Ok, so here’s how I’ve most recently been using my Shure wl-183 microphones.


    Of course as usual, I reserve all rights to my recordings and my inventions where they are unique, so don’t even think about using my recordings or ideas for any money-making scheme without my permission. If you have any questions or comments, please visit our contact page and send us an email.


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    This portable microphone mount and windscreen system named Tree Ears can be easily strapped to a tree or slung over a rock as shown in the picture. I first learned of using the “tree binaural” technique at a Nature Sounds Society workshop: the technique was apparently developed by nature sound recordist Bernie Kraus. I learned about Shure wl-183s at another Nature Sounds Society workshop from Dan Dugan.
    Since there's not always a tree there when you need it, one can make a barrier out all sorts of things, and rocks work quiet well for this. Click here (mp3, 1.2MB, 1:15min.) for an example of a recording where I used a rock as a barrier to record Pacific Chorus Frogs.


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    I started with a stainless steel tea strainer. I found them at a Japanese grocery called Anzen here in Portland. They cost a couple bucks each and come in a variety of sizes: I’m using ones marked 73-79mm.


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    To make the microphone mount, I had to get creative. The Shure wl-183 snaps into a plastic cylinder that I hot-glued into a piece of foam custom cut to fit snuggly into the tea strainer. The foam is stitched and glued to a neoprene sleeve which slides on a piece of strapping. The foam is from some water-exercise ankle floats I found at a Goodwill thrift store. The plastic cylinders that fit the mic capsules perfectly were a lucky find at a local recycled scrap store called SCRAP.


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    This shows the microphone placement inside the windscreen.


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    I made the first layer of windscreen by stitching a piece of two-sided, four-way stretch fleece over a tea strainer.


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    An additional windscreen layer was made by stitching fake fur to another tea strainer. The fur layer fits over the fleece layer so that there is a bit of air space between the two layers – I hope this will be effective for a fairly strong breeze, though it still needs more testing.


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    This system is nice, because one can easily switch between one, the other, or use both layers of wind protection, depending on the conditions.


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    The entire system is very lightweight and easy to pack; especially when used with a portable minidisc recorder like the Sony HiMD MZ-RH10. To use the wl-183’s with the MD you will need an adaptor cable: try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/ for more information on that.

    If you want a set of Tree Ears but don't want to build them yourself, I would gladly make some for you at a fair price. For inquiries, please visit our contact page and send us an email.


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John Hartog
Natural Soundscape Recording
Portland, Oregon USA
www.rockscallop.org
A tribute to the world’s vanishing quiet places

page created 2/10/2006; last update 2/5/2008