Sound Off (1 2 3 4...)

There are a lot of songs that use sound effects to enhance the arrangement. Wind, rain, helicopters, gunshots, lightning, cars revving, all manner of sounds can add to the feeling and theme of a song. Two of my own, currently on the "under construction" demo slate, are Dead at the Curve (uses a car crash), and Battlefield Heart (uses a rifle shot).

So where do they come from? Well, I remember reading about how the band Dio brought a shotgun into the studio, and fired it into a bucket of sand, for use within the track Shoot Shoot (from the Sacred Heart album), and how Tod Rundgren produced the bike revving sounds heard on Bat out of Hell on guitar. Broadcasts covering the adventures of sound effect recorders have told tales of them hanging from church spires with their equipment, with Heath Robinson-type filters and microphone arrangements in tow, to get the best recording of a lightning storm.

From my own perspective, bringing a shotgun into my tiny studio area isn't really an option, and at my age hanging from a church spire in a lightning storm doesn't quite appeal. Fortunately, ProSoundEffects have a vast library of sound clips with a number of available licensing options that save me from having to engage in those activities. A nice service, not so widely advertised!

Anyway - look for both Dead at the Curve and Battlefield Heart in the future (the former already having initial tracks - and sound effects - laid down).