Public Hearing

One Square Inch of Silence is the quietest place in the United States.

One Square Inch of Silence was designated on Earth Day 2005 (April 22, 2005) to protect and manage the natural soundscape in Olympic Park’s backcountry wilderness. The logic is simple; if a loud noise, such as the passing of an aircraft, can impact many square miles, then a natural place, if maintained in a 100% noise-free condition, will also impact many square miles around it. It is predicted that protecting a single square inch of land from noise pollution will benefit large areas of the park.

Local radio proves a lifeline in Haiti

2010-01-20T22:01:00.001-06:00

from PRI's The World

Communications are still disrupted in Haiti, hampering relief efforts. Cell phone service, is, however, slowly being restored, as are Internet connections. But in the aftermath of the earthquake, many Haitians have turned to local radio as a way to get, and share, information. We hear from Mario Viau, director of SignalFM in Port-au-Prince, which has somehow managed to keep broadcasting, on the airwaves and online, since the earthquake struck.

Acoustic Levitation Chamber

2010-01-20T21:56:00.002-06:00

by Dr. David Deak:

This is an acoustic levitation chamber I designed and built in 1987 as a micro-gravity experiment for NASA related subject matter.
The 12 inch cubed plexiglas Helmholtz Resonant Cavity has 3 speakers attached to the cube by aluminium acoustic waveguides.
By applying a continuous resonant(600Hertz) sound wave, and by adjusting the amplitude and phase relationship amongst the 3 speakers; I was able to control levitation and movement in all 3 (x,y,z) axis of the ambient space.

Seed Magazine segment on Acoustic Ecology

2010-01-10T19:09:00.000-06:00

Seed Magazine segment on Acoustic Ecology

Peoples Temple Radio Codebook

2010-01-04T00:26:00.000-06:00

Peoples Temple used coded messages in shortwave broadcasts between Jonestown, Georgetown and San Francisco, in part to circumvent FCC regulations on conducting business over amateur airwaves. In the first section of codes, for example, Peoples Temple cloaked its legal discussions – which were not permitted under its HAM radio license – with references to medical procedures.

To ensure that different radio operators understood each other, the Temple created a code book of aliases and cryptic phrases, the contents of which are published below.

Rorschach Audio and the Cemetery of Sound - Electronic Voice Phenomena and Sonic Archives by Joe Banks

2009-12-14T01:38:00.001-06:00

For those who may not be aware, Electronic Voice Phenomena are a class of allegedly "mysterious" vocal recordings, and while several explanations have been proposed to explain the origin of these sounds, the majority of EVP researchers believe that their recordings constitute evidence of contact with the afterlife. In other words most EVP researchers believe that it is possible, using various radio and electrical engineering techniques, to literally record the voices of ghosts.

The Real Story Behind Britain's Rock 'N' Roll Pirates

2009-11-16T00:50:00.003-06:00

from NPR

Richard Curtis, director of the new film Pirate Radio, which is based on these events, was an 8-year-old boy confined to a posh boarding school when he first heard the broadcasts. While he wasn't allowed to listen to music during the day, he remembers hiding a radio under his covers at night .

SURROUND SOUND

2009-11-16T00:45:00.000-06:00

Surround sound is a very broad term that covers many different audio configurations. The number of channels and the placement of the speakers vary with each format. 5.1 is the most common, but other types include many more channels and can even reproduce the experience of height. The future will very likely bring new formats and applications of the surround experience, such as the highly versatile format of 10.2.

Spooky Tesla Spirit Radio

2009-10-31T13:52:00.000-05:00

The Spooky Tesla Spirit Radio is a crystal radio circuit in a jam-jar. It makes awesome spooky sounds when it responds to electromagnetic fields or light sources. This non-powered radio plugs into the computer sound-in jack, and makes use of audio software for real time sound effects.

An archaeological study of chirped echo from the Mayan pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza

2009-10-27T16:08:00.001-05:00

by David Lubman

What is very interesting is that the chirped echo sounds arguably like the primary call of the Mayan sacred bird, the resplendent Quetzal.

Julian Treasure: The 4 ways sound affects us

2009-10-16T10:38:00.000-05:00

Independent Radio Astronomer Thomas Ashcraft Captures Celestial Signatures

2009-10-05T09:20:00.001-05:00

Artist and independent scientist, Thomas Ashcraft, moves easily between observing and sculpting microscopic terrestrial realms while recording and documenting celestial spheres.

The Long Range Acoustic Device

2009-09-25T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Long Range Acoustic Device™ (LRAD®) is a highly directional acoustic array that is designed for long-range communication and unmistakable warning. The LRAD device can issue a verbal warning and has the capability of following up with a deterrent tone to influence behavior or determine intent.

