Peter Toll: Sound Lover / Maker / Recordist

Blast from the past. Last week I was asked by an artist if I had any field recordings of a certain atmosphere which he could use.
I remembered that I made a recording which might be of use back in 2002, though it was recorded on Minidisk. The dock station which the MD player sat in stopped working long ago. No power getting through. The Mini disk player was stuck in the dock, as it needed power to release it. So it's just been left sitting dead in the studio for years. Last week I thought I would try and get it working again and amazingly it just powered up. Was able to retrieve the recording. Even the rechargeable battery inside the player started charging again after 20 years. If it ever stops working again, I’ll just leave it for another ten years before trying again lol.

Memories of my first field recording album released nine years ago. Over the winter months of 2010/2011, spent many trips at Holkham Norfolk UK recording the project. Still very proud of this piece of work. From Holkham Hall at night with the Fallow Deer, through the mashes, woods and down to the beach and the North sea. Copies available on CD and download. Eternally grateful for the advice and help given by Jez riley French and Chris Watson, learnt so much whilst creating this album.

movement (holkham), by peter toll 2 track album

Tide:
A single wild track recording (slow audio style). Split into three parts of the TIDE coming in at night, at the mouth of the river Exe, Devon uk.
Recorded 31/01/2019 around 10pm. Microphones facing the same way as the cover. To the left, the mouth of the estuary and the roar of the open sea. Way ahead on the other side stretches the great western railway main-line from London to Cornwall. Occasionally a distant rumble of a train mixed with the sounds of the sea along with Oystercatcher, Gulls, boats, an occasional call from what sounds like a Seal and the increasing sound of water as the tide rises.
Slow audio to soak up sounds, relax or fall asleep.
Best heard on headphones or good speakers. ie not laptop.
Info for sound geeks: 2x MKH 8040 microphones ORTF rig, running to a Sonosax R4+ recorder.

TIDE, by Peter Toll 3 track album

MOORINGS IN A STORM Single Hydrophone A stormy evening in Exmouth Devon. A single hydrophone in very strong winds listening to the chains of moorings underwater.

A pleasant day recording underwater sounds yesterday in a moat, at my favourite local castle in North Norfolk.
Apart from a couple of hours wait for the airforce to end their flying practice, I managed to record some cool sounds in the end.

With things feeling a tiny bit closer to normal, was wonderful to give a field recording workshop for Garlic Theatre Company today.

It's lovely to feel spring inside the studio now as well as out. After a some soldering wires and installing today, sounds fab. Loving the sound of a real spring reverb :)

A lovely still morning today as the snow begins to melt. Capturing some water sounds for a track.

Was recently given a link to this rather nice clarinet cover version of my track ‘Beast from the East’ on disco gecko.

Peter Toll - Beast from the East (Clarinet Cover) Recently my friends and i went to have a rest on the Gulf of Finland, where Solar Systo Togathering Festival takes place (the exact place is Techno Yama). To...

Spent a wild couple of hours in Cromer yesterday.

A warm five hours in the sunshine yesterday, recording the sounds of Crickets at Felbrigg National Trust estate in North Norfolk UK.

Whist looking for samples for someone, I came across this recording I made almost exactly eight years ago.
Recorded on the edge of a wood on the Cornish side, beside the river Tamar at dawn.
I find this particular recording very soothing, the bubbling mud, the distant yet constant city/road rumble of Plymouth. Lots of bird calls: Gulls, Tawny Owls, Wren, Crows, Rooks. Look forward to do some more recording in that area of the UK again.

02 CORNISH MUD FLATS & CITY HUM part two: DAWN Continuing on from part one ( http://soundcloud.com/tolly-music/01-cornish-mud-flats-city-hum ) Dawn has arrived, it's now 5:45am on the 10th August 2012. The hum of the City (Plymouth) across th

Bees & Insects Collecting Pollen A close up recording of bees & insects collecting pollen on 25th June 2020.

Nice memory of a wonderful morning recording underwater at Cromer Pier back in 2012. I do remember getting some very odd looks from people as I set up the rig from folks fishing off the edge of the pier, wondering what kind of fishing kit is that! :)

Recording of the week: Underwater sounds from Cromer Pier - Sound and vision blog This week's recording of the week comes from Emma Burman, Learning and Engagement Coordinator. Having spent many a childhood holiday on Cromer Pier in Norfolk, you’d think I would know the sounds of the area well. However, having never been adventurous enough to fully submerge myself in the freezi...

Setting up now, to get some melodica down tonight.

With calm wonderful weather right now during the lock down. Thought it would be a good idea to capture last night and todays dawn at home, with my first try using Lom Usi pro microphones as part of a big rig set up. Very pleased with them.

First test with Lom usi pro mics in big rig At home during lock down, perfect weather to test and capture some recordings with the first time using Lom Usi Pro microphones and monitor them live in the studio.…

These beauties arrived last week.
Looking forward to adding these into my field recording kit.
Many thanks to Jonáš Gruska at LOM. :)
https://store.lom.audio

With the lock down here in the UK in full swing because of Covid 19.
At this strange, difficult and sad time. I would like to share this recording I made this morning on the 8th April 2020 around 7am. A Blackbird singing on the roof of my studio. Recorded using a parabolic dish with MKH50 & MKH 30 microphones in M/S to a Sonosax R4+ recorder.
I hope you enjoy this wonderful birdsong, may it help brighten your day during these difficult times. :) Please feel free to download this recording if you wish via soundcloud.

Blackbird On A Still Morning With the lock down here in the UK in full swing because of Covid 19. At this strange, difficult and sad time. I would like to share this recording I made this morning on the 8th April 2020 around 7am

Office is my garden today, listening out for calls from Buzzards. Recording three of them who live close by. Such beautiful birds, circling the spring clear blue sky. A relatively recent thing to see/hear Buzzards in Norfolk.

fun recording water this afternoon.