What is your favorite noise?

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nici
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What is your favorite noise?

Post by nici » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:29 pm

Since this site generally focuses on noises we hate and how to avoid that, im curious about what noise don't mind or actually like to hear.

I like the sound of nothing, when you are outside and suddnely stop, and think there's nothing to hear. Nothing. That's relaxing. I like the sounds of nature generally, thunder for example is way cool and i never get bored of that.

I also like engines, loud engines. Especially the rough idle noise of a tuned big block V8, and a highly tuned italian supercar accelerating, flying thru the gears. That sends chills down my spine, and i get a big silly grin on my face just hearing it =) I might actually start laughing and people nearby think i am nuts, and they would be very right :P

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Re: What is your favorite noise?

Post by mr. poopyhead » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:36 pm

nici wrote: I like the sound of nothing, when you are outside and suddnely stop, and think there's nothing to hear. Nothing. That's relaxing. I like the sounds of nature generally, thunder for example is way cool and i never get bored of that.
actually, i find that even being out away from the city it's not completely silent. try going into a soundproof room. COMPLETE silence is actually kind of scary....

i like the sound of music... not the movie/musical... i just like music. i like kicking back and sitting in my chair with some good tunes. some people find it odd these days when people listen to music as an activity all by itself. but i love it.... music shouldn't be relegated to background noise...

i also like the sound of flatulence...

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Post by student » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:40 pm

I like natural white noise, like crashing waves, rustling leaves and such. It puts me in a hynotic trance, especially when I am tired. Its like the thing making the noise is calling me.

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Post by regal196 » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:57 pm

I like the sound of fingerpicking/flatpicking/soft strumming acoustic guitar. Also I agree with student, the ocean and nature a pleasant "noise."



-Pennell

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Post by andyb » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:15 pm

I cant say............... Dont ask.


Andy

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Post by Bories36 » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:16 pm

I like the sound of "headshot" in cs, or dominating, or monster kill.

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Post by Devonavar » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:21 pm

I'm going to give the classic Actors Studio Workshop answer and say children (or anyone) laughing. I suspect that I like what andyb likes too... but I'm afraid to ask.

andyb
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Post by andyb » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:35 pm

Devon, that is outragous......... only ladyboys ;) dont think I am partial to anyone else :roll:


Andy

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Post by jaganath » Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:09 pm

andyb wrote:Devon, that is outragous......... only ladyboys ;) dont think I am partial to anyone else :roll:


Andy
You like the sound of ladyboys laughing?! :shock: :mrgreen:

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Post by Aris » Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:20 pm

I enjoy the classic sounds.

A train rumbling across its tracks in the distance, with the occasional CHOO CHOO sound.
Children playing at a park across the street.
Birds chirping outside my window.
Thunder booming in the sky.
Leaves rustling along the ground.
Vehicles driving past the house.
Rain falling.
TAPS playing right before bed. (i'm military)

nici
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Re: What is your favorite noise?

Post by nici » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:48 am

mr. poopyhead wrote: actually, i find that even being out away from the city it's not completely silent. try going into a soundproof room. COMPLETE silence is actually kind of scary....

i like the sound of music... not the movie/musical... i just like music. i like kicking back and sitting in my chair with some good tunes. some people find it odd these days when people listen to music as an activity all by itself. but i love it.... music shouldn't be relegated to background noise...

i also like the sound of flatulence...
Not silent, but there is still nothing to hear really. Complete silence is uncomfortable yes.

Modern pop music is just noise for the most part. It was very different back in the good ol' days in the 90's :lol: I enjoy listening to music too.

No comments :wink:

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Post by klankymen » Fri Feb 02, 2007 4:31 am

such an easy question

My late grandmother used to live in a 'burb on long island, NY, and whenever I would visit her in the summer, you could feel the sweltering heat through the fly screens, and there was a deafening background noise, primarily of cicadas.

it has to be the most comforting coolest sound to me, in combination with the summer nighttime heat.




..... oh man memories :(

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Post by jhhoffma » Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:14 am

That's funny over the past few years I have really grown to HATE the sound of cicadas. I used to love them when I was a kid, because it meant that I wasn't in school because it was summer.

