Fire Engine

[grimtraveller]

I used a crap microcassette dictaphone to record sirens (I think they were ambulance sirens) on the street once. It came out fairly average but it worked well in the track. I mixed it with my nephew crying when he was a baby (his mum had nipped out and he had 'separation anxiety'. I had to grab the opportunity for some sound effects so I let him cry for a few minutes !) for a suitably creepy sound.

I like your DIY approach. I read an interview some years ago with Dave Gilmour {it could've been Nick Mason} and he was laughing about a church building bells sound effect that the Floyd used on one of their records and he pointed out that they'd got it from EMI's sound effects library and he said he'd heard the same bells on other recordings by other bands. But this was before samplers (the only sampler around then was the mellotron !). Why just get a standard sound effects thingy or samples when you can go and make your own authentic recording/sample ? I dig digital and much about it, but sometimes it's very convenience and time saving can take the time consuming fun and satisfaction of the little kind, out of what we do.

 

[mjbphotos]

Record the raw sound - no limiters/compressors or EQ. Track as loud as you can without clipping and apply fx after.

 

[tc4b]

yeah, google fire engine samples. holy crap.

Where's the fun in that?

 

[tc4b]

Why just get a standard sound effects thingy or samples when you can go and make your own authentic recording/sample ?

Agree.




......

 

[ez_willis]

Where's the fun in that?

there's a million other things that are more fun than dragging gear around to stand in front of a fire engine to record a novelty track that MIGHT get used in one snippet of one song. and when people hear that they'll say, "what a crappy sounding sample that guy used and what a cheesy way to use it".

 

[grimtraveller]

there's a million other things that are more fun than dragging gear around to stand in front of a fire engine to record a novelty track that MIGHT get used in one snippet of one song.

Of course there are a million other things that are more fun than this, but it's still fun. There are a million things that are more fun than getting hurled through the stratosphere on some death defying theme park ride. But it's still fun. And people may just get a sense of satisfaction and achievement, even if the sound they record only gets a five second airing. The OP was inspired into action by hearing a sound and is following it up. Personally, I find that inspirational.

and when people hear that they'll say, "what a crappy sounding sample that guy used and what a cheesy way to use it".

Does that really matter ? What if people don't say that ? What if they said "Man, that sounds incredible !" ? Or if they said "What a crummy sample but I just love that song" ? Or if they dislike the song but love the fire engine ?
I must admit, I'm kind of surprized by your reaction. On occasion you tell people that what others think doesn't matter and why should one care what others think.

 

[tc4b]

there's a million other things that are more fun than dragging gear around to stand in front of a fire engine to record a novelty track that MIGHT get used in one snippet of one song. and when people hear that they'll say, "what a crappy sounding sample that guy used and what a cheesy way to use it".

Your idea of fun might not be identical to my idea of fun. Also, I didn't post saying "Hey guys, do you think this will make my music sound awesome!?" Just that I plan to do it, and am looking for anyone willing to help.

What the hell's the point in arguing over musical taste, anyhow?

 

[tc4b]

Of course there are a million other things that are more fun than this, but it's still fun. There are a million things that are more fun than getting hurled through the stratosphere on some death defying theme park ride. But it's still fun. And people may just get a sense of satisfaction and achievement, even if the sound they record only gets a five second airing. The OP was inspired into action by hearing a sound and is following it up. Personally, I find that inspirational.


Does that really matter ? What if people don't say that ? What if they said "Man, that sounds incredible !" ? Or if they said "What a crummy sample but I just love that song" ? Or if they dislike the song but love the fire engine ?
I must admit, I'm kind of surprized by your reaction. On occasion you tell people that what others think doesn't matter and why should one care what others think.

Thanks for putting it more articulately than me!

 

[ez_willis]

What the hell's the point in arguing over musical taste, anyhow?

first of all, a siren isn't musical. secondly, who's arguing?

 

[tc4b]

first of all, a siren isn't musical. secondly, who's arguing?

First of all, that's completely subjective. Secondly, you. I asked for advice about how to record a certain source, that's all. You're just being a naysayer, which I have no need of. Peace, love, and pizza grease!

 

[ez_willis]

First of all, that's completely subjective.

lol. a siren isn't musical, dude. it's a way to alert vehicular traffic to an oncoming emergency vehicle.

Secondly, you.

i ain't arguing. i'm stating my opinion, which in this instance is the absolute truth. but whatever, go record your stupid siren.

