So I had heard stories about “The Tube”, London’s subway system (mostly how much better it was than Metro’s subway in Los Angeles), but let me tell you… I absolutely loved traveling around using the London Underground.
Not only were we able to zoom around London, but this subway created some beautiful (at least to my ears) tones. There are sections of the track where the subway cars really sing on the rails, and other parts that simply create a smooth wind rushing along with some light rocking of the interior cabins.
In this recording, I started on a platform, boarded the subways, and took a ride to various stops. There are some wonderful moments that quickly paint the scene. Subway bys, doors opening, announcements; plenty of material to build a scene that would take place here.
When it came time to eventually leave London, we took the Tube to Heathrow airport very early in the morning, and thus, scored about 25 minutes of riding on the subway with very few people in our car. During that time I was able to nab a few takes of the doors opening and closing from a nearby perspective (since I would have been trampled by the normal volume of riders during work hours). I am especially fond of the alarm beeps and the compressed air release before the doors slide shut.
Both of these recordings were made using the Sony PCM D-50, which was extremely handy for most of the trip since it fits in my jacket pocket, and doesn’t cause a bunch of onlookers to stop and ask what I’m doing (and ruin an otherwise valuable take!). I always record at 24-bit/96khz with this recorder. The higher sampling rate allows me to slow these sounds down in post without degrading the quality of the sound (it is the same concept as shooting high speed footage in film).
Fun fact: The London Underground was the world’s first underground railway, starting in 1863 when it ran on gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives. I’m sure that would have made an amazing sound.
Also, as a side note, whenever I use the plural pronoun “we”, I am referring to my partner in crime (also known as my long-term girlfriend Vicki) who is always willing to remain silent while I capture sound effects. Without her patience, none of these recordings would be made possible. Plus, I probably would have gotten lost and never made it back to the U.S.
As with all blog posts, the sound recordings posted here are available for download and can be used as royalty free sound effects in your personal or commercial projects.