Throughout my practice of field recording, I have become fascinated by chasing truly undisturbed soundscapes, whether in the city or deep in the wild.
The act of recording inherently requires technological interaction: the interaction between the recordist and the gear, and between the gear and the environment. While there would be no recording without our tools, I am philosophically drawn to a reality where the technology is erased from the equation. I want the environment to interact only with the intention and emotion of the recordist.
For years, I have relied heavily on “stealth techniques.” Using small, inconspicuous microphones allows me to capture authentic, unfiltered soundscapes as if no machines were involved. By not drawing exaggerated attention to the process, the behavior of people and wildlife remains normal, preventing the recording from feeling truncated or disturbed.
But I wanted to go a step further: What if we completely remove the recordist from the equation?
The Rise of the “Drop Rig”
Many colleagues heavily practice “Drop Rig” recording, placing small recorders in the environment and leaving them unattended for hours or days. In the visual world, this is known as a “camera trap” and is widely used for research. In the audio world, the concept has gained serious traction over the last eight years. Today, biologists use acoustic drops to monitor the health of biomes and study population dynamics.
As a field recordist capturing libraries for sound effects and immersive listening, my primary focus is the sheer beauty of the sound rather than pure scientific data.
The advantages of unattended recording are massive, particularly in the wild where humans rarely venture. In sensitive areas, wildlife naturally fears human presence. If you want to record the authentic, unfiltered sounds of animals and insects, it is always better to hide your gear, walk away, and let the ecosystem return to its baseline.
The Evolution of My Setup
My first attempts at creating a drop rig were not fully optimized, but they were a great learning experience.
Back in 2019, a talented doll-maker friend of mine who works with woven fabrics proposed creating a custom prop to house my recorder and microphones. It was essentially a hanging mini-tent with a top hook and a rounded rod structure at the bottom. It acted like a protective hammock for the machines.
From there, I experimented with different form factors. The most critical challenge is protecting the recorder and batteries from rain and high humidity. I transitioned to waterproof bags, using trees as attachment points and relying on natural leaves to simultaneously hide the rig and shield the microphones from rain.
However, one major issue with unattended rigs is unpredictability. Many animals and insects are highly curious about foreign objects in their territory, and I have had my gear destroyed by various creatures more than once!
Building the “Invisible Rig”
Recently, I decided to level up the stealth factor. I wanted the rig to completely disappear into the landscape to capture the most undisturbed soundscapes possible.
To create my “invisible rig,” I began using natural bark to camouflage the main recording component. Because the microphones still need to be deployed and extended to capture a wide, spacious stereo image, I wrapped the microphone cables in protectors and painted them brown to blend in with the branches. Finally, I use local leaves to conceal any remaining visible technology.
I put this new invisible concept to the test earlier this year during expeditions to Sumatra in January and Pakistan in February. By completely erasing the visual footprint of the gear, the surrounding ecosystem ignored it entirely.
Here are the results. First, a 40-minute deep listening experience capturing the mysterious morning calls of the Sumatran Agile Gibbon, recorded with the invisible rig in the Kerinci Barat area:
And here is another result from that same Sumatra trip, a highly active, shifting nightscape of frogs and bats overhead at Danau Belibis:
Technical Recommendations
While I occasionally risk high-end gear (like the Sennheiser MKH 8090 setup), my general advice for unattended drop rigs is to avoid using expensive equipment. Rigs can get lost, flooded, or eaten.
A cheaper recording chain can still produce fantastic, high-quality audio. Small recorders like the Sony A10 or Zoom H1 are great starting points. Adding external microphones is essential for a low noise floor. The most popular options are small, inexpensive PIP (Plug-in Power) microphones that plug easily into a 3.5mm input. They offer a great amount of detail and minimal self-noise.
Most of the best options are based on the excellent EM272 (or older EM254) capsule. Here are a few builders that do a great job:
- Clippy EM272 by FEL Communications Ltd. (UK)
- Earsight Standard v1 or v2 by Immersive Soundscape (France)
- So.1 Omni by Sonorous Objects (USA)
- Usi by LOM (Slovakia)
- O-Mini PIP by Chris Treviño
- Verdi by Oaka Instruments (UK)
You will also need a high-capacity SD card if you intend to leave the rig running for long periods. Lastly, an external power bank is mandatory. While I haven’t tested every brand out there, I personally rely on the Nitecore NB Air. It’s a great compromise—small enough that I can easily pack two or three, they charge fast, and they are incredibly efficient.
The Future of the Invisible Rig
My next step in the endeavor of “invisible recording” is to upgrade to an infinite-run rig. I want to build a system powered entirely by small solar panels, capable of live-streaming high-quality audio in real time. My ultimate goal is to collaborate with scientists and environmentalists to monitor these forests and help preserve what is left of these fragile ecosystems.
For now, I am going to continue recording as much as I can, specifically seeking out rare environments, flora, and fauna that are at threat of extinction, and bringing those sounds back to share with you.