Plug-ins, Hosts, Apps,
Hardware, Soundware
Developers
(Brands)
Videos Groups
Whats's in?
Banks & Patches
Download & Upload
Music Search
KVR
   
KVR Forum » Sound Design
Thread Read
Field recordings, the problem with the wind
SampleScience
KVRAF
- profile
- www
PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 2:43 pm reply with quote
I want to record some nice high fidelity field recordings but the wind always interfere with my recording sessions. Is there any tricks to at least attenuate the noise it ad to my recordings? Otherwise I'll have to check the meteo everymorning just to be sure my recordings will be clean!

thanks! Very Happy
^ Joined: 31 Oct 2004  Member: #46411  Location: Mtl, Canada
elnn
KVRist
- profile
- pm
PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 5:06 am reply with quote
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone#Microphone_windscree ns
^ Joined: 04 Nov 2011  Member: #267968  Location: Lithuania
whyterabbyt
Beware the Quoth
- profile
- pm
PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 5:13 am reply with quote
blimp+fur > blimp > fur > foam > nothing
----
To laymen, software development is something akin to wizardry. Neither time, nor effort are involved. If software is missing features they want, or has bugs, it is solely because someone has been too lazy to wave their magic wand.
^ Joined: 03 Sep 2001  Member: #1041  
Spitfire31
KVRian
- profile
- pm
PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 5:43 am reply with quote
whyterabbyt wrote:
blimp+fur > blimp > fur > foam > nothing

Amen to that, Rabbyt!

On my R09 I have an oversized foam windscreen and on top of that, a Rycote fur.

The only drawback is that kids tend to come up, wanting to cuddle the pet… Wink

/Joachim
----
If it were easy, anybody would do it!
^ Joined: 18 May 2003  Member: #7226  Location: Sweden
GeckoYamori
KVRist
- profile
- pm
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:10 am reply with quote
Unless it's important, maybe recording with low-cut on would help?
^ Joined: 22 Feb 2004  Member: #13407  
elnn
KVRist
- profile
- pm
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 5:02 am reply with quote
GeckoYamori wrote:
Unless it's important, maybe recording with low-cut on would help?

well you can easily low cut later, but the higher pitched noise still stays
^ Joined: 04 Nov 2011  Member: #267968  Location: Lithuania
SampleScience
KVRAF
- profile
- www
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:21 am reply with quote
elnn wrote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone#Microphone_win dscreens


I see, but does it really works? Even if I have a blimp or a windscreen I guess there must be a limit to what it can do... In any case, I'll check for the prices and if it's not too expensive then I'll try it.

thanks! Smile
^ Joined: 31 Oct 2004  Member: #46411  Location: Mtl, Canada
whyterabbyt
Beware the Quoth
- profile
- pm
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:38 am reply with quote
SampleScience wrote:
I see, but does it really works? Even if I have a blimp or a windscreen I guess there must be a limit to what it can do...


Indeed there is, but it'll be a blimp and dead-(mouse/rat/kitten/cat/wombat/walrus) type combo on stuff wildlife recorders use in the artic circle etc...

(cue pics of Chris Watson... We're not worthy.... We're not worthy.... )



----
To laymen, software development is something akin to wizardry. Neither time, nor effort are involved. If software is missing features they want, or has bugs, it is solely because someone has been too lazy to wave their magic wand.
^ Joined: 03 Sep 2001  Member: #1041  
SampleScience
KVRAF
- profile
- www
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 10:30 am reply with quote
I'll see if I can convert an old winter hat... I'm on a budget! Laughing
^ Joined: 31 Oct 2004  Member: #46411  Location: Mtl, Canada
bmanic
KVRAF
- profile
- pm
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 10:56 am reply with quote
Note that there are MASSIVE differences in the various blimps. Some are pretty good, many are almost useless. We ended up building our own (big enough to support a surround decca tree kind of thing.. or dual shotguns.. heck, even an ORTF + M/S. Very Happy

Don't be discouraged by the high frequency loss of massive damping. I've found that you can EQ back most of it but if you end up with wind noise, it's much harder to fix.

