Searching for sound effects

[elliot47]

I am currently trying to compile a fairly large library of sound effects to put on an external hard drive. By fairly large I mean somewhere around 4-5,000 effects. Does anybody know of a website where I can download a large number of effects all at once FOR FREE? I dont have to get all the sound effects from one website. I also would like a variety of sound effects not just one catagory (for example I dont want an entire library of car sound effects). And lastly I dont really want sound effects longer than around 2 min. I know this is a tall order to fill but im sure someone here can help me out.

Thanks,
elliot47

 

[DuckJordan]

The biggest issue your going to find is "free" There are a few websites that offer "free" sound effects to use in shows but they aren't necessarily the highest quality. Search for sound effects in the search function on the forums there have been quite a few threads about this sort of thing. You may find it easier and in the long run better to buy a sound effect library.

 

[Tex]

The biggest issue your going to find is "free" There are a few websites that offer "free" sound effects to use in shows but they aren't necessarily the highest quality. Search for sound effects in the search function on the forums there have been quite a few threads about this sort of thing. You may find it easier and in the long run better to buy a sound effect library.

My favorite source for free sounds is (not surprisingly) freesound.org.
It's not organized the way you want and you have to download one file at a time, but there's a wealth of material there.

 

[gafftaper]

The simple fact is if you want to legally obtain good quality sound effects you have to pay for them and they are not cheap. My favorite sources are

For Downloading:
Download Sound Effects | SoundDogs.com
http://www.stockmusic.com

For buying a collection:
Sound Ideas Sound Effects, Royalty Free Music & Production Elements

 

[Tex]

The simple fact is if you want to legally obtain good quality sound effects you have to pay for them and they are not cheap. My favorite sources are

For Downloading:
Download Sound Effects | SoundDogs.com
Royalty Free Production Music & Sound Effects - Stockmusic.com

For buying a collection:
Sound Ideas Sound Effects, Royalty Free Music & Production Elements

I would agree that this is the easiest way, but not the only way.
There are quality sound effects out there for free, but you have to look for them. I have also had good success recording my own effects when I was unable to find them. My talkative Welsh Corgi played the part of a whole herd of rhinoceroses with a little help from a good microphone and Audacity.

 

[echnaret]

Just wondering, is there any reason you want to compile a sound effects library all at once? I usually download the parts and pieces as I need them off the internet (usually from freesound.org). Unless you go through the less-than-legal route, I don't know of any place that would let you download multiple sound effects/entire collections at once.

 

[ruinexplorer]

If you can take your time to build your library, you can sign up for the newsletter at Pond 5 and they'll send you free samples every so often. Or you can just buy what you need.

 

[dude2144]

i agree with echnaret. If you know that you're going to have access to the internet in the future what is the point of using up all the space on a hard drive when you can download good sounds quickly. I use some sound effects in movie editing, and i use http://www.freesound.org/index.php

 

[GoldPhoenix]

Another option is to make a list of different sounds you would like to have on hand and go record them yourself. Thats what I typically do.

~Allan

 

[GoldPhoenix]

A few days ago there was some pretty epic weather here in MA (long thunderstorms and down pouring, and also two tornados).

When I heard it was coming past my hometown, I set up a mic in a few spots around my house (combination of inside and outside) to get some decent clips of the storm, so the next time I need audio for a TV show or on stage I have 5 different high quality clips to choose from.

Depending on where I end up using the audio, I will eq, compress and/or add reverb to make the clip match what is happening visually.

~Allan