This page lists field recording gear and tools that I personally own, have used, or have tested myself. It also includes services that help you share sound effects on the Web. I capture sound worldwide, so there are some travel resources here, too.
There are three types of recommendations:
- Bonuses. These give a benefit to you such as a discount, bonus cash, or extra perk of some kind.
- Affiliate links. These links work differently. They won’t always give you a discount. Instead, if you make a purchase or sign up, Creative Field Recording will receive a small commission at no cost to yourself. This helps support the website and keep the lights on.
- Recommendations. Just a list of my favourites that I use every day and stand behind 100%.
Read more about my thoughts on sharing recommended links with you.
Interested in adding a link to this page? Email me.
List of Links
Bookmark this page and check back here often for new deals.
Field Recording Gear
Equipment
I use a lot of different equipment. These are selections that I particularly enjoy, and offer solid performance and value.
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Discount Code | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rycote | Affiliate link | The only wind protection I’ll ever use. I use them for my portables, basket, and DPA 4060 microphones. | |
| Apogee Duet | Affiliate link | Compact two-channel USB breakout box with sterling sound, excellent interface, and solid software. I used this interface for years and still recommend it. | |
| Ultrasone Pro Headphones | Affiliate link | When I have to master sound effects using headphones, these are the pair I use. Comfortable with excellent sound. A highlight: the offset design reduces listening fatigue considerably. | |
| Sony PCM-D100 | Affiliate link | The best portable recorder currently on the market. It has the clearest, cleanest sound and the most impressive soundstage. | |
| Sound Devices | Affiliate link | I record sound effects in rough conditions. Sound Devices recorders are built for punishment, and have some of the best preamps in the market. |
Stores
There are many options for buying gear online. Here are my favourite shops:
| Recommendation | Deal | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B&H Photo Video | Affiliate link | Thinking of buying microphones or recorders? B&H stocks a lot of upper tier field recording gear most other websites miss, and at decent prices, too. I’ve ordered over the border from them multiple times and it was always fast and pleasant. |
| Amazon | Affiliate link | This online store's massive size often has gear prices that have deeper discounts than other retailers. Especially good for gear costing less than $1,000, and some good deals under $1,500. |
| Sweetwater | Recommendation | I’ve only purchased from this equipment dealer a few times. However, every purchase has been excellent. The sales reps are helpful and friendly but don’t hassle you at all. |
Software
Some apps I use:
Editing Software
I edit audio mostly for mastering sound fx libraries. Here are my favourite tools for cleaning and publishing sound clips:
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Tools | Affiliate link | I only use Pro Tools for mastering my sound fx libraries. I prefer the control and the interface. |
| Soundminer | Recommendation | v4.5 Pro is the main metadata app for curating my sound libraries. |
| Soundly | Recommendation | An intuitive, free sound library browser that offers upgrade to access a paid sound collection. As a bonus, it allows embedding BWAV description completely free of charge. |
| iZotope RX | Affiliate link | Indispensable sound restoration software. If you want to kill noise, silence hum, and remove clicks, this software gets it done. |
| Fab Filter | Recommendation | Stylish, intuitive plug-ins that sound great. |
| Waves | 10% discount | The ubiquitous plug-in maker. Waves PS22, NX, Z-Noise, C4, H-Comp, and L2 for sound fx mastering. The discount gives you an extra 10% any other specials. Find the discount code on the page after the link. |
iPhone Field Recording Apps
I use a handful of apps when recording out in the field:
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| MyPlaces! | Affiliate link | I use this app to log field recordings with geotags and photos. The ability to export the list later makes adding metadata easy. |
| Storm | Affiliate link | Detailed weather forecasting software. Know in advance whether your session will be crippled by rain or excessive wind. Can also view lightning for thunderstorm tracking, too. |
| Weather Underground | Affiliate link | A more conventional ad-supported app that shows international locations other apps miss. |
| Ventusky | Recommendation | A browser-based weather app with a stunning user interface. Possibly the best, free weather app that shows weather in even the most unconventional locations. Out of all weather apps I’ve tried, this is the best. |
| FlightRadar24 | Affiliate link | Will your field recording session be beneath a flight path? This app will tell you. If you’re interested in recording the jets, the app shows you models, and departure and arrival times. |
| Planes Live | Recommendation | A flight tracking app. Not as attractive as other options but still does the trick well, and it offers a free version, too |
| Numbers | Affiliate link | I create all my shot lists in Numbers. They’re synced through iCloud, and appear on my phone. I can check off items and add notes in the app, which are seamlessly mirrored onto my Mac. |
| Tide Charts Near Me | Recommendation | This free app tracks high and low tides, moon phases, and basic temperature worldwide. Will you ocean recordings be powerful or subtle? This app helps you learn what to expect when you hit the shore. |
| MarineTraffic | Affiliate link | Will your pristine beach field recordings be interrupted by a distant freighter? Use this app to see marine traffic near your location. |
Miscellaneous Software
These apps don’t have much to do with audio directly. However, I couldn’t write books and posts or share sound without them.
