AUDIO HARDWARE/SOFTWARE RESPONSE

I was excited to build my own microphone for my Drift and the actual process of doing it wasn't disappointing. I thought it was a great idea to be able to build the thing that you would be recording with. It was a step that made you think and learn more about how sound recording actually works. They work well and there weren't any big problems with the microphones either. The first time I tested the microphones, only one of them worked, but after I twiddled with it for a bit, the other one started working and that was the end of my problems. Capturing the sounds the best way I found through trial and error. In the end, I found the best way to record them was to get as close as possible and keep the sensitivity fairly low. I suppose my ideal microphone setup would be to have a set of different microphones with different quality levels, but I would keep the one I made in in that collection for sure.
Operating the miniDisc recorder was a little annoying. The menu was very poorly setup and hard to navigate through without the manual at hand. I haven't really used much other sound equipment so I can't compare it really, but I'm sure there is another device that's in the same price range, but would be much easier to use. Ideally, the perfect recorder would be simple to use but have more recording functions so you could record with different settings, rather then always manipulating the sound on the computer.
I choose Audacity for my editing application and it was something I have never used before. I picked Audacity because it seemed like the best one for my MacBook Pro and I think it was a good choice because I really enjoyed it and it had a lot of great functions. The filters especially helped me create the sounds I did for my Drift. Also, how you could edit the clips was a neat function it had that I was able to use. I will definitely be using this software for future projects in sound and film.

10 Questions

1. Is there a place with animals in the area?
2. Is there any mechanical equipment in the area?
3. Are there any side roads I haven't been on before?
4. What's the most well known place in the area?
5. What's the least well known place in the area?
6. Are there any places that don't have any cars around?
7. What places have I never been to (in my life)?
8. Are there any places with no wind?
9. What's the coolest/largest house in the area.
10. Are there and historically significant locations?

Drift Assessment 1

The first couple minutes that I went out on my Drift 1, I got frustrated because I couldn't get any sounds that were interesting or unique. All I got were some cars passing and wind noises. I was really annoyed those first few minutes because I started thinking that walking along a country road was a bad idea and I would only capture car sounds the entire drift. Luckily my fears turn out to be unwarranted and I got some neat sounds. The only other time I felt anxiety was when I tripped on the front steps of my parents house as I came out to start on my Drift. Luckily I caught myself and I didn't drop and of my sound equipment.

Drift Assessment 2

Once I was nearly finished with my Drift, I started to feel a nice feeling of accomplishment. I had recorded a lot of different sounds and was confident that I now knew what I was doing and that I had got some good sounds. It was the same feeling that I got when I first listened to all of my recordings. It's just a neat experience to listen to the stuff that you got in a different setting and not live while you're recording. It's fun to listen to what you just made.


Drift Assessment 3

Firstly, I got a lot of strange looks walking around with the big headphones and microphones in each hand, but it was more amusing then anything, especially after the fifth or sixth time. Another surprise was when I listened to the sounds and I heard what my feet sounded like when I was walking and I was glad that I usually stopped before I started recording. Finally, I found it sometimes difficult to remember what some of the sounds were when I recorded them. I thought that it would be easy to remember each situation I was in and my memory would be jogged by the sounds. But it turns out that sounds are sort of mysterious when listened to by themselves an it takes a little while to remember what they are.

Drift Assessment 4

The best thing about my Drift was simply what I learned about sound in general. I never really thought about making sound clips before and separating them from video. Sound always seemed to go hand in hand with video, but I realize now that it doesn't always have to and that it can stand alone as "art" by itself. Listening to sound is different experience that I never really appreciated until now and I'm glad I found it and will definitely continue to explore more of this art.