Audio Hardware/Software Response

1. Discuss your experiences with building your microphones. Was this process more or less what you thought it would be? How did your microphone rig work on your Drift walks? Were you able to capture both overall ambiance and extreme closeups? Describe your ideal microphone and recorder setup, with unlimited time and money. 

I had the most difficulty with the technical knowledge required for building the microphones. Stripping the wires and soldering really caught me off guard in terms of finishing my mics on time.  Overall, though, I think my microphones worked really well on my Drift.  They picked up a lot more than I thought they would, considering the cost and time that went into them.  I picked up a lot of general street noise as well as some really interesting "close up" sounds.  Ideally, I would prefer some kind of discreet, wireless mics.  Something that I could use without people realizing that I was recording. A covert mic rig, as it were. It just seemed like people stopped what they were doing as I passed on Drift 1 because of the outlandish appearance of my rig. Wireless would be optimal because I had a tough time working my way through my headphone cord and mic cords, all the while trying to balance my mini-disc recorder. When you Drift for a few hours, things are bound to get tangled. 

2. How was your experience with operating the MiniDisc recorder? How does this recorder compare to other audio equipment you've used? In an ideal world, how would your recorder of choice function?

The mini disc recorder actually worked a lot better than I ever expected.  Part of this apprehension came from my brother, a tecno guru, who, in so many words, told me that a mini disc recorder is a dead technology that has no value today.  Considering I have had virtually no experience with real audio equipment, the mini disc was a great first experience. My perfect recorder would be something I could use with any type of computer. My biggest difficulty with the mini disc recorder was when it came time to transfer everything from the recorder to PC to CD to my Mac.  Ideally, in the future, I would have something I could just plug into my laptop and get right to work. 

3. Discuss the audio-editing software you chose and your history with this application. If you used this software for the first time, explain why you chose this particular application and how you think it helped you to accomplish your creative goals (or proved detrimental). Will you use this software again for future projects?

I chose to use Audacity for Drift 1.  I have never worked with this program before, but both my fellow students as well as my brother told me it was a solid editing program that I could easily use.  I have to admit, they were right.  Audacity was very easy to navigate, even with the limited instruction I had on using it.  I did have some trouble editing a few of my pieces, but I think I can safely chalk that up to my inexperience with editing software in general.  I will definitely use this software on future projects. 

10 Drift Questions

 How different would the Drift have been if I had walked the interior of the Isthmus instead of across it?

 Would walking through Madison during the early morning or late evening have made my recordings more interesting or less interesting?

 If I had used a more defined Drift strategy, one with a definite pattern, how different would my recordings have been?

 Did the set up of my microphone rig affect my recordings?

 Where was the most interesting visual point of my Drift?

 How would elevation changes over the course of the Drift affect my recordings?

  What buildings or structures would offer the most interesting either sonic or visual experience?

 What buildings or structures would offer the most interesting sonic and visual experience?

 Does the sonic or visual experience of a building, structure, or place change as the day continues?

  Would natural areas present in the urban Madison environment maintain their own sonic experience or would sounds of the city overpower it?

Drift Assessment

Describe two situations that aggravated, bothered, shocked or otherwise stressed you during Drift 1 (Please note that the situation CANNOT be technology-related).  

The only situation that really aggravated me during Drift 1 occurred when I was actually out on my Drift.  My microphones were set up as such: I was wearing my headphones and a backpack, with a microphone clipped to either backpack strap, pointing outward.  Granted, I did look a little outlandish, but no more so than the average person walking around downtown Madison on the day of a Badger game.  So imagine my surprise when three or four guys riding in a black Mustang found it necessary to slow down right next to me and hurl obscenities and slurs at me.  Now, I like to think I’m a pretty thick- skinned guy, but seeing as I was trying to do a project and needed all the time I could get, I found myself shouting right back at them.  So they cackled like hyenas for a second and then sped off.  After that I decided I’d earned a break, stopped for some lunch, and found myself literally shaking with anger.  

The biggest stress during Drift 1 came when it was time to make revisions to my Drift 1 Blog.  I’d gone through my recordings and picked out what I thought were the most interesting out of all of them.  Maybe it was my proximity to the work that allowed me to turn a deaf ear to what my TA pointed out: a persistent tapping noise in two of my recordings.  I realized too late what it was.  When I went on my Drift, the cord from my headphones and my microphone cord were bouncing off of each other as I was walking.  I figured with the way my microphones were positioned, they wouldn’t pick up the sound.  I was wrong.  So now, two days before the final project was due, I had to go back and pick out two new, interesting, recordings.  Needless to say, I found myself a little stressed out.  But overall, I’m happy with how the blog turned out.

 Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful,     at ease, or contemplative.

One such situation occurred when I passed through the State Capitol.  I’ve lived in Madison for most of my life and visited the Capitol plenty of times, but I’d never heard the inside of the building like that before.  I could hear such incredible things with all of the echoes in the stone hallways and in the Rotunda.  People passing through on tours, parents with their children, the Capitol staff talking about their day, all of it came in crystal-clear for the first time in my life.  For some reason, it gave me an incredible sense of peace knowing that I was back at the Capitol at eighteen years old and it was still able to awe me like when I was a kid.

I felt incredibly at ease near the end of my Drift, when I reached the Monona Terrace.  The sound of Lake Monona against the rocks combined with the overall ambiance of The Terrace gave me that old sense of “Every little thing will be all right.” It was really fascinating as I could look out from the Terrace, a very modern structure, and see the skyline of Madison, which is a stunning combination of the old and the new.  It was as I looked out on the city that I thought of all the people with problems much greater than mine, allowing me to appreciate the fact that I could handle finishing a Drift blog.  The peace of the moment allowed for a very nice end to my Drift.

Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. 

I was most surprised by the wide variety of sounds I encountered on my Drift.  I have lived in Madison for the majority of my life and never before have I appreciated the sonic diversity of the city.

I was also surprised by how much was required of me in selecting the sounds for my final blog.  I thought that listening to my recordings and simply picking three out would be easy.  Needless to say I found this was not the case.

Finally, I did not expect to make such drastic revisions to my Drift blog after I had posted my original sounds.  I had hoped that as soon as I posted the final sound, I would be done with the blog for at least the foreseeable future. 

Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.

My favorite place from my Drift was my starting point, the Madison Memorial Union.  It was great walking among all the people, near the lake, with the gulls, seeing the boats out on the water.  I felt happy, for one reason or another.  Something about the whole scene just gave me a tremendous sense of happiness and peace.  I don’t know why I felt it so strongly.  The Union was never really any place special for me.  I had no reason to start there, it just seemed like a logical place.  For some reason though, it affected me very deeply.