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Launchbar | Recommendation | An app launcher with dozens of additional time-saving tricks and shortcuts. |
| Keyboard Maestro | Recommendation | A macro app: design scripts so a single key press can perform complex actions. I recently switched to this after using QuicKeys, and this app has saved me literally months of labour. |
| Default Folder X | Recommendation | Custom extension that helps find open/save locations quickly. No more flipping through endless folders to save a file. |
| Ulysses | Affiliate link | Elegant Markdown writing app. I write all my books and blog posts in this app. It has revolutionized the way I write. I’m not a fan of the new subscription model, but it remains the best app of its kind. |
| 1Password | Affiliate link | Password storage app. Worth the price. |
| Filemaker Pro | Recommendation | I use Filemaker to do all my “power user” metadata work. Its custom scripts save hours of time. |
| Things | Affiliate link | I have hundreds of tasks in this to-do list app. Things helps me organize them and get them done. Attractive and simple. |
| Pixelmator | Affiliate link | I create and edit all images for my websites in this Photoshop-like app. Great value, solid software. |
Sound Libraries and Books
Sound Effect Libraries
Recommendation
Deal Type
Discount Code
Details
Quiet Planet
20% off
CFRQUIETPLANET
This store hosts field recordings from the legendary Gordon Hempton. He has travelled worldwide to capture extremely rare recordings such as deserts, jungles, forests, and much more.
Field Recording Books
Recommendation
Deal Type
Discount Code
Details
Earth is a Solar Powered Jukebox
20% off
CFRQUIETPLANET
Gordon Hempton’s book is a one-stop solution to learning about capturing nature field recordings worldwide. It includes tips for recording wilderness sound effects, and for designing soundscapes in that environment as well.
Sharing Sound
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Discount Code | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiet Planet | 20% off | CFRQUIETPLANET | This store hosts field recordings from the legendary Gordon Hempton. He has travelled worldwide to capture extremely rare recordings such as deserts, jungles, forests, and much more. |
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Discount Code | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth is a Solar Powered Jukebox | 20% off | CFRQUIETPLANET | Gordon Hempton’s book is a one-stop solution to learning about capturing nature field recordings worldwide. It includes tips for recording wilderness sound effects, and for designing soundscapes in that environment as well. |
Tools used for sharing sound on the Web:
Web Shops
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Digital Downloads | Affiliate link | A simple, solid e-commerce platform tailored specifically to digital downloads. Great support and rapid development. |
| Shopify | Affiliate link | Probably the simplest, most stable e-commerce platform. It supports both downloads and shipping. Looks great, too. |
Sharing Sound Tools
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| SoundCloud | Recommendation | One of the most prominent sound sharing websites. Stable. Free with paid plans. |
| HearThis | Affiliate link | A relatively new sound sharing website that offers less expensive plans than the competition with a cool feature: allows uncompressed streaming on pro plans. |
| Mail Chimp | Free $30 credit when you join | I use these guys for my newsletters on all my websites. Easy to use, fun, and fluid. Great support. |
| Fiverr | Affiliate link | I find freelancers on FIverr for everything from logo to apparel design. Reasonable prices, fast turnaround, and simple interface. |
| Freelancer | Free $20 when you join | Freelancer is another good backup to find help. The coders tend to be more skilled here. |
| Hootsuite | Free month of Pro | I’m often travelling in time zones that are much different than website readers. Hootsuite allows me to schedule posts so people are notified about articles and sound libraries when it is most convenient to them. The pro account offers sophisticated options but even the basic, free version does the trick. |
| 99Designs | Free $99 PowerPack upgrade. | When I have a bit more cash to spend, I hire designers from this website to create logos or other designs. The site allows you to host contests and pick from the best submissions. Results are always very good quality. |
Servers and Storage
