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Sound effects libraries where the file names and metadata follow the Universal Category System (UCS), championed by renowned sound supervisor Tim Nielsen & more
Telephone Booths features the sounds of indoor wooden and outdoor aluminum telephone booths. From the early 20th century until the last decade, these booths could be found inside hotels, restaurants, offices, state capitol buildings, highways and rest areas throughout the United States. In addition, the library includes sounds of pay telephones that would have been used inside these booths. These include hand crank, 3-slot rotary and 1-slot push-button Touch-Tone telephones.
I used a variety of microphones along with several miking techniques (X/Y, OFTF, and binaural). You’ll hear bi-fold doors sliding open and closed in stereo, sometimes accompanied by an annoying squeal. You’ll listen to coins being dropped into the phone and receivers being picked up and placed back on their cradles. And of course, you’ll hear numbers being dialed. On a rotary phone, each number takes slightly longer to circle the dial, with one being the shortest and zero being the longest.
Massive Fireworks – 815 files of Commercial Fireworks sound effects, at varying distances and intensities. From small pops and sparkles in the distance to screeches and bombastic mortar fire front and center. Massive Fireworks comes in at over 5 hours and 50 minutes of short and long displays of fireworks for every occasion. Recorded during several New Years and Holiday Celebrations. Massive Fireworks’ filenames are in the Universal Category System format with additional Metadata baked-in.
Don’t need a Massive amount of Fireworks sound effects? We offer ‘Mini’ sound effect libraries as companions for all of our ‘Massive’ sound effect libraries. All recordings are unique to each library with no overlap. Go Mini today, and upgrade to the corresponding Massive library later, when you need more of that particular sound effect.
Visit Us At: www.MassiveSoundFX.com
Introducing Immersive Wallas on Set vol.3 – Experience authentic cinematic ambiances with Wallas On Set Vol. 3. This third edition features genuine walla recordings captured on movie and series sets, as well as real-life locations from projects we worked on this past year. Recorded in first-order ambisonics, this collection delivers immersive and realistic crowd and environmental sounds, perfect for enriching your sound design.
At Blacktone Studio, we understand the vital role sound plays in storytelling. Wallas, the ambient background chatter found in diverse locations, provides the foundation for creating realistic atmospheres in film and television. As always, we’ve taken our commitment to authenticity a step further by recording in ambisonic format.
Our team meticulously captured the essence of real-life film sets, from the energetic buzz of big scenes to the subtle whispers on quiet real locations. These recordings are a testament to our industry knowledge and commitment to delivering high-quality audio content.
Whether you’re working on a feature film, a documentary, or a video game, our Immersive Wallas on Set vol.3 provides the versatility you need to enhance your project. Easily searchable and expertly categorized, this collection ensures you find the perfect background atmosphere effortlessly.
All the recordings include metadata in English and Spanish, and they are compatible with software of sound library management like Soundminnner.
We have decoded all the First Order Ambisonic recordings with HarpeX plugin into 7.1.2 Dolby ATMOS bed configuration, using the top channel to create totally outstanding ambiences tracks ready to use!
All our libraries are UCS compliant (universalcategorysystem.com). In this new category system all files contain extensive metadata like file description, Category & Subcategory. Metadata can be read and processed by the most common audio libraries management tools . Starting with Full support from Soundminer and more audio tools adopting this system, we are adopting metadata UCS system in our files!
Ambisonics allows you to transcode the B-format files into a a lot of formats, (by using the free RODE DECODER plugin, the amazing Harpex B Converter , NoiseMakers tools or the new AudioBrewers plugins) – including stereo, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, 7.0 or 7.1 surround and higher immersive formats!.
ambiX First Order Ambisonic, Dolby ATMOS 7.12, 5.1 and ST files have been mastered with Pro Tools Ultimate system, and are included in the purchase.
Quiet Streets 3D is the latest chapter in Articulated’s Quiet Streets series, offering a meticulously crafted collection of quiet urban ambiences. Designed with both creativity and precision in mind, this library captures the essence of urban stillness through the advanced Schoeps 3D ORTF recording technique, resulting in multi-dimensional soundscapes that reveal both horizontal and vertical spatial details.
This library features 100 files delivered at 96kHz/24-bit. With a total size of 74.8 GB and over 9 hours and 40 minutes of carefully curated ambiences, Quiet Streets 3D is a comprehensive resource for creating immersive urban soundscapes.
