Following on from part 1 of this series reviewing the complete collection of sound effect libraries we covered Rockets. So moving on we are taking a look at the next two collections, Small Motors & Hydrophonics.
Michael has put together a very comprehensive collection of electric devices with small motors like coffee grinders, food mixers, electric drills and saws that click, whirr, buzz, grind round & round. He has provided 3 different options for each device, short, medium and long bursts as well as different mics, a Schoeps MK4+MK8 combo, MKH 60, and DPA 4060, which for the most part I preferred. I was amazed by the difference in sound between the different mic combinations and its great to make the different options. He also includes a folder of pictures so you can see what each device looks like.
The centrepiece of this collection is a 3D printer used for rapid prototyping from CAD drawings. I have to say the 3D printer makes some very strange sounds but I can them being used for completely different applications too and Michael recoded it with a range of different mics including a DPA4060 ‘on board’.
My only disappointment was that the drill and saws which didn’t seem to be recorded under load, i.e. cutting anything so the continuous run was at a fairly static pitch where as in use, under load the pitch would change so you would need to use some vari-speed pitch shifting to use these sounds if you need them under load. That said the kitchen appliances in this collection are my favourite.
REA002 - Small Motors - 24 Bit 96 kHz | over 700 sounds | 1.27 GB download | file listing
Price - $50 - for a single user license. If you are a multi-user site then contact Michael and he will provide you an invidual quote.
Recording under water is incredibly hard to do well and Michael has taken a lot of care to get a very wide range of water related sounds recorded from an under water perspective. be aware that most of these recordings are in mono but I guess stereo doesn’t tend to work too well Although I would be interested in what the underwater equivalent of spaced omnis would sound like.
Over 3 months he took his hydrophones all over recording a fantastic array of sounds inkling a variety of waterfalls, ocean, scuba diving in a pool, and I guess he had some fun doing cannonballs into swimming pools. Then there are some boats passing both small and large and the you can really hear the propellors screwing their way through the water on the large ship passing track.
Next he has a range of props he has recorded under water like aerosols and steam cleaners and captured the sound they make, that could have all sorts of applications, through to toy boats and finishing up with the sound of a bath or tub from an underwater perspective.
I find all these sounds fasinating to listen to as it is a sonic view we rarely get to hear, even naturally, never mind caputured so well with hydrophones. If you need under water sounds then this library will save you so much grief trying to do it yourself.
Michael isn’t scared to be adventrous and spend time captures sounds that may not have an immediate application, for for sound designers these sounds are a superb resource.
REA003 - Hydrophonic - 24 Bit 96 kHz | 116 WAV files | 1.45 GB download |file listing
Price - $50 - for a single user license. If you are a multi-user site then contact Michael and he will provide you an invidual quote.