Zimbabwe – Dry Season
From a hungry Committee of Vultures to howling Hyenas: Sounds of Wildlife, Nature, and the Awe-Inspiring Victoria Falls in the Dry Season.
Experience the Sounds of Zimbabwe at the End of Winter.
Every now and then an opportunity comes along that you just cannot pass up. The chance of going on a recording trip to Zimbabwe alongside someone who knows the area and many locals was exactly that.
I traveled to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in August of 2023. As the dry season and the coldest time of year was still in full swing, the land is dry, and animals travel long distances to reach watering holes and rivers to drink. With the trees dried out and few insects in sight, the soundscape across the steppes is eerily quiet day and night, save for the large number of helicopters flying tourists around during the day.
Not only was it an utterly inspiring experience just taking in the beauty of nature and the warm spirits of the people I have met, it was also an exercise in navigating the challenges of anthropogenic noise becoming more prevalent around the globe. With this time of year being the height of tourism season, capturing the sounds of nature meant having to find pockets of silence to avoid the sounds of helicopters, safari trucks, and trains carrying coal.
By resorting to drop rigs, overnight recording, and getting up before sunrise to record, I captured a wide range of birds, mammals, and ambiences that will let you recreate the soundscapes of this vivid nation in your projects. Of course, I also had to capture the incredible majestic power of Victoria Falls' namesake waterfalls, both in stereo and Ambisonic format.
A portion of the sales proceeds for this library will be donated to local conservation efforts including Painted Dog Rescue, African Wildlife Foundation, as well as CARE's efforts in providing food and nutrition security, climate resilient livelihoods, economic development, education, and water.
This trip would not have been possible without the support of my wife, Sarah, and some truly generous Ko-Fi and direct donations by these amazing people:
Larry R, Timothy Muirhead, Thorsten Bolte, Hendrik, Andrej Schmitt, Cesar Tovar, Kesha, Luke Smiles, Pasi, Paul Fonarev, Ezra, Nick D, Jonathan Mono, sumskillz, anonymous (2).
Library Specs
Categories: Nature, Animals
Locations: Victoria Falls, Victoria Falls National Park, Hwange National Park, Chobe National Park
Total Number of Files: 70 (all Microphones and Perspectives)
Number of Unique Files: 46
Metadata: UCS file naming, SoundMiner, Soundly, BWF
Recording Specs: 24 Bit / 96 kHz
Channel Format: Stereo, AmbiX (Ambisonic B-Format), Mono
File Format: WAV
Size: 3.51GB (including Ambisonic Files), 2.27GB (Mono & Stereo Only)
Gear used: Rycote HC-22, LOM Uši Pro, RØDE NT-SF1, Zoom F6, Zoom F3, Zoom H1n
Processing: Spectral Noise Reduction, Level adjustment, Fade Ins/Outs, Ambisonic to Stereo Conversion (Perspective-Optimized)
License Type: Single-User, Royalty-Free.
Multi-User licensing available via A Sound Effect and SONNISS.
Related Libraries
About me
Hi there! My name is Chris and I'm a sound designer and audio mixing & mastering engineer based in scenic mountain region of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. While my background has been performing and recording music, it was the process of creating my first ever musical sample pack, Low'n'Slow, that truly made me fall in love with sound design in 2019.
These days, I design and implement sound for video games, have sampled rare synthesizers and drum machines, turned field recordings into contemporary hip hop drum kits, and created loops for fellow producers to use.
I strive to provide uncompromising, meticulously captured high-quality audio assets at an affordable price and help creatives at all stages of their career find the right colors for their sonic palette. My Blog also provides insight into my process, and my gear page highlights what equipment I use to create these libraries.
