Field recording 101: Why, how and what you’ll need
Table of Contents
We musicians spend a lot of time thinking about sounds. Whether it’s considering the weight of an 808 kick, the tone of a certain filter or the buzz of a particular sawtooth, we tend to listen more deeply than the average person.
You’d think that when we leave the studio to go for a walk or bike ride, this practice of intentional listening would come with us. But most of us rarely focus as closely on the sounds around us as we do on the sounds we make when we’re working on music.
This blog post will explore what happens when you pay attention to the other sounds around you through the practice of field recording - and explain how this can benefit your music productions.
What is field recording?
In the simplest terms, field recording is the act of capturing sounds that exist outside a studio environment. It’s about foregoing the controls that exist in those environments and embracing the discovery of the sounds around you.
The sounds you capture are entirely up to you. They could be naturally occurring or human-made sounds you can hear outdoors, through to underwater sounds, contact mic experiments or even electromagnetic vibrations.
Why go field recording?
With a million and one websites selling samples of every possible kind, why should you bother going to record your own? Well, the benefits of field recording are just as much in the practice itself as they are in the end results…
Engaging with the present
Modern life often seems to force us to think about what’s coming next or what’s happened already, while ignoring what’s happening right now. The rise in the popularity of mindfulness practices is evidence of the need for a solution to this issue.
These practices are all about paying attention and making a conscious choice about what you spend your time thinking about. Any activity that places you in the present moment and asks you to focus on what is actually happening around you can be considered a mindful practice.
Field recording is such an activity. Armed with a microphone, a recorder and some headphones, you can set out to explore the sounds around you; listening out for anything that speaks to you and is worth capturing.
Appreciating the unheard
The act of paying close attention can lead to an appreciation for the seemingly mundane things around you that are all too easy to not even notice. The spits and sizzles of a street vendor's food; the clangs, cracks and crashes of construction; the rustles of bags, leaves or paper.
What is so often tuned out as background noise instead becomes the focal point of your attention, and you will often be surprised how interesting and rich in detail some of these sounds are when you really focus on them.
Creating a unique sound palette
In these rich sounds exist a myriad of sonic possibilities. The rustle of hands on paper could be turned into a shaker; the ‘ping’ of a spoon on a mug could become a tuned percussion melody. With the power of modern samplers and software, sounds can go on an incredible journey from their source material.
Other sounds captured in the recording can lead to beautiful happy accidents, too. You might record a melodic note from hitting some metal outdoors, with some birds chirping in the background that become imprinted into the fabric of the sound. When playing that note chromatically with a keyboard in a sampler, the sound of the birds will move up and down with the notes of the central tone. What happens next is limited only by your imagination.
Building sonic worlds
When you bring field recordings into your productions, you begin to eliminate one of the biggest issues that come up when making electronic music: that things sound a bit sterile. This is highly subjective, of course, but when all the sound sources in a track are generated electronically and recorded directly, it’s easy to feel like something’s missing.
The character of field-recorded sounds, and the air they travelled through to get to the microphone, can help to place things in a real-world space. In adding these layers, you subtly begin to create a new sound world around the tracks.
This could be as foregrounded as using found sounds as melodic or percussive instruments in the composition, or it could be as subtle as recording longer ambiences from a particular space that can be layered quietly underneath the piece of music.
Adding personality, story and sentimentality
With this world-building also comes the opportunity to add something of you to your music. With a lot of electronic music being instrumental, the storytelling, lyrical dimension of music can sometimes be harder to discern.
Field recordings can help to convey a story or feeling, which can bring with it memories and emotions for you. For example, a couple of summers ago, my girlfriend and I did a long coastal walk near her parents' home. We brought a picnic and the weather was gorgeous. At one point we found a small beach in a cove down the hill from the path. We ate there and walked out to the sea. I recorded some of this on my phone, the sound of water lapping on our legs.
