MUSI3041 Assignment#2 —— Su Yifan
Sound Blog
A vlog (video blog) is a form of blog for which the medium is video, and people usually use it to record their day. Inspired by this, I decided to make a ‘Slog’(Sound blog). The following sounds are in time order(marked next to each title) and occurred on October 8, the day I borrowed the Sony PCM-D50 equipment with a binaural mic. There are countless sounds that surround us every day. I have recorded some of the sounds that I notice, that interest me or that are someway meaningful to me.
I encountered some problems during the recording process. For example, when I recorded the sound of the coded lock, the coded lock sound was tiny, but the sound of closing the door was deafening. I had to adjust the size of the gain during the recording process. Otherwise, the sound would explode the moment the door was closed. It was however difficult to perform this operation alone, resulting in me recording it several times before I was satisfied.
1A. Traffic Lights (9:15)
(0-40s: Red light; 40s-50s: Green light; 50s-1min05s: Green light flashing)
Location: near HKU MTR B1
Context: From my home to HKU, I have to pass two traffic lights. Not until we brainstormed in class half a month ago did I realize that the sound of traffic signals is unique to Hong Kong. I consider whether it will cause noise pollution once because every time people wait for the red light, we have to bear this sound for almost one minute. But that thought was immediately dispelled as I realized that the sound was meant to serve the blind. Even now, many people will look down and browse their phones while waiting for the traffic light, and the sound change can also serve as a reminder.
2B. Sound of Scanning QR Code and Barcode (9:30)
(QR code: 0-15s; Barcode:15s-31s)
Location: HKU entrance (HKU MTR C1) and Wellcome(G/F, Hau Fook Building, Queen's Rd W, Shek Tong Tsui).
Context: This recording was spliced together from two recordings. One recording was recorded when I was scanning the Leave Home Safe QR code, and the other was when I was scanning the barcode at the Wellcome supermarket checkout. It is worth noting that there was soft background music played in Wellcome. Nowadays, people use fewer paper items, such as cash, information forms, and certification. In contrast, we usually pull out our phones to make payments, fill out the information, and show identification. Therefore, the sound ‘di’ is the product of technological development.
3C. Footsteps in Sports Centre & Dance Room (9:45)
(0-43s: Sports Center; 43s-1min17s: Dance Room)
Location: 111 Pok Fu Lam Rd
Context: This recording was spliced together from two recordings. People in Hong Kong are very sports oriented. Except for hiking, badminton is the most popular exercise. I came to Flora Ho sports center that day, and I found the sound of shoes rubbing on the rubber floor very special. Mixing with the echoes of the gym, this is a unique sound for indoor sports that we hardly ever hear in other situations. This sound was a bit harsh; however, I felt energetic because it reminded me that everybody was working hard.
I have been practicing jazz dance since primary school, which has become a part of my life. Basically, I come to the dance studio every week and can hear the footsteps and echoing music every time. Unlike the badminton hall, the dance studio floor is wooden. Therefore, the sound is more crisp and loud, and the neat sound of footsteps can make me feel happy in practice.
4D. Presentation (12:30)
Location: Rehearsal Room, Run Run Shaw Building
Context: I had never made a presentation before. In Friday's Music Business class, it was the first time I observed an undergraduate presentation. This gave me a general idea of the whole process, which will help me do better in future presentations.
5E. Piano Room (14:30)
Location: Department of Music, Run Run Shaw Building
Context: The music department has excellent piano facilities. It is rare to see Steinway & Sons in a piano room. Every time I pass by the door of a different piano room, it is like passing through a diverse music scene. Apart from the piano sound, there are other musical instruments like the vibraphone, and people sometimes practice singing in the piano rooms. I also started to practice piano after I came to HKU, and I gained much motivation every time I heard the beautiful piano sound coming from other piano rooms.
6F. Buddha Sound Bowl(16:30)
Location: near The Jockey Club Tower
Context: When I came out of the Run Run Shaw Tower and was on my way to the subway station, I passed by a club. The stall had a lot of instruments that are good for the environment, specifically low-frequency instruments. One of them was the Buddha Sound Bowl. It has an ethereal and profound sound and is used in connection with Buddhist meditation to bring about inner peace and enlightenment. There are so many high-frequency sounds in our daily lives, such as the sound of electric drills, that we need these environmentally friendly sounds to clear our ears.
7G. MTR (17:00)
Location: inside HKU MTR and outside HKU MTR C1
Context: This recording was spliced together from two recordings. The audio clearly reveals three types of sounds: 1. radio sounds, 2. swiping Octopus sounds, and 3. elevator sounds. I was very far from the elevator when I recorded it inside the subway station, and I was standing on the elevator when I recorded the outdoor elevator sound. Compared with the other outdoor elevator audio (1min05s-1min30s), the elevator sound inside the MTR was clearer, which we rarely notice. Through this comparison, we can find that the subway station is quieter than the outdoor environment.
8H. Induction Cooker (17:30)
Location: Sun Shing Building
Context: This recording was spliced together from two recordings. I started to learn how to cook after I came to Hong Kong. This recording captured my first time cooking and recorded the sound of the whole cooking process. A friend invited me to her home and taught me how to cook. Her apartment did not have natural gas, so I used an induction cooktop. An interesting point is that, unlike gas stoves, induction cookers adjust the temperature by heating frequency, so you can hear the start-up sound every time the induction cooktop starts heating. To be specific, you can hear a long heating sound, and then suddenly stopped. Then the sound became intermittent. After that, the heating sound returned, and the cycle repeated. Besides, there are sounds of spraying oil, pouring water, frying eggs, and the sound of an alarm clock going off.
9I. The Sound of Clinking Glasses(19:00)
Location: Grain, New Fortune House, 3-5 New Praya, Kennedy Town
Context: After having a tasty dinner, we decided to have some fun. So we headed to Kennedy Town to have a drink by the sea, during which I found the sound of clinking glasses was really fantastic. Clinking glasses while drinking is a common mode of celebration all over the world, regardless of borders and cultures. It is a way for people to express their friendship and celebrate the holidays. But it was also a high-frequency sound. It would be a harsh sound if it is too loud.
J-HOME
Location: Fung Yip Building10. Combination Lock (21:30)
Context: It is not like the sound of a calculator which has a different sound for each number for people to distinguish, so I have thought about why the combination lock should have a sound for a long time. Now I believe there are three reasons: 1. To make the buttons feel better to touch, 2. Let the user know whether they have successfully entered the password, 3. Allow the people inside the house predict that someone is trying to enter the password and go inside.
11. The Sound of Wet Slippers (21:45)
Context: This is a hilarious sound. Most people haven't noticed the lovely sound when wet slippers are stepped on the floor after having a shower. This is because the slippers are made with air holes, and the water cannot be discharged quickly after entering them. Therefore, the airflow makes the water vibrate in the process of overcoming the water resistance, then the sound is produced.
12. Washing Machine (22:00)
Context: The different stages of the washing machine have different sounds. At first, there is the sound of water filling, then a slow rolling sound. After the wastewater is drained, the washer makes a loud tumble sound, and the whole machine vibrates together. Sometimes even other furniture will also shake together and make a noise.
13. Air Cooler (22:30)
Context: One of the differences between Hong Kong and mainland China is that Hong Kong mainly uses air coolers, while mainland China uses air conditioners. The air coolers in Hong Kong are very loud, and I can't sleep with the slightest sound. It is a sound that makes me very distressed.
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