Explore every episode of the podcast The Field Recording PodCast by Thijs Geritz

Special: From First Recording to Online Archive Occasionally I share some extra information, background, or an anecdote about my field recordings. This is the second episode of The Field Recording Podcast where I do that. In this special episode I describe how I first got into making field recordings and how it grew into this online archive. I also explore various aspects of making this kind of recordings — what I consider important, and what not. Since I wasn't sure I could record the narration myself with the quality I wanted, I opted — as with the previous Special — for an AI-generated voice from ElevenLabs. But the story is mine, and all the field recordings you hear are authentic recordings from my archive. Enjoy listening — and let me know what you think! I made a list of all the field recordings you can hear in this episode, but it's longer than SoundCloud allows — so you can find the full list here: https://storage.thijsgeritz.nl/s/Tracklist_Special_2

A binaural recording of a busy street in Chincha Alta. The streets there are mainly filled with so-called mototaxis. You can also hear a coffee vendor promoting her goods by playing a looping pre-recorded message. On the map - Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=68765

I live on the Dutch coast and am used to the sound of a sandy beach: the rhythmic crashing of waves in the surf. At a pebble beach, like the one near Lima, Peru, it sounds quite different. First, you hear the wave breaking, but immediately after, there's a second sound—the water retreating and dragging the pebbles with it. I made two recordings at that location. The first (https://soundcloud.com/thijs-geritz/pebble-beach-1) was made during calm weather with a gentle swell—you can occasionally hear individual pebbles rolling. The second (this one) recording was made in stronger wind; in that one, you no longer hear separate stones, but a deep, continuous roar. On the map - Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=68764

I live on the Dutch coast and am used to the sound of a sandy beach: the rhythmic crashing of waves in the surf. At a pebble beach, like the one near Lima, Peru, it sounds quite different. First, you hear the wave breaking, but immediately after, there's a second sound—the water retreating and dragging the pebbles with it. I made two recordings at that location. The first (this one) was made during calm weather with a gentle swell—you can occasionally hear individual pebbles rolling. The second recording (https://soundcloud.com/thijs-geritz/pebble-beach-2) was made in stronger wind; in that one, you no longer hear separate stones, but a deep, continuous roar. On the map - Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=68763

Recording of a daily recurring 'honking symphony': cars, motorcycles, buses, and trucks at the intersection of Avenida Javier Prado Este and Avenida Aviación. On the map - Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=68762

My second* recording of skateboarders — this time, a group of boys practicing on a plaza in front of the Ministerio de Cultura. On the map - Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=68766 * Here is my first recording of Skateboarding: https://soundcloud.com/thijs-geritz/skateboarding-spuiplein-den

The Red Line was a demonstration held on May 18, 2025, in The Hague. The demonstration protested the Dutch government's position on the Gaza war. According to organizers, over 100,000 demonstrators attended. A unique opportunity to capture the actual sound of this sentiment through the various chants heard that day. This presentation is a collage of several recordings. De Rode Lijn was een demonstratie die op 18 mei 2025 werd gehouden in Den Haag. De demonstratie was gericht tegen de positie van het Nederlandse kabinet ten aanzien van de Gaza-oorlog. Volgens de organisatie waren er ruim 100.000 demonstranten aanwezig. Een bijzonder moment om het specifieke geluid van dit actuele sentiment vast te leggen met de verschillende leuzen. Deze presentatie is een collage van een aantal opnames.

A recording, made around 6 pm, of children playing in a city playground in Puteaux, a suburb of Paris. Recorded with a Zoom H2n. On the map: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=66271 Podcast episode #123

This weekend, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will reopen, five years after the devastating fire of 2019. As a frequent visitor over the years, this magnificent building has always captivated me. One of my passions is creating field recordings, and I've captured numerous audio moments in and around the Notre-Dame. I've been gathering stories about some of these recordings, including one from my very first session in the cathedral back in 2007. With the Notre-Dame reopening this weekend, it felt like the perfect moment to share this story. Since I wasn't confident about recording the narration myself with the quality I wanted, I used an artificial voice from ElevenLabs for the spoken text. All the field recordings you'll hear are my own, with just a news clip coming from France24. Here is more from Paris: https://soundcloud.com/thijs-geritz/sets/paris Here are more church recordings: https://soundcloud.com/thijs-geritz/sets/church-organs Podcast episode #122