Phone Recording Archive

2009-09-17T17:15:00.001-05:00

Here are a bunch of phone company recordings that I have recorded off of my phone.

PALAOA - Transmitting live from the Ocean below the Antarctic Ice

2009-09-17T17:12:00.000-05:00

You can listen to the underwater sound of the Antarctic Ocean with a delay of a few seconds here.

Western Soundscape Archive

2009-09-17T17:06:00.001-05:00

The Western Soundscape Archive (WSA) recognizes the vital connection between places and their soundscapes and features audio recordings of animals and environments throughout the western United States

Recording the sounds of the West

2009-09-17T17:04:00.000-05:00

Two archivists aim to catalog the soundscapes of Western states -- birds, rattlesnakes, bats -- before the racket of modern life drowns them out.

Eerie Sounds of Saturn's Radio Emissions

2009-09-14T01:23:00.002-05:00

Saturn is a source of intense radio emissions, which have been monitored by the Cassini spacecraft. The radio waves are closely related to the auroras near the poles of the planet. These auroras are similar to Earth's northern and southern lights. This is an audio file of radio emissions from Saturn.

Why pirates are currently legal

2009-09-13T12:09:00.002-05:00

From Pirate Cat Radio's website

Thanks to George Bush for declaring the "War Against Terrorism" and U.S. Code of Federal Regulations title 47 section 73.3542, it is now technically legal to operate a radio transmitter with out a formal license.

Take a look for you self:

§ 73.3542 Application for emergency authorization.

(a) Authority is granted, on a temporary basis, in extraordinary circumstances requiring emergency operation to serve the public interest. such situations include: emergencies involving danger to life and property; a national emergency proclaimed by the President or the Congress of the USA and; the continuance of any war in which the United States is engaged, and where such action is necessary for the national defense or security or otherwise in furtherance of the war effort.

Homemade "quick and dirty" record disc-cutting lathe

2009-08-25T08:11:00.001-05:00

World Health Organizaton: Noise and health

2009-08-23T09:11:00.001-05:00

Noise seriously harms human health and interferes with people’s daily activities at school, at work, at home and during leisure time. Traffic noise alone is harming today the health of almost every third European.

AURORAL ACOUSTICS

2009-08-22T09:31:00.000-05:00

Study of Sounds & Acoustical Effects Related to
Geomagnetic Storms and Aurora Borealis

Favorite Recorded Scream: at last, a record that’s really worth shouting about

2009-08-16T00:04:00.001-05:00

The result, available on a 12-inch LP simply entitled Favorite Recorded Scream, is a superb marriage of concept and execution, as meticulous a deconstruction and re-examination of pop music’s formal elements as anything that has recently emerged from the world of sound art.

Construction of Radio Equipment in a Japanese POW Camp

2009-07-04T16:23:00.000-05:00

Transcript of a recording by Lieutenant Colonel R G Wells, on the construction of radio equipment whilst in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp after the fall of Singapore.

Listen to Africa

2009-06-27T09:34:00.000-05:00

Recordings of rural and urban soundscapes made during our 24,000 kilometre bicycle expedition across the continent.

Drivers to quote Gandhi on Tube

2009-06-25T10:54:00.000-05:00

Transport for London has commissioned Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller to compile a list of bon mots to be used by Tube drivers.

Among the quotes on offer will be Gandhi's, "there is more to life than increasing at speed".

Deller hopes they will make commuters' journeys a bit more thought provoking.

Audio Theater

2009-06-15T11:34:00.002-05:00

What you will find here is a list of those producing this art form, Sources for finding tapes and cd's, Resources for those who want to try their hand at producing Audio Theater and reviews of current titles.

Have you heard 'the Hum'?

2009-05-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

For decades, hundreds of people worldwide have been plagued by an elusive buzzing noise known as "the Hum". Some have blamed gas pipes or power lines, others think their ears are faulty. A few even think sinister forces could be at work.

Sound mirrors

2009-05-17T10:32:00.001-05:00

A forerunner of radar, acoustic mirrors were built on the south and northeast coasts of England between about 1916 and the 1930s. The ‘listening ears’ were intended to provide early warning of incoming enemy aircraft.

Jailhouse radio - Louisiana State Prison radio station KLSP (1990)

2009-05-11T12:39:00.000-05:00

Out of the small studio in the one-story brick control center building of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, KLSP broadcasts from noon until midnight, seven days a week.

