recording rain and thunder

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cellardweller

cellardweller

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recording rain and thunder...

Does anyone have any suggestions for the safety of mikes and/or quality of recording for recording a thunderstorm?

I will be using a Fostex MR8 using batteries under an open-sided porch, using two mic's some distance from each other. I am concerned about when the wind kicks up and blows the rain sideways. Is there any covering which may keep my mic's safe while not clouding (no pun intended) the recording?

Any tips appreciated from anyone who has attempted this successfully or otherwise!
 
Well, you definitely won't want to use condenser mics.

I would just hang a couple of dynamic omnidirectional mics business end down. If they have internal pop filters, that will probably be enough to keep them dry enough; if not, use external wind/pop shields.
 
Yep, what AG said should work good. You just want to be sre and get them hung well before lightning is in the area, and I for one would NOT want to be handling metal mic stands outdoors with lightning around.
 
I just wrote a song called rain and thunder.

weird
 
you could do like eminem and just go buy a nature tape..take it out of the wrapper and overdub :)
 
eminem and wrapper shouldn't go in the same sentence unless you are referring to candies. :rolleyes:

Kevin- In reference to "rain and thunder", you must live in the midwest? Seems that's all it's been doing here is raining...

No, don't think I'll be handling mic stands during periods of frequent lightning, I'll try to have that done before it hits... don't ya just love doppler radar?

I kinda figured someone had done this, maybe not... As soon as I have a storm and the time I'll let you know how it goes.
 
I did this once and got decent results. I took a small diaghram condenser and pointed it down at the ground under a covered patio. I used a pop filter (the kind that wraps around the working end) and also placed the mic downwind of a baffle so that it wouldn't take direct wind. If you can pick a patio with rain gutters it would be best as you will pick up mostly the rain running off the roof and hitting the ground. Gutters will redirect that so you get more of the natural sounds. Other than that play until you get the sound you are looking for.
 
Of course, the first night I am ready the weatherman taunts me. A storm blew in nearby but missed me narrowly.

And later that bastard says "5 days of dry weather".

kill the weatherman. :mad:

*edit* Thanks strach for the info.
 
cellardweller said:
eminem and wrapper shouldn't go in the same sentence unless you are referring to candies. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I was actually referring to the shrink wrap on a cassete tape case :)
I didn't mean "rapper"..i have neither the knowledge or desire to know what makes one good or not in that area :P
 
I figured that was what you meant, it was only my futile attempt at humor...

However, I do know what makes one good in that area, and he has a name, his name is Wierd Al. Can you say "Amish Paradise"?
 
Yeah, that only works if you say it out loud. But it was pretty hilarious, nonetheless.
 
Weird Al!

Al is the man...actually the last concert I saw was weird al...
 
i would try that hear but i'd pick up the highway traffic in the thunderstorm too....its best to try that out in a cornfield somewhere to get it in its natural state..but of course if your in the midwest...it could be followed by a tornado
 
i did this a while back for a song.. I used a Nady Condenser(scm900) put a windscreen on it and taped up all the other openings to the mic. Then i set it just inside the door way. It worked pretty good for what i wanted.
 
So I'm flashing back to The Doors' "Riders on the Storm" right about now. And if you can find a way to work the rain and thunder bytes into a song even remotely as cool as that, you'll have one sweet track!
 
Getting a good rain recording is actually pretty tough. If the rain is too heavy it just sounds like white noise. The main sound of the rain is also whatever it is striking and some roof surfaces are just obnoxious sounding.

I used to do a bit of film sound and faking stuff is usually easier in the long run. You might be better off recording the sound of a sprinkler hitting different surfaces. Then you can control everything better. A piece of thin sheet metal being shaken makes a great thunder effect.

Using a DAW you can slow down and speed stuff up to get the right layer of sounds. A slow sprinkler sound mixed with the regular recording will give you a thicker, heavier storm sound. You can even mix in a bit of white noise that you fade up and down to give the impression of wind gusts.
 
Of course Tex probably has the best idea...

and for the fight scene use a broomstick and whack a bunch of celery for those hard hits! :)

dlv
 
i recorded a rainstorm here in charlottesville last summer with a pair of MXL603's spread about 30ft apart (one on each end of our covered front porch). i had their "afro" windscreens on em, and ran them into an MAudio MobilePre. Mics were hung on those el-cheapo "onstage" mic stands.

Aside from the MobilePre bluescreening my laptop at various times, the recording came out VERY nice--it certainly doesn't sound like white noise and most definitely is a nice sounding recording. i didn't own a compressor at the time, so the couple really LOUD thunder cracks generated some clipping (really wish i'd had my RNC for that!).....but the storm itself came out very nice and detailed (as did the crickets afterwards). great stereo imaging on the motorcycle that drove past, too. :D

i'm gonna do it again this summer when the really meaty storms come through this summer......i know i'll find a use for that at some point.....

just keep everything dry and out of the rain, and you should be ok as long as you're not out there in the humidity for hours.


cheers,
wade
 
Just wait for it to rain and stick your mic by the window.

Be sure you have a screen and just open the window far enough for the mic to be able to pick it up.

You'll stay safe and dry, and so will your mic.
 
chessrock said:
Just wait for it to rain and stick your mic by the window.

Be sure you have a screen and just open the window far enough for the mic to be able to pick it up.

You'll stay safe and dry, and so will your mic.
Click to expand...
Or two windows?

Some very good ideas, thanx.
Now I'm off to buy some celery.
 
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