As an investigation into alternatives to the predominant assumptions of conventional audio recording, the described research has sought to explore how field-recording of very large outdoor acoustic environments might be achieved. This was accomplished through real-time multi-channel recording from multiple locations using several surround microphone arrays, synchronized with wireless broadcast of conventional timecode. Such locations were as large as a half-mile in diameter. The resultant recordings of extended sound-fields represent complex auditory networks that are otherwise impossible for normal human perception to experience. The applicable technical details are outlined and several examples of their deployment put forth. Contrasting considerations for the application of these recording techniques to predominantly non-human versus anthropocentric sound environments are discussed. While this paper largely constitutes a report on preliminary investigations, it necessitates a broader discussion beyond its technical methods. A variety of aesthetic, perceptual, and scientific implications (including both explored and potential analytical methods) are presented as are strategies for multi-channel playback of the resultant recordings in installation venues or as binaurally encoded audio for headphone monitoring. 

https://osf.io/9tz2w/