In April 2019 it was finally time and my first recording device, a Zoom H4n Pro was delivered. I had been looking forward to it for a long time, to finally record some nice city sound effects in Berlin.
If you have read my first blog article, you already know how important Berlin City is for me. Already during my first visit in 2006 it was clear to me that Berlin is THE CITY in which I want to live. Even today this love is unbroken. Creating a unique Berlin city sound effects library was therefore of great importance to me.
Places where I recorded the city sound effects
When I received my Zoom H4n Pro in April 2019, I immediately set to work to record some of Berlin’s (for me) most striking locations for my Berlin Sound Library. In this article I would like to introduce you to some of the places and share some of the experiences I made during the recordings.
Alexanderplatz (Berlin-Mitte)
Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte can be seen from a distance through the world-famous TV tower and the Park Inn building. Especially the TV tower is an essential part of the Berlin skyline and an integral part of the everyday Berlin scene. Visitors to Berlin will not be able to avoid Alexanderplatz because it is a hotspot for sightseeing- and shopping tours. Alexanderplatz offers some very unique city sound effects like pedestrians, cyclists, dogs, trams and suburban trains. Indispensable for a field recordist! Fortunately, I was there at exactly the right time and had the opportunity to capture the sound of an old-timer tram! This wonderful old bell that rings before the departure is simply great and in my opinion much better than today’s “beep” sound.
Breitscheidplatz (Berlin-Charlottenburg)
Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, with the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, is one of the main tourist attractions of Berlin’s City West. This atmosphere of children playing, people shopping, laughing, eating together or talking was a must in my Berlin Sound Library. In addition, there is a lot of traffic here that invites you to record fantastic traffic sounds.
Victory Column (Berlin-Tiergarten)
Just like the TV tower, it is one of the most important and impressive sights: the Victory Column in Berlin-Tiergarten. By the way, this is also the place where I was able to celebrate Berlin’s last Love Parade during my first visit to Berlin in 2006. Of course, this place must also be part of my Berlin Sound Library. The large rotary, which surrounds the Victory Column, finally invites to record some interesting traffic sound effects.
Warschauer Strasse, Berghain und Watergate (Berlin-Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg)
Party crowds determine the typical sound of Berlin’s nights on weekends (well and weeks too ^^). Places where you can catch these unmistakable sounds are Warschauer Strasse and the legendary Techno clubs Berghain and Watergate. From Warschauer Strasse, the party crowd is spread over the weekends to the surrounding clubs and bars. In one night from Saturday to Sunday, I went through the Berlin night to capture these typical, distinctive sounds. I met a lot of interesting people during that night. Many of them were wondering what I was doing and asking me about the sound recordings.
Public transport sound effects (bus, metro, tram and suburban trains)
In a Berlin sound library, the unmistakable sound of public transport must not be missing. I almost always have a recording device with me and have made recordings here and there when I was on the road. In my Berlin Sound Library you will find sounds of trams, busses, suburban trains (S-Bahn) and metros (both from outside and inside). I only removed the signal tones and announcements in the best possible way, since they are potentially copyright protected.
Other sounds in the library
The above mentioned things are only a part of the Berlin Sound Library. Describing every single location and sound would just be too much. Some other sounds would be: party crowd sound effects from the Berlin Fuckparade, from May 1st in Kreuzberg and from the Christopher Streetday (CSD), airplane sound effects from Tegel airport, waterfall sound effects from Viktoriapark, traffic sound effects from the Bridge of Spies, skateboarder sounds from Warschauer Strasse and much more. Further down on the page you’ll find a link to a detailed soundlist, as well as a SoundCloud playlist, where you can pre-listen all of the sounds (of course in a worse quality than in the library 😉 )
You can buy the whole Berlin Sound Library here for the only 12 €!!!
In the meantime I would be happy, if you connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud or YouTube! 🙂
Don’t hesitate to contact me via one of the channels or via my contact form. I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Make the world a better sound!
Phil
Click on the link to view/download the detailed soundlist:
Berlin Sound Library – Soundlist (PDF)
Here you can pre-listen all the sounds in lower quality in the library, but for a better experience open it directly on SoundCloud:
Image Sources
- Berlin by Kranich17 on Pixabay
- Alexanderplatz by Indigo Hotel Berlin Mitte am Alexanderplatz on Pixabay
- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church by Bernhard Brill on Pixabay
- Victory Column by Thomas Ulrich on Pixabay
- Warschauer Strasse by Heike Georg on Pixabay
