Introducing the Cjossul

Discover the wonders of underwater sounds with Organic Audio's flagship hydrophone

Mar 22, 2024

DISCLAIMER : This feature is not a paid promotional post. I purchased this microphone proudly from my own purse and have used this product extensively in my work to great effect - so much so that I wanted to talk about it and share it with you in this post!

Hydrophones are fascinating things.

Essentially permitting us to sonically explore marine environments - seas, rivers, wells, bathtubs (more on that later…). They work by hermetically sealing a contact microphone, made with piezoelectric transducers, and submersing them underwater.

Fizzes, glugs, swishes, bubbles, trickles and of course the wonderful soothing sounds of whale song - from sound design to immersive nature documentaries, hydrophones permit us to capture immersive aquatic sounds and textures.

Check out this wonderful video from sound designer Robert Dudzic exploring the multiple uses of the Cjossul - a quite fantastic hybrid hydrophone made by Organic Audio with a magnetic surface that also doubles up as a powerful contact mic - a very useful tool opening up a world of sonic possibilities for field recording, sound design and creative audio practice.

So when is he going to talk about the bathtub?!

Well, I’m currently working on a collection of sound effects exploring underwater movements and I’ve been using my very own Cjossul to make some very interesting sounds…

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Take a listen to this…

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Submarine? Ocean floor wreckage? Kraken?

In the world of cinema, with effective sound design anything is possible! What I can tell you is that this recording was made by myself using a Cjossul microphone and a half-filled bathtub!

How about this…

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This sound indeed started out in a bathtub, before being manipulated quite heavily using quite intensive time-stretching and layering techniques. It just goes to show the creative possibilities at hand with a great microphone and good dose of curiosity!

I caught up with Italian sound artist and field recordist Emanuele Pertoldi, founder of Organic Audio and creator of the Cjossul - who was kind enough to answer some questions shedding light on his artistic practice, his work and his connection to field recording.

Hi Emanuele! Thanks for taking the time to contribute to Sonic Tapestries. Let me start by asking what is the strangest item in your studio?

Mmm… difficult question. I’m reducing my gear drastically lately and don’t have much weird stuff anymore. Maybe the strangest ones are pieces of wood I collected from rivers which have a distinct note/timbre I use to play as percussion instruments.

Could you tell us a little more about your studio - what equipment or software do you cherish most?

I used to use lots of stuff but now I’m using mostly Ableton with a few external plugins like Acustica and FabFilter. Gear-wise I trust the Metric Halo 2882 sound card and the Sveda Dappo monitors. For jamming and having fun, lately I’m using the Boss RC-505 looper with few other effects. Slowly getting out of the Eurorack drug ahah!

What does the practice of field recording mean to you?

Field recording for me is a practice of presence in the wilderness. It’s an occasion to focus my attention on listening and through that practice expand the awareness of the place I’m immersed in, connecting to it without much use of the mind (possibly). It’s also a way to preserve the wild beauty of diversity which surrounds us. More time passes, the harder it is to listen to an environment without anthropic sounds, so I feel it’s important to keep track of pure and wild places.

What is your approach to field recording - do you seek to record particular sounds or do you prefer to wander, record and listen back in the studio?

I tend to follow the second approach. I feel myself as a wanderer of life, so also in field recording I like to surprise myself with what I found. This helps me stay active and focused on the surroundings and the present moment. Anyway, if I have to do a specific project or a commitment sometimes I go to seek particular sounds with intention.

I feel myself as a wanderer of life, so also in field recording I like to surprise myself with what I found.

How did you and Andrea Peluso, your research partner at Organic Audio, first meet?

Andrea and I met when we were young, around the age of 18. We basically met through music and started doing improvised live electronic music with other friends. Even when the project stopped we kept jamming together and seeing each other socially.

Can you tell me a little bit about Treeorganico - your project exploring the sounds of the natural environments of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region?

Treeorganico is a project where we collect sounds around our region and then compose music with them. We then also add some musical instruments like voice, flute, diy instruments, etc. After three years of work and live sets we finally closed our first album. Now we’re looking for a label which can support our project. We plan also on developing a more multidisciplinary approach to enlighten our diversity.

What inspired you to first work on designing hydrophones?

During Covid I had a lot of free time so I used it to study and design contact mics. I was using them in my artistic practice and I felt I could create something versatile and affordable also for others. Meanwhile, as Treeorganico we won an artist residency where I wanted to use hydrophones, so instead of buying them I tried to make them. Andrea enjoyed the process too and we started to produce them together.

Do you have plans to work on integrating other audio tools into your project?

Yes, there’s an idea of developing a simple semi-binaural system to record soundscapes. I've been using a prototype with great results for a while. Let’s see if the bureaucracy and Italian taxes don't kill us!

You must receive recordings from many people praising the Cjossul - I have one myself, it is such a fun and fantastic studio tool! What is the most innovative use of the Cjossul - either in the studio or in the field - that you have heard so far?

Thanks a lot for your feedback. It means a lot to us! The cool thing about the Cjossul I feel is its versatility. The limit is really just in the user since with it you can tap into infinite sounds. Personally, some of the most innovative uses have been to transform wild pieces of wood, trees, and so on as barebones musical instruments. In tree branches you can find hidden xylophones! Another cool use was definitively synthesising or processing natural occurring sounds. An example is Ghost In The Loop who just made a record starting from glacier sounds processed with a modular system.

If you could travel to record anywhere in the world - where would it be?

I would definitely love to go to primal forests and deserts to experience a real hi-fi scenario where you can hear them without anthropic sounds.