Anyone have a hydraphone?

[The Tasmanian]

If I could spell correctly.....
Does anyone here have a hydrophone for hire?
Or know where I can purchase a cheap one?
No idea where to start

[rob]

there is a monster hydraphone out in he shed! I don't know if it works but I do know if needs a power supply. How much of a hurry are you in as given time I can drag it out and cobble a supply to test it?

[The Tasmanian]

I'll drop you an email Rob

[Chinagraf]

Hey Chris, a few years ago we made some with piezo discs, wired them to a cable and sealed them in epoxy resin.
They worked surprisingly well. You can buy the discs pretty cheap on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_trks ... c&_sacat=0
I think Murray Tregonnings in Melb have a couple they hire out if you want the real deal.
Cheers.

[The Tasmanian]

Thanks Andy - I was going to use some piezo's with condoms over them, but the resin is a better idea.
I need 6 piezo's and possibly a real hydrophone as well, or as Rob pointed out a 57 with a condom over it way work.

[mylesgm]

I've done this with cheap chinese condensers and condoms and depending on what you are after they worked well. I've never used a real hydraphone though so I can't comment on a comparison.

[The Tasmanian]

How come we all come up with condoms for the task?
Is this saying something?

How are you Myles? - you settling in?

[Wiz]

I remember doing this once...

wife walked in...

said not on your life Wiz

then walked out...

I had a puzzled look on my dial.. still do...

wonder what she meant?

[chribble]

Hahah @wiz

Never heard of a hydraphone

I would ask why are you requiring one in the first place?

[jkhuri44]

suggesting condoms....pretty silly, when you could be using....a .....diaphragm.

*buddum tshhh.

*showing self door...etc etc

[The Tasmanian]

So - I'm recording and mixing a drummer who is being submerged under the Derwent river for MonaFoma
Bug mic's (glued) on each skin / stethoscope on the drummers body / bugged mask for for grunts n bubbles.
Should be fun

[Chinagraf]

They're just a mic that works underwater. but the impedance is matched to the density of water rather than air.
Did you know that sound not only travels further in water, but also about 5 times as fast as it does in air.
So the obvious use is you can be further away from the studio and still finish recording your vocals a lot faster.

edit - I just saw Chris' post. - you should set up some 'room' mics a km or so down the river...

[The Tasmanian]

Thats great info Andy -
I had no idea about the speed underwater - that surprises me, I thought it would be slower.

[chribble]

Well this is just crazy

Be sure to make a video I will definitely watch

[The Tasmanian]

It will be on Utube in January
I'll let you know - and post.
I want NO criticisms of "it should have been more wet" or not...

[Wiz]

Sounds like a convoluted plan to whack the drummer....

[Chinagraf]

Can we say the cymbals sound a bit splashy?

[AlCraig]

I've got a couple of AT contact mics that we used in the pool duing the Olympics. PM me if you want to try them.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/546186_467354713299034_2090367571_n.jpg
Otherwise, I'm pretty sure MTA have a couple of DPA hydraphones for hire.

Al

[Djembe]

Not only does sound travel faster in water, it's speed also varies according to the temperature.
The speed is also different in fresh as opposed to salt water.

The temperature of ocean currents has been measured by producing a sound and recording the time it takes to reach a set point. This gives a more accurate average temperature, as opposed to a thermometer in one spot which will only measure the temperature at that position.

[Ben M]

Man that kick sound is deep

[Djembe]

Also plays havoc with your phase relationship.

[rick]

underwater drums ..?

I was mastering a record for jimmy barnes way back in the 80s when he was at his peak

I had a session booked at 10 am which was unusual because thats pretty early for rock n roll
I walked in ... no clients just the 1/2 inch master tapes
and there is a note from the Aria award winning super engineer on it

"hey rick... long night.... just cut it flat "

I put the 1/2 tape on and it sounds COMPLETELY FUCKED !
I ring the studio get patched to the uber engineer .. "hes says err... long night ... whats wrong with it ? "

"I say its fucked .. "
"err in what way "
"well it sounds just like you have put a drum kit underwater in a olympic swimming pool .. there is no other music"
"oh f@#$" says the uber engineer
" i think I must have patched the studer tape recorder into the reverb return for the drums by mistake !.. I will get you a full mix within the hour ... you wont tell anybody will you ? " he stammers

"Did you check the tape" i said

"err yes we did... we all loved it .. ! but it was late you know ..gacked up ...please dont tell anybody "

and so i didnt tell anybody for ten years or so ..

cannot hear about underwater drums without thinking of Award winning uber engineers in the 80s


so the rest of us are struggling along the surface with pop records in the big smoke
and you are in tasmania going deep chris ..
underwater drums at the mona .. why not !

[The Tasmanian]

Yeah - fortunately I made some pretty shitty sounding records at the start of my recording history - so I at least know what underwater drums sound like.
I thought you wre going to say JB recorded the drums underwater.
Did you ever go to his Bowral studio? I heard the swimming pool had a huge tube in it so you could go for a swim from the control room, by removing a floor panel and diving through the tube into the pool.
Or maybe thats what they imagined they were doing in the gak days ?
(one of my pet geese is called Gak!!)

[rick]

yes went there a few times ...ermm your jb swimming pool story has a large gak factor involved me thinks ..
but if we are spreading unsubstantated rumors
one time i heard he decided that heating it in winter was a good idea ( bowral being the coldest place on earth ! ) until the power bill came in at $40,000+ for the month
probably one the cheaper monthly bills he had in those days !

[Chinagraf]

This is the most I've seen the word Gak used in nearly 30 years.
It's makin me laugh.
I am straight btw.

[Manning]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6JYXiXio74

[rick]

This is the most I've seen the word Gak used in nearly 30 years.
It's makin me laugh.
I am straight btw.

well i think its the third time i have said this in a week
"but time sure flies past quick if you know how to laugh"

[The Tasmanian]

Meet Gak ! - he mows my lawn with his wife Sweetie

GAK!.jpg

[The Tasmanian]

And shits all over the place.....

[rightintheface]

Hey Rick, was Al the engineer on that one? That cat has some funny gak stories