New Sounds from FreeToUseSounds

FreeToUseSounds is one of our most frequent and stallwart contributors and we’re delighted to be able to give you an overview of their latest contribution of 49 sound effects they’ve given us, which is packed full of diversity, quality, originality and, above all, attention to detail.

This sample of FreeToUseSounds’ work features their field recordings in Singapore as its centerpiece. Almost all of the ambiences included here come from there. What I really like is how so many different environments have been captured – from bus stations and bus rides, to markets, restaurants and a university cafe. The restaurant ambiences aren’t just the ones you’d expect either. In addition to those, there’s a kitchen atmosphere and a couple of recordings from behind the restaurant, complete with extractor fans and voices filtering out from the kitchen. There are recordings from Chinatown, Suntec City and Little India. I have always loved markets, particularly those where vendors cry their wares so check this one out.

There are also less location-specific rain ambiences and a variety of other interesting and inspiring sounds using unconventional microphones. There is a bicycle bell captured with a contact microphone, which I think would make for excellent source material for cartoon sound design, various electromagnetic field recordings of power station power supplies and street lights and also some hydrophone recordings. This recording of a pond pump really caught my attention. Although it’s slightly right biassed, it’s a great and unique sound with elements that reminds me of radio static.

The sound that inspires me most from this particular contribution is a contact microphone recording of a pedestrian crossing. Capturing such sounds in that way is something I had never considered before. It’s an excellent way to eliminate traffic noise and get a nice clear recording of the subject. Here it is.

This, along with FreeToUseSounds’ other contributions is very generous in terms of quantity and scope and we’re really glad and grateful for the chance to host their sounds. So dive in and remember this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot more where this came from on the FreeToUseSounds website.

You can check out all of FreeToUseSounds sound effects here on zapsplat via their profile, here.