Recordings of background atmospheres and incidental noises from all over London. Many form part of a sound grid series recorded at evenly-spaced points across the city, each marking the centre of a square on the map below.
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Above: graphic based on a daytime satellite image courtesy of the Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. Each red grid square is 2.5 miles or 4 kilometers across.
File name: Beverley Brook Worcester Park
Grid square: Tolworth, Old Malden
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 12 November 2011
Time of day: 12.40pm
Location: Worcester Park by Green Lane.
Description: Loud traffic on Green Lane, faint chirping of sparrows, Beverley Brook trickles close by.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA2006C mics, Sound Devices MixPre-D preamp, Sony PCM M10 recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: Hogsmill Kingston Bypass
Grid square: Tolworth, Old Malden
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 22 October 2011
Time of day: 2.50pm
Location: By the Kingston Bypass near the junction with Elmbridge Avenue.
Description: Loud rushing of the Hogsmill as it passes over a weir, constant traffic noise from the Kingston Bypass, a bird calls.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA2006C mics, Sound Devices MixPre-D preamp, Sony PCM M10 recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: Hogsmill Old Malden
Grid square: Tolworth, Old Malden
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 22 October 2011
Time of day: 1.50pm
Location: Off Church Road, Old Malden.
Description: Distant traffic, birdsong, a dog barks, the wind stirs foliage.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA2006C mics, Sound Devices MixPre-D preamp, Sony PCM M10 recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: Hogsmill West Ewell
Grid square: Tolworth, Old Malden
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 22 October 2011
Time of day: 12.50pm
Location: Near Curtis Road, West Ewell.
Description: Trickling of a small stream as it runs into the Hogsmill, distant traffic, birdsong, a crow caws.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA2006C mics, Sound Devices MixPre-D preamp, Sony PCM M10 recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: Hogsmill Pack Horse Bridge
Grid square: Tolworth, Old Malden
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 22 October 2011
Time of day: 12.20pm
Location: On Pack Horse Bridge, King George V recreation ground, Stoneleigh.
Description: Quiet ambience with the wind stirring foliage, distant traffic, faint birdsong and voices.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA2006C mics, Sound Devices MixPre-D preamp, Sony PCM M10 recorder.
Additional notes: None.
File name: TQ 2043 6551
Grid square: Tolworth, Old Malden
Duration: 1:00
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 22 April 2009
Time of day: 12.30pm
Location: Kingston University playing fields, off Old Kingston Road.
Description: Birdsong, faint traffic noise from a dual carriageway a couple of furlongs due south, continuous humming tone from overhead powerlines.
Technical guff: Head-worn stereo. 2 x Shure WL-183 mics. Edirol R09-HR digital recorder.
Additional notes: None.
Sound map recordings fall into two kinds, shown by the filenames they're given.
A sound grid recording has a filename beginning with the letters 'TQ', followed by eight digits. These are the Ordnance Survey co-ordinates for where the recording ought to be made. Each is part of a regularly-spaced series of recordings covering London. More about them, including graphics showing the resulting city-wide patterns of sounds, can be found on this page.
Other recordings have more descriptive filenames and these are simply of curious or distinctive sounds heard in different places.