What is the best sound in the world?

[Chip McDonald]

I'll fore go citing the obvious "natural" sounds... There isn't an optimal "best sound" for a musical instrument IMO, so I'll skip that as well. That leaves a tossup between the sound of a modern F1 car engine and the Pratt & Whittney's in an F-15, or maybe the GAU gatling gun of an A-10 warthog. F1 cars have 10 cylinder engines that rev to 20 *thousand* rpm in an instant. They're built with such precision they don't have gaskets. When they blow up, a piston rod can literaly nail the car to the asphalt. They're the height of mechanical technology today. That, combined with the effects of the intake and exhaust system, and tires trying to stick to the road, makes a very cool sound. They sound unlike any other engine - when a driver hits it, they sound distinctly *angry*, like they want to be THERE right NOW. A very complex sound not translated on tv well at all, there's a low frequency component that's completely missing, and the overtones are extremely complex and variable. It's the sound of complete power, what you want your first Marshall stack to sound like when you hit an open E.... except you wouldn't even notice 10 stacks next to one of these. Then there's the F-15. The F-16 sounds cool, but not as throaty as the dual engined F-15. Everyone here should go to a military airshow just to check out the different sounds, it's unexplainable. The distant rumble that's louder than thunder, then the dopplering as they approach, the sudden ramp up of "unbelievable volume", bass that makes your insides resonate, the whine combined with the the effects of the angle of the plane relative to you... Very cool. The GAU gatling gun in the Fairchild A-10 is unreal. I've heard these on a firing range (with it literally firing maybe less than 100 yards away at tree top level as it turns in to approach the target); *nothing* can prepare you for that sound, it's totally alien. With foam earplugs in and my hands over my ears it sounded like (wait for it) an elephant farting *inside* my skull. No matter how you prepare for the sound, it *will* make you flinch, it's completely surreal. The plane whines in (sounds like a commercial airliner "trying really hard"), the "skull fart" happens, there's a whoosing, you hear the shells impact the target half a mile away. Totally alien. Totally frightening. It would be brain damaging to be our enemy and having this thing come after you; the Iraqi's that were holed up in the desert have to be babbling vegetables after days of that, and there's probably some Afghani's that aren't too well off mentally because of it, as well. But none of those are a "best" sound, just maybe "the most impressive". I haven't heard an F1 car in action in person, so that could be more impressive than the planes; the sound of the F1 cars convey a sense of "high technology doing it's thing really well", which is a more complex sound than the brute force of the planes. Roger Nichols says the downshifting of the F1 cars sounds like cannon fire; that's got to add to the effect that doesn't come across in recordings well, but the quality recordings I do have are wonderful - you hear them accelerate off into the distance, as they shift the hydraulic "bang" happens, you hear wind whining over the body, the "angry" accelerating sound - great stuff. AND NOW FOR THE "WORST" SOUNDS IN THE WORLD: How about the "ding ding ding" of the "back up sound" on trucks? Particularly at 7:30 a.m.? Or how about the neighbor's dog that DOES NOT STOP, NEVER EVER (he's barking right now), DOES NOT SLEEP, HE JUST BARKS INCESSANTLY WITHOUT FAIL. There's that sound old boom mic stands make when you try to adjust them, that awful squeek... I hate banjos, and basically harmonicas as well. I say melt them all down and make Floyd Rose tremelos out of them. Certain cell phone ring tones drive me nuts. Babies crying strike a very deep mentally rending in me. I can't stand it, I have to leave the room sometimes. I once had an apartment where the refrigerator was 3 feet away from me. It made exactly 14 different sounds. How do I know? I got to count them every night.... Strings breaking are always a crappy sound... The squeal of cheap single coils being microphonic sucks probably more than anything. Except... Blatantly out of tune sounds are the worst. I had to sell a tv to a friend because the flyback transformer was so loud and out of tune it drove me crazier. It's not something where you sit there and think "I think that's not quite a B", it's just something that slowly makes your skin crawl. Ahg...

[not coaster MODERATOR]

Ahh yes the sounds of the auto garage the cadence of air guns removing lug nuts the soft screeching of tires on concrete floors torque wrenches cascading to the ground the gentle purring of an exhaust leak parts managers cheerfully stocking inventory enveloped within the siren song of a 70's classic rock station with the sweet smell of Lava Liquid hand soap in the air and all of this bathed in a pure golden state of natural reverberation life is good

[Rog]

A few more ... the sound of a distant crow on an autumn morning in the country The sound of a good band just starting a set when you're queueing outside to get in The sound when you've just switched your computer off and you realise just how fucking noisy those things are the gasp of surprise when you've just bough someone something they've been wanting for a long time ... keem 'em coming :D

[teh dri]

the F1 idea was nice i usually work at INDY on the Gold Coast here in Australia while i dont care about the INDY races one bit, i am impressed by the spectacle of it all... the speed is amazing when its 5 feet away from where you are standing at ground level.. and yes, the sound..... awesome Doppler effect in full glory :eek: as for a Nature sound that will never leave my memory/soul... wow, how to describe it do any or have any of your surfed? i grew up on the afore-mentioned Gold Coast, at on of its world famous point breaks in fact.... reknowned for big sucky barrels *THAT* sound when you are deep inside a 9 foot barrel, the water gushing over you with enough power to smash you in an instant should you get in its way, safely tucked as you are in its stomach, a small hollow of calm in the chaos no superlatives can sum up that chest vibrating gutteral ROAR enveloping you as you hurtle around the point, adrenalin and ecstatic fear racing, and get spat out again argh! if only i could put this memory/feeling into NON-CLICHED words but then again, ive heard babies cry but havent had one of my own then, i guess its like that... appreciation relies on experience for utmost profundity? for sure

[lrossmusic]

- "ca-ching" (on the receiving side that is) :)

[Fat Cat]

THE BROWN NOISE, r.e. South Park, especially when your constipated!!

[dturner]

Ok... One of the sweetest and most sensual sounds in the world is my 1960 ebony Hammond B3 and vintage 122 Leslie. All the sweeter because I found this rig for $100 under a tarp in a church basement. The Hammond had placard on the back that said "Church Yard Sale - Organ and Speaker - $80." Evidently, this B3/122 had been through two church yard sales in the previous year... with no takers. Amen... and Thank You Jesus! Dennis Cedarville, Ohio

[timrocker]

dturner; You are kidding me! Un-be-lievable, the deal that you got! And, yes, I agree that the sound of that rig is just the tops!

[Ge-orge]

I'll give you $350 for the hammond/leslie!! :D I'm with the kids laughing, crying, being kids, copying the snoring sound mommy makes when she falls asleep.... The sounds of spring birds in the Northeastern US as the sun comes up... An acoustic 12 string guitar, being fingerpicked with organized chaotic dexterity....(Is that one person playing one guitar? :cool: ) A rooster crowing....