Recording the sounds for the SFX library, Shake Rattle And Rumble
Above: Screenshot of the tracks, in the Shake Rattle And Rumble library.
Demos from the new Shake Rattle And Rumble SFX library from SonicSalute. 110 tracks of pure shaking! by gimaudio
Story behind the creation of the SFX Library
Late 2011, I was contacted by sound designer Peter Albrechtsen from Tonemasters/Tonemestrene, who presented me with a new Danish feature called You And Me Forever, which needed a lot of different sound recordings done.
Peter always makes me think differently, when doing recordings for features and documentaries, and has made me a strong believer in recording everything I hear, big and small.He has the ability to use everything I send him, in one way or another. I truly admire him for his very talented approach on sound, and how to use sound as an effective storyteller.
Along alot of atmospheres needed for the feature, Peter asked more specifically for the sound of a building shaking, as it was being torn down by heavy machinery.
One of the end scenes in the movie, had visuals of the characters watching an abandoned building being demolished, as well as a scene where the characters only hear the rumble off screen, so I was in great need of something close to the real thing, as well as the sound of an interior building being shaken without telling what was actually happening.
What to do?
A few days later I was on a big ferry with my family, going to Sweden. Staying near the duty free shop, I suddenly heard what sounded like metal plates, and liqueur bottles vibrating at the same time. Below these sounds, there was a constantly deep frequency rumbling.
As the captain speed up, the ferries engine made the whole interior rumble like it was falling apart. I have been on this small trip many times before, but had never heard the interior sound like this (or maybe I was´nt listening the same way before).
I immediately knew that I had to get in contact with the shipping line who owned the ship, so I could record this.
A week later I was invited to board a late departure (as it would have fewer travelers aboard). The whole day had been quite windy, and as the evening came closer, the wind picked up even more. This meant that the captain had to use even more power to get through the relative small strait. This only made the sounds of the hull even more huge.
The need for these recordings from Peter, inspired me to do a whole sound effects library of nothing but shaking, rattle and rumbling sounds, so I began trying out different methods to get various object to make a sound as if a earthquake was happening.
Besides the ferry recordings, I recorded a van driving on a bumpy dirt road, and cobble stone. By coincidence, I also recorded road rollers outside my studio. They were flattening the road, which literally made everything in the house move!
You can see a video of that right here: ROADROLLER PASSING HOUSE THE SHAKES
1.Bumpy,and dirt road recordings. 2. One of two, DPA4061´s mounted inside the car for cobblestone surface recordings.
Methods and Techniques
Personal shaking:
Later on, I started thinking about shaking things around me by hand, and record this process. I actually thought that this would be as easy as just grabbing a drawer or a metal box, and shake the living out of it. I was very fast proven wrong at this.
Challenge number 1: Shaking an object, without it sounding too unnatural, or “human” is difficult. Keeping a certain rhythm is even more diificult.
Challenge number 2: Not doing the exact same rhythm is very difficult.
Challenge number 3: Shaking an object for more then 30 seconds is REALLY hard (by object number 2 or 3 is was already exhausted) (good workout though!)
Challenge number 4: A lot of objects does not sound very interesting when being shaken
Nevertheless I think I found some interesting objects for my “By-Hand” shaking recordings, and this group is also the biggest in the library with 60 files.
Subwoofer Rattles:
Next up I wanted something completely different sounding, so I went on with the technique of placing metal boxes, toys, plastic, wooden boxes etc. on a subwoofer, and then control the frequency of a sine wave in Kyma, with a Wacom tablet pen. (Thank you Jean-Eduoard Miclot who inspired, showed and explained me the technique). This way I was able to get a more subtle rattle from the things placed on the sub, and the track length could go on forever, without my arms and chest being completely busted.
Within the next 2 weeks, all metadata, uploading, and maybe even a cool cover photo ( 😀 ), will hopefully be done, and the sound effects library will be released from my site.
Shake Rattle And Rumble is going to be 2,3 Gb big, and Consists of 110 files, all 96K 24bits.
