HLJÓÐMYND – SOUNDIMAGE

Here is a difficult and poor recording that probably should not have taken place on this blog site, except because this is a recording of „HUM“.
This is the second Hum recording I have managed to record. In the first one, the origin of the sound was obvious, but in this recording the rumble, or drone sound, is slightly incomprehensible.
This recording was recorded in quite a bit of wind. I therefore had to hide the microphones behind a small stone cairn which in a way affects the recording and is heard differently in different headphones. It was a total coincidence that I heard this HUM because I was not walking or riding a bicycle, but in a car, which usually takes away all natural experience.
There at the top of the Vikurheiði heath I decided to stop and brew myself a coffee. That’s how I became aware of the HUM that filled the air around me. I somehow couldn’t figure out where the sound was coming from. It was coming from literally all directions, but somehow I convinced myself it probably originated from the mountaintops beyond the fjord. I tried to listen for engine noise through this rumble noise, but it wasn’t exactly clear, except twice. 
The remarkable thing about this noise was that, considering the wind and turbulence in the air, the sound was surprisingly loud. Not least if the sound originated from the aluminum plant in Reyðarfjörður, which was 17km away (in a straight line). Later that day it was confirmed that this noise was not heard from the aluminum plant.
Out in the fjord were two feeding or service boats around aquaculture. But they weren’t moving so the sounds were hardly coming from there.
At the pier by the aluminum plant there was a large bulk ship that turned its exhaust pipe towards me. But it was motionless the entire 3 hours I was up on the heath, so the sounds definitely didn’t come from the ship’s main engines.
The only explanation I have for the origin of these sounds is probably this:
The mountain slopes in Reyðarfjörður are many shaped like parabolas. They can therefore amplify sounds in certain places and directions. I therefore assume that the sounds came from the bulk ship’s generators, mixed with traffic noise in the fjord, as well as noise from the aluminum plant.
It can be assumed that this HUM will be heard differently in different headphones or speakers. Therefore, it should not be surprising if some listeners are disappointed.
Quality open headphones are recommended while listening at low to mid volume.
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More about this phenomenon „Global HUM“
My erlier „Hum“ recording „Waste of power“

(mp3 265kbps / 55Mb)

Recorder: Sound devices MixPre6
Mics: Sennheiser MKH20 (AB45)
Pix: Canon EOS-R

Location: 65.023528, -13.758306
Date: 20th of June 2024
Weather: Partly cloudy, 8°C, 1-5 m/sec

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