The memory I chose to create a soundscape for was my first visit to a cafe. As an avid book reader at the time, I would often study in public places and this particular outing stuck with me. While not attached to strong emotions, the sounds from that day left an impression. I wanted listeners to experience the atmospheric noises without dialogue, conveying what I heard around me through ambient audio. Careful attention was paid to dynamics and context to ensure an accurate portrayal.
In developing the soundscape, I selected auditory elements matching the memory’s setting of a park and cafe. Bird songs, rustling grass and footsteps set the scene of reading in the park. Barking dogs and running added liveliness from a distance. Transitioning to the cafe, I recorded chatter, plates and movement of chairs/keyboards/water pouring to simulate the bustle. Some sounds required isolating to eliminate backgrounds, adjusting the mic gain or panning for shape. Difficult was finding birds due to location, so a nearby market supplied recordings.
Editing involved EQ adjustments when frequencies clashed, like lowered footsteps blending with other tracks. Higher frequencies were trimmed in mixing to reduce noise. While generally smooth, one recording included unintended mic contact. Feedback praised conveying an impression through atmosphere alone, though choosing a memory with stronger emotion may have resonated more personally. Quality improvements could enhance realism, like removing exterior sound interference. The process provided experiential learning around selection, recording techniques and sound editing.
Important note: Instead of Adobe Audition, I was permitted to use Logic X Pro as it was a tool I was more familiar with.
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