Introduction
Based on the theory and skills that have been covered in this course, our group has decided to create a set of field recordings in a particular location using an Ambisonics mic.
Location – Hong Kong Disneyland
Our group’s goal was to find a location that could provide rich sonic layers and a variety of sounds. According to our research and investigation, we chose to record in Hong Kong Disneyland because it contains diverse sounds such as human noise, environmental location sound, and background music.
Ambisonics Mic – The Zoom H3-VR
Our prerequisite for choosing a recording device was that it had the ability to capture a wide range and various categories of sounds. We found that ZoomH3 meets all the requirements since it is a 360-audio with a built-in Ambisonics mic, recorder, and decoder (H3-VR 360O Audio Recorder | Buy Now, n.d.). Also, the H3-VR’s conical design allows it to capture sound from different angles and positions (H3-VR 360O Audio Recorder | Buy Now, n.d.). Its unique design makes it more suitable for our outdoor recording.
Part I – Recording
A (Frozen > It’s a small world)
We spent the whole day looking for a location in the park that would fit our needs. Which embraces the appropriate number of people (human noise), having relaxed ambient sound, and music that enhances the atmosphere of the park. In the end, we chose the World of Frozen.
To create an immersive and realistic sound experience, we recorded the audio at different points and then combined them as a mini sound tour. First, we start recording once we step into the zone of “World of Frozen.” After that, we carry the ZoomH3 and start capturing the sound of lake water flowing and the sound of a
roller coaster speeding past us with people’s screams. Finally, we leave the zone of “World of Frozen” and slowly make our way to the zone of “It’s a small world.”
B (Fireworks)
To enhance the variety of sounds, we would like to record the most popular performance item in Disneyland, and we noticed that it is the Nighttime Entertainment – “Momentous” Nighttime Spectacular. Therefore, we carried the ZoomH3 and recorded the whole performance.
The route of our recording
1. Entering the “World of Frozen” zone
Expected Sound: Background Music, Location Sound, Human Noise
2. Lake
Expected Sound: Water flowing
3. Roller Coaster
Expected Sound: Human Screaming
4. Walking to the “it’s a small world” zone
Expected Sound: Background Music, Location Sound
5. Nighttime Entertainment – “Momentous” Nighttime Spectacular
Expected Sound: Background Music of the show, Location Sound, Human noise, Sound of set-off firecrackers
Part II – Sound Processing
After finished recording all the audio, we selected the applicable files and processed them by using the software called REAPER. We change it from a B format to a binaural version by applying the DearVR plugin.
Since the zoomH3 we are using has four radios, we can separate the tracks to patch and deal with imperfections. Therefore, we fix the audio to be more pleasant to listen to by adding some effects like fade-in & fade-out effects to make the soundtrack coherent and smoother to match our goal.
Reference List
H3-VR 360O Audio Recorder | Buy Now. (n.d.). ZOOM Corporation. Retrieved
October 15, 2024, from https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/handheld-
recorders/handheld-recorders/h3-vr-360-audio-recorder/