Field Recording Equipment

Working in the Field: Settings, Conditions and Consent

Choosing gear is only half the job. How you set it up and carry it into a pueblo plaza, a canyon or a church courtyard decides whether the recording is usable years later. A few habits make a large difference.

Recorder settings that age well

Record uncompressed WAV files rather than MP3. A common archival choice is 24-bit depth at 48 kHz, which gives headroom for quiet passages and sudden loud ones, such as a drum entering or a crowd responding. Set levels so normal peaks sit well below the maximum, and switch on a limiter or a backup low-level track if your recorder offers one. Before each session, record a short spoken slate with the date, place and what you are about to capture. That small habit saves hours of guesswork when you sort files later.

Southwestern conditions

High-desert fieldwork brings its own problems. Afternoon wind across open mesas can overwhelm a foam windscreen, so a furry outer cover is worth packing even on calm mornings. Fine dust works its way into connectors and card slots. Keep gear in sealed bags between takes, and carry spare memory cards. Heat drains batteries faster and cold nights at altitude do too, so carry spare batteries and keep them close to your body in winter. Fit a shock mount or hold the microphone by its stand to cut handling noise on long walks between locations.

Permission comes first

Many ceremonial dances and feast days in New Mexico's pueblos forbid recording, photography and sketching entirely. Rules differ from community to community and can change, so ask the relevant tribal office before you bring any equipment. If you're told no, leave the recorder packed. The same courtesy applies to private ceremonies, church services and oral history interviews. Explain how the audio will be used, get consent clearly, preferably on the recording itself, and offer participants a copy.

After the session

Back up every card to two separate drives before you reformat it. Write a short log for each file covering location, conditions, who is speaking and any restrictions on use. These notes turn raw audio into a lasting record. You can see how sound fits alongside written sources in our Field Notes, and find related reading in the Library.