Rail Crossing Warning Systems

The weather was unseasonably warm in Minneapolis today. As I write this it is nineteen degrees centigrade (sixty six degrees fahrenheit) at 7:11pm on a usual chilly late October evening. Days like this require mates on bikes to meet outdoors to drink beer at undisclosed locations near bodies of water. On my way to such a location I was held up by a train and decided to record it.

By the time I had my gear out of the bag the train had passed, but the warning bells were still ringing so I walked up to them while recording. I’m fairly sure that these bells are not mechanical, or even analog, but here they are nonetheless with all the ambiance included.

Train Track Bells

Shingle Creek on Webber Parkway

This recording of the falls located on Shingle creek at Webber parkway was made last weekend on the way back from the Surly Darkness Day festival. My friend Kevin and I stopped during our bike ride back from the Surly brewery in Brooklyn Center where the event was held to drink a beer by the falls before crossing the Mississippi river at Camden on our way back to Northeast Minneapolis for dinner before riding to a campfire party in the Seward neighborhood.

At the festival we tasted many fine beers brewed by the renowned Surly Brewing Company and heard three great bands, including Guzzlemug, God Came From Space and Powermad. It was a long day, but well worth it.

Shingle Creek Falls

ACB September 2008 Sample Pack

Today, freesound.org approved my second sample pack, ACB September 2008. This sample pack is comprised of sounds found on AudioCookbook.org that were posted during the month of September, 2008 in the Share Remix Adapt category. I am packaging these sample packs on a monthly basis so that ACB readers have access to higher quality versions of the ACB sounds.

Each sound is uncompressed and available through freesound.org under the user keston in it’s original .wav format for free download and use in non-commercial works (I will most often grant permission for commercial use if you contact me in advance). If you make use of these samples please consider donating to AudioCookbook.org using the paypal link in the sidebar.

Night Sky Moon Painting

This spooky sound was created in Ableton Live using a variety of processing. The main device responsible is Pluggo’s Feedback Network. I ran a modulated synth pad into it, then removed all of the dry signal after automating several parameters. I re-sampled the results then pitched it all down two octaves being careful to filter out inaudible low frequencies. Finally, over the top I added a ping pong delay so the audio swirls around the stereo spectrum adding to the disturbing qualities of the sound.

Night Sky Moon Painting

Time Stretched 60 Cycle Hum

To make this sound I increased the gain on some 60Hz buzz that I grabbed out of a bass guitar recording. There’s no bass, just the hum of electrical interference. A lot of boosting was necessary to get an adequate level.

Afterward I time stretched the waveform by varying amounts at consistent time intervals and manged to create this rhythmic pattern. A touch of chorus gave it some stereo spread and a short delay put it into space.

Time Stretched 60 Cycle Hum