Thunderstorms sound absolutely fascinating in the rainforest. The constant sound of insects, birds and other wildlife creates a beautiful background for the slow rhythm of thunderclaps. Rain sounds a lot like diffuse noise at first and it takes a while for it to reach the undergrowth. When it finally permeates through the thick canopy, the microphones will start picking up the beautiful detail of water droplets hitting the vegetation.
This soundscape is gorgeously enhanced by the mesmerising acoustics of this very live space. Factors like echoes, reverb, obstruction, occlusion, increased sound speed through fog, the movement of sound sources, intriguing ecological relationships - they all affect what the microphones are picking up in incredibly complex ways.
I had to hike for about an hour up a steep hill through the steamy rainforest before I decided the location was good enough to record in. I wanted to have a few discrete layers reaching my mics and plenty of reflections from hillsides. I also tried to get far enough away from the plantation which bordered the rainforest, otherwise I would be picking up anthropophony in my recordings.
Sadly much of Borneo's rainforest has been lost to oil palm plantations and it doesn't seem to be getting better. Please do your best to avoid buying any products that are made with palm oil, even if the packaging says it the sustainable kind. It might cost a little more but it will make a huge difference for the wildlife and people who call the rainforest their home.
Recorded in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo with Sony PCM A10 and Lom mikroUsi microphones. Enjoying the videos I upload on here? Feel free to support me by:
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#rainforestsounds #junglesounds #thunderstorm
6 авг 2021
