Freesound Forums

Hello,

I'm looking for advice on recording (on a notebook) background noises in a badly soundproofed building built not even 10 years ago.

In a nutshell: I live in an apartment where one can hear the neighbours through the walls and ceiling (these acting like amplifiers it seems). I have loud people living below me, constant voices, TV from other neighbours, and one can hear doors slamming in the whole house, etc.

The problem is, that while any single event may not be extremely loud, it's the constant background noise that is annoying... it's as if it travelling and spreading through all the walls.

How best can I record this sort of "undirect" background noise? What equipment would I need? I would probably need some sort of audio interface to connect to the laptop. And what sort of microfone would I need (considering there is no direct sound source as such). What else?

Basically, I want to record what my ears are hearing...

Appreciate any advice!

Ed

I can say only one thing;

this is impossible...

microphones are stupid, and do hear a lot more then your ears. They really hear everithing.

There is not such thing as a microphone that only "hears" what it sees". So you will ALWAYS have noise.

The only solution is to record all things seperately and even in other locations. Don't look only in your neighborhood but further.

Also, you have to know what you want as a result. If you hear in a movie sound of birds, dogs, wind, playing children, all these things are recorded separately. Also recording behind walls is very interesting in your case, to have the effect of "sound behind the walls"

Dre83 - I think you misunderstood what e123 is looking to do. It sounds to me that he isn't trying to get rid of the sounds coming through the walls, but rather trying to capture that very sound.

e123 - There are two solutions that would probably work pretty well for your situation. 1. If you are wanting to hear sounds from all directions that you are hearing in your living space I would use a pair of small diaphram omni condensor microphones. Any omni microphone will work well but the small diaphram would work best for your situation. 2. If you are trying to actually hear better what is happening behind that wall I would try using a contact microphone. This will pickup the vibrations coming through the wall nicely.

Another thing to try is to put your ear up to the power outlets on the walls. A lot of sound transmission though wall comes through these weakpoints in the soundbarrier. Also your heating/AC duct work may be another good place to try if you are wanting to capture what is happening behind the walls.

Good Luck!

- Eric

no, I understood it very well I think. But I wanted to confirm that there is a big different between what human ears are hearing and what micrfones do hear.

And also about the "constant background". I thought he wanted to "delete" it from the total sound.

Dre83

And also about the "constant background". I thought he wanted to "delete" it from the total sound.

I am pretty sure he is trying to capture the sound coming through the walls, not "delete it from the total sound". Quoting e123 "How best can I record this sort of "undirect" background noise?" He is wondering how to best record the background noise specifically. I don't see anywhere where he is looking to remove this from his recording. If you see something I missed could you show me?

"The problem is, that while any single event may not be extremely loud, it's the constant background noise that is annoying... it's as if it travelling and spreading through all the walls. "

The background noise is annoying...

yes he says that it is annoying but he also says he is trying to capture this. Maybe english is not his first language and his true meaning is getting lost in translation.

e123 - help us out with this. Do you want to capture the annoying sounds coming through the wall or remove them from your recordings????

I think e123 wants to record the sound of "neighbours doing their things", the dog of the neighbour that is barking, the television and radio playing. But that there is some kind of "noise" that can be heared in the appartment that he wants to "delete". I think it's the central heater or some buzzzz sound.... And that the only solution is to turn off all things that makes annoying sounds...

Perhaps a pair of PZM mics taped to the most offending walls?

I get the feeling this guy might be wanting to record the noise to use as evidence to get out of his lease. Heh.

-- steve

LOL, yeah that is what I was thinking, pzm's or contact mic's would do the trick. I have noticed a lot of sound is carried through the outlets in walls as they are the weakest link sound wise. Try placing the mics over the sockets. Hopefully you can use balanced cables and not pickup the 60hz hum.