Spatial Audio Design:Task 2 Auditory Imaging
ZHOU YUTONG / 0378676
Spatial Audio Design / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Task 2 Auditory Imaging
TABLE OF CONTENT
EXERCISE
“Sounds of the Countryside: A Day at the Market”
The morning air carries a cool, moist freshness as the wind gently sweeps over the rice fields, rustling the dewdrops at the tips of the leaves.
In the distance, a few roosters crow, mingling with the delicate chirping of sparrows, waking the village still in slumber. Occasionally, the sound of a trickling stream flows through the rice paddies, as if setting a gentle rhythm for the start of the day.
Gradually, the sounds of daily life awaken.
Bicycle bells ring from afar, approaching closer, their wheels crunching over the gravel paths alongside footsteps. The wooden wheels of handcarts creak, and vegetable farmers prepare their stalls.
The air carries the warmth of human voices—people asking prices, laughing while bargaining; children weaving through stalls, their baskets colliding with crisp, clear sounds.
“Freshly picked green beans, still with morning dew!”
A female vendor calls out from the left, full of everyday life energy. Her voice travels through the crowd, mingling with other shouts, laughter, and the clattering of cooking utensils to create a lively soundscape.
From iron woks, oil splashes with fine “sizzle” sounds, and the aroma seems to float through the air to your ears.
Nearby, the clinking of coins dropping onto wooden tables rings out, accompanied by the rustling of paper bags.
Rhythmic chopping on wooden boards echoes, like the heartbeat of this small town. A dog barks twice in the alley and then falls silent.
In the background, a gentle stream trickles continuously, its waters sounding especially cool amid the market bustle.
The wind sweeps from the rice fields, carrying the scents of grass and soil.
A motorcycle roars past and quickly disappears, leaving only its tailing sound lingering in the air.
Sunlight hits the tiles on the eaves, illuminating drifting dust and making everything appear soft.
As noon approaches, the market’s clamor gradually fades.
The shouts disperse into murmurs, vendors pack up their tarps, and brooms scrape the ground with dry “swish” sounds. The wind moves through the treetops again, leaves brushing softly against each other, as if the market exhales its last breath.
In the distance, the temple bell tolls—long, deep, resonating through the air.
Human voices vanish entirely, leaving only the wind, cicadas, and the rustling of rice stalks.
The village returns to serenity once more, like a painting gently closed by sunlight.
Sound Design List
Opening — Morning Calm
Gentle wind blowing over the rice fields (continuous background)
Occasional rustling of rice leaves
Trickle of a small stream (low volume, as background bed)
Rooster crowing (1–2 calls, occasional)
Sparse chirping of sparrows
Middle — Market Bustle
Vendor calls (simplified to 2–3 main shouts, looped)
Customer responses (laughter, bargaining, subtle layers)
Chopping on wooden boards (rhythmic, slightly accentuating heartbeat)
Coins dropping on tables (occasional, accent)
Frying in iron woks, sizzling sounds (short, repeated loop)
Wooden cart wheels (occasional, to indicate movement)
Ending — Afternoon Quiet
Wind rustling tree leaves (soft, gradually rising and fading)
Temple bell (1–2 tolls, deep and distant)
Dog barking (short 1–2 barks, adding life)
Trickle of the stream continues, forming the closing background
SFX link List
https://freesound.org/people/Uganda/sounds/38976/
https://freesound.org/people/giddster/sounds/437356/
https://freesound.org/people/kwahmah_02/sounds/329060/
https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/384188/
https://freesound.org/people/Robinhood76/sounds/719503/
https://freesound.org/people/kyles/sounds/406363/
https://freesound.org/people/sagetyrtle/sounds/33658/
https://freesound.org/people/lostmaiden/sounds/366252/
https://freesound.org/people/FreqMan/sounds/31376/
https://freesound.org/people/BenjaminNelan/sounds/353124/
https://freesound.org/people/twinpix/sounds/533476/
https://freesound.org/people/GregorQuendel/sounds/483076/
https://freesound.org/people/ganiket/sounds/466652/
https://freesound.org/people/crazymonke9/sounds/418105/
https://freesound.org/people/kwahmah_02/sounds/329060/
Sound Design Blog: A Day at the Village Market
In this project, I aimed to recreate the full atmosphere of a rural market from early morning to the afternoon through sound design. The soundscape was divided into three main stages: the calm of the morning, the bustle of the market, and the tranquility of the afternoon. I wanted listeners to perceive the passage of time and the subtle rhythms of village life through sound. The following is a detailed record of the production process and my reflections.
1. Opening — Morning Calm
The countryside in the morning is always filled with cool moisture and a gentle breeze. At the beginning of the soundscape, I selected several fundamental elements:
Gentle wind over the rice fields: Used as a continuous background layer. The volume remained mostly stable, but slight fluctuations were added to simulate natural breathing.
Rustling rice leaves: Occasional leaf sounds added depth and allowed listeners to sense spatial detail.
Trickling stream: Kept at a low volume as a constant background, providing a sense of life and natural flow.
Rooster crowing: Scheduled 1–2 calls, appearing intermittently to reinforce the rural morning vibe.
Sparse sparrow chirps: Added liveliness while maintaining a calm atmosphere without distraction.
During production, I applied fade-ins and fade-outs to the wind and water sounds to create a natural ebb and flow, giving the soundscape spatial depth and layering.
2. Middle — Market Bustle
As the sun rises, the village market comes to life. I shifted the soundscape to a more dynamic and complex environment:
Vendor calls: To avoid overload, I selected 2–3 main calls and looped them for continuity.
Customer responses: Including laughter and bargaining, subtly layered to convey crowd energy.
Chopping on wooden boards: Mimicking food preparation or placing items, slightly echoing the rhythm of a heartbeat.
Coins dropping: Occasional drops as accents to highlight transactions.
Frying in iron woks: Short, repeated sounds added a sense of liveliness.
Wooden cart wheels: Occasionally appearing to indicate movement in the space.
I paid special attention to spatial placement, allowing listeners to perceive the market’s breadth and layers through stereo panning and volume differences. The challenge was balancing the lively atmosphere with clarity, avoiding clutter from overlapping sounds.
3. Ending — Afternoon Quiet
As the market quiets down, the village enters a peaceful afternoon. I closed the soundscape with a return to calm and natural sounds:
Wind rustling tree leaves: Soft volume, gradually rising and fading, creating a sense of time passing.
Temple bell: 1–2 deep, distant tolls added spatial depth and reflected the cultural setting.
Dog barking: Occasional 1–2 barks to inject life into the calm environment.
Trickling stream: Continued as background, forming a full-circle connection to the morning.
For the closing, I used fade-out techniques so the sounds gradually dissipated, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of calm.
REFLECTION
Experience
Working on this soundscape allowed me to explore the process of building a cohesive auditory environment that represents a full day in a rural village. I experimented with layering natural and human-made sounds, adjusting volume, and controlling spatial placement to evoke time, space, and atmosphere.
Observations
I observed that small details—like occasional bird chirps or coins dropping—have a significant impact on making the environment feel alive. Balancing overlapping sounds in a busy market scene was particularly challenging, as excessive layers could make the soundscape feel chaotic rather than immersive. Fade-ins, fade-outs, and subtle panning were essential to maintain clarity and realism.
Findings
I found that sound design is more than stacking audio tracks—it is storytelling through auditory cues. Properly layered and spatially positioned sounds can convey time, movement, and emotional tone. The listener can “experience” a day in the village purely through sound, demonstrating that carefully designed soundscapes can create powerful immersion.
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