Recorders used: Soundevices 702, and Protools Hd
Microphones: Sennheiser Mkh 416, DPA 4060’s, and 4061’s
Tracks included in Shake Rattle And Rumble sfx library:
Hand shaking tracks
1. Person Shaking metal box with glass and plastic inside medium rattles
2. Person Shaking metal box with glass and plastic inside Loud rattles
3. Person Shaking basket with plastic toys Loud rattles
4. Person shaking wooden cabinet Pots and pans inside Medium rattles
5. Person shaking wooden cabinet Pots and pans inside Loud rattles
6. Person Shaking metal box with glass and plastic inside Loud rattles 2
7. Person Shaking basket with plastic toys Loud rattles 2
8. Person shaking cupboard on wall various objects inside Loud rattles
9. Person shaking cupboard on wall various objects inside Loud rattles 2
10. Person shaking cupboard on wall various objects inside Loud rattles 3
11. Person shaking wooden cabinet glass doors various objects inside Loud rattles
12. Person shaking wooden cabinet glass doors various objects inside Loud rattles 2
13. Person shaking wooden cabinet various objects inside Medium rattles
14. Person shaking wooden cabinet various objects inside Medium rattles 2
15. Person shaking wooden cabinet various objects inside Medium rattles 3
16. Person shaking wooden cabinet various objects inside Medium rattles 4
17. Person shaking wooden cabinet dishes inside Medium rattles
18. Person shaking wooden cabinet dishes inside Medium rattles 2
19. Person shaking wooden cabinet dishes inside Medium rattles 3
20. Person shaking wooden cabinet Pots and pans inside Medium rattles
21. Person shaking wooden cabinet Pots and pans inside Loud rattles
22. Person shaking wooden cabinet Plastic and wooden toys inside Medium rattles
23. Person shaking wooden cabinet Plastic and wooden toys inside Medium rattles 2
24. Person shaking wooden cabinet Plastic and wooden toys inside Medium rattles 3
25. Person shaking wooden drawer Glass bowl and small dishes inside Medium shaking
26. Person shaking wooden drawer Glass bowl small dishes and small plastic objects inside Medium shaking
27. Person shaking wooden drawer Glass bowl small dishes and small plastic objects inside Medium shaking 2
28. Person shaking wooden drawer Glasses and small dishes inside Medium shaking
29. Person shaking wooden drawer Glasses and small dishes inside Loud shaking
30. Person shaking wooden drawer Glasses and small dishes inside Loud shaking 2
31. Person shaking wooden drawer Drinking glasses inside Loud shaking
32. Person shaking wooden drawer Cutlery inside Loud shaking
33. Person shaking wooden drawer Cutlery inside Loud shaking 2
34. Person shaking wooden drawer Plastic paper metal inside Loud shaking
35. Person shaking wooden toybox with small doors and chains Loud shaking
36. Person shaking wooden toybox with small doors and chains Loud shaking 2
37. Person shaking big cardboard box Loud shakes low end
38. Person shaking big cardboard box Loud shakes low end 2
39. Person shaking medium cardboard box Loud shakes Medium shakes
40. Person shaking medium cardboard box Loud shakes Medium shakes 2
41. Person shaking small cardboard box with small piece of cows skin inside Soft shakes
42. Person shaking small cardboard box with small piece of cows skin inside Soft shakes 2
43. Person shaking small cardboard box with small piece of cows skin inside Soft shakes 3
44. Person shaking hospital bed Loud shaking and rattle
45. Person shaking hospital bed Loud shaking and rattle 2
46. Person shaking hospital bed Loud shaking and rattle 3
47. Person shaking bookshelf books and cds Soft shaking
48. Person shaking bookshelf books and cds Medium shaking
49. Person shaking Wine and glass bottles soft medium and loud rattles
50. Person shaking Wine and glass bottles soft medium and loud rattles 2
51. Person shaking Wine and glass bottles soft medium and loud rattles 3
52. Person shaking Laptop PC medium Shaking
53. Person shaking Metal ladder Loud rattles
54. Person shaking Metal ladder Loud rattles 2
55. Person shaking Metal ladder Loud rattles 3
56. Person shaking Metal ladder Loud rattles 4
57. Person shaking Plastic toy wrapping plastic toys inside
58. Person shaking wooden cabinet Plastic and wooden toys inside Single shakes
59. Person shaking wooden cabinet Plastic and wooden toys inside Single shakes 2
