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.
Filename: River Lea Enfield Lock
Duration: 1:00
Grid square: Turkey Street, Enfield Lock
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 6 January 2012
Time of day: 3.45pm
Location: Enfield Lock, north London.
Description: Loud rushing of water pouring through a gap in the lock gates, thumping noises as two cars in succession drive over a metal plate in the road, cooing of pigeons.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA 2006C mics, Sound Devices MixPre-D preamp, Sony PCM M10 recorder.
Additional notes: None.
Filename: New River Turkey Brook
Duration: 1:00
Grid square: Turkey Street, Enfield
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 3 September 2011
Time of day: 7.25pm
Location: North of the London Loop path, near Turkey Street, north London.
Description: Water splashes from a drain into the Turkey Brook where it runs in a channel by the New River.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA 2006C mics, Sound Devices MixPre-D preamp, Sony PCM M10 recorder.
Additional notes: None.
Filename: New River Maidens Bridge
Duration: 1:00
Grid square: Turkey Street, Enfield
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 3 September 2011
Time of day: 7.15pm
Location: Near Maiden's Bridge, west of Turkey Street, north London.
Description: Sound of part of the New River rushing along a covered culvert, recorded above an opening set in the ground.
Technical guff: Headworn stereo. 2 x DPA 2006C mics, Sound Devices MixPre-D preamp, Sony PCM M10 recorder.
Additional notes: None.
Filename: TQ 3627 9963
Duration: 1:00
Grid square: Turkey Street, Enfield Lock
Recorded by: IM Rawes
Recording date: 21 April 2009
Time of day: 3.30pm
Location: A small field and recreation ground abutting Painters Lane footpath, a few score yards south of Mollison Avenue.
Description: Against a backdrop of traffic noise from Mollison Avenue dual carriageway, a group of boys play football and lark about in the field. A girl hurries past and exclaims something in what may be an East European language.
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.