Asbjoern Andersen


Rubén Durán Rebato is a Spanish sound designer and recordist – and he’s just completed his very first sound effects library. It features a range of ambiences recorded in Burkina Faso, including one crushing sound you’ll be hard-pressed to find in any other sound library.

I spoke with Rubén on his experiences creating Burkina Faso Sounds, his new African library:

 

There aren’t a lot of independent sound libraries recorded in Africa out there. How did yours come about?

This library is the result of all the sounds I brought home from my trip to Burkina Faso to shoot a video for Oxfam Intermón, a Spanish NGO.

From the very first moment the production company I work with told me that the project was confirmed, I knew I was going to be able to record enough sounds to compose a small library – and here it is!

I have always admired those great trips with people like Chris Watson or Tim Prebble going into the wild to record that bird song or that magic ambience so far from city noises. On this trip I have been able to taste just bits of an experience like that – and it has been enough to want more.
 

What types of ambiences did you go for with this one?

There are 99 recordings included, and they are composed of AMBS, FX, SONGS and WALLAS – so there’s a large range of sounds in this library.

You can find things like ambiences from markets, traffic, forests, a very interesting rice field full of frogs and crickets, women making food, kids playing at school and more.

The songs are mainly formed by women singing traditional songs while they work in the fields.
 

What equipment did you use to record it?

The whole library is recorded with a M/S rig of Schoeps CMIT 5U + MK8 into a Sound Devices 744t.

Recording in Burkina Faso

Recording in Burkina Faso

Besides this, some ambiences were recorded simultaneously with a matched pair of DPA´s 4060 spaced omnis through a SD 442 hung in a DIY solution (still to be improved) I arranged for the trip. The two stereo pairs together give a nice wide but complete stereo image.

You can get the library in both RAW M/S and decoded M/S. I know it is not very common to find libraries in M/S format but I wanted to give you possibilities.

Before I got my M/S mic rig I was trying to get some samples of similar arrangements and it was an impossible task.
 

What was traveling and recording in Burkina Faso like?

The trip was amazing. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world and they have almost nothing. But when you arrive in a village they give you everything they have. That really makes you think. The school classes are full of around 80 kids each and they are so quiet and so anxious to learn, every kid wants to go to school so bad.

During the trip, we visited some cooperatives for women. Here, the women grow and process mangoes half of the year and cashews the other half to the local consumers and to export abroad.

In the library you can find the sound of the cashew factory where around 50 women were peeling and crushing cashews ONE BY ONE with old big nut crushers with almost perfect metronome timing!

When I entered the factory wearing my headphones I felt totally overwhelmed

 
When I entered the factory wearing my headphones I felt totally overwhelmed. Cashews will never seem expensive for me anymore!
 

When you’re not traveling Africa recording sound libraries, what else do you do?

I guess I do pretty much the same that the rest of the field recordists in here. I’ve founded a company called Labarba where I work mainly in advertising and small productions doing location sound, post and sound design.

I hope this first library turns into a large series of libraries from around the globe.

At the moment this is the first release and I have started a blog called Furry Sounds where I’ll be uploading sounds and stuff. So this is the starting point!

 

Thanks to Rubén Durán Rebato for taking the time to do this interview.

Check out the preview below, and grab his all-new African library for $32 here.


 

Please share this:


 



 
 
THE WORLD’S EASIEST WAY TO GET INDEPENDENT SOUND EFFECTS:
 
A Sound Effect gives you easy access to an absolutely huge sound effects catalog from a myriad of independent sound creators, all covered by one license agreement - a few highlights:

  • Destruction & Impact Sounds Cataclysm Play Track 1482 sounds included $195

    Cataclysm is a vast collection of recorded, synthesized and designed sounds created to support important destructive moments and add a stronger sense of extreme consequence to any sound.

    The recorded section of library features elements such as flash powder explosions, propane cannon blasts and artillery cannons recorded in unique natural environments with violent transients and lush, long and varied tails. It also features falling trees, forge burners, large trebuchet wood groans, rock smashes as well as more ordinary items recorded and designed to feel like an over the top version of themselves such as vacuum cleaner suctions, metal vase holders, ground pounders and more.