60. Person shaking wooden drawer Cutlery inside Loud single shakes
Subwoofer Rattle tracks
61. Subwoofer sinewave Leather shoulderstrap with metallic ends on metal tray Loud Rattles
62. Subwoofer sinewave Drinking glasses on metal tray Loud rattles
63. Subwoofer sinewave Drinking glasses on metal tray Medium rattles
64. Subwoofer sinewave Drinking glasses on metal tray Medium rattles
65. Subwoofer sinewave Empty metal box Medium rattles
66. Subwoofer sinewave Empty metal box on metal tray Loud rattles
67. Subwoofer sinewave Empty metal box on metal tray Loud rattles 2
68. Subwoofer sinewave Plastic toys on wooden tray Medium rattles
69. Subwoofer sinewave Porcelain on wooden tray Medium rattles
70. Subwoofer sinewave Porcelain on wooden tray Medium rattles 2
71. Subwoofer sinewave Porcelain on wooden tray Medium rattles 3
72. Subwoofer sinewave Porcelain on wooden tray Soft to medium rattles
73. Subwoofer sinewave Porcelain on wooden tray Loud Rattles
74. Subwoofer sinewave Porcelain on wooden tray Soft rattles
75. Subwoofer sinewave Porcelain on wooden tray Medium rattles 4
75. Subwoofer sinewave Wooden toy box small doors and metallic hinges Soft rattles
76. Subwoofer sinewave Wooden toy box small doors and metallic hinges Medium rattles 2
77. Subwoofer sinewave Wooden toy box small doors and metallic hinges Medium rattles 3
78. Subwoofer sinewave Wooden toy box small doors and metallic hinges Medium rattles 4
79. Subwoofer sinewave Wooden toy box small doors and metallic hinges Medium rattles 5
80. Subwoofer sinewave Wooden and metal tray Medium rattles
81. Subwoofer sinewave Wooden and metal tray Soft medium loud rattles
82. Subwoofer sinewave Empthy metal box on metal tray Single shakes
83. Subwoofer sinewave Empthy metal box on metal tray Single shakes 2
84. Subwoofer sinewave Empthy metal box on metal tray Single shakes 3
85. Subwoofer sinewave Empthy metal box on metal tray Single shakes 4
86. Subwoofer sinewave Metal tray Single shakes
Ferry/Road roller/Van on dirt and bumpy road tracks
87. Ferry in high seas Deep rumbling from hull Closeup panels creak squeak Bottles clink in kiosk Heavy vibration Faint talking heard sporadically
88. Ferry in high seas Deep rumbling and multiple bumps from hull Closer to bottles clink in kiosk Panels creak squeak Heavy vibration Faint talking heard sporadically
89. Ferry in high seas Deep rumbling from hull Closer to bottles clink in kiosk Panels creak squeak Heavy vibration Faint talking heard sporadically
90. Ferry in high seas Deep rumbling from hull and bumps Closeup bottles clink in kiosk Panels creak squeak Heavy vibration Faint talking heard sporadically
91. Road roller passing house and shutdown engine Interior recording Heavy shaking and rattles from walls and furniture
92. Road roller startup engine passing house Interior recording Heavy shaking and rattles from walls and furniture
93. Road roller startup engine passing house shutdown engine Heavy shaking and rattles from walls and furniture
94. Van driving on copplestone Engine on Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels
95. Van driving on copplestone Engine on Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels 2
96. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels
97. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels 2
98. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels 3
99. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels 4
100. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels 5
101. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels 6
102. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels Rolls into stop
103. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels 7
104. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels Rolls into stop 2
105. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels 8
106. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels Rolls into stop 3
107. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels Distorting mics Van rolls into stop
108. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels Rolls into stop 4
109. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels Rolls into stop 5
110. Van driving on a bumpy dirt road Speed up Engine off Heavy rumble Heavy rattle from vibrating panels Distorting mics Van rolls into stop 2
