Field recording is the term used for an audio recording produced outside of a recording studio. The recording is typically recorded in the same channel format as the desired result, for instance, stereo recording equipment will yield a stereo product. This is in contrast to a multitrack remote recording which captures many microphones on multiple channels to be creatively modified, augmented and mixed down to a specific consumer format.
Field recordings can be either of two varieties. Field recording of natural sounds, also called phonography (a term chosen to illustrate its similarities to photography), was originally developed as a documentary adjunct to research work in the field and foley work for film. With the introduction of high-quality portable recording equipment, it has subsequently become an evocative artform in itself. In the 1970s both processed and natural phonographic recordings (pioneered by the Environments series) became popular.
"Field recordings" may also refer to simple monaural or stereo recordings taken of musicians in familiar and casual surroundings, such as the ethnomusicology recordings pioneered by John Lomax, Nonesuch Records and Vanguard Records.
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Field recording often involves the capture of ambient noises that are low level and complex, in response the requirement from the field recordist has often pushed the technical limits of recording equipment, that is, demanding low noise and extended frequency response in a portable, battery powered unit. For this reason field recordists have favoured high quality, usually professional, recorders, microphones and microphone pre-amplifiers. The history of the equipment used in this area closely tracks the development of professional portable audio recording technology.
Field recording experienced a rapid increase in popularity during the early 1960s with the introduction of high quality portable recording equipment (such the Uher and Nagra portable reel-to-reel decks). The arrival of the DAT (Digital Audio Tape) in the 1980s introduced a new level of audio recording fidelity with extended frequency response and low self noise. Amongst these technologies, other popular means for field recording have included the analog cassette (CAC), the DCC (Digital Compact Cassette), and the MiniDisc. The latest generation of recorders in use are completely digital (hard disk/Flash) based. In addition, many are using a Smartphone such as the Apple iPhone 4, along with software such as Hindenburg Field Recorder app to do high quality field recording and editing.
Techniques have developed to include creative placement of microphones (including contact microphones & hydrophones for example), diffusion of captured sounds and highly individual approaches from recordists.
Field recording was originally a way to document oral presentations and ethnomusicology projects (pioneered by Charles Seeger and John Lomax).
Field recording is an important tool in bioacoustics and biomusicology, most commonly in research on bird song. Animals in the wild can display very different vocalizations from those in captivity.
The use of field recordings in avant-garde, musique concrète, experimental, and more recently ambient was evident almost from the birth of recording technology. Most noteworthy for pioneering the conceptual and theoretical framework with art music that most openly embraced the use of raw sound material and field recordings was Pierre Schaeffer who was developing musique concrète as early as 1940. Further impetus was provided by the World Soundscape Project initiated by Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer in the 1970s; this work involved studying the acoustic ecology of a particular location by use of field recordings. Field recordings are now common source material for a range of musical results from contemporary musique concrète compositions to film soundtracks, video game soundtracks, and effects. Chris Watson, formerly of Cabaret Voltaire, is now perhaps the world's leading exponent of this art, with his recordings used for David Attenborough's series for the BBC, programmes for BBC Radio and many other outlets.
The sounds recorded by any device, and then transferred to digital format are used by some musicians through their performance with MIDI interfaced instruments. A contemporary artist of great success for his compositions is Christian Fennesz.
Last, but definitely in first place in chronological order, remembered for the importance and the boldness of their projects are Luigi Russolo, who with the manifesto The Art of Noises as early as 1913, gave musical value to environmental noise and then with the design and construction of Intonarumori, the first instruments for making noise, and his close collaboration with musician Francesco Balilla Pratella succeeded in using the noise coupled to a symphony orchestra. And also Filippo Tommaso Marinetti who was the main theoretical of the movement called Futurism.
Radio documentaries often use recordings from the field e.g. a locomotive engine running, for evocative effect. This type of sound functions as the non-fictional counterpart to the sound effect.
During the early years of commercial recordings, the speeches of politicians sold well, since few people had radios. The HMV catalogue for 1914–1918 lists over a dozen such records, by Lloyd George and other politicians. Probably the last time such records sold well was in 1965, when the LP "The Voice of Churchill" reached number 7 in the UK album charts. This was immediately after his death.