The Encounter between Guattari and Berardi and the Post-Media Era

2009-05-11T12:34:00.001-05:00

Felix and Alice in Wonderland: The Encounter between Guattari and Berardi and the Post-Media Era
by Michael Goddard

This is not to say that Guattari’s post-media era has nothing to do with network culture, whose development can certainly be seen to realise and confirm some aspects of the rhizomatic, machinic thought Guattari developed alone and with Gilles Deleuze. Rather this link will be shown to be more complex and to pass via other fields of media experimentation and thought, especially that which emerged around ‘popular free radio’ in Italy in the 1970’s and which was strongly associated with Guattari’s friend Franco Berardi or Bifo.

Tetsuo Kogawa interviews Félix Guattari

2009-05-11T12:17:00.004-05:00

Three interviews from 1980-1981 (English and French)

1982 Datsun Voice Warning Box Used Tiny Phonograph Record, Just Like Moon Base Robots

2009-05-09T16:48:00.001-05:00

That's when I found an intriguing box labeled "Audible Warning - Don't Drop" under the dash of a 1982 Datsun 810 Maxima.

fieldsepulchra audio blog

2009-04-14T18:57:00.000-05:00

This is the home of the fieldsepulchra audio blog. It is a blog of short field recordings of nature and other sounds from around.

THE REAL TOTAL HORN

2009-04-14T18:54:00.003-05:00

THE REAL TOTAL HORN has to be seen just following next figures

The Boat that Rocked

2009-04-12T23:32:00.000-05:00

THE BOAT THAT ROCKED is an ensemble comedy, where the romance is between the young people of the 60s, and pop music. It’s about a band of DJs that captivate Britain, playing the music that defines a generation and standing up to a government that, incomprehensibly, prefers jazz.

In 1966 – British pop music’s finest era – the BBC played just 2 hours of rock and roll every week. But pirate radio played rock and pop from the high seas 24 hours a day. And 25 million people – over half the population of Britain – listened to the pirates every single day.

Recently expelled from school, Carl (Tom Sturridge) has been sent by his mother to find some direction in life by visiting his godfather Quentin. However, Quentin is the boss of Radio Rock, a pirate radio station in the middle of the North Sea, populated by an eclectic crew of rock ‘n’ roll DJs.

The Language Construction Kit

2009-03-26T10:54:00.000-05:00

This set of webpages is intended for anyone who wants to create artificial languages

International Phonetic Association

2009-03-26T01:27:00.002-05:00

The IPA is the major as well as the oldest representative organisation for phoneticians. It was established in 1886 in Paris.

The IPA provides the academic community world-wide with a notational standard for the phonetic representation of all languages - the International Phonetic Alphabet (also IPA).

Phonetic Alphabet

2009-03-26T01:24:00.000-05:00

These are not phonetic alphabets as in those used to guide pronunciation, rather they are a selection of alphabets used, particularly by radio operators, to spell out words.

Soundwalkers

2009-03-26T00:39:00.001-05:00

Soundwalkers documentary by Raquel Castro

There are some fundamental principles regarding the construction of an acoustically healthy society, one where we can exist within the sounds of life. Respect towards voice and words, sonic awareness, the awakening of the sense of hearing. To preserve the sounds that tend to fade out, while remaining open to the sounds that spring out of each technological stride. To build an aural idiom that interprets its own symbolism. To accept the silence, enforcing it in the due moments. And, above all else, to listen.

Dead Languages Conservatory

2009-03-04T14:46:00.002-06:00

Of the more than 6,500 languages currently being spoken, in the world, fewer than half are likely to survive the next century. a project by artist Pablo Helguera

That Buzzing Sound

2009-02-04T00:45:00.001-06:00

The mystery of tinnitus.

'Atmospheric Condition' Likely Cause Of Rumbles, Say Experts

2009-01-24T23:00:00.000-06:00

The Oklahoma Geological Survey which has seismographs stationed across the state, including Arkansas, detected no ground tremors on the days and times residents reported feeling and hearing rumbles.

Mosquitoes make sweet love music

2009-01-09T08:43:00.000-06:00

The familiar buzz of a flying female mosquito may be irritating to humans, but for her male counterpart, it is an irresistible mating signal.

Males and females each have their own characteristic flight tone - which they create by beating their wings.

Playing golf can 'damage hearing'

2009-01-05T20:56:00.003-06:00

Keen golfers are being warned by doctors that they could be risking their hearing for their sport.

Space Weather Radio

2008-12-28T10:02:00.002-06:00

Live stream of the sounds of Space Weather

xeno-canto

2008-11-30T11:53:00.000-06:00

Welcome to xeno-canto America, the community database of shared bird sounds from the Americas.

Hear the Latest Sounds from Mars!

2008-11-22T09:24:00.000-06:00

Once Mars Polar Lander touches down on Mars and starts beaming the Mars Microphone data to Earth, humankind will hear -- for the first time -- sounds from the Red Planet.