I made this recording during a few days of vacation with my wife and daughter. For two days in a row, it was about 34 degrees Celsius, and cooling off in this spring was a good idea. The Wouter Spring is a natural swimming pool in Belgian Limburg. It's an ideal biotope for several rare species of frogs and salamanders. These amphibians are completely harmless to humans, which unfortunately is not always the case the other way around. Every day, about a million liters of drinkable spring water bubble up from the natural springs at the bottom of the pool. On the map: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=65032 Photocredit: wouterbron.be https://www.wouterbron.be/natuurzwembad/ Podcast episode #121

This recording was obviously not planned. I had to drive at walking pace due to terrible rainfall, which allowed me to simply grab my recorder and place it on the dashboard. It became a recording of a very specific situation. You can hear the rain and the occasional thunderclap. In addition, you can hear the rhythm of the windshield wipers that had to work hard. The sudden silences in the recording are moments when I drove under an overpass. Podcast episode #120

Een korte wandeling over de Kelfkensbos markt in Nijmegen. Een wekelijkse markt met bio-producten. Opgenomen met een Zoom H2n en Sound Professionals SP-TFB-2 binaural microphones. On the map at Aporree: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=64266 Podcast episode #119

Recordings of frogs in a pond in the Drielsche Zeeg. On the map at Aporree: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=64234

Recorded standing next to the A50 highway, which runs from Zwolle to Eindhoven (and of course, in the opposite direction). On the map at Aporree: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=64233

General atmosphere at the playground on the Fahrenheitstraat in The Hague. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=62585 --- Note: Despite the mention that 'this track was mastered,' Soundcloud's mastering option was not used for this track. I did test the option with this track but ultimately did not use the mastered version. Unfortunately, it is not possible to remove the mention afterward. Additionally, the automatic mastering feature is designed for music and is not particularly useful for field recordings.

You hear, among others, German and American tourists in Cusco. We walk around the Plaza de Armas in Cusco in search of a restaurant. Restaurant staff promote their menus. A passing woman asks if I want a massage. And you probably hear much more than I do if you give it a try. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=62586

Recording I made while waiting in a parking lot to get out until the rain shower was over.

The sound of a medium-sized underground parking garage.

Binaural recording of travelers at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on a busy summer day. Schiphol is a so-called 'silent airport,' meaning no flight announcements are made. But there is, of course, plenty to hear.

Moderate traffic At Plaza Miguel Grau. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=61364

Recorded standing on a rock in the middle of Río Aynin (a.k.a. Río Pativilcen) at the point where it goes through the village of Quisipata, Peru. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=61363 A surround picture from the very spot I was standing: https://on.bubb.li/138413aoy8b2vri5mq297ql/

Recorded with binaural microphones on the parking deck of the Megastores in The Hague. This is covered with tiles that lie apart from each other, separated by rubber elements. This causes a distinctive sound when driven over. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=55236

Recorded during my lockdown morning walk on May 12th 2021. While recording this Nightingale I was passed by by people walking, running talking and cycling. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=53294

The sound of the waves against the breakwaters in the harbor of Scheveningen. Recorded during my lockdown morning walk. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=52555

Recorded while walking through Den Haag Sculptuur (The Hague Sculpture), An annual open air art exhibition that existed from 1998 to 2015. This recording dates from 2014 during the 'Rainbow Nation' exhibition of contemporary South African art. This is an older recording with some wind and only available in compressed format. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=14159 Original photo by Roel Wijnants (https://www.flickr.com/photos/roel1943/)

Recorded while sitting on the ledge of the pedestal of William Of Orange's statue on the Plein, The Hague. Opgenomen zittend op de rand van de sokkel van het beeld van Willem van Oranje op het Plein, Den Haag. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=47461

Random recording in a small forest near Ermelo. Internal mics of a Zoom H2. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=45451

Typical summer rain and thunder. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=45370

General atmosphere and conversations in a very crowded Square Du Vert - Galant, a tiny park on the very edge of Île de la Cité in Paris. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=44694 Foto: https://www.instagram.com/p/ByLouHEIJqO/

General atmosphere at a platform at Cologne Central Station. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=42544

Rainforest atmosphere (12:10 AM) recorded in Tambopata National Reserve, Perú. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tambopata_National_Reserve Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=40905

Binaural recording of Rainforest atmosphere (21:05 PM) recorded in Tambopata National Reserve, Perú. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tambopata_National_Reserve Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=40904

Binaural recording of one of the many irrigation canals you can find in the Andes valley of the river Aynín in Perú. Aporee: https://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=40903

A straight forward recording of standing under an umbrella while it's raining.

