Oh, the background noises!

Alitheia · Post by **Alitheia** » December 2nd, 2016, 11:27 am

I suppose this isn't entirely off-topic, but this seemed like the best forum thread to put my thoughts.

I'm new to Librivox, and am really loving my new hobby

I'm learning new things every day, and one of the biggest surprises for me was (and continues to be) the sheer amount of background noises at my home. I'm pretty noise sensitive as it is, but I never realized just how much noise there is all day.

Here's just a short list of sounds that have attempted to thwart my recordings:

- Construction noise (the folks in the building across from us have been remodeling their patio/swimming pool for the past month or so, which included lots of jackhammering in the beginning, and lately they've been grinding concrete I think).
- Our fridge... I've had to resort to unplugging it for short periods of time

- Various helicopters and small aircraft
- Dogs barking outside
- Ambulance/police sirens
- The train honking on its way through town
- Our pets snoring
- And today: our fireplace flue rattling (it's a windy day).

I just found out that our neighbors are about to begin an extensive (and, no doubt, noisy) remodel of their apartment. I can't wait

Is anyone else as amused by their "surround-sound" as I am?

carteki · Post by **carteki** » December 2nd, 2016, 12:30 pm

Yep.pretty much what I have here.
Oh, remember to turn the fridge back on... We've all forgotten at some time.
Kim

SweetPea · Post by **SweetPea** » December 2nd, 2016, 1:09 pm

For me:
- The fridge - my greatest enemy! My desk is right next to it, and I used to just keep recording when it turned on but now I've decided I don't want to apply that much noise reduction - so I've taken to having a file for proof-listening open while I record, and I PL while I'm waiting for the fridge to turn off

It's much too tight a squeeze behind my desk to be unplugging the fridge every day

- The heating system - now that it's winter here it seems to start up just as soon as the fridge turns off!
- Siblings - who seem to know exactly when I'm recording so they can stomp their feet or bounce balls right above me.

I usually record in the basement, so I don't have as much of a problem with noises from outdoors.

SonOfTheExiles · Post by **SonOfTheExiles** » December 2nd, 2016, 3:24 pm

Some background noises are freakier than others.

Take our fine feathered friends, for examples: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=55256&p=1088211&hilit=Lyrebirds#p1088211

Alitheia · Post by **Alitheia** » December 3rd, 2016, 7:06 pm

Kim, yeah, I think I might develop a new phobia -- not: "Did I turn the stove off?" but "Did I plug the fridge back in?"

Rachel, my own fridge isn't *right* next to me, but it's just a few steps. It seems to always turn on whenever everything else has quieted down

But I'm onto it now, hah. I feel your pain, for sure!

SweetPea wrote:The heating system - now that it's winter here it seems to start up just as soon as the fridge turns off!

Why yes, probably because the heater nicely heats everything up and so the fridge goes, "Oy, time to cool things off again!" lol

And Son of the Exiles, wow! I absolutely love your Lyrebird recording. I had the biggest grin on my face as I was listening to them. Thank you so much for sharing

Our downstairs neighbors have now begun the reconstructive hammering

SonOfTheExiles · Post by **SonOfTheExiles** » December 4th, 2016, 2:31 am

Didn't one of our readers do a comedy routine on noise interruptions for the 10th anniversary podcast?

Would anyone happen to know where that is these days?

Son of the Exiles

Alitheia · Post by **Alitheia** » December 4th, 2016, 12:05 pm

SonOfTheExiles wrote:Didn't one of our readers do a comedy routine on noise interruptions for the 10th anniversary podcast?
Would anyone happen to know where that is these days?

This made me think of this little podcast... it wasn't a comedy routine, just a sound snippet collection of readers being interrupted by background noise (or tripping over the text). It was one of the first things I listened to after finding LibriVox, and I was quite amused

Now I see that it was you who posted it... small world, isn't it

Edit: Oops, forgot the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWEePTAFZk0

commonsparrow3 · Post by **commonsparrow3** » December 4th, 2016, 12:08 pm

SonOfTheExiles wrote:Didn't one of our readers do a comedy routine on noise interruptions for the 10th anniversary podcast?

Would anyone happen to know where that is these days?

Son of the Exiles

The 10th Anniversary Podcast is here:
https://ia600903.us.archive.org/8/items/librivox_community_2013/librivox_community_podcast_140.mp3

The "blooper thread" begins at 5:04, and includes a number of "strange sounds" interruptions, among other bloopers. That's followed at 6:33 by chocoholic's comic "interruptions" routine.

05:04 So you think recording is straightforward…
06:33 Laurie Anne (chocoholic): the tribulations of recording with dogs and children around.

tony123 · Post by **tony123** » December 4th, 2016, 12:38 pm

It doesn't happen that often, but a surveillance helicopter can be loads of fun! It comes and goes in a circular pattern getting closer, then farther away, then closer.

SonOfTheExiles · Post by **SonOfTheExiles** » December 4th, 2016, 1:13 pm

What, that wascally wabbit's got a chopper now to make his right turns with, Tony?

SOTE

carteki · Post by **carteki** » December 4th, 2016, 1:50 pm

Listening to clips in the bloopers thread (off topic) and one has a snowblower starting up!

Post by **annise** » December 4th, 2016, 3:08 pm

The podcasts are linked on a wiki page http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Podcast_Links_and_Signup

Anne