Intro for Podcast, Gaming Scene, Credits, background, and ambient.
ambient
production
atmosphere
podcast
dark ambient
steven f allen
audio mirage
audiochosis
windtryst farm
Story behind the song
Composed with Jeskola Buzz and samples from the Windtryst Farm Archive. Penn State Radio, WPSU.
Steven F. Allen, under the moniker Audio Mirage, creates soundscapes by combining field recordings with digital manipulation and a thoughtful mixing process. A central part of his technique is sharing his raw materials and methods, providing insights into his artistic journey.
Field recording
Allen's soundscapes begin with an element of documentarycapturing the sounds of real-world environments.
Recording equipment: He uses a portable recording device, such as a Zoom H2N, to capture high-quality audio. This allows him to document natural and urban environments with clarity.
Environmental awareness: His recordings are not random. The titles, such as "Thunderstorm-Altoona-3am" and "Fairchild Afternoon Ambience," show he is deliberate in documenting specific times and places to capture a unique snapshot of a sound environment.
Documentation: For his contributions to projects like the Fairchild Natural History Society, his field recordings are used to document evolving local soundscapes over time.
Digital production and manipulation
Allen brings the real-world field recordings into the digital realm for further processing.
Editing: Using software like Cool Edit Pro, he refines his raw audio. This includes editing, mixing, and applying effects to shape the sonic textures.
Layering: He layers different audio elements to create rich and complex soundscapes. A piece like "Afternoon In May" is assembled from a combination of field recordings, sequenced beats, and tones, which are then layered on top of one another.
Effects processing: Allen utilizes effects to further manipulate the recorded sounds.
Filtering and EQ: He likely uses these to carve out space in the frequency spectrum for different elements, cleaning up noise and ensuring clarity.
Delay and reverb: He uses these effects to create a sense of space and immersion, placing the listener within the acoustic environment he is building.
Philosophical and compositional approach
Beyond the technical tools, Allen's creative process is guided by a specific philosophy.
"Audio history": The Fairchild project highlights his interest in "audio history" and "bioacoustic science study," showing a desire to preserve and analyze how sound environments change over time.
Creative Commons mindset: His willingness to share his raw files on platforms like Freesound encourages a participatory creative process. He explicitly allows others to use his sounds creatively within their own artistic works, but not for redistribution as stock material.
Emphasis on listening: A core aspect of his work, and soundscape composition in general, is deep listening. He encourages listeners to pay attention to sounds that normally go unnoticed, using his work to heighten our sonic awareness.
Narrative and emotion: While often ambient, his soundscapes are not without narrative intent. He sometimes crafts pieces, like "Rodger Houston Esq," for specific stories or moods. The resulting sonic tapestries, such as "Under Gray Skies," evoke particular emotions and internal states.
