Saturday, March 23, 2013
Michigan Sasquatch Vocals? Volume 8
Jim Sherman continues his excellent series of videos relaying possible sasquatch vocals captured in central Michigan. In this release he goes to some length to describe how he initiates a field investigation, what he carries with him, and how he deploys his recorder. Toward the end he includes an original audio clip captured as he and the witness were just about to part ways. Together they hear the vocals as they occur, and you can hear their enthusiastic reaction. This clip includes the beautifully executed "singing howl", as described in earlier videos.
Michigan Sasquatch Vocals? Vol. 7 How Do I Identify a Possible Sasquatch Vocal?
Jim Sherman soldiers on and produces Volume 7 of his educational series of videos discussing possible sasquatch vocals. Interestingly, he seems to have skipped over Volume 6 (for now). Maybe there's something special brewing there. In the mean time, this volume shows an excellent collection of the more casual vocals that may be emitted by sasquatch. These are far less noticeable than the ferocious howls and roars we hear more often.
Michigan Sasquatch Vocals? Vol. 7 How Do I Identify a Possible Sasquatch Vocal?
Michigan Sasquatch Vocals? Vol. 7 How Do I Identify a Possible Sasquatch Vocal?
Sunday, March 10, 2013
More Recordings from Central Michigan
Jim Sherman from BFRO in Michigan continues the good work with two new videos of vocals and wood knocks:
Volume 4 Wood Knocks - http://youtu.be/RRZUtQb1iYI
Volume 5 Weird Things - http://youtu.be/ZeuAw2szL44
In Volume 5 the audio lags a little behind the playback in the spectrogram, but only by a half second or so. So keep this in mind as you view the "signals" in the spectrograph.
Monongahela
Volume 4 Wood Knocks - http://youtu.be/RRZUtQb1iYI
Volume 5 Weird Things - http://youtu.be/ZeuAw2szL44
In Volume 5 the audio lags a little behind the playback in the spectrogram, but only by a half second or so. So keep this in mind as you view the "signals" in the spectrograph.
Monongahela
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Great Vocals From Michigan
For just over a year now I've had the great pleasure of working with Jim Sherman, a BFRO investigator from the state of Michigan. In 2011 Jim came into contact with a witness from Isabella County that had recordings of strange vocalizations emanating from the night time forests around her farm. Jim liked what he heard and during his follow up investigation he asked for my opinion on the clips.
I was quite blown away by the amount, quality, and variety of vocalizations that Jim had to share, both from the witness, and from his own on-site investigation. I happily worked with Jim throughout much of 2012 to study his recordings and compare them to other audio of suspected sasquatch vocalizations. His captures were very consistent with what we've come to expect from possible sasquatch vocals, and included moan howls, whoops, knocks, and other complex vocals.
As a result of his hard work and our collaboration, Jim assembled a great report for the BFRO database. And prior to publishing the report the witness's recordings and farm became a significant part of a 2012 episode of "Finding Bigfoot". After Jim published the report, we collaborated to add many of the best vocal captures to the online write-up. The end result, in our opinion, is a great audio reference that other investigators could share with witnesses while they work with them to identify the vocals they've heard.
Here's a link to Jim's report and the great collection of suspected sasquatch vocals it contains: Report # 32981 (Class B): Farmers record interesting vocalizations west of Clare
In the months since this report went public, Jim has done a great job breaking down and sharing these clips, and others, in a series of instructive videos. On occasion I've contributed a video spectrogram clip to his effort and the end result is more entertaining than the basic video spectrograms I've posted here in the past. So for the sake of sharing to all those who might find these pages interesting, here are the first three installments of Jim's video reports:
-Michigan Sasquatch Vocals? Vol. 1 The Isabella Howl and Singing Howls
-Michigan Sasquatch Vocals?-Vol. 2 Four Moan Howl
-Michigan Sasquatch Vocals? Vol. 3. What Do Vocals Look Like?
Monongahela
I was quite blown away by the amount, quality, and variety of vocalizations that Jim had to share, both from the witness, and from his own on-site investigation. I happily worked with Jim throughout much of 2012 to study his recordings and compare them to other audio of suspected sasquatch vocalizations. His captures were very consistent with what we've come to expect from possible sasquatch vocals, and included moan howls, whoops, knocks, and other complex vocals.
