We found some Sound Effects albums the other day and were exploring the sounds that they collected.
Under Bells, we found bells from all continents and bells of all sizes, from small meditation bowls to bike bells to doorbells to large church bells.
Tibetan Bowls
Meditation Bowl: Sharp Strike With Long Ring Decay
Bike Bell: Multiple Rings
Door Bell: Long Hold, Ding Dong Ring
Church Bells
Church Bell: Multiple Restless Vibrating Hit Rings (version 1)
Camel Sound Effects
Camels
Camel Sound Effects: Group of Camels Make Many, Deep, Guttural Groans with Hoof Shuffles
Bat sounds could be part of your nightmares!
Flying Bats
Bat Movement Sounds with Dry Feet Slaps and Wing Flaps
Reverberant Squeaks from Vampire Bat
Bird songs from around the world. I often hear the Scops Owl at night, and it sounds like a rusty gate swinging. It took me a long time to realize that it was a bird.
Eurasian Scops Owl
Scops Owl
Blackbird
Frogs recorded in Hungary.
European Tree Frogs with choir of Fire-bellied Toads
Sounds made on Glass instruments.
Dramatic Violin Bowed Glass Music Theme
Active Glass Wind Chimes
Wine Glass Hit Once with Soft Mallet
And even a bit of weather to give you the shivers.
Howling and Whistling Wind Gusting Through Window
Four Rolling Thunder Claps in Succession
And then there are Cartoon sound effects.
Cartoon explosion
Cartoon FX Sound Effects: Flanged Cartoon Explosion
Cartoon FX Sound Effects: Slide-Whistle Does Pert Rise
And then there’s Godzilla! According to the history of sound, composer Akira Ifukube and his sound engineer first tried sampling animal sounds at the Ueno Zoo, but then ‘came up with the idea of using a musical instrument: the contrabass. He unwound the E string and recorded his assistant, Sei Ikeno, drawing his hands across it with gloves covered in pine tar. Sound technician Ichiro Minawathen manipulated the speed of the recordings, added echoes, and overlaid some of the animal sounds he had previously gathered.’ The roar was changed over time, speeding up, slowing down and then having other sounds added in, but it remains distinctive!
Godzilla, 1954
Sound Effects – Godzilla
Or perhaps, just a random dinosaur?
Giant Dinosaurs Single Footstep Crunch: Version 1
There are even modern sound effects, like the sound of a Tesla passing you!
Tesla
Tesla Model S Electric Car External Perspective: Passes by Left to Right at Medium Speed (version 1)
Sounds evoke atmosphere (especially the weather ones) and give us an idea of the world around us. Waking up in the morning to the thrum of rain is a perfect invitation to snuggle back under the covers. Waking up to birdsong can energize your whole day!
For more of the best in classical music, sign up for our E-Newsletter
