It’s been ‘lively’ around my flat for most of the day…

As I’m currently undergoing some medical treatment I’m housebound right now….quietly listening to the world going on outside my window…

After pretty much a month in hospital, which of course meant no field recordings, I offer this as my first post of 2013! Various outtakes and noises created over the past few months before I fell ill…..

Here’s wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2013!

I thought I’d take the opportunity, as always, to record the parade as it passes the end of my street. This time though I thought I’d try recording it binaurally.

So here’s an 11 minute edit of various parts of the parade (which in all lasts around 45 minutes), completely unprocessed in any way, no EQ, limiting, compression, just my fantastic and ever trusty Roland R-26 recorder and a set of Roland CS-10EM binaural microphones.

This is an .mp3 of the original (and noticeably superior) 48khz 24bit .wav recording.

As with all binaural recordings this is best listened to through good headphones.

Here’s a little demo.

Approaching East Croydon from Victoria, wait, depart, cross fade into running.

Slam doors, Zippo lighter lighting cigarettes (?), Gatwick Express pass, squeaks, rattles, track and points. Windows open.

From the days when the passenger was deemed responsible enough open doors themselves, despite the handles being on the outside of the train, and carriages had windows that could be opened and closed.

Still as noisy today, but the sounds all the machines make are a little different…

I’ve found some fascinating old recordings this evening,  sadly on some very deteriorated tape, I’ll try to share more another time.

For me this is the worst part of the whole beach area… but the most convenient for an evening stroll.

Today was a windy south coast day, the sun broke through for a while and the temperature did rise, but this summer, all in all, has been pretty awful.

So I went wandering ’round Brighton, listening, looking and enjoying. I recorded an awful lot but most of it wasn’t new to my ears, or those ears which follow me here.

Here’s some excerpts from my day, sea, children playing, some amusement arcade and a flock of seagulls trying hard to spoil my enjoyment of the Olympic cycling on TV.

July 1st 2012

approx 10.30pm

the ATC is JFK Final Approach on 12.06.12 about 9pm BST.

Please make sure all electronic devices are switched off, your seat is in an upright position and the table in front of you is folded away…

02.15am

Carrer dels Carders 08003, Barcelona

Late night voices echoing around the narrow streets in Barcelona, this morning. Various languages being spoken.

The start of the day at the same location can be found here.

Recorded from my 3rd floor office window.

14/5/12  @17.40

Apologies for the lack of recordings recently, a heavy workload and a nasty virus to contend with!

Binaural recording.

18.00

27/3/12

Coughs, sniffs, newspapers…..the joys of public transport.

Roland CS10EM, Roland R-26, no processing.

Cars and a little birdsong.

Over 130,000 sound file downloads and nearly 130,000 visitors…I’m staggered and very honoured. Thank you all very much. The purpose of this site remains the same and I have no wish to change anything…I just hope that you find the sounds here in some way enjoyable and hopefully inspiring.

So today has been particularly busy, the start of rehearsals in London for Moon on a Rainbow Shawl and the first night for Two in Manchester…for me it’s been a 3 city day starting at home in Brighton and finishing in Manchester via London. I haven’t really had much time to record anything much, but this is my offering for today…

Sat on the Southbank outside the National Theatre before rehearsals begin listening to the birds crowing and cawing, the hum and general noise of the city in the background, sirens and a few passers by on this, a slightly windy morning at about 9.30am. Strangely this is the first recording made in London I’ve put on this site.

(The first crow sound on this recording was obviously the bird in question warning me of imminent danger, as the splat shortly after testifies!)

Here’s to the next 5 years…

Once again this was a simple point and shoot recording, I  just pressed the record button…

3/1/12 11.15pm

Happy New Year!

More and more buskers are opting for cheap battery powered amplification, why?  The beautiful acoustic sounds of the saxophone and unknown African instrument against the tinny sound of the electric guitar in this recording demonstrates this perfectly.

Brighton, Pavilion Gardens, 28/12/11. @ 2pm.

Some (worryingly noisy) water pipes.

This is a six track recording using the on-board XY and Omni mics and some Jez Riley French custom made contact microphones.

Once again this recording was simply point and shoot, with no post production processing.

Manchester’s German Christmas Market in St. Ann’s Square, 19/12/11 at 4.31pm.

An mp3 copy of the first test recording I’ve made using my new Roland R-26,

using both the onboard XY and Omni Mics.

In this mix the Omni’s are set approximately 12.5db lower than the  XY’s.

This is a straight out of the box, point and shoot recording, made whilst 

walking around the market between showers of rain. 

No birds, or animals were harmed in the making over this piece and no musical instruments were used!

Recorded around 6.30pm in North Manchester.

November 5th 2011