Recording thundershowers?

S

sterling1

New member
O.K. my adult son wanted me to record a recent thundershower. He said he wanted it to help him nod off to bed. So, to help him out, I got out some old gear, of which I know little about, to start recording. This recording gear consists of a Sony TCD-D8 DAT recorder connected to a Sony SBM-1 fed by a Sony ECM-999 stereo battery powered mic. After recording, the 16/44.1 DAT was played back on a Sony PCM-7010 connected to a creative sound blaster X-FI HD which converts the PCM-7010 analog out to USB ( I cannot send the PCM-7010's digital output to the computer, since it only has AES/EBU and IEC 958 outputs). I used Creative's LP to MP3 to finish up the recording and get it to CD. So far, I've produced pieces which appear to have had too low a recording level, as when played back at normal listening levels, sound is noisy, also, I've made recordings it appears at too high a level, which are fatiguing to listen to, and which make me physically nauseous. Any tips? BTW, I'm going to order an M-Audio C02 which will convert IEC 958 to Toslink so I won't need to go digital to analog to digital.
 
Last edited:
Do you have a computer / laptop? If you want to do this on the super-cheap, get a cheap mic preamp, connect your ECM99 to the input. A few cables and adapters, and you can connect the analog output from the preamp into the input on your computer (hint, you want to make sure you're using the "Line-In" on the computer- that's a blue 1/8" jack on most machines). In this scenario, you'd skip your digital recording all together and just record straight to the computer.
Something like this is about as cheap as it gets... ART Tube MP Studio Mic Preamp: Shop Pro Audio & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend

OR if you want to keep the portability.... Does your digital recorder have an analog output? Either 1/8" or 1/4" or rca? You can always run that into your computer. So, record something on the hand-held recorder, then play it back and record that into the computer. If your computer doesnt' have a "Line IN", you can get a cheap AD converter like this... Behringer U-CONTROL UCA202 USB-Audio Interface: Shop Pro Audio & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend

Either way, you'll need software on your computer to capture the sound coming. Reaper is good and VERY inexpensive (and free AND fully functional to try).
 
If you ran those recording through a compressor or other such method down to riding the faders to level them off ..... That would be a last resort to a messed up recording that you have now.
 
When I was in my teens I needed a clip of a thunderstorm for a song my band was working on. We just put a cheap condenser mic (I can't even remember what it was) out on the screen porch with the laptop. It actually didn't sound to bad, except for the low rumble from the loud thunder kind of drained everything else out.
 
Thanks all,

I do not have any way to monitor, but that can be easily remedied. Will that help me set levels? There seems to be so much contrast between the sound of rain and thunder that only one or the other sound good.
 
I was only growing older.......

You know, I've waited 20 years for that dynamic take that builds to fever pitch and ends with a cataclysmic climax, followed by the deep, dark rumble of thunder as it's raining outside, caught on the drum or guitar mics or any mic. For all the times I've recorded while the rain falls, it's never yet happened. Recording in a warehouse by the train tracks in the dead of night, I did catch the faint rumble of a train as one take ended and the sound was decaying. But it's not the same thing.
Still waiting.
 
Well, after trial and error, recording a few more thundershowers this last month, I now have about an hours worth of really good material, having, it appears, properly set the recording level on the Sony DAT recorder to the 12 db indication, pursuant to the recorder's operating manual . And, using simple track dividers, deleting the sound of automobile traffic, I have four thundershower recordings which my son has enjoyed, as well as others in my family. It sounds real good, and is easy to listen to.
 
Good to hear you got it figured out! The few times I've had to include the sound of rain in my productions, I've resorted to layered shower sounds (point the head of the shower at the curtain, move the curtain around for louder/softer sounds, etc.).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top