As a result of his hard work and our collaboration, Jim assembled a great report for the BFRO database. And prior to publishing the report the witness's recordings and farm became a significant part of a 2012 episode of "Finding Bigfoot". After Jim published the report, we collaborated to add many of the best vocal captures to the online write-up. The end result, in our opinion, is a great audio reference that other investigators could share with witnesses while they work with them to identify the vocals they've heard.
Here's a link to Jim's report and the great collection of suspected sasquatch vocals it contains: Report # 32981 (Class B): Farmers record interesting vocalizations west of Clare
In the months since this report went public, Jim has done a great job breaking down and sharing these clips, and others, in a series of instructive videos. On occasion I've contributed a video spectrogram clip to his effort and the end result is more entertaining than the basic video spectrograms I've posted here in the past. So for the sake of sharing to all those who might find these pages interesting, here are the first three installments of Jim's video reports:
-Michigan Sasquatch Vocals? Vol. 1 The Isabella Howl and Singing Howls
-Michigan Sasquatch Vocals?-Vol. 2 Four Moan Howl
-Michigan Sasquatch Vocals? Vol. 3. What Do Vocals Look Like?
Monongahela
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Thoughts on the MN 2009 Howls Captured during a BFRO expedition by Andy P.
Originally posted on the BFRO's Blue Forum, the following is my October 14, 2009 response to AndrewP regarding the howls he captured during the BFRO 2009 Expedition in Minnesota:
There's so much going on in that first audio file that I wasn't able to get past it and on to the others this evening. But what I found in the file "MN09_01_09172009_Howlandwolves1" was well worth the effort.
I did some careful play back with good headphones and an audio analysis tool called "Sonic Visualizer". The software shows you a spectrogram of the audio as you're listening to it, and when visual cues are available, a lot more detail pops out of the recording.
I took screen grabs of the spectrogram and put them up at the links below. I edited notes into each image to indicate what I heard at each point in the audio file. Normally there's an easily visible "signal" just above or below the text I put on the image. But just to help, here's a little explanation of what I think each segment of the file contains (note, all of these images will look better if you click on the magnifying glass to enlarge the image).
Spectrogram 1 is from the first 6 seconds of the recording, and in it I can make out the loud howl of an unknown source, a quick bark-howl response, and the fading echo of the loud howl (an indication of the overall power behind the call):
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
In spectrogram 2 I can hear the wolf howl response to the howl(s) in the spectrogram above. The spectrogram also shows what appear to be harmonics of the wolf howl that run in sync, and at higher frequencies than the powerful base howl. But I think the interesting bit in this spectrogram is the second, faint ascending howl that appears at about second 10 of the original audio file. It's easy to overlook with all the loud howls in the foreground, but its there:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
In spectrogram 3 I can make out two faint but noteworthy sounds. The first is a distant, descending call. It's too weak to discern if its a howl, but it has some of that characteristic. It also a lot like an owl, so that's what I tentatively label that call. The second sound is very difficult to see on the spectrogram, and almost impossible to note in the audio without a spectrogram. It's represented by a faint point of reddish color just below the "f" in the phrase "faint wood knock?". That's what it sounds like to me, not unlike the wood knocks I recorded in August of this year:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
In spectrogram 4 we have a replay of the faint ascending howl noted in spectrogram 2 above. Sounds very similar to me, possibly the same animal. And competing with that howl, I can also hear the distant descending call from spectrogram 3, again. But this time its clearer, and doesn't sound much like an owl at all. It has more of a low, moaning howl quality to it in my opinion:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
In spectrogram 5 we have a repeat of the first howl on this recording from the unkown animal. This howl is loud, clear and powerful. I used the term gutteral (sp?) to describe the quality of the howl, which seems so powerful it has qualities nearly approach that of a roar. This is a spectacular call: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
And the final spectrogram, number 6, is the wolf howl response. Notice the harmonics reappear in this image, and note how level wolf's call is through out its duration. I've seen the same signature in several other wolf calls in these recordings (and others):
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
Hopefully ya'll find this interesting (I do anyway). And I'll be trying to do similar reviews of the rest of the recordings, time permitting.
