#32 bit float

A 32bit float test

Close up sounds of the trails

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The Idea To bring new and interesting sonic worlds into my practice is an ongoing journey, and with the concept of binaural and spatial audio in mind and the ability to put the listener at the centre of a sonic stage to experience a soundscape from within rather than as a forward observer, my thoughts led me to a favourite activity of mine, cycling. I like to ride trails and hills, so mostly off road and away from traffic. My daily ride involves quite a few hills both up and down, quite steep at times, and for me getting out on the bike isn't simply a means to clocking up the cardio exercise, it is also a switch off to being indoors and in front of a screen and a jump into an ever changing natural soundscape.

Dusty climbs, negotiating tight switchbacks, carrying the bike up and over rock gardens, and finally ascending to the beacon high point, only to descend in a fraction of the time... I am connected to the bike and the bike is connected to the earth below the tyres; the wind (and rain) fight me on certain corners, then the sun bakes my back and raises my heat levels making me wish I had opted for that summer jersey!

This is a fully immersive experience that takes in all weather conditions, incredible sights of nature: kestrels still overhead, hunting from above, deer dashing across the trail, packs of Carrion Crows playing with the winds through the early morning fog. For most of the year the ride is quiet, but there is a sonic journey and a clear soundscape playing out each and every time i go out. My challenge is to capture the sounds; of the bike, of the trails, and of the journey... The changing soundscape I am a part of for a short time each day.

The tech / the setup There are many ways to skin a cat - This pretty much sums up sound recording, as you realise that there is not always one correct way to do it, and mic'ing up the the bike is a good case in point. Although thankfully, being both a sound recordist and cyclist, I had a fairly well informed start point, which included keeping the following factors firmly in mind: Wind noise, weight, wires (the three 'W's!). There is also a fourth, dynamic range, albeit not a 'W'.

So I knew that i would need a compact, lightweight, wind protected recording solution that also has a very wide dynamic range capability. In essence, the recorder and microphone had to be attached to the bike and not get in the way or fall off mid-ride; all very important stuff in order to capture good clear sound. The dynamic range factor is born out of the difference in input level between quiet climbs and rumbling speedy downhill sections. Audio limiters would work to tame the loud sections but I prefer to use limiters sparingly, and not to slam the hell out of the input signal, which this type of input level would absolutely do! I also was aware that ideally I didn't want to be carrying any recording equipment in my backpack, partly so I wouldn't smash it up if I came off (not that i would... of course!) and partly due to the weight factor hindering my progress, asI like to ride light, carrying only the basics.

In the end, a solution presented itself to me while searching for something else recording kit wise. It was a tiny single channel 32 bit float recorder made by Zoom; the F2. I have used and owned Zoom kit before, although it was the 32 bit capability, the impressive battery life and the small form factor that made this unit stand out to me as a real contender. Seriously tiny, will record for ages, and has insane amount of headroom, allowing for clean capture of both the quiet and the very loud with out the need for riding the input gain. When looking at wind protection options the mic was quite large for a lav (in comparison to the DPA 40/60 series) so I decided to create a made to measure wind jammer with a perfect fit, which worked a treat.

When deciding on where to place the mic, I was keen to capture drive chain, tyre and gear sounds while not being in full force wind, so opted for a rear facing mount, just behind and below the seat post. This also allowed for a short cable run to the recorder and less chance of any tangles occurring. a little trusty PV tape and it was solid.

Future positioning to capture voice also, maybe front wheel?

The results - ongoing... For a trial run, I was impressed. The mic picked up a good mix of the tyre/track sound, the gears changing, the chain, as well as a little of the overall ambience of the surroundings although the main focus was the moving tyre and drivetrain. The dynamic range used was, as expected very wide (xxdB!), and the microphone handled this surprisingly well given it came with the unit. Fast downhill sections were huge on the rumble yet there was still a good amount of clarity. Wind noise was present although not overblown. Interestingly there was a natural hum and tone to the bike deriving from the mechanics of everything moving and the resonance of the tyres moving over the ground. Most importantly this was a very usable recording.