First Sounds

2008-11-22T09:20:00.002-06:00

First Sounds is an informal collaborative of audio historians, recording engineers, sound archivists, scientists, other individuals, and organizations who aim to make mankind's earliest sound recordings available to all people for all time.

Team records 'music' from stars

2008-10-25T09:40:00.001-05:00

Scientists have recorded the sound of three stars similar to our Sun using France's Corot space telescope.

insects sounds from the forests of Northern Thailand

2008-09-14T14:19:00.000-05:00

insects sounds from the forests of Northern Thailand

NOAA: Monitoring the global ocean through underwater acoustics

2008-08-23T11:21:00.004-05:00

The Acoustic Monitoring Project of the VENTS Program has performed continuous monitoring of ocean noise since August, 1991 using the U.S. Navy SOund SUrveillance System (SOSUS) network and autonomous underwater hydrophones.

Bloop

2008-08-23T11:09:00.005-05:00

NOAA: This sound was repeatedly recorded during summer, 1997 on the Equatorial Pacific Ocean autonomous hydrophone array. The sound rises rapidly in frequency over about one minute and was of sufficient amplitude to be heard on multiple sensors, at a range of over 5,000 km. It yields a general location near 50^oS; 100^oW. The origin of the sound is unknown.

Taos Hum

2008-08-23T11:02:00.002-05:00

In 1977, a British newspaper received nearly 800 letters from people complaining of loss of sleep, dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, anxiety, irritability, deteriorating health, inability to read or study because of the incessant hum.

Soundproofing the noisy kids upstairs

2008-08-21T08:13:00.003-05:00

From American Public Media's Marketplace program

The loudest noises in big city apartments often come from the smallest culprits --- the kids upstairs. That's giving acoustic consultants good business. Ashley Milne-Tyte hears them out.

Activists Preparing Against Use of ‘Brown Note’ at Dem Convention

2008-08-04T01:22:00.000-05:00

Also called “Brown Note,” it is believed to be an infrasound frequency that debilitates a person by making them defecate involuntarily.

Steven Brown's listen hear sound projects - audio diary

2008-07-30T23:07:00.002-05:00

Steven Brown's audio diary of field recordings

Whales’ Lower-Pitch Sound Has Experts Guessing

2008-07-29T07:46:00.000-05:00

The song of the blue whale, one of the eeriest sounds in the ocean, has mysteriously grown deeper.

World Listening Project

2008-07-21T10:09:00.001-05:00

Collecting field recordings from every country on Earth

Open Sound New Orleans

2008-07-17T12:16:00.002-05:00

A collaborative Soundmap of New Orleans

Radio Locator

2008-07-15T20:52:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Radio-Locator, the most comprehensive radio station search engine on the internet. We have links to over 10,000 radio station web pages and over 2500 audio streams from radio stations in the U.S. and around the world.

Freesound Project

2008-07-10T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Freesound Project is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds. Freesound focusses only on sound, not songs.

Stone Age Art Caves May Have Been Concert Halls

2008-07-04T14:03:00.000-05:00

Prehistoric peoples chose places of natural resonant sound to draw their famed cave sketches, according to new analyses of paleolithic caves in France .

Tony Schwartz

2008-06-29T20:05:00.001-05:00

from NPR's On the Media
In his 84 years Tony Schwartz produced over 30,000 recordings, thousands of groundbreaking political ads, media theory books and Broadway sound design, invented the portable recorder, delivered hundreds of lectures and had full careers as an ad executive and a pioneering folklorist. And he did it all without leaving his zip code. Schwartz died in June and we offer a piece from the Kitchen Sisters , looking back at his life spent listening.

'cloak of silence'

2008-06-13T20:07:00.000-05:00

Scientists have shown off the blueprint for an "acoustic cloak", which could make objects impervious to sound waves.

radio aporee ::: maps

2008-06-06T16:34:00.002-05:00

radio aporee ::: maps is a project about the exploration and reoccupation of our living spaces. it collects audible material (recordings, sounds, spoken words) and connects them via a telephone network to the surface of google maps. thus, navigating through landscapes and cities by means of (hi)stories, thoughts, inventions, it may change the way we experience our daily surroundings.

Review of Terry Allen's "Pedal Steal" And "Torso Hell"

2008-05-16T16:21:00.000-05:00

Theater-For-The-Ear, And- The-Eye-Of-The-Imagination, or plain old-fashioned radio drama musical, is how to describe Allens next disc, Pedal Steal, commissioned as a soundtrack by the Margaret Jenkins Dance Co. of San Francisco. More than a hour and a half long, it premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's " Next Wave Festival" in October of 1985.