Cheers!
bManic
----
"He who asks is a fool for five minutes, he who does not ask remains a fool forever"
^ Joined: 03 Feb 2003  Member: #5744  Location: Finland, Espoo
SampleScience
KVRAF
- profile
- www
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:11 pm reply with quote
Thanks! I have a couple of very high quality field recordings that are messed with wind noise, I'll try to fix them but for me a good recording is a matter of good recording technique on the spot than after editing/tweakin which often sounds not as good as I wanted it to be!
^ Joined: 31 Oct 2004  Member: #46411  Location: Mtl, Canada
V-GER
KVRist
- profile
- pm
- e-mail
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:37 pm reply with quote
Just wondering about recordings where the damage is allready done: can something like Meldaproductions MFreeformEqualizer be of any use here? Perhaps especially if there's some passage where there's mainly the unwanted wind disruptions, I was thinking you could have a look at them in the built in analyzer and perhaps practically draw away those bothersome frequencies with a little effort? It goes down to minus 64 db.. Though possibly not ideal it might be as good of a solution as you're likely to find to try and salvage such recordings...

There's also a supposedly more analog version, but this ones cheaper - and I don't see the need for a more analog sounding solution here.. With 40 % off these days and all it sets you back 18 Euro or 23 USD, well worth it if you can salvage invaluable recordings I'd say Wink

Or would other solutions be better for this, dynamic equalizing or one of those noise reduction systems in various audioeditors perhaps?

Halfway thinking out loud here, but hopefully this can give you some ideas that may be of use - can't hurt to download a demo and try stuff out, right..? Smile
----
"If I were Rat Man, You could be my sidekick; Mouse Boy"
^ Joined: 02 Oct 2011  Member: #265957  
SampleScience
KVRAF
- profile
- www
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:57 pm reply with quote
Indeed! Smile It's just that I plan to sell those recording to professional sound editors for TV, films, etc. It really have to be perfect. I guess that at some point I'll have to tweak things a bit anyway, but I'm very cautious for my pristine "hifi" recordings. Wink
^ Joined: 31 Oct 2004  Member: #46411  Location: Mtl, Canada
Spitfire31
KVRian
- profile
- pm
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:44 pm reply with quote
SampleScience wrote:
Indeed! Smile It's just that I plan to sell those recording to professional sound editors for TV, films, etc. It really have to be perfect. I guess that at some point I'll have to tweak things a bit anyway, but I'm very cautious for my pristine "hifi" recordings. Wink

Professional type wind gear (even if homemade) is the only way to go, then.

I've worked, mostly as a cameraman and director of photography, on countless TV documentary and drama productions and later also as a sound recordist. There is no satisfactory way to 'fix up' recordings disturbed by wind to yield the pristine results you're looking for.

Blimp and fur is the way to go - the blimp to create space between the screen and the mic and the fur screen to break up the air stream.

Good luck!

/Joachim
----
If it were easy, anybody would do it!
^ Joined: 18 May 2003  Member: #7226  Location: Sweden
SampleScience
KVRAF
- profile
- www
PostPosted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:02 am reply with quote
Spitfire31 wrote:
SampleScience wrote:
Indeed! Smile It's just that I plan to sell those recording to professional sound editors for TV, films, etc. It really have to be perfect. I guess that at some point I'll have to tweak things a bit anyway, but I'm very cautious for my pristine "hifi" recordings. Wink

Professional type wind gear (even if homemade) is the only way to go, then.

I've worked, mostly as a cameraman and director of photography, on countless TV documentary and drama productions and later also as a sound recordist. There is no satisfactory way to 'fix up' recordings disturbed by wind to yield the pristine results you're looking for.

Blimp and fur is the way to go - the blimp to create space between the screen and the mic and the fur screen to break up the air stream.

Good luck!

/Joachim


This is what I thought. I'll try to build one as I don't think I have enough money to buy one soon.

One thing I'm wondering is if I record a river for instance, how long should my recording be to make it usable to professional sound editors? Does it have to be more than 2-3 min?
^ Joined: 31 Oct 2004  Member: #46411  Location: Mtl, Canada
All times are GMT - 8 Hours

Printable version
Page 1 of 1
Display posts from previous:   
ReplyNew TopicPrevious TopicNext Topic
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Username: Password:  
KVR Developer Challenge 2012