Product Description
Tokyo ORTF (Vol.1) is a collection of urban ambience recordings from Tokyo, Japan, totaling approximately 820 minutes, captured in ORTF stereo.
It includes 59 recordings made between 2023 and 2025.
Locations:
Recordings were made across 16 districts and municipalities of Tokyo, from dense urban centers to quieter suburban neighborhoods, capturing everyday city life.
Recognizable locations include Tokyo Station, the Ameyoko area of Ueno, Takeshita Street and Cat Street in Harajuku, the Kabukicho area of Shinjuku, Roppongi Hills, the Tokyo Big Sight area, neighborhood streets in Shimokitazawa, rooftops in Minato-ku and Shibuya-ku, and suburban areas in western Tokyo.
Filenames and Metadata:
To improve accessibility when searching in Finder or Pro Tools, the Filenames prioritize location information and therefore do not strictly follow the UCS filename convention.
The current Filename structure is:
TOKYO ORTF_Track No_recording location, shortened FXName, time-of-day or seasonal information_ShortID_ISWC.wav
However, all tracks contain detailed UCS-compliant metadata.
If needed, files can easily be renamed to fully UCS-compliant Filenames using the metadata embedded for SoundMiner.
Detailed Descriptions:
A metadata sheet (PDF and XLSX) is included with the library.
The Description field contains detailed notes on sound events within each recording, including timestamps.
These notes allow non-SoundMiner users to access detailed information about the recordings even without viewing embedded markers.
Long Durations:
Recordings were made with extended durations, allowing sound editors to capture natural variations within the same environment.
The shortest recording is 04:22, with 46 tracks exceeding 10 minutes, including 7 exceeding 20 minutes.
Editing Notes:
Excessive low and high frequency build-up was corrected where necessary using EQ.
In locations where advertisements or background music occasionally appeared, identifiable content was removed using RX or with careful crossfades.
Locations dominated by constant music or commercial playback were deliberately avoided when selecting recording locations, ensuring the recordings remain free from unwanted music and media playback.
File Details:
Main recordings contain 31 files recorded at 96kHz and 15 files recorded at 48kHz.
Bonus recordings contain 3 files recorded at 96kHz and 10 files recorded at 48kHz.
All files are delivered in their original recording sample rate.
Recording Equipment:
Main recordings: Sennheiser MKH 8040 stereo pair in a Cinela Albert ORTF windshield, recorded with a Sound Devices MixPre-6 II.
Bonus recordings: Zoom F1 recorder with XY stereo capsule, and RØDE NT-SF1 ambisonic microphone with Zoom F6 recorder (decoded to stereo).
Total:
59 WAV files / approx. 820 minutes