Recording the Inaudible: a workshop

With: Peter Cusack
Date: Friday 9 November 2018
Time: 10.30 – 16.30
Venue: CRiSAP Studio, Room W217, London College of Communication (Directions)

£20 per-person | concessions £10 (students, UAL staff, etc)

A one day workshop on Recording the Inaudible led by CRiSAP Researcher Peter Cusack.

The environment is full of many sounds with which we are familiar, but there are also many noises that we miss, frequencies which cannot be detected by human ears. Vibrations pass through solid materials with different effects that go unregistered in our everyday listening, for example sound travels differently underwater and there are many electromagnetic signals with audio frequencies that are below or above the range of human hearing. Despite these variances, some sounds can be made audible to human perception with the assistance of simple affordable technologies such as contact microphones.

This practical one-day workshop will introduce and explore different kinds of inaudible sounds. Participants will make their own from small piezo discs, with training in soldering techniques and demonstrations of various methods of covering and/or waterproofing microphones (all components and tools will be supplied). Activities will include:

• Constructing simple contact microphones that make audible sounds which are usually unheard.
• Exploring the local environment through field recording, seeking out inaudible sounds and using the contact microphones that have been made, as well as discussions of how to use electromagnetic pickups and underwater microphones.
• Listening to examples of 'inaudible' sounds made by artists and others working in the field.

Please book your place via the UAL e-store HERE (space is limited to 12 participants)

Note: This workshop involves working with soldering irons and solder. We ask all those taking part to avoid loose fitting clothes and jewellery (and to tie long hair up). 

...

About Peter Cusak

Peter Cusack is a field recordist, musician and researcher with a long interest in the sound environment. A member of CRiSAP since 2005, his projects include community arts, researches into sound and our sense of place and documentary recordings in areas of special sonic interest (Lake Baikal, Siberia). His project 'Sounds From Dangerous Places' explores soundscapes at sites of major environmental damage and is currently researching the regeneration and the use of sound to investigate documentary issues as sonic journalism.