May 6, 2012

Canyons

Runyon and Rustic Canyon

It’s been a little while, but I’ve finally decided to update the Sound Blog! LA ventures have kept me away from field recording, however recently I found time to go hiking around Runyon and Rustic Canyon. You’ll notice a big difference in background noise between the two, Rustic being the quieter. Looking over Santa Monica, Rustic Canyon has some great views of both the city, and the beach. It also offers a haven from the constant noise of LA traffic - perfect for outdoor field recording hijinks and mischief.

Do enjoy. More to come soon.

Get the rest of the samples here.

For music and other things, click here.

10:58pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z4KF_wL13Xz0

January 30, 2012

Los Angeles

Old Zoo, Griffith Park

Tucked away in Griffith Park lies the infrastructure of the “Old Zoo.” What once were gorilla, monkey and lion cages were now graffiti covered caves and containers filled with rusting metal bars and month old leaves. These abandoned pseudo-ruins contained some amazing audio material, from rattling cages to crunching rusty metals.

Enjoy the sounds! as well as this spiffy new soundcloud player….

Get the rest of the samples here.

4:53pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z4KF_wFe6I4q

November 17, 2011

California

Catalina Island Pack

There’s no place quite like Catalina Island. The tourists are insane sailors, motor boaters, and tourists that come from all over the world, while the locals are out of their minds. The majority of the samples I managed to record were more of the boat than anything. The sailboat my companions and I sailed on had a wealth of creaks, sputters, and roars.

At one point I managed to take the dingy out and around the island. Here are some pictures:

I almost crashed into that rock trying to record those birds. I’m pretty sure I caught the whole thing on tape so listen for it in the sample pack.

Enjoy this sample pack. There are some really great sounds in there.

Get the rest of the samples here.

6:08pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z4KF_wC3QJrP

(Notes: 2)

November 7, 2011

California

Part 1 of…TBD

So I’ve finally reached California. This does not mean the end for the New American Sound Blog. In fact, this is (in some ways) the official beginning! For a few weeks, I spent time in the town of Dana Point. Picturesque and quaint, the town was named after Richard Henry Dana, who described Dana Point in his book “Two Years Before the Mast.” I was able to record the bustlings in my hosts home, such as his gigantic cats, and his door replacement project.

There were some gorgeous beaches in the area, such as Woods Cove. I’m pretty sure Betty White lived in the house to the right at some point.

Anyhow, here are some samples of an assortment of homey things, ranging from home construction to waves on the beach. Slightly random, maybe… but undeniably California.

California - Dana Point by Peaks.

Get the rest of the samples here.

4:55pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z4KF_wBd-HOF

(Notes: 2)

November 4, 2011

otherbirds asked: So basically I've been perusing your blog and I think it's great. Your recordings are clean and evocative and generally very inspiring to listen to. I've actually wanted to do the same thing basically forever, after finding an elevator shaft in Newark Airport with a particular sonic virtuosity. I was hoping you could tell me a little bit about your microphone setup? Any advice you could send my way would be hugely appreciated. What kind do you use, what do you records with etc.? Best, @starakaj

Thanks for checking it out! My set up is fairly basic - a Zoom H4N and an AT-8035. Picking out the right mic is important, since you’ll probably be spending anywhere between 300-3000 dollars. It all depends on what you plan on using the recordings for. If you want to sell a recording, then you would need some fairly high-end equipment to achieve a marketable fidelity. If you plan on processing the recording afterwards using some crazy phase vocoding granular marauding madness you’ve created in max, then pristine fidelity isn’t as important.

The Zoom has surprisingly good sound quality, and it’s adjustable stereo mics make recording ambient spaces easy and efficient; perfect for that elevator shaft! And the fact that it doubles as an audio interface makes it really easy to use both the Zoom and the AT.

Let me know if you have other questions, and keep me posted about what you end up using!

4:13pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z4KF_wBVICga

October 20, 2011

(via latenightescortservice)

8:11pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z4KF_wAw8zq0

(Notes: 1,010)

October 14, 2011

By popular demand, I bring you those strange and vulgar sounds you producers love so much.

Mystery Pack

Mystery by Peaks.

Get the rest of the samples here.

5:12pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z4KF_wAgOLfL

October 10, 2011

Nevada

Reno, Mostly.

No fancy pictures this time, just some straight up jams.

Nevada by Peaks.

Get the rest of the samples here.

2:28am | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z4KF_wAVU0mP

September 28, 2011

Utah

Logan is a nifty city. Despite the conspicuous overtones of Mormonism, there is an abundant student population that is equally noticeable. My travelers and I spend a good amount of time with M.Constant in his beat bunker, located towards the canyons of Logan. We took a trip to an abandoned water treatment plant, where only its foundations remained.

There were some great sound sources on the way up to the foundations, ranging from kick-able dumpsters and machine-houses to waterfalls and unrecognizable insects. The proximity of the trail to the road made it hard to avoid traffic noise pollution in the recordings, however I managed to get some nice moments throughout the journey. Mad props to Noel Munger aka M.Constant for taking us up there.

Utah by Peaks.

Get the rest of the samples here.

8:59pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z4KF_wA31sei

(Notes: 11)

September 25, 2011

Wyoming

If you like driving for hours on a rickety two lane highway amongst sprawling and ever-changing landscapes, all without seeing another human for miles, then Wyoming is the place for you. I happened to enjoy Wyoming. The environment and terrain were unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Actually, I have seen landscape like this before! (See below…)

My companions and I managed to grab a camping spot near the center of the state, which was located next to Powder River. The river ran under a bridge, and proved to be a lovely source of sound, with the occasional distant traffic in the background.

Powder River Camp Site

The next morning, we drove eagerly to see Grand Teton Range at the recommendation of fellow beat maker and sound breaker M.Constant. “The Tetons”, French for breasts, were given this name by two sexually deprived French explorers who discovered this beautiful area, gazed up at the two gigantic peaks that stood in front of them, and both agreed to the peaks aforementioned resemblance. That’s what the locals say, at least. They could have been pulling my leg the entire time.

(some of) Teton