    The synthesized section of the library features equally rich textures in the form of explosion sweeteners, other-worldly environmental reflections, scorching energy risers and more.

    Finally, recorded and synthesized content was employed to develop the designed section, where the hyperrealism of the recordings meets the clean yet aggressive textures of the synthesized section in catastrophic assets themed around the library’s title.

    Bonus: Two extra libraries included for free:
    This library also includes two additional releases from Mattia Cellotto - for free: Crunch Mode delivers 230 crunchy sounds made with a variety of vegetables, fresh bread, pizza crust and a selection of frozen goods. The Borax Experiment gets you 158 squishy, gory, slimy and gooey sounds.
  • Cats are remarkably expressive creatures. And capturing their voices can be a daunting task. Not anymore…

    The “Meow” sound library provides all the core cat vocalizations you'll need in a single package.

    Using 11 different cats cherry picked for their characters, this library provides over 272 vocalizations for your productions.

    From sweet mewls, to longing cries, or vicious shrieks, this library has got you covered.

    This library also includes the Sonic Worlds “CAT” sound pack.

    Meet the beasts:

    JASPER
    A lunatic Calico. A treasure trove of enraged vocalizations.

    AFORI & FANGS
    Sweet natured Russian Blues for that soft gentle character.

    BASTARDO
    A nasty mean tomcat, hence his name. A Tabby with a rich growl.

    BOGART
    Deep threatening growls and hisses. A Ginger in a foul mood.

    GINGY & LUCIFER
    Whiny sounding Ginger cats. For those hungry begging cries.

    JESSICA
    Classic meows that work like a charm.

    MARTY
    A sad sounding Tabby cat. For those longing mewls that will break your heart.

    SWEETY
    An absolute sweetheart black cat. Purry meows galore.

    Cat sounds included:
    ● Screeches and Shrieks
    ● Snipes
    ● Yelps
    ● Mewls
    ● Cries
    ● Purrs
    ● Growls
    ● Grumbles, Groans and Moans
    ● Whining and Begging
    ● Hisses
    ● Squirms
    ● Meows in a huge variety of characters
    ● And more…
  • The RPG Magic library delivers a total of 215 ready-made unique magic sound effects suitable for Role-Playing Games, Battle Arena and more. The SFX comes in flexible layers for you to mix & match to create the most unique and fitting sound for your magic. Bring your magic sound design to the next level with this collection.

    Includes sounds such as:

    – 147 Spells (Buffs, Debuffs, Heals, Negative Spells, Neutral Spells, Positive Spells and Revives)
    – 54 Basic Attacks & Impacts (Magic Swooshes & Impacts Ranging from Small to Large)
    – 13 Misc (Boss Appear, Monster Dies, Skill Unlock, UIs, Teleport)

    Check out our blog if you are interested to know how and why we made this pack.

    [ Tutorial – How does it work? ]
    Read the blog post: https://wowsound.com/rpg-magic-pack-tutorial/

Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Drones & Mood Sound Effects Pipe Noise & Flow Play Track 131+ sounds included, 233 mins total $54

    Pipe Noise & Flow is a sound effects library built around the hidden voices of pipe systems, large and small. Captured over several years across industrial plants, residential buildings, factories, sewers, underground tunnels, caves and public infrastructure, this collection brings together a wide range of sonically rich material.

    You’ll hear water, gas, and air moving through pipes made of metal steel, copper, aluminium, plastic, glass, concrete, and stone. There are massive flows and subtle trickles, bursts of pressure, hollow resonances, eerie whistles, and the strange tonalities that emerge when systems crack, leak, or fail. Many recordings feature broken or deteriorating pipes, full of texture and unpredictability. While there is plenty of industrial and subterranean grit, you’ll also find more subtle sources like kitchen sinks, bathroom plumbing, and everyday interior systems; sounds that can lend realism or eeriness to intimate scenes.

    This library is designed to be flexible and inspiring. Use it to create detailed ambiences for sci-fi, horror, and post-apocalyptic settings, to build layered mechanical textures for machines and user interfaces, or to design unique elements for hybrid weapons, alien devices, strange creatures or abandoned environments. Whether you need the realism of urban infrastructure or the surreal qualities of a forgotten machine, Pipe Noise & Flow offers an unexpected toolkit full of possibility.

