Recording session

Yesterday I recorded extra content for my first sound project. I'm trying to create a project that makes use of stereo audio and alternating sound between left and right ear. I wanted to incorporate the sounds of a bus stop into my project so I recorded sound by the school's MU. From the beeps to the loud engine noises, the recording was very solid. I also taped the recorder to the bottom of my skateboard and recorded the sounds of the wheels rotating as I coasted down a hill. I am focusing my recordings to the sounds of motion, and these two sounds turned out to sound very good when I reviewed them in audacity.

Group Recording Walk

Today we learned about lossless/lossy audio recording techniques. I was unaware that the most common sound file used for music (mp3) is actually one of the worst file formats in terms of sound quality. We use mp3's because they are compressed files, meaning these files are made to take up less space at the expense of lost data (or sound quality.) As a demonstrative exercise we compared three methods of recording sound from a group sound walk. In groups of three, each member was designated a recording method. The first was with a stereo audio recorder that captured lossless (.wav) audio. The second was a compressed method (iPhone recording) and the third was simple human memory. For the recording process, we walked as a class through the schools arboretum. The arboretum is home to many pleasant nature sounds and less human noise pollution than the rest of campus. The only real noise distraction was the sound of 20+ footsteps walking in close proximity.

When we finished our walk we uploaded our two recordings into audacity and got to listen closely to the differences in the recording. When listening to the lossless recording I could pick up so many more details than I could from the iPhone. I could actually hear certain things in the recording and recognize them as sounds I remembered from the walk. The lossy file seemed to pick up only the loudest sounds such as footsteps and vehicles.

Sound Walk Exercise

Today's sound walk exercise was something I've never done before. A sound walk is  an activity that devotes a certain amount of time to appreciating the sounds of the outdoors. For our walk, we broke up into pairs and silently shared in the experience. What was cool about this exercise is that each pair was given a unique set of directions for approaching sound. Our set of directions was to intently listen to the sounds on campus, and to follow the ones that were most alluring. This was particularly hard to do in tandem fashion because some sounds beckoned my partner Sam that did not beckon me. Without verbal communication we had to make slight gestures in order to stay together and we eventually alternated leadership. This activity was interesting because on a busy college campus sounds are constantly in motion. For example the 'wizzing' of bike tires would beckon us in a certain direction but would quickly disapear as other sounds (and other bikes) would come to the forefront of my ears. I couldn't help but be conscious of how strange I must have looked with my constant direction changes, but I thought it was funny.

What I took from the exercise was the awareness that I rarely isolate sounds when I walk on campus. Usually the wealth of sounds just gets mixed together and turned into noise in my head. With this activity I focused on individual noises and their source. I listened to my surroundings in a way I have seldom done before so I thought it was very worth while.