Words & images by Stuart Ankers
If a tree falls in the woods… In the world of tree surgery it is guaranteed that the workplace will be a noisy one, not only from the chainsaws and wood chippers but also with branches falling through the air, timber crashing to the ground and full-crowned trees being felled in woodlands. This is why I decided to combine two of my passions: working with trees and recording sound. Being a qualified tree surgeon myself and having the rare opportunity to record tree work on a day to day basis, I set out to create the Tree Felling library.
With tree work being one of the world’s most dangerous jobs, using an array of microphones, recorders and cables was out of the question. I decided that my Tascam DR100mkii would be best suited for the set-up – portable, reliable and ideal for recording in 24/96 whilst on the go. One of the biggest challenges that I faced was picking when to bring the Tascam out.
When a tree is felled, the creaking sound you hear comes from the hinge of the felling cut where the wood fibres are tearing, so the optimum placement for the Tascam is as close as safely possible to the base of the tree as it is being cut
Workplace safety is of paramount importance on every site and a controlled environment is needed before any work is carried out. When a tree is felled, the creaking sound you hear comes from the hinge of the felling cut where the wood fibres are tearing, so the optimum placement for the Tascam is as close as safely possible to the base of the tree as it is being cut. By using a small pistol grip on the Tascam I could stand by the tree as the felling cut was prepped, hit record just as the cut was finished and watch the tree fall whilst monitoring my position in the escape zone just off to one side. There were some occasions where a pull-line was utilized to literally pull the tree over after the felling cut had been finished, giving more control over the timing of the fell. For these instances I was able to switch from my ear muffs to my Sennheiser IEM.
As you can imagine, there were no opportunities for second takes – I had to try and get each recording as perfect as possible first time! My colleagues were both immensely helpful and tirelessly patient in this regard, switching off their chainsaws at the optimum moment.
Editing my recordings at the end of the day was both challenging and surprising. Hearing the detail of the wood fibres and the weight of the tree as it hit the ground never ceased to wow me, and I was constantly reminded of how unique it was to have a pair of high fidelity ears so close to the tree felling action. When choosing which files to include in this library, several were discarded due to the quantity of whooping and shouting from the team – although they managed to stay quiet ninety percent of the time, the outtakes are a nice bonus!
I have already had the opportunity to use some of these recordings in a feature film, creating an intense and frightening storm soundscape for a scene without any storm visuals
As a freelance sound designer, I have already had the opportunity to use some of these recordings in a feature film, creating an intense and frightening storm soundscape for a scene without any storm visuals. The clarity and accuracy of my recordings really shone out and helped to make the storm feel threateningly real. With the benefit of capturing the sounds at 24/96, manipulating the recordings opens up a whole new space for creating textured drones and creepy forest ambiences.
I hope they inspire you similarly, and that you enjoy using this selection of specialised sounds for your projects!
All works were carried out following sustainable best practice under British Standards BS3998. No trees were felled specifically for inclusion in the library.
