http://www.broad-horizon-nature.co.uk/shag-rock-perranporth-500x375.jpg
This recording was made at dusk on 18th December 2012 on the very steep and rather precarious grassy slope below the rather exposed coast path a bit south-west of Perranporth, Cornwall, which contours the main cliff slope from near Cligga Head to Droskyn Point, at which latter point you are in Perranporth proper. It was made at exactly the same spot as http://www.freesound.org/people/Philip%20Goddard/sounds/168716/, with the recorder pointing in the same direction, and with similar but also subtly different sea conditions.
As in that recording, I placed the recorder on a very low drystone wall running down the slope, whose top was covered with vegetation, and the minor headland with Shag Rock almost against its tip was ahead and somewhat to the right. This grassy slope ends just a little further below, in sheer and indeed more or less undercut cliff, so that the big waves are in a state of pandemonium as they hit the cliff (invisible to me on the steep slope above).
On this occasion the tide was too low to get the impressive 'whoomphs' from the Shag Rock blow-hole as I got in my previous recording at this spot, BUT there are plenty of such 'whoomphs' anyway from other spots here, and indeed this recording seems to me to be my most impressive yet at that spot, for there is a real thundering of the odd waves breaking before reaching the cliff, with an almost constant rumbling and thumping of the sea in the undercut concavity in the cliff right below me, where I could see from a distance just before my arrival here, that repeatedly big plumes of spray were violently shooting straight up.
It was a bit bold of me, making this recording, for, at 4.10 in the afternoon near to the shortest day, the light was already fading, and by 4.45, when I finished the recording, it was on the dark side of dusk - and, once I'd got to Perranporth I still would have to hitch-hike (in the dark) back to Exeter.
All the booming and deep rumbling in this recording is caused by the sea's arguments with the obstinate, obstructive cliffs, and none of it at all is caused by wind in the microphones, as this spot was virtually completely sheltered from the wind, which was only light to moderate anyway.
Please note that only very good speakers / headphones with a very extended bass response will do this recording real justice. Also, it may sound unpleasantly boomy on speakers that have any sort of boominess (like my computer speakers!). Please also note that the volume level of this recording has been carefully adjusted for listening purposes, and ALL my recordings so far are meant to be listened to with a volume setting that would give a realistic level for playback of CLASSICAL music (a large but not exceptional symphony orchestra). If you have the right volume setting, you should not need to change that setting from one recording of mine to another.
Recording made with a Sony PCM-M10 on a Hama mini-tripod, using the built-in microphones covered with a Rycote Mini Windjammer. I have used a graphic EQ profile in WavePad to compensate for the slight muffling of the sound caused by the Windjammer.
(Later note: This recording - with better sound than here - is on one of my commercial CDs, and can be found in my e-Store.)
**Please remember to give this recording a rating! http://www.broad-horizon-nature.co.uk/me-icon_wink.gif **
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Type- Flac (.flac)
- Duration
- 38:22:599
- Filesize
- 183.3 MB
Samplerate- 44100.0 Hz
- Bitdepth
- 16 bit
- Channels
- Stereo
Comments
Really nice sound Thx.
Thank you Philip
Incredible recording. Thank you! Also so nice to hear your story behind the sound.
Thanks for your further good wishes, Marcel and Matthew!
Actually, Marcel, further to my earlier comments here, I have taken a prompt from you and investigated further about furry windshields. While the Blimp is definitely 'out', I thought I might find more effective small windshields - and indeed I came up with three that are apparently more effective: Rode Deadkitten, Redhead Windscreen, and Gigwig Fur Windscreen, and I've ordered one of each.
I have just received the Deadkitten, and it certainly seems more substantial than the Rycote Mini Windjammer, and when I have the other two I shall conduct a fairly rigorous comparative test using my office fan at full blast. If one stands out significantly in superior performance I would settle on using that, and of course if one stands out significantly in lesser performance, that would theoretically not get used.
However, in practice it isn't quite as simple as that, because for my type of recordings I often do want some wind noise in the microphones, at least during significant gusts, so I may take with me on some outings both the most effective and the least effective windshield, so I can choose according to the actual conditions.
Actually, many wind recordings on Freesound are not very effective for me, precisely because the microphones were TOO protected from the wind, with the result that it was difficult for me to feel that I was listening to a real strong wind at all. I don't go by how people think one should make wind recordings, but by what works best for my cocky little listening ears! :-) In my recordings I want to rectify the usual imbalance and tread a happy medium.
Happy New Year Philip and Matthew.
And about the Blimp. We all know your recordings are great. It's not the first time I go out with a small fake fur around my Sony and it works fine.
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