Field Recordings
I’m far from a professional (or even advanced amateur) but I do enjoy making the occasional field recordings in locations where sounds evoke memories or emotions. My device of choice is generally my trusty Tascam DR-07MKII in “wide” (A/B) mode, sometimes with a dead kitten, sometimes not. When unprepared, I’ve been known to just use my phone.
Here, I’m collecting some field recordings I’ve done over the years.
Beach Sounds: OBX (Kill Devil Hills, NC)
May 20, 2021 (8:11am)
Beach sounds recorded at Martin St beach in Kill Devil Hills, NC (the Outer Banks) on Thursday May 20, 2021, starting at 8:11am.
Recorded with a Samsung Galaxy S8 (didn’t bring my portable Tascam). A couple of brief sections mid-recorded were faded out and back in to remove noise as I shifted my phone about. Audio normalized to -0.1dB.
GPS: 36.00683323135018,-75.65105667684595
Latitude N 36°0'24.6'' Longitude W 75°39'3.804''
Ode to the Fudgy Wudgy Guy (North Wildwood, NJ)
August 6 or 7, 2005
Recorded August 6 or 7, 2005 on the beach at North Wildwood, NJ, likely at the 5th Ave beach. The ocean can be heard in the distance throughout, but the highlight is the Fudgy Wudgy Guy who goes by a couple of times, one time passing very close. If there is one sound I associate with summer from childhood, it is the call of the Fudgy Wudgy Man. Fudgy Wudgy! Ice cream sandwiches!
(Unsure of the recording device used.)
Nighttime Sounds (Southern NJ)
July 27, 2017 (9:01pm)
Recordings of the summer sounds of the woods. Recorded on a Galaxy S8 with Hi-Q Recorder, saved as a WAV.
Occasional background noise of an air conditioning unit turning on and off.
Nighttime Sounds (Southern NJ)
August 4, 2016 (10:31:13pm)
Brief recording of the woods in South Jersey (near the Pine Barrens) with an annoying motorcycle in the background.
Recorded with a Samsung Galaxy S5 with the Hi-Q MP3 Recorder (recording to WAV). No post-processing.
Nighttime Sounds (Northern VA)
August 16, 2015 (12:33am)
Sounds of a summer night in Northern VA. Recorded on a Tascam DR-07MKII with internal mics in A-B (wide stereo) position.
Post-processing included: trimming start and finish (with fades), cutting two small sections of distortion in the middle, and normalizing.
Nighttime Sounds (Northern VA)
August 11, 2019 (3:23-7:23am)
Sounds of a summer night in suburban Northern VA. Recorded on a Tascam DR-07MKII with internal mics in A-B (wide stereo) position (I think). It’s interesting to hear the quiet of the middle of the night slowly shift into morning bird sounds and Monday morning traffic.
Post-processing included: trimming start and finish (with fades) and normalizing.