Sound from a different perspective

Well I have found something really interesting. Another way of looking at sound.

Necessity is mother of invention :D

DIY windshield and deadcat for Zoom H1 

 

Recording Dialogue

I was looking at some dialogue recording examples and found  these:

Transformers movie

Dragon age Origins game

Mass Effect game

And for a little laugh

Battle Commands

Had a little look around and so far my findings seem to suggest that there is very little information on this topic.  Some sources suggest use of music instruments (horns, drums, bag pipes etc..) as well as waving standards or simple hand, sword, or shield movements combinations were more preferred (especially in large battles)  than actual voice commands. Main reason for it being too noisy on a battlefield.

"The first thing is that almost without exception, in c15th England at least, when battlefield commands are being relayed they are in the most simple terms and involve the Standards and trumpets.
To paraphrase 'they sounded their trumpets and advanced the standards'....So the first point is (in England) that I believe that the trumpet is the primary martialing vehicle.

There are numerous Medieval books on Hunting (Gaston Phoebus and The Master of Game being only two). Most of these detail very specific trumpet calls to signal the different stages of the hunt (chase, recall, the kill etc. etc.) Most are variations on a theme and work like a Morse code (using patterns of long and short beats rather than varying the pitch of the note)."

More info can be found on FireStryker Living History Forum  Historical Combat, Tactics, and Techniques thread

Knights

Medieval Knights

Armouring  one's self during the Middle Ages was a great expense that only the wealthy could afford.

http://www.knightsandarmor.com/armor.htm

A knight was armed and armoured to the teeth. He had so much armour and weapons that he depended on his squire to keep his armour and weapons clean and in good working condition.

http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/medknight.html

Armour

A knight wore a linen shirt and a pair of pants as well as heavy woollen pads underneath the metal-ringed tunic. A suit of chain mail could have more than 200,000 rings. However, chain mail was heavy, uncomfortable, and difficult to move in.

As time passed, knights covered their bodies with plates of metal. Plates covered their chests, back, arms, and legs. A bucket like helmet protected the knight’s head and had a hinged metal visor to cover his face. Suits of armour were hot, uncomfortable, and heavy to wear. A suit of armour weighed between forty and sixty pounds. Some knights even protected their horses in armour.

http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/medknight.html

Among the earliest metallic armour to be worn by medieval knights was chainmail armour, consisting of tens of thousands of interlocking rings woven painstakingly by hand to form a shirt, coif, or leggings.

Late in the Middle Ages plate armour began to appear (ca. late 13th/early 14th century), first as reinforcements to vital areas such as the chest and shoulders, and finally as a complete suit (ca. early 15th century). The medieval "knight in shining armour" that most people think of is the fully plate-armoured knight. Chainmail armour was now relegated to protecting smaller vital areas that could not be covered with plate armour, such as the groin and under the arms. The shield became smaller, or disappeared altogether as it became unnecessary and redundant.

Ironically, it was soon after the development of the full suit of plate armour that the medieval knight's advantage in battle began to wane. With the effective use of gunpowder weapons (ca. 15th/16th century) the face of combat changed.

http://www.knightsandarmor.com/armor.htm

Weapons

A knight's weapon was his sword, which was about thirty-two pounds. It was worn on his left side in a case fastened around his waist. A knife was worn on the knight’s right side. Knights used other weapons in combat as well. A lance was a long spear used in jousts. Metal axes, battle hammers, and maces were also used to defeat the enemy.

A knight also needed a shield to hold in front of himself during battle. Shields were made of either wood or metal. Knights decorated their shields with their family emblem or crest and the family motto.

http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/medknight.html

Medieval swords usually were made from a mild steel (low carbon steel). Most swords were double-edged, and featured a cross guard, hilt, and pommel. Apart from the sword another standard weapon of a knight was the lance. Lances were usually made of wood, with metal tips.

http://www.knightsandarmor.com/weapons.htm

Fighting styles/techniques

Medieval fighters artfully ducked, dodged, parried and trapped.  They used graceful footwork combined with equally graceful techniques.  Fighting styles differed because of the weapons and nature of combat.

