Hagavik at Þingvallavatn lake. Part 1

In 27th July I decided to cycle with recording gear out of Reykjavik. It was late in the evening when I left my house. Just after I left the street lights, I cycled into dark, wet fog.
I was both whet and cold when I passed the fog on the highest peak of the road in the mountain Hengill.
I waited there almost for two hours in a very calm weather, just to enjoy the prospect. Noise from nearby hydroelectric plant filled the air with a powerful rumbling noise. Below, all around me, was this thick fog and a clear sky above.
I was getting tired when I saw the sun rice above the horizon around 4 am.  After several photo shots I decided to find a place to sleep and feed my recorder with “early morning summer sound”.
On my way, was a place named Hagavik, a very nice cove in the southwest of Þingvallavatn lake. When I arrived, the fog was still very thick. I spread out my bivi sack on a place I remembered I put up my tent for about 35 years ago, when this place was not so popular. It was now a filthy motorist parking and fish hunting place. But, just as in the past, the soundscape was glorious.
Two MKH20 was placed close to the lake and I went to sleep 10 meters away.
The time was about 5:40 in the morning and the atmosphere was very quiet in the fog when the recording start.

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 35,2Mb)

Recorder: Sound Devices 788
Mics: Sennheiser MKH20. AB40 setup
Pics: EOS M (see picture from this bicycle trip)

Birds at Seltjarnarnes shore 25th of May 2000

It is not possible every day to record nature sounds in as nice weather condition that was early morning at Seltjarnarnes in 25th of May 2000. Weather was calm and dry. Birds as Black backed Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Snipe, Golden Plover and Arctic Tern were everywhere along the shore side, busy with their daily life. Close by, a group of female Common Eider was teaching very young ducklings how to search food.
Just after few minutes, I finished to set up the microphones, the Eiders came so close to the rig it was possible to listen their conversation in smallest details for almost two hours.
The quality of this recording still surprises me. It is one of the latest recording I made with Sony TC-D5M cassette deck with a pair of ME 20 microphones. The key of the quality was the microphone cables. Instead of ordinary mic cables I used CAT6 data cables. It makes extraordinary difference for the high frequency signal. All small details in the recording were cleaner and much brighter.
This recording is part of my second CD release, published in limited edition later the year 2000

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 46Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net

More Audio from this recording at Xeno-Canto and AudioBoo
Recorder: Sony TC-D5M (TDK MA-90mín).
Mic. Sennheiser K3U / ME20 (40cm/100° apart. Hi-Pass filter on level 1).
Pix: Canon 30D (pictures taken 2010).

Black legged Kittiwake at Arnarstapi

In middle of July my family went in a five days trip around Snæfellsnes peninsula. Of course my recorder follow me as a puppy and I recorded as much as I could days and nights. One of this recordings I made was above a cliff score near Arnarstapi.
The weather was very nice, sunny but a breeze from north-vest so it was calm in the cliffs south of Arnarstapi.
I expanded my boom over the cliff brink and located the microphone in a calm place.
And…. WOW! I got really beautiful ambiance. About 15-20 meters below, the sea wave smoothly stroke the cliffs. Whine black legged Kittiwake flew all around and the cliffs were full of the their tweedy baby’s.
During one hour recording I was totally raped on the cliff edge in this beautiful ambiance.
Close by in next score,  fishermens were working at the dock and some tourist walked by behind me.




