CAPTURE #8 :: Passing trucks

Date: 30 August 07
Place: National Road somewhere between Alentejo and Ribatejo, Southwest-Center of Portugal
Description: Trucks passing by in the national road
Equipment: 2 Oktava Mk-012 small diaphragm condenser microphones w/ omni-directional capsules; 1 Marantz PMD660 solid state digital recorder; 1 Senheiser HD-25 headphones; 2 20m XLR balanced cables; 1 pop filter, 4 windscreens


23H47 - On our way back from Odeceixe to Alcoentre, Ribatejo, we stoped in the middle of the national road because Xiu seemed to be feeling somewhat sick and restless. Getting out of the van to strech my legs I noticed the sound trucks were making as they passed by: some crickets, confused birds and frogs joined the sinphony. I got the gear together and sat still for nearly one hour, trying to get the levels right and being stung by hordes of bloodthursty mosquitos in my hands, arms, legs, face: that's what I call fun! I felt like giving it up a couple of times but realized that every single truck brought with it its very own drone, different from all the others, so I tried to cover as well as I could and held on to it. Can you hear this low evolving drone the trucks leave behind after they pass by?

Truck1
Truck2