Among them are several manuals of unarmed combat, as well.

Medieval man-to-man combat is a brutal science.  It uses techniques which are efficient and ruthless.  The goal to put the opponent down quickly.  A Medieval fight would be brief.  I doubt a combat between individuals would last more than 20 to 30 seconds, and that only if both were equally skilled fighters.  A fight between a trained man and a semi-skilled one would rarely last ten seconds, and likely be over in five. 

Medieval fighters strive for powerful attacks.  They do not use light techniques.  Every strike is made to do damage.  The power is needed for two reasons.  First, power puts a man down fast. Second, a soldier would often have to attack an armoured opponent.  Whether the armour was a leather jack, chain mail or plate armour, it took added strength to cause harm to the man inside the suit. 

As for defence, the main trick of Medieval fighters was to not be where the strike fell.  They would sidestep, duck, dodge and slip.  Backing this up were various parries, deflections and blocks.  A fighter would try to deflect a blow, rather than block it by catching its full force on shield or weapon.  Many a defences was also a counter strike.  Fechtbuchs show techniques that deflect the weapon and inflict damage to the adversary in the same motion.

The fighters might use shields or bucklers.  These were not passive weapons or a wall to put up against an enemy weapon.  Rather, they were used to deflect and parry.  The shield could also be used to jam, block, trap and strike.  In the hands of a trained fighter, it was as much as weapon as any sword or axe.

Looking at the real techniques, you see that they were very cunning and tricky fighters.  A man might throw his sword, and then wrestle his opponent to the ground.  He may use his weapon to trap, pin or hold an opponent.  Any part of the weapon was dangerous.  The blunt end of a spear shaft or the pommel of a sword was as much a weapon as the bladed end.

Medieval weapons were not sharp, in the modern sense.  Only the three to five inches by the point of a sword or spear might be sharpened.  The rest was dull, like a thin screwdriver.  A sharp edge would lead to chipping the blade, but the slightly duller edge prevented it.  Because they trained often, a Medieval fighter could cut with a dull blade almost as easily as with a sharpened one.  He could even grab the blade and swing the weapon “backwards,” as it were.

http://www.thortrains.com/getright/Medieval%20Combat.htm

Horses

A Destrier was a war horse which were used by Knights in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by William the Conqueror following his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. A horse played an extremely important part in the life of a knight.
The Destrier war horse had a dense rounded body with a broad back, strong loins, powerful hind-quarters, and long legs with dense bones.

http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/destrier.htm

1400–1500 fashion

Fashion in 15th century Europe was characterized by a series of extremes and extravagances, from the voluminous gowns called houppelandes with their sweeping floor-length sleeves to the revealing doublets and hose of Renaissance Italy. Hats, hoods, and other headdresses assumed increasing importance, and were swagged, draped, jewelled, and feathered.

As Europe continued to grow more prosperous, the urban middle classes, skilled workers, began to wear more complex clothes that followed, at a distance, the fashions set by the elites.

Fabrics and furs

 

Wool was the most popular fabric for all classes by far, followed by linen and hemp. Wool fabrics were available in a wide range of qualities, from rough undyed cloth to fine, dense broadcloth with a velvety nap; Wool fabrics were dyed in rich colours, notably reds, greens, golds, and blues, although the actual blue colour achievable with dyeing with woad (and less frequently indigo).

Silk-weaving was well established around the Mediterranean by the beginning of the century, and figured silks, often silk velvets with silver-gilt wefts, are increasingly seen in Italian dress and in the dress of the wealthy throughout Europe.

Fur was worn, mostly as a lining layer, by those who could afford it.

Women's fashion

 

Women's fashions of the 15th century consisted of a long gown, usually with sleeves, worn over a kirtle or undergown, with a linen chemise or smock worn next to the skin.

