Field Recording
As a field recording is defined as the recording of non- specifically generated sounds, natural sound events or soundscapes of found outside of a recording studio. In the strict sense of footage of natural or environmental sounds are meant herein that are realized using portable recording equipment. These were in the 20th century mostly analog tape recorders, cassette recorders later. Today, most digital devices are used as voice recorder, laptop with an external control device and appropriate software, or dedicated field recorder. The range of field recordings is closely connected with the technical phonography, based on the photograph of this term is therefore sometimes used synonymously. Field recordings differ from recording in the studio, especially through the origin and the nature of the sound material by the technique, the external conditions and the equipment.
History
The origin of the field recordings can be attributed to Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph (1877 ). He originally developed the phonograph, also called speaking machine to record speeches in the U.S. Congress, court processes or business conferences and thus minimize tedious Mitschreibarbeiten. Through the further development of recording devices, specifically the development of portable, high -quality- enabled devices, the genre of field recordings won in the 20th century more and more in popularity and is now one of the stylistic devices in music genres such as ambient, musique concrète, and related genres. Furthermore, field recordings are used in particular in the fields of anthropology, ethnomusicology and bioacoustics.
The phonograph is capturing sound in the front, regardless of how or which they were produced. Originally, the idea of the documentation was in the foreground, but it soon came to machining with aesthetic objectives, so that through manipulations and combinations of different recordings sound for film and radio were created, which were first used in radio plays, jingles, etc. then as effects.
Field Recording and Soundscape have developed into independent forms of sound art. Some artists and labels involved primarily in these areas.
Ethnomusicology
The middle of the field recording is in the field of ethnomusicology one of the most important scientific tools represents the ethnomusicology studied music in a cultural and social context. The invention of the phonograph, Edison allowed researchers for the first time make recordings using wax cylinders and gave them the opportunity to examine the material collected in arrears, etc.
German-speaking
The foundations of the Vienna and the Berlin Phonogram Archive (1899/1900) were associated with the emergence of comparative musicology. The foundation stone for the Berlin Phonogram Archive Carl Stumpf put together with his student Otto Abraham, a Berlin gynecologist and music psychologists. Together they recorded in 1900 with the aid of a phonograph on the performance of an ensemble of Thai court musician. This recording was the foundation of the Berlin archive. The ethnologist Adolf Bastian was it that caused that every German explorers has been equipped with a phonograph. The whole collected material came to the Berlin Phonogram Archive. The Phonogram Archive in Vienna was founded in 1899 by the neurologist Sigmund Exner, first recordings were, however, only in 1901.
United States
The biologist Jesse Walter Fewkes (1850-1930) was the first who used the Edison phonograph for ethnographic recordings of music in the course of his research at the Passamaquoddy Indians ( 1890).
Technology
Field recordings can occur with the help of different recording devices. The simplest are portable digital recorders or voice recorders. They are usually equipped with stereo microphones, speakers, and headphone jack. Its compactness makes it easy to transport and quick and easy to use. In addition, often recording devices are used with external microphones, while the stereo microphones between binaural and stereo microphones so-called MS is distinguished in the field. Further even directional microphones, hydrophones or piezoelectric transducer can be used. Continuous recording devices are CompactFlash, Hard Disk, MiniDisc or DAT -capable. However, it is also higher digital voice recorders, notebooks with microphone input or analog tape recorder can be used. Portable reel tape recorders were common until the 1980s, have disappeared from the market.
Other accessories include headphones, wind / pop filter, shock-mount and mic stand or tripod.
One of the first portable cassette recorders from Philips, 1963
Portable mini tape recorder Nagra Kudelski Type III 1967
Portable cassette recorder Uher CR 240 with Dolby B, end of 1970
The first MiniDisc recorder from Sony, 1992
DAT recorder from Sony for digital recording in CD quality on magnetic tape, circa 1998
Professional stereo digital recorder Nagra with exchangeable hard disk or CompactFlash memory card as storage medium, about 2002
Handy stereo PCM digital recorder with up to 24 bits at 96 kHz, with internal memory and additional SD memory card, about 2009