What is Field Recording: History & Uses

I have been a field recorder for several years now, but I have never attempted to answer this question. Most of the time when people ask me what I’m doing, I just say “I’m recording nature sounds,” and that’s usually it. This is my attempt to answer this question and and then to dive into the interesting and diverse world of field recording.

Field recording is the art of capturing audio recordings without the help of modern studios. To work in the field means to work outside of a workplace setting. No soundproofed walls, no isolation booths and definitely no control room filled with sound engineers, effects units and fancy computers. Field recording is all about capturing audio straight from the source, no matter where it is. Subject matter ranges from natural to human-made sounds and even to underwater sounds and electromagnetic vibrations.

How to Make Field Recordings?

Creating great field recordings can be broken down into three steps.

Decide what you want to record. Nature ambiances, sound effects, location sound or even just your own voice.
Purchase recording equipment. The best equipment will depend on what you want to record.
Get in the field and practice! Whatever your subject is, the best way to improve is by practicing!

Pretty easy right? All you need is something to record, something to record with, and time to record!

RELATED: How To Get Started In Field Recording

What are Field Recordings Used For?

Nature Sounds

Would you believe that some of the first field recordings ever produced were captured by an 8 year old? In 1889, Ludwig Koch was given an Edison cylinder for his birthday and used it to make the first recording of a bird ever, the white-rumped shama.

Edison cylinders were the first commercial means to recording and reproducing sounds. Koch went on to have an illustrious career with the BBC recording bird sounds. He was a pioneer in natural sound recording and helped increase wildlife interest across the globe.

Nowadays, many people are still interested in capturing natural sounds. The process of exploring nature, finding unique sounds and recording them is what got me into field recording. I use these sounds for relaxation and meditative purposes, but some people record natural soundscapes for use in film. In this case, nature sounds can also be used as ambiance and sound effects.

Sound Effects

Before the invention of television, shows were broadcasted on the radio. These shows had sound effects, but they were not prerecorded. Instead, a hired crew would make the sound effects live. Their performance was critical because their sounds had to match up perfectly with the voice actors ques.

Eventually, recordable tape was invented and sound effects were forever changed. Now, sound effects could be recorded anywhere and be added to film later. This allowed for more creativity and realism in shows.

For the first time, a show could feature real sounds of a busy street, a train going by, and even whistling winds. In fact, the first field recording ever used in film was from a busy street.

German filmmaker, Walter Ruttmann, recorded the sounds of Berlin streets in the 1920s. He put the sounds into an 11 minute film called “Wochenende” or “Weekend”. I couldn’t find the video online, but you can listen to the audio he recorded in this YouTube video:

In present times, recording sound effects is one of the main reasons people get into field recording. With so many people producing media of all sorts, there are tons of people looking for high-quality sound effects. If you are good at this craft there is the potential to make a lot of money selling your recordings.

Research

One use for field recordings people don’t usually think about is research. Field recordings are the basis of an entire realm of wildlife research called “bioacoustics.” This cross-discipline of biology and acoustics investigates how animals communicate through sound and what messages they are communicating through sound.

Because animals are relatively quiet and afraid of people with microphones, bioacoustics has always pushed the limits of available equipment and increased the demand for portable, low-noise and highly sensitive technology.

The most recent studies in bioacoustics concern the the impact of anthropogenic noise on wildlife communities and their acoustic environments. As urbanization continues to encroach on natural environments, species are being negatively impacted by the noise of humans. I will post an article on this subject in the future.

Music

While using field recordings in music sounds like some kind of modern, experimental genre, people have been doing it for since the 1940s. Pierre Schaeffer was a pioneer in this field and used field recordings in his abstract works. Check out one of his works below (very abstract indeed).

A more popular music genre that commonly includes field recordings are electronica. DJ Throwing Shade uses field recordings to create music that has "someone actually playing an instrument in real life, something which cannot be re-created in the same way through synthesized sounds". I am also a music producer and I use my own field recordings in my works. You can listen to my most recent album here.

Do Field Recordists Make Any Money?

It is possible to turn your hobby into a career. One of the best ways to start making money is by selling sound effects. The market for this kind of work is huge. TV and movie producers, video game designers, app developers and sound engineers are just some of the people you can market to.

Unfortunately, a lot of people already know about this avenue. Because it’s a good method, lots of people are doing it. The market is saturated with easy sound to record, so don’t expect to sell sounds of barking dogs or cars driving by.

In order to make your sounds stand out, try recording sounds that fall into these categories:

Sounds that are difficult to record
Sounds that haven’t been recorded before
New, creative ways to record familiar sounds

Alternatively, field recording could open doors for you in the audio industry. You could find yourself in a career working as a sound designer, audio engineer or sound mixer.

Conclusion

Field recording is a very broad subject. I hope this definition has helped you to learn more about field recording. Even better, I hope you’ve been inspired to get into field recording, or to get more creative with your sounds!

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