    Pipe Noise & Flow - Audio Demo Spectrogram

    What’s inside:

    • Flowing water, rushing air, and gas movement through pipes
    • Large industrial pipes, small tubing, and flexible hoses
    • Pipes made of metal, iron, copper, aluminium, plastic, glass, concrete, and stone
    • Broken, leaky, and deteriorating pipes with rich textures
    • Interior plumbing: kitchen sinks, bathroom drains, home radiators
    • High-pressure bursts, trickles, drips, and hissing valves
    • Tonal and pitched pipe resonances, drones, and hums
    • Mechanical rattles, clangs, gurgles, and thumps
    • Subterranean ambiences and underground utility spaces
    • Studio performances exploring controlled flow and resonance
    • Eerie whistles and howling vents for otherworldly design
    • Abstract textures and tonalities ideal for creature sound design
    • Inspiring source material for sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and surreal soundscapes
    • Useful elements for user interface design, machine textures, and hybrid weapons
    • Ready-to-layer assets for creating atmospheres, backgrounds, and special effects
    28 %
    OFF
  • Ambisonic City, Suburbs, Rural Ambiences in B-format (ambix) and binaural.

    Ambiences of the city, suburbs and rural areas. Many sound perspectives and situations. Long recordings, over 20 GB of recordings. Please check the sound list for additional info.

    Recorded with Sennheiser Ambeo VR microphone and Sound Devices Mix Pre 10-II, 744T recorder. See the track list for additional info.

    The download contains each recording in B-format (RAW-4ch.) and as Binaural Stereo files. The audio preview is binaural and should be listened to with headphones. All files are tagged with Metadata.

    19 %
    OFF
  • All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with RØDE NTG1, Line Audio Omni1 and FEL Clippy XLR EM272 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II recorder. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is also available in UCS.

  • Footsteps Sound Effects MachinEra: Robotic Movements Play Track 166 sounds included, 3 mins total $54

    A dynamic collection of robotic sound effects capturing the essence of synthetic motion—from heavy mech footsteps to agile servo twitches. Organized into Robot_Big and Robot_Small, this pack delivers detailed mechanical gestures that give life and character to any robot—ideal for film, games, animation, and futuristic sound design. Bring your bots to life with authentic movement, precision, and personality.

    MachinEra: Robotic Movements Sound Effects Pack

    🤖 What’s Inside?
    ✔️ Robot_Big: Heavy robotic footsteps, mechanical stomps, structural clanks, and full-motion sequences for large-scale machines.
    ✔️ Robot_Small: Servo-driven motions, nimble joint movements, mechanical twitches, and intricate robotic details.

    Useful for films, video content, and games, this pack provides ready-to-use, professionally designed sound effects, tailored for creators who need polished sounds without extra processing. The Ultra High Resolution version may contain more variations and audio files than the High Resolution pack, with pristine 192 kHz quality that ensures excellent flexibility for projects requiring additional processing.

    27 %
    OFF
  • Sci-Fi Sound Effects MachinEra: SciFi Engines Play Track 284 sounds included, 41 mins total $74

    A high-octane collection of sci-fi engine sounds designed to power futuristic vehicles, starships, drones, and advanced machinery. With layered boosts, charged accelerations, and energetic propulsion, this pack delivers cinematic engine sounds with punch and scale—perfect for games, trailers, film, and sci-fi storytelling. Give your machines the roar of tomorrow.

    MachinEra: Sci-Fi Engines Sound Effects Pack

    🚀 What’s Inside?
    ✔️ Engine Boosts: Aggressive power surges, acceleration bursts, energy charges, and propulsion blasts.
    ✔️ Sci-Fi Motions: High-velocity thrusts, futuristic drives, and stylized engine pulses.

    Useful for films, video content, and games, this pack provides ready-to-use, professionally designed sound effects, tailored for creators who need polished sounds without extra processing. The Ultra High Resolution version may contain more variations and audio files than the High Resolution pack, with pristine 192 kHz quality that ensures excellent flexibility for projects requiring additional processing.

    21 %
    OFF

   

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HTML tags are not allowed.