Underwater Recording

[Ugly Nora]

Who is recording underwater and how are you doing it? Homemade waterproof mics? Store bought waterproof mics? Recommendations?

Can you capture sound fairly well on a submerged mic if the sound source is outside the water? For instance, if I submerged the mic in a bucket of water, and put it next to my cranked amp, would the mic pic up a reasonable representation of what is coming out of the amp, albeit a bit muffled and probably pitched?

Nora

[tremolo3]

u wot m8?

Subscribed.

[lordgalvar]

http://www.dosits.org/people/history/early1900/
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25147746?se ... b_contents

Hydrophones seem to just be peizoelectric microphones in a special case...maybe start there? I assume you are basically recording the pressure changes.

Be interested to see what you come up with. Be probably pretty neat blended with clean signal for a different kind of reverb effect if you send the "wet" (haha) delay signal out to a submerged speaker and microphone...

[D.o.S.]

For a real mic: condoms. Make sure you use the ones without lube -- you could also try using a deflated balloon but the principle is the same and condoms sound better. For contact mics you can use rubberized coatings (Plastidip was the one that a friend of mine swore by) or build your own, like this:
http://leafcutterjohn.com/?page_id=957

You could also try some commercially available hydrophones.

Here are a couple examples of what you're looking for, sort of:
https://soundcloud.com/zhesound/hydropphone-guitar
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix_V4zk6a7M[/youtube]

IME it sounds way better in theory than in practice so you might just want to lie and tell people this is what you did and then not do it.

[Ugly Nora]

Thanks team, I will check all those links out.

DOS- I don't necessarily care that it sounds good, just interesting. I like sound for the sake of sound. Maybe I'll try that condom thing, although I don't have any. That should be an interesting conversation with the girlfriend. She already thinks I'm strange.

[lordgalvar]

Thanks team, I will check all those links out.

DOS- I don't necessarily care that it sounds good, just interesting. I like sound for the sake of sound. Maybe I'll try that condom thing, although I don't have any. That should be an interesting conversation with the girlfriend. She already thinks I'm strange.

Use it as an excuse to buy a vacuum sealer? Or at least one of those gloves Dr. Pol only wears for like a second before the just shoves his hand into a cow...

Why not just get a half-filled jug of water, wire a speaker to the bottom and then make the cap a mic or something? Could be interesting? like one of those sparklets jugs...probably even better with a shotgun mic or something...just seal around the gap in the opening.

[Ugly Nora]

Good thinking. I bought a vaccuum sealer for my mom a few years ago for xmas. Time to pay a visit.

I'm not electronically inclined to wire speakers and make microphones myself. I never have done that type of stuff.

[DRodriguez]

Avoid the vacuum sealer. Mics work because of air moving. Vacuum = no air to move around. Also, you might damage the capsule in the process. Time honored audio tradition is to use an unlubed condom as D.o.S. mentioned. It won't necessarily sound clean, but condoms are well sealed and allow movement of air. Condoms tend to work better than balloons because they are thin and will transfer more of the movement underwater.

[Ugly Nora]

Ok thanks. I'll let my mom know I'm not coming over.

[lordgalvar]

Good to know, even though you could never seal it because of the cord...
But the plastic might be too thick

[rfurtkamp]

PZM on a glass aquarium was my "Aquamaster" design with a pool speaker.

It wasn't worth it.

[Ugly Nora]

Your fish must love you.

Were you able to at least get any interesting toans/textures/timbres? Mainly I would be looking to use something like this in a noise/drone based composition.

[rfurtkamp]

Didn't have fish, just used a thrift store one.

Was an extreme budget joke fulfillment as I'd been threatening to do it for years.

Even with the water moving fairly violently, nothing of interest. Was dull and lifeless, and I haven't had any desire to go back.

It was a 20-something druggie idea that didn't pan out, like most of 'em!

[D.o.S.]

Your fish must love you.

Were you able to at least get any interesting toans/textures/timbres? Mainly I would be looking to use something like this in a noise/drone based composition.

IME it sounds way better in theory than in practice so you might just want to lie and tell people this is what you did and then not do it.

Did a recording of something similar last night to reaffirm my suspicions because of this thread, should be able to post it tonight. Spoiler: I still don't think it's worth the effort.

[Ugly Nora]

Thanks team member DOS. People helping people.