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…

Recently we went to Łódź, city in central Poland, which was famous for its textile industry evolved in 19th century. In a beautiful former factory made of brick Museum of Textile is located, where weaving workshop is recreated and where you can see (and record…) old textile machinery in motion.

I took almost all my gear with me, since I knew there will be lots of interesting spots to put mics in.
My setup was: Neumann KMR 81 & KM 120 MS kit recording on Sound Devices 702, DPA 4060’s pair recording on Sony PCM D50 with Sound Devices MixPre as a front end, plus Sennheiser MKH 815, Barcus Berry contact mic and a pair of JrF C-series contact mics recording on Zoom H6.
Below are some sounds which I recorded there, full mixes as well individual mics.

Crochet machine. Idle and working.

[Mics order: FullMix, DPA’s, Neumann MS, 815, Barcus Berry, JrF’s]

Mechanical Looms. Narrow and half-wide.

[Mics order: FullMix, DPA’s, Neumann MS, 815, Barcus Berry, JrF’s]

Winder machines.

[Mics order: FullMix, DPA’s, Neumann MS, 815, Barcus Berry, JrF’s]

Directionality of MKH 815 is great for recording this kind of sound sources and gives large variety of textures.

I can’t imagine how insanely loud it was at those times, when there was hundreds of looms working at the same time in a factory. Those machines during their work look like living organisms with all its parts moving very fast (like 16m/s). The floor was vibrating so I placed contact mics on it.

Weaving workshop machines.

[Mics order: FullMix, DPA’s, Neumann MS, H6 XY, Barcus Berry, JrF’s]

At the end of the session I recorded this amazing small machine. It could be great source for small steam punk something.

[Mics order: FullMix, Neumann MS, 815]

How was I surprised comparing it to MKH 416 – it sounds very similar, is just a bit noisier (it has around 40 years…) and has a bit less lows. Comparing to MKH 70 is way brighter, but less directional.
Recording sounds in the middle of room, gives very close and dry sound. I just loved it.

Next to the recording gear, my another addiction is sound props. I always look for interesting sounding stuff. Recently I found this milk blender, which looked promising and was cheap enough to destroy it during recording.
Always after recording regular sounds, I try performing props interacting with additional objects. I found that it sounds cool when pressed to paper, fabric, nylon giving very diverse flapping, buzzing sounds, which can be controlled in some ways.

What always amazes me, is how small objects can produce big sounds.
Below are some sounds recorded two track with Sennheiser MKH 815T and JrF C-Series contact mic. I often record this way, which gives me richer sound and more options for designing.
Some are pitch shifted.

And here are some processed sounds, which shows sonic potential of those sounds.

Last time I bought Toy Piano and a Zither.

This time I found many vintage film cameras. The one I chose was in great condition and looked pitch perfect – it’s 8mm Revere Eight Camera.

Back home I found out that it was manufactured in 1940!
It winds with different speeds and makes interesting small clicks.

Knowing I will pitch it extremely I recorded it with Sennheiser MKH 8020 and Barcus Berry contact mic. Here’s how those two mics sound:

Here are recordings done with different film speeds, with both mics mixed:

Pitched down:

Pitched up:

And pitched even lower:

Recently I found this trick in Soundminer v4 (works in both Regular and Pro versions). You can go way beyond +200% speed, using + key. Spotting to ProTools doesn’t work above 200%, but you can record it with ReWire bus.

Here are +400% samples:

After recording normal work, I found that it makes interesting noises when shaked. Here are some samples pitched up:

[Recorded on Sound Devices 702 @192k with Sennheiser MKH 8020 and Barcus Berry Plenar Wave 4000 contact mic]

I was invited to took part in documenting art performance in public space by Mateusz Choróbski, during which planes passed 200 meters above the main street in city Łodź in central Poland.
I got permission to get to the top of the highest building on the street to record it.

As I was afraid, of course HVAC units were a problem, but I managed to find one spot where it was relatively quiet.

Before the pass, I recorded 21 storey top atmosphere.

And here is the pass: first Zlin Z-526AFS propeller sports plane, which was often used in aerobatics:
Neumann KMR 81 / KM 120 MS kit:

DPA 4060 stereo pair (different take):

And once again the same plane followed by PZL TS-11 Iskra jet trainer aircraft:

Later in the evening, I recorded some atmospheres of the city:

Leaving hotel before the dawn, I found this great sounding vending machine. Taking advantage of the opportunity that there was no one in the hallway, I recorded it:

And later when I went out to hotel backyard parking I grabbed this beautiful night city atmosphere:

There is something in night city atmospheres what I love. Tonality, diffuse distant sounds and specific reverberation. For sure I need to do more recording session at late night around my city.

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…