Natural sounds
- Water: rain, rivers, oceans and lakes, ice and snow, fountains, faucets, steam
- Air: wind (leaves, sand, window, etc…), storms and hurricanes, thunder and lightning
- Earth: rocks, trees, grass, earthquakes, landslides and avalanches, mines, caves and tunnels
- Fire: forest fire, building fire, volcanoes, camp fire, matches and lighters, gas lamp, torches, ritual fires
- Birds: hen, rooster, owl, duck, dove, pigeon, sparrow, hawk, etc…
- Animals: dogs, cats, horses, cattle, sheep, wolves, lions and other big cats, bears, monkeys, gorillas and other apes, frogs, etc…
- Insects: bees, flies, mosquitoes, crickets, cicadas, etc…
- Fish and sea creatures: whales, dolphins, fish, etc…
- Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
Human sounds
- Voice: speaking, calling, whispering, crying, screaming, coughing, grunting, groaning, singing, humming, laughing
- Body: breathing, footsteps, hand (clapping, ribbing, etc…), eating, drinking, evacuating, lovemaking, heartbeat
- Clothing: natural fibers, leather, synthetics, shoes, jewelry
Cultural sounds
- Rural environment: Europe, North America, Central and South America, Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Far East, Arctic and Antarctic
- City environment: Europe, North America, Central and South America, Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Far East
- Maritime environment: Ships, boats, ports, buoys, beach, seagulls
- Domestic environment: kitchen, living room and fireplace, dining room, bathroom, doors, windows and shutters, garage, garden
- Professions: computer programmer, lab technician, surgeon, butcher, fishmonger, teacher, policeman, tailor, carpenter, cook, sculptor
- Factories and offices: Bakery, stock market, shipyard, sawmill, steel mill, bank, newspaper
- Music: singing, acoustic instrument, electric instrument, electronic, folk, orchestra, band, pop, ethnic
- Festivals/ceremonies: parades, carnivals, fireworks, weddings, baptism, funerals
- Garden/parks: fountains, concerts, birds, playground
- Religious ceremonies: Jewish, Catholic, Hindu, Moslem, Buddhist, Tibetan, Native American
Mechanical sounds
- Land transportation: cars, buses, trucks, bikes, bicycles, skateboards, rollerskates, trains
- Other transportation: planes, helicopters, rockets, boats
- Mechanical tools: saws, drills, hammers, chisels, planes, sanders
- Demolition: compressors, jackhammers, bulldozers, pile drivers
- Farm machinery: binders, tractors, threshing machines, combines
- Office machinery: toaster, calculator, telephone, computer, coffee maker
- Kitchen appliances: toaster, blender, dishwasher, refrigerator, can opener, chopping board, cheese grater
- War machines: guns, rocket launchers, bombs, tanks, fighter jets, submarines
Signals - Bells: church, clock, sports, animals
- Horns/whistles: sports, bicycle, car, traffic cop, boats, trains, factory
- Warning signals: curfew, air raid, alarm clock, emergency vehicles, contamination leak
Quiet and silence
- Technical: anechoic chamber, physiological (heart, breathing), film reproductive system (optical, electronic base noise)
- Subjective: room tone, countryside, nighttime, faraway animal calls, isolated sounds (clock ticking, etc…)
Characteristics:
- Natural sounds tend to be incorporated in the musical side of the colour spectrum
- Human sounds and mechanical sound tend to be incorporated in the linguistic side of the colour spectrum
- Cultural sounds can hold a vast amount of spatial information and can be used to create soundscapes
Related effects: sound design; Soundscape; Film sound colour spectrum
(Sonnenschein, 2001)