Bug Noise Elimination

            This week’s sound effect is more of a tip that I picked up from one of my most recommended books: The Sound Effects Bible.  In the field, while recording sounds, there are sometimes a lot of bugs around that you’re simply not going to be able to get rid of while recording.  A long time ago, I found a door at a gas station that I really liked the sound of, so I creeped everyone out as I stood there and recorded them walking through it.  One thing that I noticed upon listening back through it, though, are the bugs. 

            Ric Viers gives a tip on sweeping through you EQ to find the frequency that the bugs are sounding at.  It’s never going to be perfect, and it is definitely a possibility that you’ll lose sound quality, but you can eliminate a lot of the sound that they are making by silencing a band of frequencies.  I tried just that with the sound of the gas station door.  My attempt definitely shows the potential, but the bugs were simply too loud to be shut out completely, and unfortunately some of the frequencies I silenced were pretty crucial to the sound of the door that I loved. 

            Anyway, this is just an example of what you can do if the bugs get in your way. Like I said, mine wasn’t perfect, but shows you your options.