Week 48
Newport Wetlands nature reserve
November 29th, 4.15pm


A return to Newport Wetlands this week in the hope of seeing and hearing some overwintering birds. The wetlands were relatively quiet; a few bird voices against a backdrop of reed beds blowing in the wind, a biplane flying overhead, and the constant low drone of the adjacent Uskmouth power station. Near to the end of my visit, I was informed that to I should head further east along the coast toward Goldcliff to see winter waders, so I plan to do so soon.

(6:10)




Setup: 2 DPA 4060 lavalier mics in stereo position to Sound Devices 702

---

Week 47
Jackdaws, Blackweir wood
November 20th, 5.10pm


An audio highlight at this time of the year in Cardiff is the assorted corvids that flock along the river Taff, mainly in tall trees in Blackweir wood. The following recording is of a pre-roost flock of jackdaws; while I was there the number of animals swelled from small groups of 10-20 to a flock of about 80.

(5:00)

Setup: 1 DPA 4060 lavalier mic in mono position in a Telinga parabolic reflector to Sound Devices 702

---

Week 46
Cardiff walking
November 16th, 7.10pm

This week’s recording is an excerpt of my walking route from work to home; a fairly mundane soundscape all the more sedate for being recorded during a damp evening in November. Recorded binaurally so, as ever, best listened to on headphones.

(7:16)

Setup: Soundman OKM II in-ear mics to Sound Devices 702

---

Week 45
Guy Fawkes Night, Cardiff
November 5th, 8.15pm

A recording of fireworks being set off from across north Cardiff on Guy Fawkes Night from a rooftop window.

(4:30)

Setup: 2 DPA 4060 lavalier mics in stereo position to Sound Devices 702

---

Week 44
Amsterdam, various locations
October 31st – November 3rd


An undergraduate field trip took me to Amsterdam with a large group of students for a few days. Though there was a very dense itinerary, I still found some time to record at a few locations in the city centre. All of these were recorded binaurally, so they are best listened to via headphones.
The first recording was made while sitting on a bench in Vondelpark after dark. To comment on the number of cyclists in Amsterdam is beyond cliché, but I enjoyed sitting and listening to bikes pass through the park in such large numbers.

(October 31st, 6.15pm (05:00))



The next recording was made overlooking a canal that runs along Geldersekade, near Nieuwmarkt in the early evening, as people start to fill up the numerous bars in the area.

(November 2nd, 6.05pm (05:00))



I enjoy recording with in-ear microphones for lots of reasons. They are lightweight, hands free, and look like cheap headphones, so you can record in spaces where other recording techniques gain too much attention. I really like the acoustics of the main concourse in Amsterdam Centraal Station, and using these inexpensive microphones I could record there unhurriedly. A couple of minutes into the recording, someone starts playing a public piano while their friends watch.

(November 3rd, 3.55pm (09:15))


The final recording for the week is from within Station Square just outside Amsterdam Centraal, a major intersection for the city’s trams.

(November 3rd, 4.15pm (05:05))

Setup: Soundman OKM II in-ear mics to Sound Devices 702