My Take on Music Recording with Doug Fearn

• Spring Birds: How I recorded birds in the woods in DSD

  Send us a textI live and work in the woods, surrounded by wildlife. There are many species of birds and in the spring their songs are pretty amazing. Over the years, I have thought about recording those birds, but the background noise level was a problem. Although very quiet by most people’s standards, there is still a lot of man-made noise -- too much noise to make recording the birds feasible.But an opportunity arose in May of 2020 during the Covid pandemic when there was very little travel. I took advantage of that short window to capture the spring birds in the early morning.This episode is the story of how that recording was made. I explain the challenges I faced and the technical decisions I made to effectively make a recording that I find quite compelling.It is recorded in DSD digital, and it is available on Outer Marker Records through our international download distributor, Native DSD. You can listen to a CD-quality version of the album for free, and purchase it in several high-resolution formats, including DSD256, which is an exact bit-for-bit file of the original master.It’s also available on all streaming services, under my name, Doug Fearn.I hope you find this story interesting.https://www.nativedsd.com/product/om04100h-spring-birds-an-audiophile-recording-experience-from-doug-fearn/ https://www.outermarkerrecords.com/email: [email protected]/c/DWFearnhttps://dwfearn.com/

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• DSD Digital Recording

  Send us a textVirtually all digital recording uses a format called PCM. But there is another digital format that works in an entirely different way. It’s called DSD, for Direct Stream Digital, and you might find that it sounds better than PCM.In this episode, I explain what DSD is, mostly from a practical, user, viewpoint.If it sounds better, why don’t we use it? Well, DSD comes with some serious limitations. I explain those limitations and the techniques used to get around them in the world of contemporary recording.Most people will find the shortcomings of DSD to be enough of a problem that they have no interest in it. But for those of us who are on a quest for the best sounding audio we can achieve, DSD is worth it despite its challenges.Here is a link to Native DSD, a digital distributor that has specialized in DSD digital downloads:https://www.nativedsd.com/… and a link to Outer Marker Records, the label the Hazelrigg Brothers and I founded a few years go. All the releases on Outer Marker were recorded in DSD:https://www.nativedsd.com/label/outer-marker-records/We think DSD is the most musical recording format there is. email: [email protected]/c/DWFearnhttps://dwfearn.com/

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• Does Quality Matter?

  Send us a textDoes audio quality really matter?Our society in general has seen a major loss in quality of goods and services. Music recording has not escaped this trend.In this short episode, I give some examples, some possible explanations, and a bit of guidance on how recordists can do a better job. It benefits the listener, even if they can’t even describe the difference between a good recording and a mediocre one.email: [email protected]/c/DWFearnhttps://dwfearn.com/

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• Building a Studio

  Send us a textMost recording occurs in a studio, and the design of that facility has a major effect on the quality of the recordings made there.In this episode, I discuss some of the things that I think are most important for a successful studio. I don’t get into room design, soundproofing and sound conditioning, or even much of the infrastructure of studios and control rooms. I’ve covered a lot of that in previous episodes. Instead, I focus on the real-world, practical, aspects of what it takes – and what it costs – to make a professional studio.I also talk about the viability of a studio as a commercial venture, and offer some thoughts on what it takes to run and studio that makes money and stays in business.If you are happy with the results you get from recording at home, much of this will not apply to you. However, I believe everyone who records always wants an expanded and improved facility. These thoughts might inspire you to strive for something better.Of course, building a studio is expensive – much more expensive than residential or standard commercial construction. Even renovating an existing building is expensive. I hope anyone with aspirations for building a truly professional-sounding studio will find insights here.email: [email protected]/c/DWFearnhttps://dwfearn.com/

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• Monitor Speakers and how to get the best sound out of them

  Send us a textMonitor speakers are a necessity for most of our recording. But I have always had a problem with the sound of speakers, and I explain why in this episode.Speakers always exist in a space with  boundaries, even outside. Our control rooms tend to be small, and making a small room sound good for performing or listening is a challenge. The monitor speakers and the control room form a system. The acoustics of the room have a big impact on the sound.I also compare the sound of headphones or earbuds with speakers, and provide some advantages and disadvantages of each.And I talk about immersive formats, like Dolby Atmos and the increased requirements for the speakers and the room.email: [email protected]/c/DWFearnhttps://dwfearn.com/

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