Recording your bells

The first Fun with Bells Podcast Season ends with a generous double helping as show host Cathy Booth interviews young ringer Charlie Linford and audio engineer David Richards.

Charlie (11) explains to Cathy that bell ringing is a rewarding hobby for all ages as she throws light on some of the theory behind ringing, including some tips on how to start learning methods.

With seven quarter peals under her belt already and an impressive list of towers she has rang at it seems only a matter of time before Charlie is ringing at the National 12 Bell Competition. Talking of which, if you’ve ever been interested in recordings are made to help judge a striking competition, or indeed the best way to record any bell ringing, then the interview with David will fascinate you.

Packed full of practical tips and suggestions, David talks Cathy through making detailed recording of bells for analysis, ambient recordings of bells to remember a special occasion and spur of the moment recordings when you just happen to be passing a tower and the ringing is brought you joy. This interview will really make you want to get you out and about making your own recordings.

Of course, Charlie doesn’t need to do this as her ringing has already been recorded – on Newsround!

Links

Recording on a mobile

• Voice Record Pro (for iPhone): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/voice-record-pro/id546983235
• Audio Recorder (for Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonymobile.androidapp.audiorecorder

Bells on Sunday

• CCCBR guidance (28 Jan 2022): https://cccbr.org.uk/2022/01/28/bells-on-sunday-guide-to-making-a-recording/
• CCCBR advice: https://www.ringingworld.co.uk/news-articles/general/504-bells-on-sunday-74.html
• Zoom H4n pro: https://www.zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/zoom-h4n-pro-handy-recorder
• Behringer XM1800s: http://www.musictribe.com/Categories/Behringer/Microphones/Dynamic/XM8500/p/P0120
• Behringer C2: http://www.musictribe.com/Categories/Behringer/Microphones/Condenser/C-2/p/P0263
• Beyerdynamic M201TG: https://europe.beyerdynamic.com/m-201-tg.html

Top Five takeaways

• You don’t necessarily need any special equipment to record tower bells as you can capture the sound on a mobile phone, just be careful to record in a sheltered spot to avoid any wind noise.
• By far and away the easiest way to record bells is to take a video – you can then just take the audio out, if that’s what you’re after.
• If

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org