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WORLD SOUNDSCAPE PROJECT TAPE LIBRARY

VANCOUVER/BC COLLECTION

REEL 19

UNIVERSITY OF B.C. Feb. 6, 1973

A

[0-tone]

[false take]

[0-tone]

1. SEDGEWICK LIBRARY 13'50"

B

[0-tone]

2. BUCHANAN TOWER 11'00"

3. " " 0'55"

4. " " 3'00"

5. " " 0'55"

 

REEL 19 COMMENTARY

1. Broadband sound as keynote outside, with the hum of the Buchanan building several hundred yards in the distance as a tonal centre (In the following takes this is heard from increasingly closer perspectives). The ambience in the new Sedgewick Library is fairly absorbent, unlike older reverberant buildings, but is filled with sounds of conversation in the entrance area, hums of lights and a droning vacuum cleaner. This take starts outside with construction drone, some footsteps, door squeak.

3'25" drone changes, because a truck moves off, foreground sounds more audible but basic drone continues.

3'45" first voice -- intermittent thereafter.

6'30" close voice.

7'00" questions about recording, comment about clock at UBC being better than the one downtown, which sounds like a "tin gong".

*7'30" enter library, turnstile noises, laughter.

*8'40" 60 cycle hum from fluorescent lights.

9'00" lower octave of hum (right channel) as recordist walks through office area.

9'30" public area again.

*10'00" vacuum cleaner.

12'00" going through turnstile.

12'30" vacuum cleaner stops.

13'00" conversation -- louder.

13'25" going outside, note that the outside hum has the same pitch as the vacuum cleaner.

2. Walking towards the noisy Buchanan building. Acoustic space becomes more enclosed and reverberant as recordists approach buildings near the Buchanan Tower. People sounds multiply, the hum remains relatively constant, however some filtering and phasing effects are heard, especially when at the top of the stairs. An elevator ride to the 12th (top) floor creates a striking change of ambience, which is echoed at the repeated stops on the way up as doors open to the ambience of the succeeding floors. Take opens at library, hum from top of Buchanan Tower, workmen sanding concrete.

0'50" climb stairs.

1'30" many different footsteps

2'20" voices appear.

2'45" reverberant voices.

3'15" enter Buchanan building.

*3'25" elevator "ding".

3'40" reaction of passenger to microphones.

3'55" elevator ambience, open-close doors on way up and elevator bell.

*5'25" leave elevator, walk into quiet office area and then loud reverberant stairwell close to ventilation equipment.

7'55" enter office area (microphone noise on left channel), typing in background.

8'25" footsteps in very absorbent corridor.

9'20" standing by ventilation duct.

9'45" walk to elevator.

*10'10" loud hum from fluorescent light.

3. Getting permission to record the exhaust system on top of the building.

4. *0'40" walking outside to main vent ducts to record ventilation noise at the source.

A lot of wind noise on microphones.

5. Back in mechanical room for a moment. High frequency scream of engine. Hard to take.


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