+++
There's so much going on in that first audio file that I wasn't able to get past it and on to the others this evening. But what I found in the file "MN09_01_09172009_Howlandwolves1" was well worth the effort.
I did some careful play back with good headphones and an audio analysis tool called "Sonic Visualizer". The software shows you a spectrogram of the audio as you're listening to it, and when visual cues are available, a lot more detail pops out of the recording.
I took screen grabs of the spectrogram and put them up at the links below. I edited notes into each image to indicate what I heard at each point in the audio file. Normally there's an easily visible "signal" just above or below the text I put on the image. But just to help, here's a little explanation of what I think each segment of the file contains (note, all of these images will look better if you click on the magnifying glass to enlarge the image).
Spectrogram 1 is from the first 6 seconds of the recording, and in it I can make out the loud howl of an unknown source, a quick bark-howl response, and the fading echo of the loud howl (an indication of the overall power behind the call):
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
In spectrogram 2 I can hear the wolf howl response to the howl(s) in the spectrogram above. The spectrogram also shows what appear to be harmonics of the wolf howl that run in sync, and at higher frequencies than the powerful base howl. But I think the interesting bit in this spectrogram is the second, faint ascending howl that appears at about second 10 of the original audio file. It's easy to overlook with all the loud howls in the foreground, but its there:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
In spectrogram 3 I can make out two faint but noteworthy sounds. The first is a distant, descending call. It's too weak to discern if its a howl, but it has some of that characteristic. It also a lot like an owl, so that's what I tentatively label that call. The second sound is very difficult to see on the spectrogram, and almost impossible to note in the audio without a spectrogram. It's represented by a faint point of reddish color just below the "f" in the phrase "faint wood knock?". That's what it sounds like to me, not unlike the wood knocks I recorded in August of this year:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
In spectrogram 4 we have a replay of the faint ascending howl noted in spectrogram 2 above. Sounds very similar to me, possibly the same animal. And competing with that howl, I can also hear the distant descending call from spectrogram 3, again. But this time its clearer, and doesn't sound much like an owl at all. It has more of a low, moaning howl quality to it in my opinion:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
In spectrogram 5 we have a repeat of the first howl on this recording from the unkown animal. This howl is loud, clear and powerful. I used the term gutteral (sp?) to describe the quality of the howl, which seems so powerful it has qualities nearly approach that of a roar. This is a spectacular call: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
And the final spectrogram, number 6, is the wolf howl response. Notice the harmonics reappear in this image, and note how level wolf's call is through out its duration. I've seen the same signature in several other wolf calls in these recordings (and others):
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...feat=directlink
Hopefully ya'll find this interesting (I do anyway). And I'll be trying to do similar reviews of the rest of the recordings, time permitting.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Impressively Powerful Howls from St. Louis County, Minnesota
Late breaking update Nov. 20, 2012 ... The fellows who originally recorded the Minnesota Howls have finally stood up their own website, and given me permission to reshare the audio I received from them previously. Thus I rerelease this earlier post, first published on April 30, 2012. And I add this link to the new home of the original Minnesota Howls audio file: http://sasquatchresearchers.org/
Enjoy,
Monongahela
For the last couple of years, Mike Palecek has been recording night time audio in St. Louis County, Minnesota. On March 15, 2012, just after 4:00 a.m., his audio recorder captured the howls of four loud vocalizers as they passed through the area.
Upon first listen, the casual observer might dismiss these howls as those of a wolf pack. And such a hasty judgment would be understandable given the fact that grey wolves do exist in this region. But an astute observer will notice inconsistencies in the howls, characteristics that aren't typical of wolves, and other indicators that are commonly found in suspected sasquatch vocals.
Among those inconsistencies are the existence of vowel transitions. Most of the howls in this recording initiate with an /oo/ vowel (/oo/ as in boot). But as the howl ends it transitions to an /aa/ vowel (/aa/ as in father). This is not a common feature of wolf howls, but it is seen in suspected sasquatch vocals (/oo/ to /aa/ or /aa/ to /oo/), most notably in the "yahoo" vocal.