The recordings span cities across three continents, capturing the unique characteristics of urban environments in Paris, London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Bangkok, Naples, Kuala Lumpur, Montreal, Regensburg, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Strasbourg, Singapore, and more. Each location offers its own subtle yet distinct textures, from the hushed buzz of a late-night street in Bangkok to the subdued murmurs of a Parisian alley at dawn.
Over two years, our team travelled to these cities to document quiet moments in urban life. Recordings were made at various times of day and across seasons, capturing the interplay of natural and environmental sounds. The ambiences feature layers of biophony (birdsong, rustling leaves), geophony (wind, distant rain), and faint traces of anthropophony (passing footsteps, distant traffic). Care was taken to minimize intrusive noises, ensuring that these recordings integrate seamlessly into projects that require clarity for dialogue or sound effects. Note: at times some distinctive authentic events were kept in order to give the choice for the editor to use them in their projects. These are tagged as marker on the spectrogram.
The library’s 8-channel 3D ORTF format provides an intricate sense of space, making it ideal for surround sound configurations in film, video games, and immersive media. For those working in stereo, we’ve included a high-quality downmixed version of every file, offering flexibility without compromising quality.
Recorded with the acclaimed Schoeps 3d ORTF system, it has a total of 8 discreet channels, 4 on the lower plane arranged in 2 pair of ORTF similar to a IRT-Cross, and doubled with a higher plane of 4 more microphones. The channel layout of the sound recorded and delivered is as this: L R Ls Rs hL hR hLs hRs (whereas h stand for high). Learn more about this configuration here: https://schoeps.de/en/products/surround-3d/ortf-3d/ortf-3d-outdoor-set.html
Every file is embedded with UCS-compliant metadata, allowing for intuitive searching and streamlined integration into your workflow. The metadata includes detailed descriptors, location names, and environmental characteristics, making it easy to find the perfect ambience for any scene.
Whether you need the intimate quiet of a European alley or the expansive stillness of an Asian metropolis, Quiet Streets 3D provides a rich palette of urban soundscapes. This library is not just a collection of audio files—it’s a carefully curated journey through the subtleties of urban life, designed to enhance the emotional depth and spatial realism of your projects.
With Quiet Streets 3D, you’re investing in a resource that will remain relevant across countless future projects.
80 beeps – 30 long and 50 short, recorded on various devices and machines and designed for this library. Don’t play them too loud! The library is also available in UCS.
From woodland logging to horrifying killers, this collection of chainsaws will help build any scene you need.
Field Recording Library proudly presents Ultimate – a collection that combines the finest recordings from the Kaleidoscope, Vol. 1, and Vol. 2 libraries. This comprehensive archive spans three years of dedicated work, capturing the rich and diverse soundscapes of Russia – from the awakening of nature in spring to the crisp chill of autumn.
Kaleidoscope offers an extensive selection of atmospheric recordings made between 2022 and 2023. The library takes you to various locations, from serene forests and quiet courtyards to bustling highways and vibrant city squares. These recordings, presented in 48kHz, provide a versatile foundation for any audiovisual project, delivering vivid and realistic soundscapes.
Vol. 1 raises the bar in sound quality, featuring recordings in 96kHz, 24Bit for unmatched detail. Dedicated to the sounds of Russia and St. Petersburg from early spring to late summer, this library introduces extended ambient recordings up to 20 minutes. These long-form tracks offer greater flexibility in selecting and combining textures, making it easier to create custom atmospheres.
Vol. 2 focuses on the autumn soundscapes of St. Petersburg and its surroundings. From the warm days of September to the damp chill of November, this library showcases urban and natural soundscapes in various weather and time conditions. The highlight of this collection is the addition of extra channels, synchronized with the main recordings. These channels reveal new dimensions, such as underwater waves captured with a hydrophone or hidden textures recorded with contact microphones and geophones. Like Vol. 1, these recordings are presented in 96kHz, 24Bit, making them a professional-grade tool for sound design.
Ultimate combines variety and versatility in one package. This collection is perfect for any project – from crafting immersive atmospheres for films, games, and advertisements to developing unique sound layers. It’s the ideal choice for anyone looking to dive into the world of Field Recording Library and gain access to the full spectrum of soundscapes in one comprehensive set.
