Fragments of Extinction is described as ’a long-term environmental sound-art project’ by its creator, Italan researcher and eco-acoustic composer David Monacchi. It finds the Professor of Electroacoustic Music at the Conservatorio GRossini in Pesaro collaborating with various institutions and travelling to some of the world’s most remote areas of rainforest to record their soundscapes.
‘I use several microphone techniques in the field, most of which involve quite heavy and complex systems,’ he explains, of his two Hi-Sens DPA 4060s omnidirectional miniature mics. ‘They are extremely lightweight and this makes them highly suitable to field work, where I may have to hike long distances in extreme terrain. And they are so small that, if appropriately arranged in a handmade stand, they can be used for self-worn binaural recordings. When used in this way they give optimum results because their dimensions are perfectly suited to being placed at the entrance of the ear canal.’
Originally designed for use with wireless systems in theatre, television and close-miked instrument applications, the 4060 has a highly accurate omnidirectional pattern and does not need to be aimed directly at the sound source to achieve high-quality pickup. ‘This feature is especially useful for binaural recordings,’ Monacchi says. ’In order to collect the three-dimensional information, it is important that all the sound reflections from the pinna are picked up in a linear way.
‘The mics have very good tonal quality, linear behaviour and immunity to infrasound vibration-driven noises – all of which are very positive characteristics in the field,’ he adds. ‘Considering their dimensions, the signal-to-noise ratio is extremely high, making them suitable for low intensity biophonies and distant sound sources. In addition, their extended high frequency response to around 40kHz make them suitable for recording non-audible biophonies like some species of insects and bats.’
Monacchi’s most recent trip was to Borneo, but he has also visited rainforests in remote areas of the Amazon and Africa. He usually travels alone or with one assistant, and relies on local research Institutions or NGOs for field support and rainforest explorations: ‘The project involves collaborations with Greenpeace and several academic Institutions and other organisations around the world,’ he explains. ‘Its aim is to collect sound data and complex soundscape portraits of some of the oldest ecosystems on Earth, many of which are being damaged and are disappearing at an exceptionally fast rate.’
Working in rain forests brings its own challenges, including very high humidity: ‘My 4060 microphones perform very well in high humidity condition and are very stable in their performance, even when quick humidity and temperature changes occur,’ he says. ‘Also, compared to bigger and heavier condenser microphones, they are extremely resistant to unwanted impacts so they are very reliable in the uncertain conditions of remote field trips.’
He adds that although a larger diaphragm microphone would provide a better signal to noise ratio, he always carries his DPA 4060 miniature microphones because they are so portable and reliable. ‘Considered their dimensions, I think DPA’s 4060 microphones are a true miracle of electroacoustic engineering,’ he says. ‘Without doubt, they are the most adaptable microphones in the world for recording binaural in extreme conditions.’
More: www.dpamicrophones.com
