Working with Sound

Learning to Listen

Many of us, maybe most of us, take sound for granted. More often we are aware of the extremes and the unique. We notice beautiful bird songs and breaks screeching as well as spaces that echo loudly. We tend to be less aware of what we consider to be background noise and the degree to which everyday spaces like our offices and bedrooms reverberate. When working with sound, especially during the recording process, we need to be more consciously aware of the range of sounds around us, however pedestrian or subtle they may seem, and the reflective nature of the spaces we are in. So let's start...

Exercise Two:


Wherever you are right now, be still:
What do you hear?
Maybe a light woosh or buzz from your computer...
A barely audable high pitch ring or low pitch rumble...
The hum of a fan or refrigerator...
The rush or roar of distant traffic...
Something ticking or clicking, a clock or a radiator perhaps...

Now clap your hands:
Does the sound reflect (slap or bounce) off the walls?
Does it sound sharp or does it have a duller quality?
Does the sound seem to fade or suddenly die?

Stopping to listen and asking these questions will help make you more sound aware and inform the decision making that you do when recording, especially when it comes to selecting the space you record in and how you improve the sound quality in that space--maybe you decide to reduce reflection by padding a wall with blankets and maybe you turn off the air conditioner. Both of these decisions (and this exercise) relate to the acoustical and ambient noise aspects of a space. Considering these aspects are key when it comes to sound recording, and good sound recording leads to a much easier sound editing process.

 

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