Step into the heart of Bulgaria’s Borovets Ski Resort with a sound library that transports you to a snowy paradise teeming with life and adventure. As you arrive in Borovets, the energy builds with the mechanical whir of chairlifts, the crunch of snow underfoot, and the lively buzz of skiers and snowboarders carving their way through powdery slopes.
Feel the pulse of the resort as visitors enjoy slopes, and the air fills with the harmonious blend of nature and lift machinery. The bustling heart of Borovets comes alive in this collection, from the lively village streets lined with rental shops and retail stores to the unique charm of a horse-drawn carriage jingling its way past. Each sound captures the essence of winter wonder, from the serene moments of skiers gliding down quiet pistes to the lively gates of the Sitnyakovo lift, where eager adventurers prepare for their next run.
The journey doesn’t end there. Drift into the softer, tranquil sounds of a snowy forest, or find yourself amidst the quiet elegance of a mountain chalet. This library is perfect for film, games, or any creative project, this sound library offers an immersive escape into the magic and energy of a ski resort.
Experience the vibrant soundscape of the Brazilian Pantanal, one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands.
Blacktone Studio is a boutique post-production studio and a leader in sound design for film and television, with a track record of over ten years dedicated to creating soundscapes that enrich the narrative of the stories we work on.
Based in Madrid, our studio features advanced facilities, including a Dolby Atmos mixing stage equipped for cutting-edge post-production, designed to deliver the highest quality in every project. From our earliest productions to our work on major international films and series, our passion for sound, pursuit of technical perfection, and commitment to storytelling have established us as one of the most prominent studios in the industry.
“Blacktone Studio Master Collection Vol. 1” marks this decade of excellence in sound design and field recording by the Blacktone team, representing our sonic legacy—a collection that encapsulates the essence of our work over the years. This generalist library, with over 250 GB and more than 5,000 high-quality files, offers an immense variety of sounds, organized into more than 300 categories and subcategories under the international UCS classification system. Each file is meticulously cataloged and includes metadata in both English and Spanish, optimized for seamless integration into international projects and aligned with industry standards.
For the release of this library, Blacktone Studio has partnered with Surround Sound Lab, our label specializing in field recordings and sound library distribution, to ensure that every file is fully prepared for professional use. With over 50 sound libraries already in its catalog, Surround Sound Lab brings not only experience in editing, mastering, and distribution but also a shared commitment to quality and innovation. This collaboration allows the “Blacktone Studio Master Collection Vol. 1” to reach the market through Surround Sound Lab’s infrastructure, offering professionals a unique, trusted tool used daily in our own studio.
This collection is a unique and special collaboration, created specifically to capture and share the essence and legacy of our sonic work over the past ten years.
Although it is not part of the “SSL Complete Collection” bundle, which includes the full catalog of SSL series libraries, current bundle users will receive access to this exclusive edition at a special price as a token of our appreciation for their continued support.
“Blacktone Studio Master Collection Vol. 1” is a sonic celebration combining the best of Blacktone Studio with Surround Sound Lab’s expertise in distribution, available to those seeking quality and authenticity in their sound design.
AMBIENCES AT THE EDGE OF SILENCE
Discover the rugged and remote soundscapes of the Nordic highlands. Highlands of Norway transports you to vast mountain and tundra regions, capturing the wild essence of these mystical landscapes. Recorded in quad surround, this library offers a dynamic range of wind intensities, from gentle breezes to forceful gusts, alongside various ambiences and different kinds of water.
Norwegian highlands are defined by wide, open spaces where the wind can move freely and often sweeps through mosses, shrubs and rocks with powerful gusts. The areas are sparsely populated by animals; occasional bird calls can be heard as well as the buzzing of insects, especially in wetlands. On mountain plateaus, glacial meltwater makes its way through the landscape, creating soft trickles, hidden streams beneath rock formations and the powerful rush of mountain rivers. Gentle ripples of lakes complete a sound collection that captures both the tranquility and raw power of highland nature.
IMMERSIVE NATURE SOUNDS
Recorded with a double ORTF setup, Highlands of Norway is an exceptional tool for designing immersive soundscapes. Create captivating audio for nature scenes, whether it’s a fantasy landscape or an authentic documentary setting. The library delivers the realism needed to transport you to another world – perfect for storytelling and adding atmospheric layers to your projects.
WHAT’S INSIDE (FILES / MINUTES)
Experience the sounds of the daily life in Japan, captured discreetly with a pocket recorder. A sonic journey from spring to summer across diverse cities.
