coaching in sound recording & audio production — Shanghai Sounds Guide 上海音声指南

Coaching in Field Recording, SCRIPTING, & sound design

Recording a soundscape from a kayak at dusk on a high elevation ephemeral lake.

Want more varied & intriguing sounds for your productions?

Got great recordings but no idea how to turn them into a finished piece?

Get personal mentoring in location recording and how to use those recordings in your work.

Winner!

BEST DOCUMENTARY. Congratulations to mentee Angel Perez Grandi who won the Richard Margoschis Trophy for ‘*Best Documentary*’ in the annual Wildlife Sound Recording Society awards. I helped Angel develop his lovely sound-rich piece
*Echoes from the Barn*
Below is a short extract. To hear this and other winners in full join the WSRS at:
https://www.wildlife-sound.org/
Photo: Walter Brunner.

TIPS FOR CREATING & EDITING holiday/vacation AUDIO POSTCARDS

ON LOCATION

1. TOP TIP – make sure you have some kind of microphone wind shielding BEFORE you travel.

2. Record at as many different places as possible that catch your ear. Not just the main tourist spots.

3. Capture ‘signature’ moments and sounds .

4. . Record incidental sounds – they could be soundscapes - or just little impromptu moments.

5. Keep your audio diary every day. Describe the scenes, sounds and emotions you’re feeling at the time.

BACK HOME

1. Download your files ASAP – and listen back … you don’t have to listen to each recording all the way through, just enough to remember what the recording was. Label the file with a short name that describes the sound, the location & date.

2. When you have time, listen through fully to each track, edit out any clearly useless/unwanted bits.

3. Also do any filtering/EQ/noise reduction at this stage. Don’t overdo it - too much bass roll off or noise reduction can result in a weird degraded ‘tinny’ or distorted sound.

4. Resist the temptation to remove all the natural breaths - having some breathing sounds more natural ... and along with strategic pauses can add emotion.

5. Put copies of the best recordings in a new folder.

From multitrack mix to Instagram….

6. Start a multitrack mix and arrange those best recordings in an interesting running order. If you’re struggling – just put them in chronological order – if there are some scenes from different days that express a similar (or nicely contrasting) sonic mood you might want to group those and skip the bits recorded in-between. Keep similar sound types on the different tracks – e.g. have an atmospheres track, a talking track, a signature sounds track.

7. If some atmospheres are beautiful but too long – have them in the same track, cut the long track up & cross fade so that you have a much shorter segment with just the best bits.

8. Adjust the volume levels – some sounds might be a bit high, bring their volume envelope lower. You might want the recording of … a street market … say running under one of your commentaries or interviews – be sure to lower the background sound under any dialogue.

9. Mixdown the final piece. ALWAYS work in wave files AND mix down to a wave file. Make any final adjustments to that wave file mixdown e.g. nice fade up & fade downs at the beginning and end. Leave 0.5 to 1 sec of silence at the beginning if you’re going to post on Instagram – it often cuts the very beginning off when uploading.

10. Then you can upload either the wave file – or make a new mp3 file as the LAST thing you do and upload that. You can use an app like ‘Headliner’ to add an appropriate photograph & title if you want to make an audiogram. Posting that audiogram from your phone to Instagram will automatically give you a copy of the audiogram on your phone, which you can show to or share with friends & on other social media.

Hear an example of one of my own an audio postcards - made into a feature for resonance Fm at the bottom of this page…

What will you learn with some coaching?

**LOCATION TECHNIQUES**
Field recording requires very different skills from navigating a simple indoor guest interview. Whether you’re going out into nature or the middle of an urban jungle, I can help you learn how to get right into the sound field and capture realistic, immersive audio for your podcast.

**CHOOSING THE RIGHT GEAR**
Digital recorders, pro windshielding, mic stands, shock mounts etc - it can all be a bit daunting when you’re getting started. I can help you navigate the vast array of available gear and help you put together an affordable and useful kit.
Want to try immersive binaural stereo? This is an inexpensive dummy head array, fitted with miniature omni mics in the ears.

**NAVIGATING WITH YOUR EARS**
Getting great location sound isn’t just about having the right gear. Its about developing a more nuanced awareness of the world of sound around you, learning how to work with the acoustics of urban and natural spaces, as well as knowing when/how to move with your mics. With my coaching you’ll go out on a field recording project to hone your skills, and benefit from my expert tips and guidance.

Cost: One 1.5 hour introductory session, followed by two 1-hour follow up personal coaching sessions (all remote) - includes a practical field recording assignment and unlimited email Q&A follow-up for US$450/GBP£350

Client Testimonials…

“Diane took the time to understand and tailor her instruction to my needs. Through her, I gained a ton of valuable knowledge about equipment and best practices. In addition to technical skills, Diane helped boost my confidence as an aspiring producer in a competitive industry.”

Clarissa Marks, LA-based Audio Producer

“Working with Diane reinvigorated my passion for audio production … Diane shaped our sessions based on tangible projects and provided thoughtful, real-time feedback, allowing me to practice new skills in a hands-on way. The gems she shared about immersive field recording and mixing will forever stay with me.”

Stefanie Ritoper, Producer and Multimedia Journalist