 

Men's fashion

 

 

Shirt, doublet, and hose

The basic costume of men in this period consisted of a shirt, doublet, and hose, with some sort of overgown (gown worn over clothing). Linen shirts were worn next to the skin. Over the shirt was worn a doublet. From around the mid-century very tight-fitting doublets, belted or tailored to be tight at the waist, giving in effect a short skirt below, were fashionable, at least for the young. Very tight hose, and long pointed shoes or thigh-boots gave a long attenuated appearance below the waist, and a chunky, solid one above. Men of all classes wore short braies or breeches, a loose undergarment, usually made of linen, which was held up by a belt. Hose or chausses made out of wool were used to cover the legs, and were generally brightly coloured. Early hose sometimes had leather soles and were worn without shoes or boots. Hose were generally tied to the breech belt, or to the breeches themselves, or to a doublet.

 

Gowns and outerwear

The Houppelande, in Italy called the cioppa, is the characteristic overgarment of the wealthy in the first half of the 15th century. It was essentially a gown with fullness falling from the shoulders in organ pleats and very full sleeves often reaching to the floor with, at the start of the century, a high collar. The houppelande could be lined in fur, and the hem and sleeves might be dagged or cut into scallops. The length of the garment shortened from around the ankle to above the knee over this period. The floor-length sleeves were later wrist-length but very full, forming a bag or sack sleeve, or were worn off the arm, hanging ornamentally behind.

More information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1400%E2%80%931500_in_fashion

Medieval castle interior designs

 Medieval Castle Building required higher levels of comfortable castle living - the interiors had to be designed to suit the Lords and Ladies of the land!

Changes to Medieval Castle Interiors

• The Medieval era saw improved tools such as the chisel, as opposed to axes, which led to more decorative designs and tracery skills reflected in the Medieval Castle Interiors

• Plumbing improved and lead was often used for the gutters

• Wainscoting was introduced - wooden panels were used to line the walls of a room replacing the whitewash of previous castle interiors

• Medieval Artists were employed - wall paintings covered the walls above the wainscoting.

• Interiors were highly colourful - gold paint was a luxurious item which was used in vast quantities.

• Fireplaces were a necessary feature of Medieval Castle Building and chimneys were introduced replacing the central hearths with canopies and escape louvres in the roof

• Thatching was still used for roofs but stone slates, tiling and plastered straw was introduced to reduce the risk of fire

• Additional interior staircases were introduced - many for the private use of the Lords of the castle

• Windows were much bigger, due to the introduction of the pointed arch which could support greater weight, allowing the walls of the Medieval Castle to be thinner with wider window openings

• Panes of glass were added, replacing horn or wooden shutters, and the interior of the castle became lighter and airier

• Glass windows were often painted with armorial designs - more interior design features!

• Kitchens were integrated into the Medieval stone castle - they included cooking ovens for baking and huge fireplaces for smoking and roasting food. They also had a water supply complete with a sink and drainage

• Cleanliness improved and lavers ( stone basins used for washing ) were provided at the entrances of the dining halls

• Bathing was usually conducted in wooden barrels but simply designed bathrooms were added in Medieval Castle interiors for the Lords

• There were many lavatories, called garderobes or privies, included in Medieval Castle interiors. The Privy chambers were positioned as far away from the interior chambers as practical and often had double doors added to reduce the smell! Chutes were provided for the discharge which often led to the castle moat. Privy seats were made of wood or stone

• A limited number of Carpets and mats were introduced to castle interiors but floors strewed with straw or rushes were still favoured. Sweet smelling herbs such as lavender, camomile, rose petals, daisies and fennel were added to disguise the bad smells of the castles which were prevalent due to the inadequate plumbing systems

• Lighting - Three types of methods were used to light the interiors of Medieval castles

1. Rush Dips - These were tapers made out of the stalks of rushes which had been dipped in melted fat and then dried. The rush dip was then placed into a receptacle called a 'Nip'. It provided a weak light which lasted about half and hour
2. Candles - candles were home made from animal fat. Placed in candle sticks they lasted longer than the rush dips
3. Torches - Torches were used to light the interiors of large areas such as the Great Hall
4. Lanterns - or 'lanthorns'. A candle was stuck into a metal frame with sides made of thin, transparent horns

http://www.castles.me.uk/medieval-castle-interiors.htm





ROOMS


The number of rooms in a medieval castle varied according to the wealth of the owner who commissioned the building of the castle.
 
