Sounds were recorded multi-mic and from different perspectives, giving large variety for designing purposes. We used microphones with extended frequency range (Schoeps CMC6XT MS kit, Sanken CO-100k) recording on 192kHz sample rate, shotgun mics (Sennheiser MKH-8060, MKH-815T, Neumann KMR81/KM120 MS kit) as well as Trance Audio Inducer stereo contact microphone (which was very useful in noisy environments and which also has very wide frequency range). We used Sound Devices 702, 744 recorders with MixPre, Zoom F8 and Sony PCM D-50.

Sound are delivered as 192 & 96 kHz / 24 bit wave files with extensive Soundminer ready metadata.
Part of sounds is delivered as multitrack waves – PLEASE USE iXML LIBRARY OPTION in Soundminer, to use it fully as shown below:

If you don’t use Soundminer, don’t worry – sounds are delivered as multi-mono tracks and you can import and audition them one by one.
COAL MINE


Conveyor Belt – 3 files
Coal-Cutting Machine – 3 files
Planer – 6 files
Pump – 2 files
Rotary Planer – 3 files
Conveyor Chain – 5 files
Shearer – 5 files
Cement Mixer – 3 files
Coal Trolley – 3 files
Vantilation Fans – 5 files
Elevator Shaft Engine Hall – 6 files
Antique Huge Steam Machine – 9 files
Mine Elevator – 5 files

ZINC MINE


Underground River – 4 files
Vantilation Fan – 1 file
Diesel Loader Trucks – 51 files

ZINC SMELTER 1


Galvanizing Hall – 3 files
Foundry Hall – 8 files
Gantry Cabin INT – 3 files
Gantry Winch Engine – 4 files
Cutting Machine – 7 files
Hammering on Molds – 3 files
Grinding Mill – 11 files
Pneumatic Air Releases – 8 files
Mills – 9 files
Loader Truck – 1 file
Conveyor Belt – 1 file
Sand Movements in Pipes – 2 files
Lye Hall Machines – 18 files
Lye Hall Liquids – 5 files
Metal Plates – 5 files

ZINC SMELTER 2


Crusher – 4 files
Conveyor Belt – 4 files
Mining Shaft Engine Hall – 15 files
Mining Shaft Engine Hall Basement – Pressure Releases – 8 files
Mining Shaft Engine Hall Basement – Wooden Wheel – 5 files
Mining Shaft Debris Drop – 7 files
Freight Elevator – 7 files
Heavy Mills – 14 files
Liquids – 2 files
Metal Textures – 3 files

ZINC SMELTER 3


Train Car Reverse Machine – 4 files
Sizzling Parched Metal – 2 files
Hammering Machine – 7 files
Metal Cover – 2 files
Saddest Machine Ever – 7 files
Machine Hall – 5 files
Clods Falling – 3 files
Vibration Machine – 1 file

SCRAPYARD


Scrap Loader – 12 + 6 denoised files
Scrapyard AMB – 15 files
Crane Winch Engines – 8 files

TRAMS REPAIR WORKSHOP


Milling Machines – 7 files
Frame Saw – 1 file
Guillotine Shears – 7 file
Welder Generator – 1 file
Tram Electric Engine – 3 files
Huge Tram Gantry – 2 files
CNC Lathe – 1 file
Blasting Machine – 1 file
Ventilation Engine – 3 files
Compressor – 1 file
AMB – 1 file

TRAINS FACTORY


AMB – 4 files
CNC Laser Cutter – 18 files
Train Gantry – 4 files

STEELWORKS


Large Blocks Roll – 2 files
Hot Rolling Mill Engines – 4 files
Rolling Mill – 16 files

VULCANIZER


Pneumatic Servo Engine – 1 file
Pneumatic Air Releases – 6 files
Pneumatic Arm Movements – 3 files
Pneumatic Drill – 6 files
Pneumatic Lifts – 2 files
Pneumatic Hose – 1 file
Tire Balancing Machine – 1 file
Tire Grinder Drill – 10 files
Tire Washing Machine – 1 file

QUARRY


Conveyor Belt – 1 file
Dump Truck Belaz 51 – 43 files
Quarry Loader – 6 files
Crushers – 2 files
Drilling Rig Machine – 15 files
Wheel Loader CAT 972M – 34 files
Wheel Loader Stalowa Wola L34 – 53 files

Available soon…

Water is always very surprising sonically. Walking along the sea shore, which mostly was rocky, I found this great sound of water and air injecting between rocks, splashing and gurgling.