General atmosphere in Buitenplaats Oostduin. Algemene sfeer in Buitenplaats Oostduin. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=37815

This seagull had a nest on the roof next door and it was making these sounds all day for a week. Een meeuw met een nest op het dak van de buren maakte deze geluiden een week lang elke dag. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=10517

Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=35640

On January 28th, 2017 began the Chinese New Year, the year of the Rooster. Which is always celebrated in The Hague's Chinatown. https://denhaag.com/en/event/42846/chinese-new-year-festival Op 28 januari 2017 begon het Chinese Nieuwjaar, het jaar van de Haan. Dat wordt altijd uitgebreid gevierd in Den Haag’s Chinatown. https://denhaag.com/nl/event/42846/chinees-nieuwjaar-den-haag Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=34864

It was way too crowded. And it was too hot for the animals to do anything at all. So I thought it was a good idea to record the visitors around me while walking through the zoo. Het was te druk. En het was te heet voor de dieren om ook maar iets te doen. Het leek me een goed idee om dan maar de bezoekers op te nemen terwijl ik door het park liep. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=34754

After a long day of walking I ended up in a bakery for a 'chausson au pomme' and a coffee. ’Paul’ is an international chain of bakery restaurants established in 1889 in the city of Croix, near Lille, in Northern France. Na een lange dag wandelen belandde ik in een bakkerij voor een 'Chausson au pomme' en een kop koffie. ’Paul’ is een internationale keten van bakkerij-restaurants, opgericht in 1889 in de stad Croix, in de buurt van Lille. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=33220

To be precise: Metro 1 from Rihour to Gare Lille Flandres and Metro 2 from Gare Lille Flandres to Gare Lille Europe. Om precies te zijn: Metro 1 van Rihour naar Gare Lille Flandres en Metro 2 van Gare Lille Flandres naar Gare Lille Europe. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=33185

The deafening reverb of the main hall in the Museum of Fine Arts in Lille, France. It is one of the largest art museums in France and definitely worth a visit. The main source of this noise in this recording is the museum restaurant, located in the hall. De oorverdovende nagalm van de centrale hal van het Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Rijsel, Frankrijk. Het is éen van grootste musea in Frankrijk en absoluut een bezoek waard. Het lawaai in deze opname komt voornamelijk van het restaurant dat gesitueerd was in de centrale hal. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=33182

Opgenomen op een winderige voetpad tussen het riet in Nationaal Park De Biesbosch. Check Aporee voor de exacte locatie. Recorded on a windy path among the reeds in National Park De Biesbosch. Check Aporee for the exact location. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=33011

A stormy wind blowing through a deserted Beach Stadium in Scheveningen. The sound was more spectacular and diverse on a few other spots but I don't have the right equipment for that kind of wind. Een stormachtige wind blaast door een verlaten 'Beach Stadium' in Scheveningen. Het geluid was op sommige plekken diverser en spectaculairder maar ik heb niet de juiste apparatuur voor dat soort wind. Helaas. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=32624

An 'aerial battle' above my house between seagulls, crows and jackdaws. 'Luchtgevechten' bovenmijn huis tussen kraaien, kauwen en meeuwen. (photo credit: Philip Peterson)

The sound of small waves against the dock. Het geluid van kleine golfjes tegen de kade. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=32331

Stille geluiden in de studieruimte van de Centrale Bibliotheek in Den Haag. Quiet sounds in the reading room of the Central Library in The Hague. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=31870

De Von Siebold Gedenktuin in de Hortus Botanicus in Leiden. The Von Siebold Memorial Garden in the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=31804 Website: http://www.visitleiden.nl/en/zien-en-doen/beleven/musea/the-botanical-gardens

Cutting down a tree in a densely built place; branch by branch, from top to bottom. This particularly tree was sick and treating to fall on a daycare center. This sound really annoys me every time. Het verwijderen van een boom in een dicht bebouwd gebied; tak voor tak, van boven naar beneden. Deze specifieke boom was ziek en dreigde op een kinderdagverblijf te vallen. Dit geluid irriteert met echt elke keer. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=7977 (There are 3 recordings on this location) Kinderdagverblijf/Daycare Center: https://soundcloud.com/thijs-geritz/daycare

Algemene atmosfeer. Café-terrassen op de de Grote Markt in Den Haag. General atmosphere. Café terraces at the Grote Markt in The Hague. Aporee: http://aporee.org/maps/work/?loc=31687