Transom Tools: Resources for audio fieldwork

Transom.org bills itself as a "showcase and workshop for new public radio". Their Transom Tools section contains a wealth of information for those travelers who would like to create content from their travels to use in movies, for radio, or for their own personal enjoyment. For example, Tom Lopez' Remote Recording Survival Guide is full of tips for recording in locations that pose unique problems.

Take, say, Brazilian tarantulas for example:

So there I am in total blackness, scared almost senseless, and suddenly something drops out of the jungle canopy above me and Whomp! lands right on my back. Now I've seen those tarantulas they have in Brazil, they're as big as your face, and that's what I'm certain just fell on my back, something big and soft and filled with blood and looking for more ... and I think it's crawling up my back. I go, "Woo!" and hop and whack at my back, and luckily my hand doesn't hit anything. But that's it for me! I can't see the mikes or stands, but I find them by yanking on the cords ... I scoop up everything in my arms, my feet feeling their way along the path, as I stumble out of there. I'm laughing hysterically all the way.

So, kids, remember, even if it's bright daylight, always carry a trusty light. Be prepared. You may not live to regret it.