Sound Map of the Area Around Where I Live - Assign2 (Y)
This is a sound map of the area around where I live. I hear many sounds every day, but I never listen to them closely. I decided to ‘walk by ear’ in the neighborhood where I live, to find some special sounds and to reflect on their existence. What excited me the most was that I even found some increasingly rare sounds.
I borrowed Sony PCM-D50 equipment for two days. These recordings are partly recorded by the machine, and partly recorded by my cell phone (I have marked the equipment next to each audio).
#1. Sound of traffic lights (at 7-11 Belcher's Street, Kennedy Town)
Date recorded: 06/10/2022. Equipment used: Sony PCM-D50. Distance from source: about 50 cm.
I am bound to hear the traffic lights every day. There are three rhythms of signal lights, representing ‘stop’, ‘go’ and ‘alert’. This is the unique sound of HK. In mainland China, traffic lights rarely have sound. And although some countries like Japan also have audible traffic lights, the tunes are different. This sound may also represent humanism as it enables blind people to cross the road by themselves.
#2. MTR station ticket-checking machine (at HKU Station)
Date recorded: 08/10/2022. Equipment used: Cell Phone. Distance from source: about 20 cm.
For the first time, I noticed that there are two different sounds when swiping the Octopus card to enter the MTR station (you can hear them in the 6th and 35th seconds of the audio). I observed the entrants and guessed that it might be the elder’ card and students’ card that have different sounds. This difference may prove that some sounds are related to social roles.
#3. Champion Automobile Service CO., LTD
Date recorded: 08/10/2022. Equipment used: Cell Phone. Distance from the shop: about 3 m.
The recording shows the sounds of cranes, the car-repairing tools colliding and welding. I was surprised that in HK so many garages open in a residential area. The garages I have ever been to before are all in remote places to avoid noise disturbance to residents.
#4. Hong Kong Jockey Club
Date recorded: 06/10/2022. Equipment used: Sony PCM-D50. Distance from the speaker: over 2 m.
This was the first time I walked into the HK Jockey Club, and I realized that it is one of the iconic institutions in HK. The William Overture can be heard at the 15th second of the audio. It is the most appropriate sound within the venue, creating an atmosphere of winner's joy. I hardly ever hear this music in other stores.
#5. Tai O Cafe Kitchen
Date recorded: 06/10/2022. Equipment used: Sony PCM-D50. Distance from source: between 0.5 m - 1.5 m.
This is the sound of people scanning a QR code via the LeaveHomeSafe App and registering when they enter a venue. It is a unique sound in times of epidemics. Sound is time-related. Fewer and fewer places require people to register upon entry now. With the liberalization of the epidemic control policy, this voice will eventually disappear.
#6. Joint Publishing (Bookstore)
Date recorded: 10/10/2022. Equipment used: Cell Phone.
The audio shows the unique sound of the bookstore. To avoid disturbing the readers, the store plays small background music and the sound of people’s fingers rubbing and flipping the paper is obvious. It is also a good place for ear cleaning.
#7. Hang Fung Chinese Medicine Co.
Date recorded: 11/10/2022. Equipment used: Cell Phone. Distance from source: about 30 cm.
The sound of an abacus is rare nowadays. The recording shows the sound of the abacus beads being plucked. Abacus is a traditional Chinese calculation tool that few people use anymore. I studied it in elementary school and seeing it evoked a sense of nostalgia in me. I hope this traditional tool can be preserved.
#8. Shearer Butcher
No 8.1. Date recorded: 09/10/2022. Equipment used: Cell Phone. Distance from source: about 40 cm.
No 8.2. Date recorded: 09/10/2022. Equipment used: Cell Phone. Distance from source: about 2 m.
There are many butcher stores around where I live. The first audio shows a sound that excited me: the sound of using a whetstone to sharpen a kitchen knife. Most kitchen knives are now machine-made. This traditional way of sharpening is becoming less and less common. The second audio shows the sound of cutting meat. The sound has unique meanings: an even and fast sound indicates cutting lean meat or small bones; a crisp followed by a thicker sound implies cutting large bones.
#9. Tailor's Shop
Date recorded: 10/10/2022. Equipment used: Sony PCM-D50. Distance from source: between 0.5 m - 1.5 m.
You can hear the sounds of a traditional sewing machine and of using a scissor to cut a thread. The sound of the sewing machine in the audio is intermittent because when sewing clothes, it is rare to sew a long distance at once. And the scissor is utilized to cut the thread after each sewing. This is another sound that is going extinct. In the pursuit of efficiency, most clothes are now produced in bulk by machines. The machine and this handcrafted approach are becoming less and less common.
#10. HKU
No 10. Date recorded: 06/10/2022. Equipment used: Sony PCM-D50. Distance from source: about 3.5 m.
No 11. Date recorded: 08/10/2022. Equipment used: Sony PCM-D50. Distance from source: about 2 m.
Finally, the recordings were made in HKU. The first is the beeping sound of students swiping their cards to enter the Main Library. The sound is especially intense at noon on a Thursday. The second is the sound of the cafe. The sound of the coffee machine is very clear and unique. It is usually only found in cafes or western restaurants.
I encountered some difficulties during the fieldwork. For example, I went to the tailor's store 3 times before I found the tailor, and because of the language barrier, we could only communicate by writing. Besides, I have been refused to record by staff on the grounds of privacy protection. And I had to re-record some sounds because of the excessive ambient sound. But more than that, I learned to use recording equipment and found some meaningful sounds. I loved the ear trip.
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