I recall reading in a thread about a trick used in movies to simulate the background noise of a crowd engaged in a number of separate conversations - like a party - by having a small number of people repeat a few syllables out of sync with each other. What were the details of this?
posted by srboisvert on Oct 18, 2009 - 13 answers

Where can I find a recording of the cry or call or shriek or squeak of the common European mole, Talpa Europaea?
posted by misteraitch on Aug 27, 2009 - 3 answers

Macbook pro sound problem. Some sounds only heard through headphones. [more inside]
posted by theyexpectresults on Jul 22, 2009 - 6 answers

What is the MMM ^MMM!sound an idling locomotive makes every few minutes? [more inside]
posted by Mapes on Jul 17, 2009 - 5 answers

Sound trouble on Acer Aspire One netbook: Was working perctly, suddenly it's unlistenably lagging/stuttering. [more inside]
posted by kaspen on Jun 25, 2009 - 3 answers

How can I make a book with sounds for a baby? [more inside]
posted by gwpcasey on May 15, 2009 - 4 answers

Sound junkies, I need your help: it's a two-parter. [more inside]
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing on Apr 23, 2009 - 2 answers

Is there a (hopefully free) Mac app that will let me draw (and listen to) a waveform? I just switched to a Mac 4 months ago, and I remember there being all sorts of little audio tools that did stuff like this, but now I need one that will allow me to simply draw a waveform. Now, ideally I'd like to paste in graphical or vector shapes (photoshop or illustrator) and use those as the waveforms -this is really what I'm looking for - like a line to waveform ability. Would an oscilloscope-type software be more what I'm looking for, and would that allow me to "dial" between the drawn waveforms? Thanks!
posted by itchi23 on Jan 16, 2009 - 7 answers

I heard a term somewhere that referred to the modern phenomena of sounds being decoupled from what produces them, in the sense that it's no longer a one-to-one relationship between sound and thing. So whereas previously every time you heard a bark you knew it was a dog, now it could be a TV, a computer, or a robot dog. Likewise, a big professional sound system could sound like almost anything. I think the originator was an academic. I distinctly remembering seeing mention of this on wikipedia once. What was that term? Who coined it?
posted by phrontist on Dec 9, 2008 - 5 answers

I'm looking for a decent USB-to-audio input adapter, like the M-Audio Jam Lab [more inside]
posted by Phire on Dec 5, 2008 - 7 answers

Help improve my sound! After listening to some pristine, rich & dynamic music at a friend's studio, I've decided to improve my own setup. The catch? I don't want to spend thousands and have no interest in audiophile snake oil. Recommendations? Details on my existing gear inside. [more inside]
posted by aladfar on Jul 9, 2008 - 13 answers

How do I get my Xbox 360 to use my laptop speakers? [more inside]
posted by MostHolyPorcine on May 9, 2008 - 5 answers

What is the duration of the longest digital (or digitized) sound recording? What is it of? And where can it be listened to? I'm not interested in midi, only natural recorded sound. Is there a theoretical limit to a digital sound recording? Tape can go on forever, but filesystems and drive space would have to eventually limit the size of the file (or do I have that wrong?). Just curious. I'll take my answer off the air.
posted by cjorgensen on Nov 15, 2007 - 12 answers

I'm about to make a bunch of XLR cables. I have everything but the cable and I'm hoping for some brand advice. [more inside]
posted by Your Time Machine Sucks on Oct 22, 2007 - 10 answers

I'm trying to identify the computer application that uses a specific sound clip as some sort of notification noise. The sound is from this Ren and Stimpy short (Log!!) and occurs at 37 seconds in, right after the announcer says "All kids love log!" I know I've heard that little 6-note jingle before and it's driving me crazy!
posted by chrisamiller on Nov 28, 2006 - 7 answers

Why don't I get sound when I play YouTube videos? Quicktime videos work fine. [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Oct 16, 2006 - 3 answers