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| HostGator | Affiliate link | Most of my websites are with Hostgator. Their servers are solid. My favourite is their support staff which answers any question, no matter how naïve, and solves problems quickly and professionally. No need to be intimidated by running your own server. |
| NameCheap | Affiliate link | I register my domains and SSL certificates here. I like that you can buy a domain or certificate without being bombarded by irrelevant offers during checkout. Simple, clean, and reliable. |
| WordPress | Recommendation | The world’s most popular blogging platform. Almost all of my websites are hosted on WordPress. Simple to use and free. |
| Dropbox | Free 500 MB when you install | The ubiquitous file sharing service. I keep a backup of my sound libraries here. |
| ProtonMail | Recommendation | Secure, encrypted email hosting based in Switzerland. Free, with paid options. Slick, easy-to-use, and completely private. |
| BackBlaze | Referral | I moved to BackBlaze after CrashPlan stopped their personal service. BackBlaze backs up your data to the cloud. Both backup and restoration are smooth, and transferring doesn’t consume your Internet connection. |
| MultCloud | Referral | Do you use Dropbox, Google Drive, or Amazon S3? Want to move data between them without the hassle of downloading then uploading again and again. MultCloud transfers between services effortlessly. |
Travel and Field Recording
I often travel while field recording. Here are some tools when I’m capturing audio abroad:
Transportation
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Discount Code | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uber | Free $10 credit when you install | paulv450 | I love Uber since it is easier than a taxi, has better, more pleasant drivers, follows a precise map, and helps figuring out tipping culture in a new country. I've used this worldwide. It's amazingly convenient. |
| Grab | Free cash when you install (varies) | Grab is the Uber of Southeast Asia that adds motorbikes, food delivery, and more in addition to cars. |
Flight Deals
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Scott’s Cheap Flights | Recommendation | Scott sends out a newsletter only when he finds extreme deals. I’ve used this myself to book a flight to Thailand for half the price. |
| Jack’s Flight Club | Recommendation | Similar to Scott’s newsletter above, but with flights originating from the UK. |
| YYZ Deals | Recommendation | This site emails only when they’ve found the very best deals from Toronto. Includes focused deals from other Canadian cities, too. |
| Secret Flying | Recommendation | Unlike other travel websites, this site shows deals from outside of North America, too. You can sort by region. |
Travel Search Sites
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Google Flights | Recommendation | The easiest way to search for flights. |
| Matrix Airfare Search | Recommendation | Uses the same data as Google Flight, but displays best prices for the entire month. Can also find best rates from multiple airports at once. |
| Skyscanner | Recommendation | Hits some flights that Google misses in Europe and Southeast Asia. |
| Hopper | Affiliate link | An app that examines historical flight prices and tells you the best time to buy via an intuitive interface. You can set up alerts to receive notifications of price drops. |
Accommodation
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| AirBnB | Free $50 credit when you join | Staying in an AirBnB property has a much homier feel than a hotel. You usually find yourself in a community, instead of a touristy area. I've stayed in AirBnBs in Thailand, Cambodia, USA, Canada, and Indonesia. |
| Booking | Recommendation | I switched over to Booking after getting spammed too much by Agoda. Much better interface makes it easier to compare properties. |
Travel Tools
| Recommendation | Deal Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN | Affiliate link | A VPN is software that makes all your Web surfing private. It's helpful while abroad because it protects your info on public networks, allows you to appear as if you're surfing from home, and allows access to sites restricted in some countries. PIA is great because it is stable, fast, and private – they don't keep records of your traffic. Works on all major OSes, and smartphones, too. Been with these guys for over a year and it's been smooth sailing. |
Interested in adding a link to this page? Email me.
Comments or concerns about page? Please feel welcome to email me.