I like adding this sound into pieces of music as an ambient bed; partly for its sonic character and partly because it reminds me of a happy time. For both reasons, whenever I use it, the song feels more personal, which is something I often struggle with when making electronic music.
How do you start and what do you need?
If this all sounds appealing, you’ll be pleased to know that the barrier to entry for field recording is pretty low. You simply need some sounds that you want to record, something that can record them, and some time to go out and do it. The nature of what you want to record might dictate the gear you need, so here are some suggested options for equipment.
Portable recorders
Most field recording starts with a handheld recorder. These are available for a variety of budgets and offer a great way of getting high-quality recordings in a portable package. They commonly feature a stereo pair of microphones on top of the unit to capture sounds with a good sense of space.
Handheld recorders are designed to be lightweight, with SD card slots for recording large files without issues. Some are designed to be as compact as possible, like the Zoom H1 Essential, whereas others, like the Zoom H4N, H6 and H8, have extra inputs to add external microphones.
Zoom H1 Essential Handheld Digital Recorder
£95.00
We say... The most affordable 32-bit recorder in Zoom's range is a fantastic entry-level device, with idiot-proof recording, a compact form factor, great on-board mics...… read more
Zoom H4 Essential Handheld Digital Recorder
£189.00
We say... One of the best all-round portable recorders on the market: 32-bit float recording and four inputs at a fantastic price. Manufacturer's description Four...… read more
Zoom H6 Essential Handheld Digital Recorder
£285.00
We say... Top-of-the-range portable recorder from Zoom with six tracks and high-quality 32-bit float recording. Manufacturer's description THE FLAGSHIP Our most robust handheld recorder, the...… read more
Other recorders may forgo the in-built microphones, offering more external inputs and higher quality preamps. These typically record with higher sample rates and may offer 32-bit float recording, which offers so much dynamic range that you won’t have to worry about clipping or the noise floor.
The Zoom F6 is a bigger option that can accommodate more microphones, but 32-bit float recorders can also be compact, like the Zoom F3.
Zoom F3 Multitrack Field Recorder
£269.00
We say... A serious field recorder with a huge dynamic range, ideal for anyone looking to capture outdoor audio. It boasts two channels of 32-bit...… read more
Zoom F6 Multitrack Field Recorder
£499.00
We say... A serious bit of kit for the discerning field recordist! The dual AD converters offer incredible dynamic range, meaning gain adjustments are a...… read more
Zoom F8n Pro Multitrack Field Recorder
£799.00
We say... The Rolls-Royce of field recorders! 8 channels of uncompromising audio performance for mission-critical recording work. Manufacturer's description Some Make Sound. Others Make History....… read more
Outside the Zoom options, Teenage Engineering’s TP-7 is a compact and beautifully engineered 24-bit/96kHz recorder that fits in the palm of your hand.
Teenage Engineering TP-7 Field Recorder
£1299.00
In the words of Teenage Engineering: “There are thoughts, ideas and fragments that - for the sake of humanity - we need to record and...… read more
Field-specific microphones
Field recording sources can vary hugely in level, from the whisper-quiet rustling of leaves to the pounding of jackhammers on concrete. Microphones that are low-noise and designed to handle a high dynamic range will allow you to capture the best possible recordings in the greatest number of scenarios.
Oaka Instruments’ Verdi and Mini Verdi microphones are stereo pairs designed to focus on subtle, delicate sounds and wide, interesting atmospheres. These are beautiful bits of kit, hand-built in Dorset by sound artist and audio engineer Ezra Gray.
For those with deeper pockets, Teenage Engineering’s CM-15 is a high-end option with an integrated converter/preamp and a 10-hour battery. For windy conditions, a wind jammer (or ‘dead cat’) is recommended!
