I recently reviewed the Sound Devices Mixpre 6 recorder for the Audio Spotlight:

Hi there. I’m George Vlad, sound designer and recordist based in the UK. I work in game audio and I release sound effects libraries through Mindful Audio. I’m going to review the recently-released Sound Devices Mixpre 6 recorder from the perspective of a sound guy with an interest in subtle sounds (ambience, Foley), loud sources (vehicles, firearms) and everything in between. I don’t do a lot location or voice recording so I won’t insist on these aspects.

In my day to day work I use a Sound Devices 633 and a Sony PCM D100, but lately I’ve been meaning to add a few more channels to my main rig. I’ve been looking at the Sound Devices Mixpre-D, 302 or the 442 for this purpose. The Mixpre-D and the 302 can only output 2 channels which don’t quite fit my needs, while the 442 has the right number of outputs but boy is it heavy.

[Head over to the TAS website to read the rest of the review.]

Field recording tools of the trade

At the lower end of the price spectrum, field recording equipment will yield relatively similar results. A few dB of self noise won’t make a huge difference if the recordist hasn’t mastered the other tools of the trade, the ones that can’t be bought. Let’s examine some lesser known but rather more important tools that are sure to improve your field recording practice.

Introduction to Freestyle field recording

Freestyle field recording is a flexible approach to recording nature and wildlife sounds outside of the studio or any controlled environment, developed by George Vlad. While traditional methods are prescriptive and rigid, Freestyle field recording encourages deliberate experimentation and a very organic workflow.

Listening session at the House of Lords in Westminster

I recently received an invitation to play some of my soundscapes and to tell stories about conservation. While there’s nothing unusual about that, the setting was definitely novel for me.

A collection of Owl sounds

Owls are awesome and worth learning about. What better place to start than a curated selection of owl recordings, captured by your favourite wildlife sound recordist!

The 2025 Soundscape Fund

How can field recording make a difference for conservation and environmental causes? I get this question a lot, and one of the answers is here. Once a year I team up with Thomas Rex Beverly and Andy Martin to raise money for environmental NGOs.