' but tiny. Although I fairly quickly learned subsequently to avoid having recorders so close to the ground (distorts the frequency spectrum and tends to overemphasize lower parts of the frequency range), actually in this situation it was necessary to have the recorder really low down, where the wind was much lighter.

Post-recording processing was to apply EQ in Audacity to correct for the muffling effect of the windshield — and then more recently stereo widening / sharpening-up using the VST plugin A1 Stereo Control (160% widening).

To create this Nature-Symphony, I used the 'Change speed' effect in Audacity to halve the speed (so lowering pitch by an octave), then, using the VST plugin OrilRiver, I applied a 'back-of-cathedral' type of acoustic (custom preset).

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