All files are embedded with extensive UCS compliant metadata.
Compilation of 10 vehicles, all 9 models Zastava produced in Yugoslavia and Serbia, and a bonus van model from the same factory. All files are recorded 32bit or 24bit, 192 kHz or 96kHz, with RØDE NTG1, Shure KSM137, Line Audio Omni1, FEL Pluggy XLR EM272, FEL Clippy XLR EM272, Shure VP88, RØDELink Lav and Sonorous Objects SO.3 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II, Zoom F3 and Zoom H4n recorders. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is also available in UCS.
Models:
Garden and nature in Autumn. Sparse bird songs, busy gardeners, dogs barking with pleasant echoes, roosters calling, jets and propeller planes passing by, as well as moments of dead silence, hunters’ gunshots, and eerie rustling in the depths of the night; the awakening of nature and residents during the early morning hours, and much more.
‘Residential Forest IV’ is the fourth library in my series of long-term recordings in a German allotment environment. This area is a remote place surrounded by forest, featuring cottages, ponds, and abundant natural sounds. The library combines suburban, residential, and forest ambiences into a cohesive soundscape.
‘Residential Forest IV’ contains 34 unique ambiences recorded in Germany during Autumn, specifically on October 31, 2024, from 1 p.m. until 1 p.m. the following day. From these 23 hours of recordings, I selected and edited the best moments, compiling them into a 6 GB sonic journey through time — from afternoon to evening, through the night, and into the morning and midday hours of a residential forest area.
To capture the dead silence of the night, I used an extremely low-noise matched pair of Rode NT1-A microphones along with the Tascam HD-P1 recorder.
The total duration of the library is approximately 3.5 hours. Most of the ambiences range from 5 to 10 minutes in length, though some are longer, and a few are shorter.
‘Residential Forest IV’ was recorded in AB stereophony at 48 kHz, 24-bit resolution.
Explore the captivating sounds of Greece Thassos in July, meticulously captured during a SUPER hot holiday where cicadas abound! The ambient noises from the hotel balcony and the serene beach come to life. This auditory journey underscores our commitment to transforming your film’s sound from AAF to final WAV, ensuring every project resonates with authenticity and precision. Trust Luminol Audio to deliver unparalleled soundscapes that truly transport your audience.
GEAR
Zoom F3 with Audio Technica SP4025 Stereo mic
Zoom F3 with Sonorous SO.103 Stereo mics (for covert recordings)
Zoom H6 built in mics / Audio Technica SP4025 Stereo mic
Zoom H1n built in mics
Panormos is this awesome little village on the island of Crete. It’s got these quaint Greek alleys where you can really soak up the authentic vibe. I checked it out both during the day (super hot!) and at night (still crazy hot!). With nearly 30 years in audio post-production, I can make sure your film sounds genuinely amazing. I literally explored every nook and cranny of this beautiful spot to capture a wide range of sounds. At Luminol Audio, we take your project from AAF to final WAV, delivering super immersive audio experiences.
With A Sound Effect, Asbjoern has created a web site where our international community can browse, learn, and share the vast fruits of our labors. Together we are accelerating the very real potential power of sound design as a recognized art form.
A Sound Effect is an excellent resource for us to keep our animated films sounding unique and exciting.
A Sound Effect is a great asset to have discovered.
We found the site very easy to navigate, purchasing and downloads were effortless and the effects themselves are awesome! Asbjoern has done us all a great service.
We’ll definitely be back!
There are many great independent sound effect libraries available these days. The main problem with having so many, is keeping track of them!
A Sound Effect is a great hub, and is one of the first places I visit to look for sounds by category or genre. I started coming here to see if I could find libraries that I knew I had heard, but forgot WHERE I had heard them.
And in the process discovered libraries I never would have found otherwise. Great work! Keep it up!
We're always looking for new sounds to mangle, so when A Sound Effect had a holiday sale, I tried them out.
The purchase experience is really smooth and quick, and delivery is almost instant.
I'll definitely come back to them again in the future!
A Sound Effect is a wonderful resource for indie sound effects libraries. On top of that, it has some of the finest sound design, film and game audio interviews!
I often need very specific types of sounds so I've become a big supporter of independent recorders.
Until now I've always had to go to their individual websites. Now I can find them all in one place.
And, Asbjoern is great to work with!
A Sound Effect is a well curated boutique sound effects shop and a great place to find industry interviews and learning resources.