1. Discuss your experiences with building your microphones. Was this process more or less what you thought it would be? How did your microphone rig work on your Drift walks? Were you able to capture both overall ambiance and extreme closeups? Describe your ideal microphone and recorder setup, with unlimited time and money.
The creation process went relatively quickly for me. There was certainly enough help and information for me to finish successfully. There did seem to be a lower amount of hot rods in order for everyone to get moving equally, but the extended help sessions made it more available. I imagined a much more difficult and chaotic few days but in fact it was the opposite of that, and the descriptions of the building are not nearly as difficult as they sound. I had zero errors with my microphones. They collected close vibrating sounds as well as overall noise of the city and traffic. My ideal set up would be a blue-tooth technology on a microphone small enough to place in a soda can. When set in the desired area a remote can control the pausing and recording.
2. How was your experience with operating the MiniDisc recorder? How does this recorder compare to other audio equipment you've used? In an ideal world, how would your recorder of choice function?
Despite very small inconveniences my experience with the MiniDisc was very positive. It worked as explained and I did not have any issues saving my sounds or losing any of them either. This was my first experience in audio recording. Ideally, the recorder would be able to connect directly to the computer without the assistance of a specific program and setting on the recorder could be saved to avoid having to adjust after every STOP.
3. Discuss the audio-editing software you chose and your history with this application. If you used this software for the first time, explain why you chose this particular application and how you think it helped you to accomplish your creative goals (or proved detrimental). Will you use this software again for future projects?
I used SonicStage and Audacity and this was the first time I’ve used sound editing software. I used these applications so that, if I had questions, I would be able to get it from the instructors. They were self-explanatory and easy to use and also gave me all the useful tools to complete my finished sounds. While editing sounds in the future, my first idea would be to use Audacity.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
10 Questions to Ponder
1. What sounds did I miss because of the time of day I went on my walk?
2. Could I get access to park’s at all times of the day?
3. Are there areas in my walk where the two mic heads could be separated and record two entirely different sounds?
4. Are there areas with little to no human made noises?
5. Can I find more areas of nature in my walk?
6. Does the area I walk look different at night?
7. Are there areas that appear dark, even in the middle of the day?
8. Can I find a section where most of the visual is one color (sky to lake, large grass fields)
9. Are there sections of my walk with a lot of text?
10. Are there any areas with impressive graffiti?
2. Could I get access to park’s at all times of the day?
3. Are there areas in my walk where the two mic heads could be separated and record two entirely different sounds?
4. Are there areas with little to no human made noises?
5. Can I find more areas of nature in my walk?
6. Does the area I walk look different at night?
7. Are there areas that appear dark, even in the middle of the day?
8. Can I find a section where most of the visual is one color (sky to lake, large grass fields)
9. Are there sections of my walk with a lot of text?
10. Are there any areas with impressive graffiti?
Drift Assessment
1. Describe two situations that aggravated, bothered, shocked or otherwise stressed you during Drift 1. (Please note that the situation CANNOT be technology-related.)
In the beginning of the drift we had to sort through relatively uneventful residential area. The first half of the walk was up and down driveways and house stoops, and the sounds were often times similar or dull. It became a stretch to find and even manufacture sounds, and the worry of not getting enough material began to circulate through my head. However, after walking more it became evident there were obvious sounds that were unique and meant for my recording. Yet, the sheer length of the walk also was quite stressful. Initially, we did not plan on traveling as far as we did but before our algorithm completed ONE cycle we were already in downtown Milwaukee.
2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.
At the park by Lincoln Memorial Drive I got a great reminiscent feel of my childhood listening to the swings and children playing. It sounds cliché, but there really is nothing better than not caring about tomorrow. Also, just up the road, I really enjoyed listening to the noises of the flagpole and the waves. My friend and I were the only one’s there and we just sat in silence at a truly sincere moment in nature and structure.
3. Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. The surprise could stem from your expectations that conflicted with "on the ground" realities, cultural or social issues of which you were previously unaware, feelings and reactions that you did not expect to have, appearances and soundings of things you did not expect, good or bad outcomes of "on the spot" decisions you had to make, or the discovery of "deeper" realities in the materials you brought home. (Again, skip anything technology-related!)
I was genuinely surprised with how much enjoyment I got from simply being out in the world. Soundwalking is certainly a relaxing concept that I would like to continue after school in some regards. It truly gave me a new appreciation for my ears and the nature around me. There’s nothing like a hike that has a motive. I also was surprised by the reactions of people. The first was negative. While we walked on Hackett Drive I approached a man raking leaves on the cement and, after seeing me, he completely stopped and stared. He had no desire to even ask what I was doing but instead motioned with his hands that I should leave. Ironically, just a few minutes later on Hackett, we encountered a group of friends eating lunch outside at a restaurant who were extremely curious as to what we were doing. They were very curious and seemed to actually find interest in our artistic expression.
4. Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.
Well, my favorite moment, unfortunately, comes at someone else’s expense. My good pal, Gus (William) Ingebretsen was recording on the rocks by Lake Michigan and stepped on a slippery boulder. Despite his best efforts in saving a camera, headphones, and microphones, he could not save the mini-disc recorder from falling into the lake after his tumble on the rocks. The fall was immediately followed by a loud obscenity which I will only go as far to mention has four letters and starts with the letter that comes after E. Although I did feel bad for Gus it certainly was quite humorous for everyone involved.
Goodbye mini-disc recorder. May you find peace at the bottom of the wicked deep.
In the beginning of the drift we had to sort through relatively uneventful residential area. The first half of the walk was up and down driveways and house stoops, and the sounds were often times similar or dull. It became a stretch to find and even manufacture sounds, and the worry of not getting enough material began to circulate through my head. However, after walking more it became evident there were obvious sounds that were unique and meant for my recording. Yet, the sheer length of the walk also was quite stressful. Initially, we did not plan on traveling as far as we did but before our algorithm completed ONE cycle we were already in downtown Milwaukee.
2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.
At the park by Lincoln Memorial Drive I got a great reminiscent feel of my childhood listening to the swings and children playing. It sounds cliché, but there really is nothing better than not caring about tomorrow. Also, just up the road, I really enjoyed listening to the noises of the flagpole and the waves. My friend and I were the only one’s there and we just sat in silence at a truly sincere moment in nature and structure.
3. Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. The surprise could stem from your expectations that conflicted with "on the ground" realities, cultural or social issues of which you were previously unaware, feelings and reactions that you did not expect to have, appearances and soundings of things you did not expect, good or bad outcomes of "on the spot" decisions you had to make, or the discovery of "deeper" realities in the materials you brought home. (Again, skip anything technology-related!)
I was genuinely surprised with how much enjoyment I got from simply being out in the world. Soundwalking is certainly a relaxing concept that I would like to continue after school in some regards. It truly gave me a new appreciation for my ears and the nature around me. There’s nothing like a hike that has a motive. I also was surprised by the reactions of people. The first was negative. While we walked on Hackett Drive I approached a man raking leaves on the cement and, after seeing me, he completely stopped and stared. He had no desire to even ask what I was doing but instead motioned with his hands that I should leave. Ironically, just a few minutes later on Hackett, we encountered a group of friends eating lunch outside at a restaurant who were extremely curious as to what we were doing. They were very curious and seemed to actually find interest in our artistic expression.
4. Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.
Well, my favorite moment, unfortunately, comes at someone else’s expense. My good pal, Gus (William) Ingebretsen was recording on the rocks by Lake Michigan and stepped on a slippery boulder. Despite his best efforts in saving a camera, headphones, and microphones, he could not save the mini-disc recorder from falling into the lake after his tumble on the rocks. The fall was immediately followed by a loud obscenity which I will only go as far to mention has four letters and starts with the letter that comes after E. Although I did feel bad for Gus it certainly was quite humorous for everyone involved.
Goodbye mini-disc recorder. May you find peace at the bottom of the wicked deep.
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