Recording thunder

A wonderful thunderstorm just passed through. It was foretold, and we could see and hear it coming across the valley, loud rumblings getting stronger as visible rain blotted out the landscape. Good opportunity to record an approaching storm, because who doesn’t like to listen to a gathering storm. Alas, lazy to a fault, rather than digging out the “proper” recorder and microphone, and thinking too that it would be even better in stereo, I used the little Zoom iQ6 X–Y pair plugged into the phone. The meter seemed to show that it reacted to the bouts of thunder but listening back none can be heard, only the hissing of the rain.

Darn. Tiny little mic doesn’t have the response. Or maybe, just maybe, it is playback that fails. Maybe the phone cuts all low rumbles, because speech doesn’t need that at all.

So I sent the file over to the laptop and listened there, same headphones and everything. There it was in all its glory, low growls, very much softer pattering rain, occasional creaks from the screen door. Atmospheric.

Now that I have a nice recording of a rain storm, all I need to think of is a way to use it.