The tower keep generally had two or three storeys:

• Ground Floor were a kitchen and storeroom
• First Floor housed the Great Hall (optional - would only be built if the location was of significant political or military importance and semi-permanent occupation of the castle was envisioned)  
• Top floor housed the Lord's apartments.

THE GREAT HALL - intended for the main meeting and dining area and used by everyone who lived in the castle. The Great Hall was a large one-room structure with a loft ceiling which was located in the Inner Ward. At the end of the Great Hall was the Dais which was a raised platform for the high table where the highest ranking Lord and Nobles were seated.

The Lord's family at first slept at the extreme upper end of the hall located beyond the dais. These sleeping quarters were only separated by a curtain or a screen. This sleeping arrangement quickly changed and private rooms were added to a castle called the Lord and Ladies Chamber.


THE LORDS & LADIES CHAMBER - or the Great Chamber, was intended for use as a bedroom and used by the lord and lady of the castle - it also afforded some privacy for the noble family of the castle. This type of chamber was originally a partitioned room which was added to the end of the Great Hall. The Lords and Ladies chamber were subsequently situated on an upper floor when it was called the solar.

THE SOLAR - intended for sleeping and private quarters and used by the Lord's family. Personal servants of the lord might often sleep in the lord's chamber on a portable pallet. The solar suite of rooms was extended to include a wardrobe.

THE WARDROBE - intended as a dressing room and storage room for clothes and used by Lord of the castle. This private room also became the storage room for costly, personal items such as jewels, coins, furs, spices, and plates.


THE MINSTREL'S GALLERY - intended for the Lord's musicians and situated on a raised gallery overlooking the Great Hall


THE KITCHEN - included cooking ovens for baking and huge fireplaces for smoking and roasting food. They also had a water supply complete with a sink and drainage. The kitchens were built against the curtain wall, in the inner bailey and connected to rooms called the Buttery and the Bottlery

THE BUTTERY - storing and dispensing beverages, especially ale.

THE BOTTLERY - intended for storing and dispensing wines and other expensive provisions. It was usually located between the Great Hall and the Kitchen. A store room for provisions.

THE PANTRY -  intended for the storage of perishable food products

THE STOREROOM Their were often several Storerooms in the castle often located over the buttery and pantry. Used to store non-perishable kitchen items and products.
 

THE CHAPEL - intended for prayer and used by all members of the castle household. The chapel was usually close to the Great hall. The Chapel was often built two stories high, with the nave divided horizontally.

THE ORATORY - intended for use as a private chapel. A small room attached to the chapel used for private prayer by the Lord's family.

 
THE CASEMATE - was a later addition to the castle and was a covered chamber for storing musketry or artillery.


THE MEZZANINE - the floor or landing between two main storeys


 
THE BAILEY/WARD - a courtyard within the walls of the castle

More information can be found  http://www.castles.me.uk/rooms-in-a-medieval-castle.htm




Medieval Castle Furniture
 
Initially light and portable due to the constant movement of the Lords and Nobles of the land.

Types of castle furniture:

• Portable Furniture
• Built-in Castle Furniture
• Everyday, utilitarian furniture 
• Highly decorated and rich furniture used for show

Medieval castle furniture was made from these types of wood:

• Oak
• Ash
• Elm
• Poplar
• Larch
• Beech

Items of Medieval furniture were covered in a variety of materials including:

• Leather
• Velvet
• Tapestry work

The portable types of furniture included:

• Beds and Pallets
• Stools
• Benches
• Trestle tables
• Folding chairs
• Chests
• Coffers ( Strongbox)
• Buffets
• Wooden barrels used as baths

The built-in types of furniture featured strongly in the Medieval Kitchens and included:

• Built-in Cooking ovens
• Sinks
• Fireplaces
• Larders
• Cupboards
• Window seats
• Wall seats

FURNITURE IN THE GREAT HALL


The castle furniture in the room called the Great Hall was centred around the dining arrangements. Individual chairs were quite a luxury and wooden benches were more commonly used furniture to sit on. Trestle tables were used for dining. There were some free-standing tables which were occasionally covered with a linen cloth.