Download mp3 file (192kbps / 45Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net

Recorder: Sound devices 744
Mic: Audio Technica  BP4025
Pix: Canon 30D

Sound in Víðgelmir Cave

Víðgelmir is a lava tube situated in Western Iceland in the Hallmundarhraun lava field, ca. 2 km. Southeast from Fljótstunga farm in Hvítársíða, Borgarfjörður. The roof of the lava tube has collapsed, creating two large openings near its north end which are the only known entrances. Viðgelmir is 1585m long, the largest part of the cave passage is 15.8m high and 16.5m wide making it by far the largest of its kind in Iceland. The cave has a wide entrance but narrows down in some places. An iron gate was installed at the first constriction in 1994 to preserve the delicate lava formations or speleothems which haven’t already been destroyed. Evidence of human habitation, probably dating to the Viking age, has been discovered in the cave and is preserved in the National Museum of Iceland. Long stretches of the cave floor are very rough and shouldn’t be navigated without a guide. Access and guided tours are provided at nearby Fljótstunga.
Lava tube caves are formed when a low-viscosity lava flow develops a continuous and hard crust which thickens and forms a roof above the molten lava stream. When the eruption subsides, the still molten lava moving beneath the crust will continue to drain downhill, leaving an open lava tube cave. Many other lava tube caves have been discovered in Hallmundarhraun (formed around 900 AD), most notable Surtshellir and Stefánshellir.(*)
This recording was made 30th of June 2012, close to the entrance, where ice from last winter was still melting. Water drops from the cave roof are falling into differenet places on the floor, in holes in the ice and on stones on rough surfaced floor.
Deeper in the cave there is no dripping water so it is completely quiet. For most people it could be an interesting experience. During the summer people can have guided tour in Viðgelmir, just contact Fljótstunga farm.

Download mp3 file. (192kbps / 28,1Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net

Recorder. Sound Devices 788
Mic: Rode NT1a (NOS)
Pic: Canon 30D. See more pictures at Google. My camera did not work perfectly in the cave, but anyway here is my picture
(*) Information about the cave is copied from Wikipedia.
 

Creatures in the pool

In the beach below the Hotel “Europe Villa Cortes GL” at Tenerife is a sea pool. It was probably build some years ago for people to swim, but today it is full of all kinds of algae, snails, crabs and other creatures, so it looks not popular for humans.
In the afternoon at 22 of December 2011, I put hydrophone in the pool and recorded more than one hour of mystique sound. Most audible sound are rumbling sound from the surf. Sometimes the waves goes all the way in the pool with splashing sound and sometimes footsteps can be heard when people walk by the pool side. But there is also many other sounds from organic creatures, most likely from hungry snails scratching the pool surface.

Short version Download mp3 file (192kbps / 4,2Mb)
Long version Download mp3 file (192kbps / 28Mb)

See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net
Recorder: Sound Devices 744 (24bit / 48Khz)
Mic: Aquarian H2a-XLR
Pix: Olympus 4040 (underwater) and Canon 30D (See more pictures)

Earthquake at Seltúnshver (Geothermal area)

It was in the beginning of mars, earthquake hit my house.
Almost nonstop earthquakes shakes landscapes south and east of Reykjavik capital so I was sure my recorder had picked up some earthquakes previous years. I searched in my mind where it was most likely it could have happened. After some research I found one, in almost forgotten recording. It was recorded in april 2011, when I and my pal at work went a day trip to Reykjanes peninsula. Reykjanes is very well known for earthquakes and geothermal activity. The main reason for this trip was to look at the changes of some geothermal area because of increasing activity last decade. As usual, my recorders followed me in this trip, but I was not satisfied with these recordings…until now.
Hereby I mix together five of these recordings as a travel log for this day trip.
First one is a hot spring that for centuries has been under water in Kleifarvatn Lake until the lake started to shrink after big earthquake at the year 2000.
The second one is also a hot spring recording but it contains the earthquake at very low frequency (10Hz). The third one is another hot springs close by, but with different mics and they did not detect earthquake as clearly. Both this recordings are recoded at Seltúnshver (Seltúns-hver=Seltuns-hotspring).
The fourth one was recorded at Gunnuhver close to Reykjanesvirkjun, a power plant that has changes a lot the geothermal activity on Reykjanes peninsula.
The fifth recording is waves of Atlantic Ocean hammering the cliffs at Reykanestá.

