Nature Sounds CD's

How to recognise a good nature recording:
1. Does it list the name of the recorder. If no one was prepared to put their name on the CD it can't be much good.
2. Does it have a sequence of tracks with smooth transitions. For example: dawn, day, wind, approaching thunder, rain starting, running water, rain clearing, frogs , dusk, etc. This requires much more effort than simply taking a mike to the shower (rain) or running tap (river).
3. Locations are listed. If the recorder actually went to the effort of going on location then the results should be superior. Of course, the birds and frog sounds have to match. For example, Australia has no woodpeckers !
4. List the gear used. Guys with good mikes, binaural head, high technology gear, etc have invested in expensive stuff. The quality shows in the results.
5. List complaints about suffering on location. Recording is an obsession for many guys who spend days/weeks in tents in all weathers in all seasons to get perfect sounds.
6. Listen for background noises. If you can hear planes, cars, doors, pets, talking, then it was probably recorded in the backyard or local park.
7. Nature is random. The same sequence of sounds should never repeat. Too much swishing (white noise) suggests artificial sources.
8. Plenty of variety. I think 20 minutes of river gurgles is really boring. I consider CDs with a single theme or single sound as poor quality.

The random aspect makes nature sounds so unpredictable and special. With a little practice you can separate the CDs which are a unique work from the syndicated productions.

Although not particularly relaxing I think Chris Watson (of Cabaret Voltaire fame) does some EXTREMELY well recorded field recordings. He's held in the highest regard. His album Weather Report has three 15-20 minute sections...14 hours in Kenya's Masai Mara, a Scottish valley using recordings over a four month period & a ride through an Icelandic glacier aboard a creaking wooden boat. He puts you right there in the thick of it all.

Nature is the only place for authentic sound. Virtually everything else is edited, distorted, compressed, amplified, accompanied, thickened, sweetened, etc. Audiophiles only have to go outside to hear a perfect original performance. An infinite variety of natural sounds exist. If you want a hobby, collect only recordings of one type of fauna (insects; frogs; whales; etc.) or location (shorelines; national parks; rain forests; etc) or weather (thunderstorms; rain; wind; etc).

The technology to make broadcast quality CDs is now more accessible but suitable locations are disappearing rapidly. I generally discard anything that sounds like a cassette recording or lacks “recorded on location” clues. The soundscape producers, in particular, are very passionate about quality and the effects of man-made noise.

The demand for Nature Sounds died in the late-90s. Some more names to research are:
· Jonathon Storm
· Bernie Krause
· Ruth Happel
· Peter Acker
· David Lumsdaine (Australian)
· Chris Watson
· Steven Feld
· “Sounds of Nature” Chuck Plaisance Suzanne Douchet

Another research entry point is the “field recording” clubs. Generally the most prominent members are also producers of their own recordings. I am always delighted to discover new material that indicates that someone is still “out there”.

For background sounds you might check out:

www.birdsongradio.com

link to stream:

http://chill.wavestreamer.com:8062/

A rewarding nature sounds style is “soundscape”. This is what you hear at a location, when sitting on chair, with your eyes closed. If you want to be transported to a place or time or season then seek out the appropriate recordings. There are CDs for many national parks, beaches, rivers, forests, and other desirable locations around the globe.

Generally field recordists who are passionate about quality will explore binaural recording. Get a binaural nature sounds CD and you should be astonished. With electrostatic headphones, every raindrop can be located in space. This may be a novelty but it is impressive. There are many sub-genres of binaural like nature, machinery, transport, cities, crowds, street noise, etc. The extra attention required for binaural recording normally indicates that the CD is also a superior recording in stereo mode. I wish artists would indicate if their CD is binaural. An artist of superb nature sounds binaural CDs is “Walter Tilgner”.

To add to my earlier postings, some of the discoveries you will make:
1. ‘Superb’ nature sounds overdubbed with ‘ordinary’ music. Obviously a famous name sells the outtakes to others.
2. CDs with half of the tracks as nature sounds and half sounds+music. Caters to all markets with one CD.
3. Nature sounds with a few non-natural sounds (chimes, etc) to make the CD a ‘creation’ for copyright.
4. People offering reseller rights under your own label. What was the original source ?
5. CD-R issues. I get annoyed when sellers pass off CD-Rs as stamped CDs.
6. Avoid anything claiming subliminal or therapeutic benefits.
7. Some recommended artists issue boring CDs. Who wants an hour of uninterrupted surf ? They should have gone to pebble, sandy, rocky, and cliff beaches on calm, normal, and stormy days for a bit of variety.
8. Wind noise is very distracting. The extraordinarily sensitive (high quality) mikes are easily overwhelmed by wind and this pops your speakers.
9. Creative overdubbing is irritating if you are knowledgeable about nature. eg. Activity during thunderstorms; combining species from different regions; having ground cover and high-flying birds together; hearing day and night species together; getting seasons and species mixed; insects can’t fly in gales. An example when less interference is more rewarding.
10. CD label claims to enhanced stereo or full-surround sound are just marketing ploys. On my system, the playback quality for these is usually worse than for normal CDs.
11. All assessments of quality is relative to past experience. Most Amazon site CD reviewers are incorrect when making claims of relative quality. Be wary of “this is the best, most authentic, absolutely realistic” claims until you have listened to some of the recommended names. eg. A quality thunderstorm CD should send a tingle down your spine and rock the foundations, anything else is a con.
12. Your favourite artists are born and die but nature is eternal. This is an open-ended hobby for collectors.