The Transits: a HK-London field recording collage (2021)

Created for Sound Envelope, SPARK 2021 online festival, The Transits projects an imaginary soundwalk experience from London to Hong Kong and back.

Boarding (0:00 - 2:12)

The aircraft flew by Walthamstow, levitating the listener into the flight. Passenger announcement, chime, overhead luggage compartments opening and closing, beverage maker cleansing and seatbelt unfastening. It was an A330 flying to Hong Kong.

From market to museum (2:12 - 5:30)

Strolling from Wong Nai Chung Market, Hong Kong back to the Great Court of The British Museum, London through a long tunnel, which is constructed with convolution reverb based on a 9-second IR (Impulse Response) sample. Juxtapositions arise as the reverb permeates the scene.

Credit to Dean Powell and Veronica Yiu for the following field recordings:

20.9.2021 - Market_Binaural.wav by Veronica Yiu

22.9.2021 - Walthamstow overhead plane.wav by Dean Powell

24.9.2021 - British museum - great court.wav by Dean Powell

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Sound Envelope is a virtual exhibition as part of SPARK 2021 online festival supported by the British Council. Led by Ryo Ikeshiro (SoundLab, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong) and Tom Tlalim (Centre for Creative Research, Wimbledon College of Arts, University of the Arts London), with Dawn Scarfe and András Blazsek.

The Transits in Sound Envelope

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In the aircraft - an open-source sample pack

Date: Afternoon, 23 Sep 2021

Flight no.: CX367 (Shanghai to Hong Kong)

Aircraft type: Airbus 330

Format: 48kHz, Mono

Recorded with iPhone 8 plus, on-ground before the engine start

Click here to download.

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More on the convolution reverb design:

Pick a transient and its reverb with inevitably a certain level of noise from the field recording.

Bring the audio to Logic Pro's factory Space Designer. Smoothen the transition.

Oct 7, 2021