There is more sound around us than you think
Published by on June 19th, 2007 4 Comments »
Since getting my hands on the Zoom H4 recording device, I’ve been experimenting with recording the various sounds around me day-to-day. Ambient soundscapes, I suppose you might call them.
The initial idea was to use them as additional elements to a podcast. For example: I may discuss last night’s trip to Ikea, and so I would use a recording made there as an ambient background to that monologue. The theory is that it may add an additional dimension to the audio – on the other hand it may be simply irritating! I have recorded ambient sounds from my local shopping mall, regular coffee haunt, around the flat, even the back garden at different times of the day.
What I was expecting from this was nothing more than some background noise. What I have, however, are some intriguing and, to me at least, fascinating audios. By listening and focusing on only the sounds, the minutiae come alive. Subtle noises come to the fore, distant sounds from familiar locations which I’d not been previously aware of flow in and out of the scene. It seems that by cutting out the clutter of the visual, there is greater audio clarity. I suppose that makes sense.
My question is whether the amplified experience of these ambient soundscapes are a product of my personal emotional attachment to each recorded environment, or are they genuinely compelling as an auditory experience. The only way to test is to make them available for anyone to listen to and let’s see what comments, if any, are generated as a result. Should be an interesting experiment either way. What do you think..?
4 Responses to “There is more sound around us than you think”
The human ear (and associated brainial connnections) is a remarkable thing… it habitually clears away the detritus of environment to leave the focus of the attention.. something that an electret microphone just can’t do.
I took my H4 (yay! New toy!) into the back garden yesterday evening, and recorded the sounds of an urban June – the clarity of birdsong, aircraft flying and children probably mugging each other was so much greater when I replayed it in the solace of a hermetically sealed house (save for the 50Hz hum of practically everything, but mainly the fish tank)
That said, the industrial pneumatic drills are off again outside… no point in doing any recording right now!
I disagree… the drills are just as valid a sound as anything else. I recorded a road sweeper going about its business in our culdesac this afternoon: rumbles, whines, knocks and clonks. For me it’s all about authentic environments, whether (relatively) peaceful, or noisy.
I think this is a great idea, Neil. I’ve always been intrigued and fascinated by soundscapes. Every day sounds have a poetry of their own.
I’ve pointed it at before but do go check out the Quiet American. Very different, perhaps less mundane than Ikea, but nevertheless …
I suspect the micro-sounds of Ikea are infinitely more interesting than the place itself. I still believe it’s an evil experiment in social engineering.
Alex, thanks! I’d totally forgotten about the Quiet American. very cool stuff.