Photo by Thomas Catlaw
Kiwanis Park, Tempe, AZ in the hour before and after sunset. A nice representation of the complex set of interactions that contribute to the unique soundscape of the urban park.
Equipment: Rode NT5 (stereo pair, ORTF), EM 272 Clippy (stereo pair, 120 cm A/B), Rycote wind protection. Zoom F8n Pro, 96 kHz/24-bit, 50 Hz HPF.
Processing: EQ, Compression, Imaging, Tape Saturation, Limiting.
Photo by Suzanne Fallender
Sandhill cranes near the Virden Bridge, Gila River at the Arizona/New Mexico border. It was a beautiful, brisk, and windy day when we visited the cranes at just the right time. Wish I had been quieter! Thanks to Sk. + J for taking us.
Equipment: Sennheiser 416, Rycote wind protection. Zoom F8n Pro, 96 kHz/24-bit, 50 Hz HPF.
Processing: EQ, Compression, Imaging, Tape Saturation, Limiting. Audio unedited.
Photo by Thomas Catlaw
Pedestrian Bridge, Tempe Town Lake, Tempe, AZ. (“Ferryman’s Repose”)
Equipment: LOM Geofon, Ambient Hydrophone, AKG C411PP contact microphone. Zoom F8n Pro, 48 kHz/32-bit float.
Processing: EQ, Compression, Limiting.
This was recorded and mixed as a submission to Cities & Memories call for field recordings related to or evocative of sleep, rest, or tranquility. As Tempe was once Hayden’s Ferry, the submission is entitled Ferryman’s Repose. It was selected by the French composer Daniel Chudley-LeCorre as the basis for his composition and released on the Music for Sleep collection.
Photo by Thomas Catlaw
Air Products Plant on Western Canal, Tempe, AZ
Equipment: Rode NT5 (stereo pair, ORTF), EM 272 Clippy (stereo pair, 120 cm A/B), Rycote wind protection. Zoom F8n Pro, 48 kHz/24-bit
Processing: EQ
This Air Products factory sits on the banks of the Western Canal in Tempe and opposite the sprawling Kiwanis Park—all against the backdrop of a clear blue sky and, off picture, nearby mountains. For me, there is something quintessentially “Western” about elements in the scene.