Sonic Stories: Endorphin Sound Library
In this edition of Sonic Stories, we sit down with Endorphin Sound to find out all about how they go about recording their sound libraries and their favourite piece of gear.
What piece of recording gear do you find yourself reaching for most often, and why has it become such a reliable part of your setup?
Gear is of secondary concern to observation and listening, and the best way to ignore the equipment is to use easy and reliable stuff. My Sound Devices decks and Sennheiser MKH mics and accessories are excellent in all weather conditions and reasonably ergonomic. Now I sort of put it all on like clothes.
Do you have a favorite microphone for field recording, and are there certain sounds you think it captures particularly well?
My favorite subjects are soundscapes, and my favorite mic of all time for that is my vintage Neumann binaural head, which has a very wide stereo field and can capture very evocative sound portraits. Most of my libraries feature it very heavily. However, my love for it is completely at odds with how big and cumbersome it is, and it attracts unwanted attention, so I can’t always use it.
How much planning goes into a recording session before you arrive on location, and what do you always try to prepare for?
I’ll study the area with publicly available information and online maps, and I may go recon ahead of time, and do any appropriate communication with any people there. But frequently, I just have to wing it. I always check the weather and directions. I pack water, hiking bars, layered clothing, sunscreen, a headphone-friendly hat, a change of shirt, and a decent field bag (with tools).
What’s the most unexpected sound you’ve captured while recording something completely different?
I was recording frogs in a national park in Bali, but I kept hearing this mesmerizing music in the background. After recording a little of both, I got frustrated and wanted to isolate both things. My park ranger guide told me he knew where the music was coming from, so I quit the frogs and we went to the source of the music, which was a local group of men playing gamelan music on what appeared to be improvised musical instruments made of scrap metal. After getting permission, I recorded the rest of their practice, and then I went back and recorded more frogs!
How do you approach recording sounds that are difficult to repeat, such as live events, wildlife, vehicles, or unpredictable environments?
Preparedness, mobility, flexibility, and patience. I focus on what I can control. I will triple check gear, power, and memory. I'll use some kind of backup system or extra coverage. I never skip coffee on a recording day! My main rig has to be easy to walk around with. The rest is trying to adapt to changing conditions.
Human-made events are at least somewhat predictable. If I’m in public, I have to be open enough to appear unsuspicious, but discreet enough to avoid unwanted attention or incidental conversation…it will happen! If interrupted, I’ll just be polite... getting frustrated doesn’t help. I’ve found that most people won’t “get” field recording, but they will usually leave you alone if you appear to be using a phone, so often I’ll just pretend to do that.
Natural sounds follow their own rhythms and recording them requires a sensibility that has to be cultivated with practice. It often requires getting up ridiculously early and being away for long periods. Chasing animals doesn’t work, you have to track from a distance or wait for them to come to you.
I've learned not to go out in the field with any too-specific wish list of sounds. I just accept the world as it is and try to work with it. I try to plan ahead, but no plan survives reality for long.
What’s one recording technique you’ve developed over time that has made the biggest difference to the quality of your sound effects?
I’ve developed a sense of when and where to walk away from the equipment for long periods. Great and unexpected things will happen over time that I wouldn’t have the patience to wait quietly for, or that I actually may be preventing just by standing there.