Learning to Listen
When working with sound, especially during the recording process, we need to be more conscious of the range of sounds around us, however pedestrian or subtle they may seem, and the reflective nature of the spaces we are in.
Exercise Two:
Take just a minute to answer the following question to yourself.Wherever you are right now, be still and focus on what you can hear. Is there...
- 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 and listen. Does it...
- reflect (slap or bounce) off the walls?
- sound sharp or does it have a duller quality?
- fade or suddenly die?
Stopping to listen and asking questions like these will help make you more sound aware and inform the decisions you make while recording to improve sound quality. They might help you to decide to turn off a fan or choose a room with less reflection.
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.