I need static

[Sideburns]

Alright, I don't think that there is a thread related to this, so.....

I am designing sound for a short (very short) act play based on the 'River Tam' Sessions ( a promo for firefly/serenity if I remember correctly), and I need to create some very, very eerie static or static substitute between the scenes. The timeline is quite short, so I have been trying to make do with a clip I found on sound dog,

http://www.sounddogs.com/sound-effects/2716/mp3/473684_SOUNDDOGS_Am.mp3

and it ain't so great. Can anyone give me some advice/help?

Thanks.

 

[mixmaster]

First thought, find a radio with a line out. Surround sound reciever, boom box, whatever. Tune to an AM band where there is no signal and you will get static. Line out to your favorite recording device. EQ to taste during playback. Record during a thunderstorm, you may catch some weird bursts.

Second thought, wireless mic, crank the squelch wide open and record as above. You may need to find an older mic to do this as most of the new ones are tone sqelched.

Third thought, I got some really hollow sounding static once with a CB radio and a metal coffee can. (yes, it was my radio. But I'm not THAT old thank you)
I turned up the RF gain and turned down the squelch. Put it in the coffee can with a recording mic.

Have fun
Matt

 

[Spiceboy]

Radio Static Wav Free Loop and Audio Download from Free-Loops.com

You might also want to try searcing for Radio static, Shortwave Static, White Noise or Pink Noise.

Other alternatives are cheap Sound Effects CDs that you can some times pick up in second hand stores. I used to have several put out by the BBC Radiophonics Workshop.

There are soem companies that specialise in Sound Effects CDs like Sound Ideas and SoundFX but they are usually very expensive

Some Early Synthesizers (and even some modern ones) have built in White Noise Generators that you can then modify with filters an mix with pure tones, so if you can get access to one of those you may be able to create the sound you want.

Failing that the last resort would be to find and old Shortwave radio and see what you can get out of it and record it.

Hope that helps

 

[TheDonkey]

SimplyNoise.com - The best free white noise generator on the Internet.

There's a live generator there that you can record for however long, or you can download 30 seconds clips on noise and loop them.

 

[waynehoskins]

What kind of static do you want? AM static is different from FM static .. and SSB static is different too, more like AM static, but different. And with a sideband receiver, you can tune off frequency to a signal, where parts of it are just barely in the passband, and get some neat sounds.

 

[Sideburns]

Thanks for all of the advice. I ended up using a pink noise generator, while adjusting the frequencies. It was an unusual case, since it was based off of webisodes for a show based in THE FUTURE. I hope that hundreds of years from now they can manage to eliminate heavy static from professional recording devices.