Dusk in the African savanna - Nature and wildlife sounds
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2021
- How do you record the sounds of nature and wildlife in the African savanna? I'm on a field recording expedition in Kenya, working on a personal project and recording for a Hollywood film that I will soon talk more about. My aim is to record big mammals, birds and other creatures up close, but in the process I also want to capture some lush, immersive soundscapes that would be very pleasant to listen to.
There have been proper rainstorms just before I arrive, and on the way to my camp in central Kenya we have to drive through some serious flooding. The weather clears up though and the land had been so dry that there's little sign of the deluge the next day. The soundscape is definitely livelier and more lush though.
That isn't the case everywhere. Due to the open nature of the terrain and the hot temperatures during daytime, soon after dawn the wind picks up and keeps blowing until late at night. This is obviously not great for recording as it drowns out the soundscape in noise and it can easily overload microphone capsules. Animals tend to call less when it's very windy as they have to expend more energy to be heard.
After a few late night and early morning recces I realise the soundscape in the open savanna is actually quite muted and subdued. This is of course well worth recording for documenting purposes but it isn't exactly what I'm looking for. There are however pockets of lush birdsong and animal activity that fit my purposes very well. Some of these are narrow gorges full of animal paths. They sounds a bit dark and claustrophobic though. Not bad at all but I'm looking for something a bit more open.
Eventually I find a nice valley nestled between hills and a huge escarpment. There are plenty of green trees here and lots of birds singing at dawn and dusk. More importantly, hearing distance isn't limited by steep rocks or walls so there are a few easily identifiable layers to the soundscape. It's still sheltered from heavy winds, perfect for my purposes. I proceed to setting up a Sony PCM A10 and a pair of Lom miroUsi mics with good wind protection (Bubblebee Windbubbles in this case) and I leave this rig there for 48 hours. This one-hour recording you're listening to is an almost continuous excerpt from the second dusk chorus I capture there.
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#africansavanna #savannasounds #wildlifesounds - เพลง
Read about last year's expedition to Kenya: mindful-audio.com/blog/2020-sound-recording-expedition-kenya
The sound of the ubiquitous doves always transports me back to South Africa wherever I am in the world!
Same!
Thank you for this. Wonderfully evocative for those of us familiar with East Africa, and equally magical for those who are not. The call of the Cape Turtle Dove (captured here) is, for me, the quintessential sound of the African bush.
Yep, exactly how I feel too.
I really love it when people are able to point out what exactly you are hearing in these recordings. Thank you for that. I love this recording too.
Yeah absolutely. I think I can also hear bar-throated apalis, laughing dove, emerald-spotted wood-dove, gorgeous bush-shrike and dark-capped bulbul. Plenty of others, but those are the ones I recognise. I grew up in South Africa and these remind me a lot of SA.
Thanks Luke, appreciate the ID help.
Ищите радость жизни в мелочах:
В зверях и в птицах, в солнце и в цветах,
В улыбке детской, в голубой морской волне,
И в радуге цветной в небесной синеве.
В друзьях, родных и близких любящих тебя,
Которые идут с тобой по жизни горе, радости деля,
И знаешь, нет ведь разницы что за окном твоим там солнце, снег иль дождь,
Знай, самая большая радость в жизни - это то, что любишь ты, любим ( а ) и живёшь!!!
Как всегда с большой благодарностью за ваш труд, Джордж, я, Маргарита Минаева!!!🐻😉☺️😘❤️
Oh yes! Can’t wait! :D
Enjoy!
Our environment and mostly when it rains wooow 💚
I like your records, you bring wild Africa to the modern world, not everyone can do that. Success in all your projects!
Thank you, much appreciated.
Can't wait! So happy you're back :D
Great to hear that, thank you.
your recordings are superb, just sound like we're right in the middle of it--- Well done George! wow!!!!!!!
Thanks for listening Michael, much appreciated.
I've been so enjoying your uploads out of the various countries in Africa! This one's another beauty!
I'm happy to hear that, enjoy!
Thank you for the wonderful memories of growing up in Kenya. You’ve truly captured the essence of the African savanna. Man! I miss Kenya!
Glad you enjoyed it!
These soundscapes are saving lives... SALUTE to you sir George, Godsend!
Thank you for listening and commenting.
I used to live in Kenya so this brings back a lot of memories of waking up to this. Great job 👏
Awesome! Thank you!
❤👍
I’ve just started doing field sound recording and this has so inspired me. When you need something to relax to this is a perfect
Great to hear that Ashleigh, thanks for taking the time to comment.
That's nice. I love it.
Thank you Claire 😊
Epic.
Thanks Willis!
Sùch wonderful sounds that ì knòw all too well...
Thanks Johan.
@@GeorgeVlad yes i come from the northern parts of SA, Mpumalanga, even though it's just below the Actual Bushveld and True African Savanah
But regardless i am from near there as well, but doves and such we did have there, it's mostly highveld and highland where i come from
Super recording. Thank you for sharing!!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Fantastic recording!
Thanks Valentijn
Super soundscape. Great work
Glad you enjoy it!
Very good
Thanks!
Obrigado
My pleasure!
This is a fantastic recording. I am amazed that it is with the Sony PCM A10. ( I am really new to audio recording. If you used a Zoom F6 or MixPre 6ii would it really sound any better. If so how would it sound better ? ) I just think all the sounds in the background sound so rich I can't imagine it sounding any better. Maybe you just found the perfect place to setup your rig.
Thanks very much! In this situation I don't think using an F6 or Mixpre would make a huge difference because the soundscape was pretty busy. You will get better results with the bigger, more expensive recorders in quieter locations where the preamp quality is more important. Having said that, the A10 is a perfect tool for specific situations and the Mixpres/F6 devices are created for completely different use cases. I think it's worth having both a small handheld and a bigger dedicated recorder if you're serious about field recording.
It's also important to think about the location itself. You can get rubbish recordings with incredibly high quality gear if you don't know what you're doing. Learning to listen and recording many many times is more important than your choice of equipment, to some degree.
What is that cooo-coooooo...coo....coo-coooooo..coo in the background? Sounds like a trill?
That is the song of Cape turtle doves, one of the iconic sounds of the African bush.
@@GeorgeVlad thank you! I've heard it in many documentaries, and always wondered what it was.
What's making the repetitive background noise at the very beginning of the recording.
Haha, which one! There are a lot of repetitive and rhythmic calls in this recording.
The ones right at the beginning a 3 note repetitive noise. I can't describe it any better
@@tonypay8875 I can ID the following: Cape turtle dove, Laughing dove, Common bulbul, Spotted thick-knee, Slate-colored boubou, Emerald-spotted wood-dove.