BEDROOM FURNITURE FOR THE RICH NOBLES 
The base of the bed was made of wooden frames with holes in them. Rope was pulled through the holes in a criss-cross pattern which formed the base of the bed. A mattress was usually made of feathers and placed on top of the base. The bed canopy assemblage consisted of a bed head, or tester, rising to a suspended frame, which was covered and draped in fabric. The bed would have sheets, quilts, fur coverlets, and pillows. The whole bed could be enclosed by curtains.

 
BEDROOM FURNITURE FOR THE POOR

The beds used by the poor were called pallets or trundles. The mattresses were made of straw.

 
CASTLE FURNITURE IN THE WARDROBE
  
This private room also became the storage room for costly, personal items such as jewels, coins, furs, spices, and plates and therefore would be furnished with various chests and coffers

More info can be found http://www.castles.me.uk/medieval-castle-furniture.htm

Castle Architecture

Common features:

 

Motte - an earthen mound with a flat top. The excavation of earth to make the mound left a ditch around the motte which acted as a further defence. It was common for the motte to be accessed via a flying bridge.

 

Bailey and enceinte 

A bailey, also called a ward, was a fortified enclosure. It was a common feature of castles, and most had at least one. The keep on top of the motte was the domicile of the lord in charge of the castle and a bastion of last defence, while the bailey was the home of the rest of the lord's household and gave them protection. The barracks for the garrison, stables, workshops, and storage facilities were often found in the bailey.

From the late 12th century there was a trend for knights to move out of the small houses they had previously occupied within the bailey to live in fortified houses in the countryside.

 

Keep - a great tower and usually the most strongly defended point of a castle before the introduction of concentric defence. Although often the strongest part of a castle and a last place of refuge if the outer defences fell, the keep was not left empty in case of attack but was used as a residence by the lord who owned the castle, or his guests or representatives. The massive internal spaces seen in many surviving donjons can be misleading; they would have been divided into several rooms by light partitions, as in a modern office building. Even in some large castles the great hall was separated only by a partition from the lord's "chamber", his bedroom and to some extent his office.

 

Curtain walls - defensive walls enclosing a bailey. They had to be high enough to make scaling the walls with ladders difficult and thick enough to withstand bombardment from siege engines which, from the 15th century onwards, included artillery. Walkways along the tops of the curtain walls allowed defenders to rain missiles on enemies below, and battlements gave them further protection.

 

Gatehouse

The entrance was often the weakest part in a circuit of defences. To overcome this, the gatehouse was developed, allowing those inside the castle to control the flow of traffic. The front of the gateway was a blind spot and to overcome this, projecting towers were added on each side of the gate in a style similar to that developed by the Romans.The gatehouse contained a series of defences to make a direct assault more difficult than battering down a simple gate.

 

Moat - a defensive ditch with steep sides, and could be either dry or filled with water. Its purpose was twofold; to stop devices such as siege towers from reaching the curtain wall and to prevent the walls from being undermined. Water defences, such as moats or natural lakes, had the benefit of dictating the enemy's approach to the castle

 

Other features

Battlements were most often found surmounting curtain walls and the tops of gatehouses, and comprised several elements:

• crenellations - iternating crenels and merlons: gaps and solid blocks on top of a wall
• Hoardings - wooden constructs that projected beyond the wall, allowing defenders to shoot at, or drop objects on attackers at the base of the wall without having to lean perilously over the crenellations, thereby exposing themselves to retaliatory fire.
• Machicolations - stone projections on top of a wall with openings that allowed objects to be dropped on an enemy at the base of the wall in a similar fashion to hoardings.
• Loopholes/Arrowslits - narrow vertical openings in defensive walls which allowed arrows or crossbow bolts to be fired on attackers.

 

Development of gunpowder affected castle architecture.

Bigger guns were developed, and in the 15th century became an alternative to siege engines such as the trebuchet. By the 1450s guns were the preferred siege weapon. The response towards more effective cannons was to build thicker walls and to prefer round towers, as the curving sides were more likely to deflect a shot than a flat surface.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle