The Sound Map

THE SOUND MAP OF WROCŁAW is being created from field recordings conducted by the Soundscape Research Studio beginning in October 2011. The database is archived in the Library of Cultural Studies and Musicology of the University of Wrocław, and contains sound files complete with photographic documentation, descriptions, and commentaries. Two types of stereophonic digital recording devices are used for the recordings: ZOOM H4n and Tascam DR-100 with internal microphones, in the WAV 24 bit/ 44.1 kHz format.

The recordings located on the Map present various areas of the city and characteristic sound situations chosen from the sound database. They are shortened to around 1-2 minutes, and compressed into MP3s. The commentary is restricted to the title of the recording and basic information about the place, time, and atmospheric conditions. Most of the examples come with photos taken at the recording locations. The material presented on the Map will be successively expanded, and by 2014 we plan to have the entire database of Wrocław field recordings, archived on CD-ROMs, available in the Library of Cultural Studies and Musicology of the University of Wrocław.

The Sound Map of Wrocław