Later on I came back with my Sennheiser MKH 815 to record it. I found out there large variety of gurgles and bubbles. Using microphone foam came out to be a good idea for water protection, letting me to record very close at the same time. The splashes varied from soft to intense, some of them were also very funny sounding.

On the other day, I took my hydrophones and MKH 815 to record some under and over the surface perspectives. I was recording on Zoom H6. I really didn’t want my Sound Devices recorder to get wet and the opportunity of recording 6 tracks at the same time looked promising.

It soon came out, that wading in water on sharp rocks holding a mic was a bit challenging.
Waves were so strong, that I couldn’t hold hydrophones still in one place, not bumping on rocks. Below is a mix of H6 internal XY capsules and MKH 815, fading into a pair of JrF d-series hydrophones mixed with Aquarian Audio H2a (kind of LCR hydrophones setup).

 
The gurgles reminded me of a fountain I recorded some time ago visiting medieval palace garden.
I love finding and recording sounds with character.

Arriving to new places I always enjoy complexity of acoustics. Reverberation between wooden cottages, reverb in the forest, in gorges, sound in the open air mountains top is interesting by its own. I love software reverbs, but reality is far more complex and interesting.

Staying in the mountain village, few times I got up early to record morning atmospheres. Living for some time so close to the nature, I learned how different parts of the day sound. Crickets, bugs, birds and other animals have very apparent daily activity.
I hiked on the hill close to the village to record distant atmosphere. I enjoyed so much how this perspective sounded. Being sound editor I think it’s very important, to experience acoustics and sounds by myself.

Here is the village at dawn:

Sitting few hundred meters away from the village I was amazed how asynchronous sounds are in the reality. It’s always difficult decision to be real or to be “in sync” when cutting sounds for distant shots.

I did a lot of bugs life recordings. Often I recorded on two recorders: one with Neumann KMR 81 / KM 120 MS kit for wide shot and the second one was super close DPAs 4060 lying in the grass.

Morning meadow:

MS:

DPAs:

I did the same in the evening, recording distant village and crickets:

MS:

DPAs:

Second part of my vacations I spent in Polish Bieszczady mountains, which are I think the wildest part of the country. But even there during the day, every 20 minutes or so plane passes. Sign of times…
I took the recorder and DPAs almost everyday with me, getting some great atmospheres and bugs sounds.

Natural mic stand:

In August, I spent two weeks in beautiful places, having recording kit with me of course.
There is no better place to rest for me, than close to the nature. So we decided to go to the mountains.
I learn, that being involved sound editor, every year my listening abilities evolves. I am noticing more specific sounds for the places I visit. And there is no better time than vacation, when there is no rush, to focus on experiencing the world around.
Because I recorded many sounds which I would like to show, I decided to split it in parts.
So this post will be about some interesting sounds and objects, which I found.

First we visited Slovakian mountains. I took some recording gear with me.
Hiking through gorges I enjoyed acoustics of high rock walls. There were many beautiful mountain streams and waterfalls. Here are some sounds of it recorded with hydrophone.

It’s always so surprising to me, how much placement of the hydrophone changes the sound. In one spot so diverse sounds can be recorded.

And here’s one which you can download for free:

Another sound I will always remember from this vacations is the cable railway interior. I did one recording of cable railway before. I liked it much and was very curious how it would sound recorded with contact mic.

So here is two track recording of it: contact mic and DPA 4060.

And another cable railway recording from the past:

Up on the mountains, it was very windy. Inspired by Chris Watson’s amazing wind on wires recordings released recently by Soniccouture, I wanted to try to attach contact mic to metal towers. I found a few, every of them sounding totally different.

Some time ago, I did the same, attaching contact mic and hydrophone in suction cup to lighting tower when there was heavy wind. Absolutely loved that eerie and resonant sound (Left channel – Barcus Berry contact mic / Right channel – Aquarian hydrophone in suction cup).

On the mountains top, there were small mountain pines, which grow above some altitude. Since it was very windy and it formed an obstacle for wind, it sounded amazing. I putted a pair of DPAs 4060 into it.

In the village we stayed, everyday I was woken up at dawn by the rooster. But who would thought how this tiny one will be sounding when pitched down (you can download it for free too):

More sounds to come soon…

Recorded with Barcus Berry Plenar Wave System 4000 contact mic on Sony PCM D-50 (which was my main recorder at that times) with Sound Devices MixPre as a frontend.
You can download it for free, if you like it. Watch your levels when pitchshifting down, it’s looow.