Wandering Didge II Sound Files: mp3

2/6/03 - While the ML-WDII is here I'm going to grab a cheap and cheesy computer mic and experiment with some recording to see if I can come up with some techniques that will get adequate results for creating audio files to document our playing techniques without having to invest in expensive equipment. I'm optimistic that it can be done satisfactorily although don't expect studio quality results. I'll post the results of my efforts along with a studio recording on my web site so that we can all hear the difference and be able to take that into account when hearing future submissions. While these audio clips may not be of high enough quality to be included on my next CD projectI think that they will be plenty good for the purpose of documenting different playing styles for this project. I adjusted the record level pretty low using the windows record level utility for setting levels and then I placed the mic on a hardwood floor with the bell of the ML-WDII just 4 to six inches away. Microphones that cannot handle loud levels may have to be placed 12 - 24 inches from the bell. Experiment a little to find out what gives you the best results. Close mic techniques emphasize the lower frequencies and will often times give your recordings more depth and presence... an in your face kind of sound.

7/9/03 - I did discover an interesting bit of information that may explain why some folks are having a hard time getting a good recording using their computers and that is that different brands of computer mics are not created equal. As it turned out I have a couple of computer mics lying around and I tried using a different one than on my previous recording. I found that the Creative Labs mic that I have could be easily overdriven even when I turned down the input gain really low and nearly all my dynamic vocal accents came out distorted... You could probably take care of this problem by moving the mic an additional 12 inches away from the bell of the didge but you would probably loose a little of the bottom end and warmth that you achieve by using close mic techniques. When I switched back to the first mic it performed considerably better with no cliping and distortion to speak of. Ok,... this is a relative thing and of course you'll get much better results with a studio mic but for $5 bucks this little mic does a remarkable job. The reason I didn't use this mic first this time around was because I had stepped on it and broke it after leaving it on the floor after my first recording. Fortunately the quick application of a little bit of duct tape was all that was required to make it useable again. I have no idea of where you might find this mic but for those who want to know it is a QIC M-72 that probably came with a generic sound card from one of my older computer systems. I'm sure that just about anything that you would buy at radio shack would perform as well or better and I'm particularly found of their electret condensor mics that are priced in the $20 - $40 range. Don't expect these mics to be accurate for recording the bottom end but you should get clear and pleasant sounding recordings.