Field Recording

  • Recording the Sounds of Birds in the Himalaya

    Recording the Sounds of Birds in the Himalaya

    The Himalaya is not only a landscape of dramatic mountains, forests and alpine meadows—it is also an extraordinary acoustic environment. From the dawn chorus of Himalayan songbirds in temperate forests to the calls of birds echoing across deep valleys, every elevation and habitat has its own acoustic character. Recording these sounds in the field…

  • Polar Patterns for field recordings

    Polar Patterns for field recordings

    When recording sounds in the field, choosing the right microphone is only half the equation. How the microphone receives sound from different directions—the polar pattern—is equally important. In a forest, wetland, mountain valley or coastal environment, sound rarely comes from one direction. Birds may call from the canopy, insects may surround the recorder, wind…