Now my favorite noises are wind (specifically a light breeze on the beach or in a wooded area) and waves.

kater
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Post by kater » Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:12 am

the sound of a train, the regular staccato of its wheels againts joints in rails, its monumental, industrial horn signal when it approaches an intersection, i especially like diesel train engines.

cats purring

sound of guitar rock & metal music played live, especially when you can also feel it inside - the vibrations, the moving floor...

sound of piano, guitar, violin - but i hate trumpets and the like

a good beer & grilledmeat belch followed the next hour by you-know-what ;)

EDIT - Dirty Harry's Magnum 44, punk... make my day...
Last edited by kater on Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by flyingsherpa » Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:08 am

i have three favorites:
1. sizzle sound when you put something on a hot grill. i'm mostly vegetarian now but i still like that steak sizzle noise
2. the noise a wine bottle makes when you first start pouring it. kind of a soft glurg glurg glurg
3. sounds women make, um, during moments of passion. i think this is evolutionarily (is that a word?) programmed into guys' heads though. still nice. i'm talking quiet sounds, not screaming or anything :lol:

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Post by andyb » Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:44 am

flyingsherpa, how can you be mostly vegetarian, you either are or are not a vegetarian.

I agree with you though, the sizzling sound of a 20oz steak cooking is quite excelent..... now im feeling hungry.


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Post by Shhh,Peaceful » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:45 am

How many people can honestly say they don't laugh a little when they here someone else fart?

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Post by kater » Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:22 am

Shhh,Peaceful wrote:How many people can honestly say they don't laugh a little when they here someone else fart?
well, yeah, that's what i meant by the "you-know-what" sound hereinabove

there's this big barbaric kid in me, always

do you recall the scene from Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" where the cowboys devour beans? one of the greatest moments in the history of film...

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Post by ChrisH » Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:24 pm


mr. poopyhead
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Post by mr. poopyhead » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:05 pm

Shhh,Peaceful wrote:How many people can honestly say they don't laugh a little when they here someone else fart?
sometimes in the bathroom at work, someone will have a bad case of montezuma's revenge and the rip-roarin' sound of angry bowels is just too funny... i have to bite my lip to keep from bursting out in case it's one of the big wigs...

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Post by CA_Steve » Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:47 pm

my dog snoring.

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Post by flyingsherpa » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:02 pm

andyb wrote:flyingsherpa, how can you be mostly vegetarian, you either are or are not a vegetarian.

Andy
hmm, well most vegetarians i've known were not strict (though i'm sure plenty out there are). i was a complete vegetarian for about a year at one point. but i discovered that if i went too long w/o eating meat that my body got really mad at me when i finally did (felt quite sick). so i think it's better to eat a little now and then just so you can handle it when you do. so why not just be strict? well, special holiday dinners... i don't really want my family to cook something different just for me. also, i like to really experience a culture when i travel, and i think this includes eating local stuff. often this means meat.

i just looked in wikipedia and they call this: Flexitarianism — prefer to eat vegetarian food, but make exceptions. some may call this a 'cop out', but i think it really depends on why you chose veg in the first place. my reasons are mostly health and environmental... eating small amounts of meat doesn't affect those things much.

ok, end off-topic :)

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Re: What is your favorite noise?

Post by NoiseFreeGuy » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:19 pm

nici wrote:Since this site generally focuses on noises we hate and how to avoid that, im curious about what noise don't mind or actually like to hear.

I know a thing or two about noise (check out NoiseWatch), so first we need to get our terminology straight. :)

What you might be thinking of are 'sounds' that we "don't mind or actually like to hear".

By definition, noise is 'unwanted sound'. So we wouldn't want to hear any noise. Of course there are noises that are far worse than others, but still at the end of the day we don't want to hear any of them, that's why we call them 'noise'.

The family of sounds can broken down into wanted + unwanted (noise).

I'm a musician and there are many sounds I love to hear. Many of them are musical; many of them are nature sounds.

The sounds I don't like to hear (noise) are quite varied as well.
But at the top of the list would be noisy aircraft, automobiles, motorcycles, lawn mowers etc. Basically loud motor/engine noises.

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Post by Tzupy » Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:42 am

My tomcat purring.

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Post by Erssa » Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:48 am

I love the sound beer bottles make when you remove the cap.

I love the fizzling(?) sound beer makes when i pour it into a glass.

I love the gulping sound beer makes, when it goes down my throat.

kater
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Post by kater » Sat Feb 03, 2007 3:34 am

Erssa wrote:I love the sound beer bottles make when you remove the cap.

I love the fizzling(?) sound beer makes when i pour it into a glass.

I love the gulping sound beer makes, when it goes down my throat.
and how about a hearty beer belch with your pals that challenges others to follow :lol: (don't tell me you're one of the "suppress-the-gas" guys)

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Post by Erssa » Sat Feb 03, 2007 4:47 am

kater wrote:
Erssa wrote:I love the sound beer bottles make when you remove the cap.