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 22Mb)

The earthquake. Speed up version about 2x octave of the second recording above (Almost 3 minutes shrink to 37 sek). Subwoofer or quality headphones recommended

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 0,9Mb)

Recorders: Korg MR1000 and Sound devices 552
Mics: Rode NT4 (XY) and Rode NT2a/Sennheiser ME64 (MS)
Pix: Canon 30D (see more pictures and information)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net  

In two worlds

In Reykjavik center is a quiet big pond or a lake with many bird species, like Swans, Gooses and Ducks. Often people feed this birds with bread so outburst is normal when birds grasp the breadcrumbs.
This recordings was made simultaneously both above and under water on four tracks. Two hydrophones where placed 2 meters apart and 20 cm above the pond bottom. On the steel bridge above was two cardioid in XY setup.

Above the pond. Download mp3 file (192kbps / 10,1Mb)
In both worlds. Above and in the pond. Download mp3 file (192kbps / 10,1Mb)
In the pond. Download mp3 file (192kbps / 10,1Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net 

Recorder: Sound devices 744 w/552 preamp
Mics: Aquarian H2a-XLR (spaced omni) and Rode NT1a (XY)
Pix: Canon 30D

Nature reserve in Flói 2011 – Part 2

This recording is almost straight continue from “Nature reserve in Flói 2011 – Part 1” published last November.
This part was recorded between 2am and 3am.
Now is less car traffic but instead two airplanes pass by.
Quality headphones are recommend while listening.
If you know the birds in this recording, you are welcome to write the name of them in “Leave a Comment”.

See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net 
Download mp3 file (192kbps / 2,7Mb)

Recorder: Korg MR1000 w/Sound devises 552 mixer. 24bit/48Khz
Mics: Rode NT1a.  NOS setup 30cm/90°
Pix: Canon 30D (see more pictures)

Nature reserve in Flói 2011 – Part 1

Last summer solstice I went to a nature reserve in Flói, in the south of Iceland to record birds life. The result was many hours of recording.
It is my intention to put most of it to the website in the future months. The recording below was recorded between 1:00 to 2:00 am.
The recording device give a brilliant result in this quiet atmosphere. Most of the background noise is coming from surf along south coast and some traffic noise.
Many birds are in this session like Red throated Loom and Phalarope. Other animals are sheep, horses and driving humans (Homo mobil petrolium).

See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net
Download mp3 file.

What is under the Kayak?

Every time I´am sailing on my kayak I start to imagine how the world is beneath the kayak. When I got my Aquarian microphone it opened a whole new world for me.
In mid of August 2011 I recorded this world from the dock at Gufunes in Reykjavik. Most of the sounds are pops and crackles, possibly from shrimps and/or shells. The highest level comes from something that looks like someone is routing gravel on the seabed. But sometimes other strange sounds are audible, such as “birdsong”, “mumble Duck” “crying child” and “sounds from piano strings”. Other sounds are easy to explain like diving ducks searching food and small waves at nearby beach. At 11:40. min. a group of Kayak rowers pass by with a splashing sound.
Recorder: Korg MR1000 v/Sound Devices 552 preamp (24bit/96Khz)
Mic: Aquarian H2a_XLR (with 40cm interval)
Pix: Canon 30D (see more pictures) 

See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net 
Download mp3 file.

Queen kill a worker

I recorded a Wasp traffic close to Wasp nest in Reykjavik 7th of July 2011. First session was recorded when the hair of the mic´s furry was so close to the wasp nest´s door the queen could not access in to the nest. Slowly trough the session the queen gets more angry. And when I moved the mic from the nest she killed one of the two workers in the nest (sorry, I did not record that).The second session is recorded with the mic more far from the nest. The queen comes and goes when searching for food in daily life.
Most of the audible sound from the nest is the queen and workers footsteps and wing flaps when the queen leaves or accesses the nest.

See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net 
Download mp3 file one.
Download mp3 file two.