Sonic Reality: The Art and Physics of High-End Field Recording

Field recording is one of the most technically complex and demanding fields in the audio recording world. To achieve the highest quality results, condenser microphones are the only suitable choice. However, using condenser microphones in the field places specific demands not only on the equipment itself—particularly regarding self-noise levels—but also on the sound engineers, who must have the skills and knowledge to operate them properly.

This masterclass will be led by Egor Semenov, an engineer at Nevaton. Nevaton microphones rank among the best in the world for field, film, and music recording; in particular, the Nevaton MC 50 Quad is widely recognized as a top-tier choice in film sound for capturing "action, pressure, and transients in 3D space".

The masterclass will cover the nuances of field recording and the use of Nevaton microphones in this context. It will feature demonstrations of current models and prototypes—including an ultrasonic microphone and a new miniature Quad microphone—as well as an overview of an expedition to Borneo led by Nevaton's Chief Designer, Dmitry Smolnikov, complete with audio samples captured using the unique new ultrasonic microphone. Additionally, the event will showcase sound libraries created by Dmitry Chernov (Larx Audio) using various Nevaton microphones.

As curator of the event, William Edouard Franck will also tease a new immersive microphone/concept: a first prototype operating under the highly poetic code name “xymsortf3d-”. Its initial field tests—official proof-of-concept shootings—are scheduled for the heart of wintertime.

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