Oaka Instruments Verdi Discrete Omnidirectional Condenser Microphones (Pair)
£195.00
A pair of discrete, omnidirectional condenser microphones adapted for field recording, sonic arts and sound design. Specialised microphones for subtle, delicate sounds and wide, intriguing...… read more
Oaka Instruments MINI Verdi Discrete Omnidirectional Condenser Microphones (Pair)
£145.00
A pair of compact and lightweight alternatives to the original Verdi microphones. They are an ideal upgrade to a handheld recorder's internal microphones, with excellent...… read more
Teenage Engineering CM-15 Stereo Condenser Microphone
£1049.00
A tiny studio microphone with a large-diaphragm capsule and groundbreaking features, CM–15 is part of Teenage Engineering's Field System. It's a versatile studio-quality, ultra-portable microphone...… read more
Contact microphones
If you’re interested in exploring sounds that we can’t always capture with conventional mics, contact microphones can open up a new sonic frontier. These pick up sound through the vibrations of the surface they are attached to.
You could detect the sound of bugs moving through soil or the wind blowing through a metal fence, for example. The Oaka Instruments Tellus is a great option for this sort of thing: it’s robustly built and there are miniature, magnetic and weatherised versions for outdoor use.
Oaka Instruments Tellus Miniature Active Contact Microphone
£165.00
Tellus is a highly sensitive active contact microphone designed for field recording and sound design. It enables the exploration of sound worlds usually hidden from...… read more
Oaka Instruments Tellus Magnetic Active Contact Microphone
£165.00
Tellus Magnetic Tellus is a highly sensitive active contact microphone designed for field recording and sound design. It enables the exploration of sound worlds usually...… read more
Oaka Instruments Tellus Weatherised Active Contact Microphone
£150.00
Tellus is a highly sensitive active contact microphone designed for field recording and sound design. It enables the exploration of sound worlds usually hidden from...… read more
EMF receivers
For anyone interested in capturing sounds outside the normal range of human hearing, the Soma Laboratory Ether is worth a look! Ether is a wide-band receiver that makes it possible to hear the electromagnetic signals emitted by electronic equipment.
Take it out on the train or point it at a vending machine and connect it to a portable recorder and a myriad of otherworldly and intriguing sounds will come your way.
Soma Laboratory Ether Anti-Radio Receiver (V2)
£128.00
ETHER is a wide-band receiver that makes it possible to perceive the electromagnetic landscape around you. ETHER is a kind of anti-radio. Instead of being...… read more
Headphones
In all of the above settings, a robust set of closed-back headphones will be a must. You need to be able to hear exactly what your microphone is picking up so you can adjust your placement accordingly. Something like the Adam H200 is ideal - and they’re just at home in the studio too.
Adam Audio H200 Closed Back Studio Headphones
£139.00
We say... An ace set of cans from one of the best brands in the game. If you need studio headphones that don't break the...… read more
Your phone!
Sometimes the best recorder is the thing you have with you when you need one. Chances are you’ll have your phone on you when you’re out of the house, so you can use it to capture sounds when the moment strikes.
Of course, the sound is limited in quality compared to dedicated mics and recorders, and it’s generally mono only. Without quality headphones to monitor what’s happening, it can involve a bit of guesswork as to how it will sound when captured.
Head on out!
Hopefully, this has helped to give you an idea of what field recording is all about. Being out in the world and capturing sounds around you is a wonderful way to spend your time. The benefits are even greater when you take the things you’ve captured and use them in your music.
For more on the topic of field recording, the excellent book Ears To The Ground by Ben Murphy takes a deeper dive into the subject. And check out our interview with Ezra Gray of Oaka Instruments to find out more about his stunning microphones. See you out in the field!
Ears To The Ground: Adventures in Field Recording and Electronic Music - Ben Murphy (Velocity Press)
£14.99
From the cacophonous surrounds of London to the sea stacks of Orkney, via the abandoned military facilities of the Suffolk coast and the watery expanses...… read more
Picture credits: Vladislav Smigelski on Unsplash / Jaron Nix on Unsplash / KAL VISUALS on Unsplash
