Mystery Sound {+ recording} at { sound + design }

Mystery Sound {+ recording}

20Oct10

Can you guess what this sound is?

A few weeks back I had an amazing recording experience in the Timbavati Game Reserve. I absolutely love this sound. I think experiencing it in person played a huge role in me falling for this sound. Once you know what it is, it becomes quite eerie.

I haven’t done anything to the sound, no EQ, no compression, nothing. Listen to the low rumble – insane. It gets really exciting from 40 seconds onwards.

Enough said, have a guess as to what the sound is and post your answer in the comments. If you listen carefully it’s actually quite obvious.

Mystery Sound by SoundPlusDesign recorded on Sound Devices 702 + MKH 418s

Filed under: field recording | 18 Comments

18 Responses to “Mystery Sound {+ recording}”

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1 Rob on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

Geez dude, Im gonna have to go with a Hippo. Are you near water? and What was all the action at around 40 sec?
2 Andrew Spitz on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

Not a hippo, and not close to water
3 Rob on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

Ok, so Im pretty sure its not a wild cat or a rhino. Im gonna go with a buffalo
4 headfirst on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

It’s the sound of a baby springbok in the belly of a python sliding past a microphone in the rain.
5 alex laing on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

A toad?
6 Steve Urban on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

Yeah, that sounds like buffalo/bison to me.
7 Flo on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

I think i know but i’m not sure. Is this the sound of trees in the wind with creaking wood ?
8 Joel on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

Sounds like a herd of buffalo or some similar creature passing by…
9 Andrew Spitz on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

I’ll wait a little longer and see what others say… any other ideas?
10 Flo on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

Ok i think I went a little too far there
11 Jean-Edouard Miclot on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

Same as Flo: sound of trees in the wind with creaking wood ?
12 Mike on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

bullfrog
13 Scott McGregor on Oct 20th, 2010 said:

hi Andrew, just found this site right now. signed up immediatly its great.

my guess is a stampede of wilderbeast/buffolow? with the trees and grass blowing in the breeze?
14 sixnon on Oct 21st, 2010 said:

it’s frogs in an environment with principle sound being a snake, i imagine on his way to find a frog!
15 Andrew Spitz on Oct 21st, 2010 said:

There’s definitely correct answers here… I’ll give the answer in my next blog post
16 Duncan on Oct 22nd, 2010 said:

Cattle!