The Null Device

Field recording

I was wandering down Bourke St. this afternoon, and upon coming within earshot of a busker, decided to test the live recording capability of my Archos Jukebox, using the unit's internal microphone. Surprisingly, the quality was quite passable; I'd say it would be comparable to my old MiniDisc with the external Sony stereo microphone. And it produces a MP3 file, rather than something locked up in a proprietary container.

Anyway, the proof of the pudding (1.1Mb MP3 file; 1 minute) is here; note the fade between the busker and the top-40 R&B sounds of the HMV store as I walked down the street. Hmmm; perhaps I should do a longer one of these and pass it off as KLF-style "ambient house" or something?

There are 6 comments on "Field recording":

Posted by: lisa
http://
Fri Mar 7 15:42:12 2003

wow. please do! very groovy-doovy. that's some impressive quality for an internal mic.

Posted by: acb
http://dev.null.org
Fri Mar 7 15:54:53 2003

Heh. Mind you, like the one in my camera, it doesn't cope with the volumes at live gigs very well. I took it along to the Architecture In Helsinki gig tonight, and it kept clipping (it didn't cope at all well with Ninetynine's wall of Casios). Maybe the un-amped Sony microphone (which is a bit quiet normally) will be better...

Posted by: Stephen

Sat Mar 8 13:46:44 2003

...and if that doesn't work, you can always try mounting an SM57 in a turban or something.

Posted by: Rory
http://speedysnail.com/
Wed Mar 12 14:11:08 2003

Man, how to make an expat Aussie homesick in one easy post. Bird sounds and tram noises and everything!

Posted by: cnwb
http://cnwb.blogspot.com
Sat Mar 15 09:03:28 2003

Y'know, I think I have that same recording. Only I made it about a month ago. And the busker was that Asian blues singer.

Posted by: acb
http://dev.null.org
Sat Mar 15 13:22:07 2003

What equipment did you use? A MiniDisc or somesuch?

I wouldn't mind getting some decent recordings of that religious guy with the portable PA; the one with the perpetually gloomy voice saying things like "for you will be bathed in the blood of the lamb". It'd make good sample material. Either that or taking a parabolic microphone to the Lyndon LaRouche people and recording their spiel.

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