Dusk in the African savanna - Nature and wildlife sounds

Поделиться
HTML-код
  • Опубликовано: 17 сен 2024
  • How do you record the sounds of nature and wildlife in the African savanna? I'm on a field recording expedition in Kenya, working on a personal project and recording for a Hollywood film that I will soon talk more about. My aim is to record big mammals, birds and other creatures up close, but in the process I also want to capture some lush, immersive soundscapes that would be very pleasant to listen to.
    There have been proper rainstorms just before I arrive, and on the way to my camp in central Kenya we have to drive through some serious flooding. The weather clears up though and the land had been so dry that there's little sign of the deluge the next day. The soundscape is definitely livelier and more lush though.
    That isn't the case everywhere. Due to the open nature of the terrain and the hot temperatures during daytime, soon after dawn the wind picks up and keeps blowing until late at night. This is obviously not great for recording as it drowns out the soundscape in noise and it can easily overload microphone capsules. Animals tend to call less when it's very windy as they have to expend more energy to be heard.
    After a few late night and early morning recces I realise the soundscape in the open savanna is actually quite muted and subdued. This is of course well worth recording for documenting purposes but it isn't exactly what I'm looking for. There are however pockets of lush birdsong and animal activity that fit my purposes very well. Some of these are narrow gorges full of animal paths. They sounds a bit dark and claustrophobic though. Not bad at all but I'm looking for something a bit more open.
    Eventually I find a nice valley nestled between hills and a huge escarpment. There are plenty of green trees here and lots of birds singing at dawn and dusk. More importantly, hearing distance isn't limited by steep rocks or walls so there are a few easily identifiable layers to the soundscape. It's still sheltered from heavy winds, perfect for my purposes. I proceed to setting up a Sony PCM A10 and a pair of Lom miroUsi mics with good wind protection (Bubblebee Windbubbles in this case) and I leave this rig there for 48 hours. This one-hour recording you're listening to is an almost continuous excerpt from the second dusk chorus I capture there.
    Enjoying the videos I upload on here? Feel free to support me by:
    - becoming a patron: / georgevlad
    - buying my sound effects libraries: mindful-audio....
    - buying me a coffee: ko-fi.com/geor...
    - buying my soundscape albums: wildaesthesia....
    #africansavanna #savannasounds #wildlifesounds

Комментарии • 60