Fiding the Missing Piece in a Frozen Pond...

A couple of times a year, I travel abroad to record original sounds for myNoise. In 2015, I brought back the sounds of Sled Dogs and Arctic Wolves from Lapland, as well as many other sources that haven't been used on any soundscape so far. Audio recordings can remain unused for a while – years, sometimes – until they can be matched with the right soundscape. Mixing ten different sources is not easy when you want the final result to sound like one single recording. It is like a puzzle, where each sound has to fit perfectly with the others. Like a puzzle, it can take time to find a missing piece.

This winter I had the time to work on a recurring request: the sound of cracking ice. A frozen pond near my home had just the right amount of ice to produce interesting sounds when walked on. Sounds travel differently in water, and the attenuation over distance is much smaller than in air. Underwater microphones (hydrophones) were used to capture a variety of sounds produced over the whole frozen surface; sounds that wouldn't be audible from above the surface. Played back, these sounds revealed a polar soundscape, reminding me of the sound of distant glaciers collapsing. This provided not only a theme for a new sound generator, but also the missing pieces for the puzzle made from all the orphan recordings from Lapland. As you guessed, this puzzle is now complete – and is playing right now, for your listening pleasure.

Testimonials - write yours here

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♥ Walking on a frozen lake as the ice cracks under your feet and glaciers collapse in the near distance. Maybe you are not supposed to be here.

♥ Nature really is the best cure for a lot of things. Bass noises from neighbours flip my "anger" switch on and it would be almost impossible to flip back off if I couldn't mask them somehow. The natural randomness of the deep bass ice sounds is perfect for making those unwanted bass tracks disappear. There's something delightfully primal about the cracking sounds, too. Sort of like thunder.

♥ I loved the "Distant Thunder" soundscape, but this one hits the spot. With sliders 1, 6, and 10 (glacier, cracking ice, faint snow), I instantly got chills that lasted a few minutes. It sounds great and I'll definitely use it while working on my research. Amazing website.

♥ Gonna use this for my campaign.

♥ This is a sound of sweet elixir nourishing the subconscious!

♥ It's 85F in the office today and I have this on combined with Sled Dogs. Ok, so it doesn't actually make it feel any cooler in here but it's a lovely and unusual background noise.

♥ While programming coding, I have this combined with Number Stations and The Fireplace, and I feel like I'm at a campsite above the arctic circle, working on some scientific or espionage project, while my husky companion snuffles around in the snow nearby.

♥ I am playing this underneath a Spotify playlist of fantasy inspired music, and the combination is AMAZING.

♥ Reading the Terror by Dan Simmons after a long day at work, these soundscapes let me escape to the barren arctic of 1847 where the consuming worry is the rations running low and a mutiny among the men. Highly recommend pairing soundscapes with whatever book you are reading!

♥ Subtle balance of different sounds, all come together, none too loud or inaudible.

♥ A chilly walk with a curious dog. I love it!

♥ This is a great generator for studying! It is interesting, but not distracting. It also has some great noise-blocking elements. The 'Faint Snow' slider in particular is amazing! Stphane... you have gotten me through two years of grad school already! Merci mille fois!

♥ Only slider 1, 2, 7 up; it's beautiful... I want to stay here.

♥ It has always been my dream (and still is - working on it...) to travel to Lapland to experience the sounds of ice and forest! What a great motivator to intrigue me and to keep me going. Such unique sounds when you have only ever lived in Africa :) Thank-you <3

♥ Listen to this with the Ice World drone generator (a hair louder than this one) and only the 'Mids' slider on the Dark Water generator all the way up (the rest muted). It's the atmosphere of a clear, cold, crisp winter night with the moon shining off of the glittering snow. The dark of night makes it easier to hear the stars twinkling like miniature tingly chimes. Ice faery magic! :)

♥ This setting is so calm and pensive. Especially in these hot days very restorative.

♥ Oooh, I think I have been waiting for this sound! It's wonderful cxx

♥ It's like a nice, cold drink of water for your ears.

♥ Wow... having just returned from six months in Yakutia, Russia, I really miss the sounds of the arctic. This promises to become a favourite with me. Thank you so, so much for your hard work!

♥ What a beautifully calming generator! It truly feels like you are alone with your thoughts.

Current Settings

Save in URL
Save as Cookie > Load
Clone as Minified Player
℗ Order as an Audio file

Presets

Glacier Collapse • Frozen River • Fresh Water • Polar Trek • Husky on Thin Ice • Snow Walk • Frozen Lake Snow • Expedition • ℗ Surprise!

Tape Speed Control

℗ Slower • Faster • Shuffle! • Reset

Animation Control

℗ Start → A ← → B ← → C ←

If you ♥ Polar Expedition try...

Usage

Each slider controls a particular audio stream; adjust sliders to taste and mood. The animation button turns the soundscape into an slowly evolving texture. Use this feature if you intend to listen to the generator over a long period of time!