Other indicators to suggest this is a small group of sasquatch vocalizing include; integrated wood knocks, whoop vocals, pitch breaks and a single "moan" howl with attenuated fundamental frequency. And with close attention to the loudest howls, one may also detect a hint of the "brassy" or metallic tone that occasionally accompanies the voice of these creatures.
It has been widely discussed among researchers that sasquatch are adept vocal mimics. And a number of clips do exist to suggest they possess the ability to simulate the sounds of other animals, or even machinery. The very wolf-like nature of the howls in this recording would appear to be mimicry at work. And one could reason that mimicry of the local wolf population would be an effective subterfuge, allowing sasquatch to vocalize to each other, while not standing out too distinctly from the local fauna.
Enjoy,
Monongahela
For the last couple of years, Mike Palecek has been recording night time audio in St. Louis County, Minnesota. On March 15, 2012, just after 4:00 a.m., his audio recorder captured the howls of four loud vocalizers as they passed through the area.
Upon first listen, the casual observer might dismiss these howls as those of a wolf pack. And such a hasty judgment would be understandable given the fact that grey wolves do exist in this region. But an astute observer will notice inconsistencies in the howls, characteristics that aren't typical of wolves, and other indicators that are commonly found in suspected sasquatch vocals.
Among those inconsistencies are the existence of vowel transitions. Most of the howls in this recording initiate with an /oo/ vowel (/oo/ as in boot). But as the howl ends it transitions to an /aa/ vowel (/aa/ as in father). This is not a common feature of wolf howls, but it is seen in suspected sasquatch vocals (/oo/ to /aa/ or /aa/ to /oo/), most notably in the "yahoo" vocal.
Other indicators to suggest this is a small group of sasquatch vocalizing include; integrated wood knocks, whoop vocals, pitch breaks and a single "moan" howl with attenuated fundamental frequency. And with close attention to the loudest howls, one may also detect a hint of the "brassy" or metallic tone that occasionally accompanies the voice of these creatures.
It has been widely discussed among researchers that sasquatch are adept vocal mimics. And a number of clips do exist to suggest they possess the ability to simulate the sounds of other animals, or even machinery. The very wolf-like nature of the howls in this recording would appear to be mimicry at work. And one could reason that mimicry of the local wolf population would be an effective subterfuge, allowing sasquatch to vocalize to each other, while not standing out too distinctly from the local fauna.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Reoccuring vocal in Decatur County, Georgia
In March 2011 I was visiting family in Decatur County, Georgia, near Bainbridge. Always on the lookout for new areas to try and capture possible sasquatch vocals I took my recorders with me and over five nights of recording, I scored one great night of vocals. It included my first moan howl recording, with some good integrated wood knocks, a couple of multi-tone vocals and a nice series of whoops as the sun rose the next morning.
Nine months later, in December, a friend of mine was in north Florida attending the 2011 BFRO expedition. I suggested she check out the place where I had success with my recorder in March, and she spent 3 nights camped out and recording on her way home from the expedition. Happily, she too recorded some great vocals, better even than the ones I recorded. Her clip includes a moan howl, two whoops, some wood knocks, and a long wavering howl. But what's also notable in her clip is the voice of the main vocalizer. It sounds very similar to the vocalizer I recorded in March.
Here's a video-spectrogram that replays both clips and makes it easier to compare one clip to the other, while also highlighting some of the vocal features in each recording. I postponed publication of this post because I was just in Decatur County last week, hoping to record a third performance. But sadly that didn't happen, so there was nothing new to add to this video.
Nine months later, in December, a friend of mine was in north Florida attending the 2011 BFRO expedition. I suggested she check out the place where I had success with my recorder in March, and she spent 3 nights camped out and recording on her way home from the expedition. Happily, she too recorded some great vocals, better even than the ones I recorded. Her clip includes a moan howl, two whoops, some wood knocks, and a long wavering howl. But what's also notable in her clip is the voice of the main vocalizer. It sounds very similar to the vocalizer I recorded in March.
Here's a video-spectrogram that replays both clips and makes it easier to compare one clip to the other, while also highlighting some of the vocal features in each recording. I postponed publication of this post because I was just in Decatur County last week, hoping to record a third performance. But sadly that didn't happen, so there was nothing new to add to this video.
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