Simulating the outdoors.

[Dark Imagery]

For a few songs on my album I want the music to be percieved of being out in the wilderness. Therefore, reverb is out of the question. I don't want my instruments to be dry, however. I came up with the idea of cloning my guitar track and shifting it out of sync about 3-5 seconds. I then run the cloned track through an EQ and drastically cut the highs to simulate echoing off of a distant mountain. I have not yet tried this (still working in tracking drums) but I was wondering what you all think of this idea. Have any of you tried simulating the outdoors? What are your tips? Thanks!

 

[mixsit]

This comes up every once in a while. What is the sound of 'outdoors -that is once you take a way the background noise that defines 'where' outdoors?
3-5 second delay could say 'canyon or something, but it only works to say 'something really loud is happening.

It's an odd one for me. What are the reflection/ambience characteristics of an open space? I'm guessing 'anechoic' + the noises.

 

[gecko zzed]

One way of simulating the outdoors is to use a convolution reverb. Find a suitable quiet outdoors location and record an impulse file, and use that in the reverb.

 

[mixmkr]

I've found ocean waves, birds chirping, and crickets pretty much slam you into that context!

seriously, I think you have a good idea, but decrease the slap back to a sec or so and have obvious breaks where you can hear it.

 

[mcmetal]

I've found ocean waves, birds chirping, and crickets pretty much slam you into that context!

seriously, I think you have a good idea, but decrease the slap back to a sec or so and have obvious breaks where you can hear it.

Also need a lawnmower in the distance and a couple cars driving by.Maybe a Harley for good effect.

 

[Dark Imagery]

One way of simulating the outdoors is to use a convolution reverb. Find a suitable quiet outdoors location and record an impulse file, and use that in the reverb.

Oh wow, that sounds awesome! I've never heard of that before. You know where I can go to learn about how to do that?

 

[gecko zzed]

Oh wow, that sounds awesome! I've never heard of that before. You know where I can go to learn about how to do that?

Here is a brief explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolution_reverb

Here is a link to SIR, a free convolution reverb VST: http://www.knufinke.de/sir/index.html

Here are some SIR impulse files: http://www.knufinke.de/sir/links.html

If you can't find an outdoors one, you can make your own.