 

[mjbphotos]

Anyone remember the song "DOA" by Bloodrock? It had a siren at the end of it. Sound was so-so, but it was for the effect, not the accurate sound.

 

[grimtraveller]

lol. a siren isn't musical, dude.

From the Beatles authourized biography by Hunter Davies, 1968;
Many times the first starting point of John's songs is a basic piece of rhythm, then words are fitted to it so that the rhythm, which originally consisted of only three or four notes, can be gone over and over and developed, either in his head or at the piano.
One day down at his home in Weybridge John had just heard a police car going past in the distance with its siren shrieking. This consists of two notes, up and down, repeated over and over again, like a primitive wailing. The rhythm had stayed in his head and he was playing with putting words to it.
'Mis-ter, Ci-ty, p'lice-man, sit-tin, pre-tty.'
He'd got as far as trying the words in a slightly different order. '- Sitting pretty, like a policeman', but hadn't got much further. He said it would be a basis for a song, but there was no need to develop now. It could be dragged out next time he needed a song. I've written it down on a piece of paper somewhere. I'm always sure I'll forget it, so I write it down, but I wouldn't.'
He'd written down another few words that day, just daft words, to put to another bit of rhythm. 'Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the man to come.' I thought he said 'van to come', which he hadn't, but he liked it better and said he'd use it instead.
He also had another piece of tune in his head. This had started from the phrase, 'sitting in an English country garden'. This is what he does for at least two hours every day, sitting on the step outside his window looking at his garden. This time, thinking about himself doing it, he'd repeated the phrase over and over again till he'd put a tune to it.
'I don't know how it will all end up. Perhaps they'll turn out to be different parts of the same song - sitting in an English country garden, waiting for the van to come. I don't know.'
Which is what did happen. He put all the pieces together and made 'I Am The Walrus'. In the backing to the song can be heard the insistent rhythm of a police siren, which had sparked the song off in the first place. This very often happens. Bits of songs which have started off separately end up as the one song, when the time comes to empty his head and find a new song.
John is sparked off by rhythms,

i ain't arguing. i'm stating my opinion, which in this instance is the absolute truth.

Nothing is absolutely true,

If anyone's familiar with the posthumous Jimi Hendrix LP "Nine to the universe", there's a track on there called "Drone blues" and towards the end, Hendrix does some wild sound effects with his guitar, including making a swooping siren sound. But it's not out of context with the song and it is pretty musical in a free jazz kind of way. Jazz horn players have been making siren sounds from even before I was born.
Also, I remember nearly 30 years ago, while jamming with a friend (I was on bass, he was drums), another friend had left a little flanger around so I plugged the bass through it. I'd never seen one before and being youthful I had it on an extreme setting because then you could hear what it did. My ears at 20 weren't acute enough to pick up light subtlety and variation. We played for two and a half hours and towards the end of the first hour, I was playing the flanger pedal, turning the knobs in various directions. It made all kinds of wild sounds - including a very American siren like sound. This was '83. I still have the tape, somewhere.

 

[Greg_L]

Hey don't use my quotes out of context. I happen to agree with ez on this one.

 

[moresound]

Hey don't use my quotes out of context. I happen to agree with ez on this one.

But it is absolutely true.

 

[grimtraveller]

Hey don't use my quotes out of context. I happen to agree with ez on this one.

I know, I was having a little fun, it's the irony in me. To say nothing is absolutely true is in itself absolute.

 

[ez_willis]

To say nothing is absolutely true is in itself absolute.

record that then. the siren thing is ridiculous.

 

[moresound]

SHHHhhhhhh............ I'm trying to do that now!.!

 

[grimtraveller]

dude. seriously. this is damn near as dumb as that stoner guy that suggested putting microphones inside of drumsticks.

start at the top and work your way down. to the very end. hilarious.

That was a classic thread, especially the bit where he lands back on earth and apologizes for his folly. The funny thing was, he got his thinking backwards and had already been beaten to the punch. Electronic drums kind of settled his hash (no pun intended).
For me, recording a fire engine ain't dumb at all and can't even get close to the league of mics in drumsticks.
That said though, haven't they experimented with things like that in some early electronic and avant garde stuff. I wouldn't be surprized if Kraftwerk tried that - and got a result.

 

[ez_willis]

That said though, haven't they experimented with things like that in some early electronic and avant garde stuff. I wouldn't be surprized if Kraftwerk tried that - and got a result.

not sure. very possible. i bet they used a sample though.