What levels should recording be at?

What levels should recording be at?

According to Pike, your audio level should stay on the negative side of the number scale and never go above 0. Anything above this results in distortion, which will make your audio torture to listen to. He suggests keeping your level at around -10 to -12, but this can vary depending on your project and your subject.

How do you get good field recordings?

Starting out with field recording

1. Think about why you want to make field recordings.
2. Start out with a small, affordable, easy-to-carry audio recorder.
3. If money is tight, consider second hand gear especially if you’re just experimenting.
4. Practice.
5. Listen.
6. Set record levels with care.
7. Record in a high quality format.

What is a field recording in music?

In its broadest sense, ‘field recording’ refers to the process of capturing sound outside the controlled confines of a studio. Within that definition however, a world of differing processes, theoretical approaches and outcomes are found.

Is field recording music?

Field recording is a style of non-music. Field recordings are audio recordings of sounds, often non-musical, but music can be recorded as well. Artists of this style typically have zero involvement with the sound of the piece, they are simply recording “the field”.

Which is the best feature of a field recorder?

The ability to set recording levels independently for each mic is a real plus-point too. Every recorder will feature some kind of limiter, which should protect your recording from sudden audio spikes, such as an unexpected loud noise. After all, who knows what your subject is about to do, play, sing or bark?

What’s the best dB level to record at?

Examples of dB Levels to Record at In Different Occasions 1 When recording an interview, you should use something in between -12dB and -8dB. 2 If recording music, you should set your level from -22dB to -18dB. 3 The mix level should have a range from -14dB to -10dB. 4 Sound effects can vary from -20dB to -10dB (just with occasional spikes of -8dB).

What should my sound level be when recording music?

If recording music, you should set your level from -22dB to -18dB. The mix level should have a range from -14dB to -10dB. Sound effects can vary from -20dB to -10dB (just with occasional spikes of -8dB). To give you an insight into how important defining levels sometimes can be, just think of those cool Hollywood movie explosions.

What do you need for a field recording?

Below is an overview of the basic equipment you’ll need to get started. Headphones – You will need some decent headphones for monitoring in the field to ensure your recordings are being captured the way you’d like. If you’re on a covert recording operation, you may want or need to use earbuds.