A Snow Globe's Secret Soundscape

Kanchon and I got this cute snow globe from our trip to Goa last December. It plays some sweet Christmas-y tunes. As the dreaded Kolkata summers begin to set in, here's a little piece of winter to grace your feed.

I captured the melodies using two distinct microphones. The first, a Sennheiser MKH 8060 shotgun microphone was suspended roughly 8 inches above the globe. It picked up the music with soft acoustic fingerprints of the quiet, cozy room where it was recorded.

Sennheiser MKH 8060 with Sound Devices Mixpre 10ii

The Aquarian Audio H2D, used as a contact microphone, was attached to the snow globe's body, uncovering a hidden world. I could hear the tiny motor humming away, like a secret heartbeat. It's amazing how much character is hiding beneath the globe's snow-kissed exterior.

Aquarian Audio H2D used with the contact mic adapter

I'm fascinated by contact mic recordings, which strip away the acoustic veil, revealing the sound in its purest form. Without the subtle influences of room tone and ambient resonance, the sound is raw, intimate, and often surprising. While the results might not always be pleasing to the ear, I'm drawn to the uniqueness of these recordings – a sonic fingerprint that's unlike anything else.

I love recording with multiple microphones at once, as each one uncovers distinct aspects of the sound source and its relationship with the environment. It's amazing how often this reveals a new narrative, one that I couldn't have anticipated, and it's addictive to uncover these hidden sonic stories.