I love the fizzling(?) sound beer makes when i pour it into a glass.

I love the gulping sound beer makes, when it goes down my throat.
and how about a hearty beer belch with your pals that challenges others to follow :lol: (don't tell me you're one of the "suppress-the-gas" guys)
I supress it for later use...

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Post by nici » Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:45 pm

TheFreeDictionary has this to say about noise
noise Pronunciation (noiz)
n.
1.
a. Sound or a sound that is loud, unpleasant, unexpected, or undesired.
b. Sound or a sound of any kind: The only noise was the wind in the pines.
2. A loud outcry or commotion: the noise of the mob; a lot of noise over the new law.
3. Physics A disturbance, especially a random and persistent disturbance, that obscures or reduces the clarity of a signal.
4. Computer Science Irrelevant or meaningless data.
5. Informal
a. A complaint or protest.
b. Rumor; talk.
c. noises Remarks or actions intended to convey a specific impression or to attract attention: "The U.S. is making appropriately friendly noises to the new Socialist Government" Flora Lewis.
v. noised, nois·ing, nois·es
v.tr.
To spread the rumor or report of.
v.intr.
1. To talk much or volubly.
2. To be noisy; make noise.
I understand what you are saying though, but to my defense i have to say that English is my third language and i need someone to tell me what im doing wrong :wink:

And to those who enjoy the sound of flatulence, et lots of dark rye bread. It's yummy and healthy, now with added sound effects!!! The best time to consume it is when it's still warm and soft :wink:

I love dried dark rye bread. I prefer it over crisp bread actually. Stuff like this, Image

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Post by NoiseFreeGuy » Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:30 pm

nici wrote:TheFreeDictionary has this to say about noise
noise Pronunciation (noiz)
n.
1.
a. Sound or a sound that is loud, unpleasant, unexpected, or undesired.
b. Sound or a sound of any kind: The only noise was the wind in the pines.
2. A loud outcry or commotion: the noise of the mob; a lot of noise over the new law.


I understand what you are saying though, but to my defense i have to say that English is my third language and i need someone to tell me what im doing wrong :wink:

Yes, you are quite right. Noise is often used as described in 1b.,
however it's really a misuse of the word or term.

Physicists and electricians know better though. when they talk about Signal to Noise ratios they know that noise is not a 'good' sound. :)
They much prefer Signal to Noise!

But the reality is that we don't really have a perfect definition for noise in English. When I researched the word more than a decade ago I learned that it was 'common acceptance' that the word meant 'unwanted sound'.
There simply wasn't and isn't, to this day, a better definition for it.

And here's one good example why it's problematic.
One person's music (wanted sound) could be noise (unwanted sound) to another. So often, the same sound can be wanted and unwanted at the same time! If your neighbour is playing his stereo at 2:00 a.m. he might be really enjoying listening to his music. You however, might be trying to go to sleep and insist that the sounds coming into your apartment are NOISE, and not music!

So in the above case, the definition for noise as 'unwanted sound', works for one person and not the other.

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Post by Devonavar » Sun Feb 04, 2007 12:48 am

Pfft. Conventional usage can't be misuse. It's conventional usage that dictates a word's definition, not the other way around. It doesn't matter which usage is more original, more technical, or more precise. Words are used as cultural convention dictates, not as the dictionary or any "expert" says.

1b. is a perfectly comprehensible way of using the word "noise", hence, it is a valid use. Despite the existence of def. 1a, it does not carry an implicit suggestion that the wind in the pines is unpleasant. It may be ambiguous whether 1a or 1b is the definition that is meant (that's what context is for), but there is no question that 1b is valid usage.

I'm not sure what you mean by a "perfect" definition. If you mean unambiguous, you'll have to look long and hard to find many perfect definitions in any natural language... and I'd question why you would expect a perfect definition to exist.

The fact is that "noise" is frequently used to refer neutrally to sound, and this meaning is commonly understood. Clear writing should use context to ensure that it's understood when noise is unwanted and when it's not, but there's no obligation to prefer one definition over another, or even to write clearly.

On a related note, you should be aware that, no matter how much we at this site insist that "silent" means "the absence of noise [1b]", a conventional usage of "silent" refers to "very little noise [1b]" as well. For this reason, our resticted usage of the term counts as technical language. We get a bit annoyed when people misuse our technical term, but we can only dictate the conventional usage within our community, not within society at large.

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