Composer Jim Wilson recorded some crickets singing and then decided to slow down the track for some reason, and what happened was equal parts amazing and bizarre because the track sounded almost identical to humans singing in a choir. Actually scratch that, not even almost identical to humans singing in a choir but actually identical to humans singing in a choir. It sounds exactly like a human choir singing and what’s more they’re singing in perfect harmony.

Jim Wilson had the following comment on the audio: ‘I discovered that when I slowed down this recording to various levels, this simple familiar sound began to morph into something very mystic and complex……..almost human’. The actual track below features two audio tracks, one is the crickets’ original audio track and the other is the slowed down version.

Although both of the tracks are crickets, the slowed down one actually has a human opera singer singing along with it accompanying it and turning the sounds into the human-esque words that you can hear. The pitch has also been lowered to make it sound better. Here’s what opera singer Bonnie Jo Hunt had to say about her experience recording this:

‘I had these messages saying that Robbie Robertson said to get in touch with me. So we went in studio. He said, `I want you to do whatever you feel like. And, now, these are crickets.’ So I thought, oh, my goodness. I’m to accompany crickets, see?

And when I heard them, I was so ashamed of myself, I was so humbled, because I had not given them enough respect. Jim Wilson recorded crickets in his back yard, and he brought it into the studio and went ahead and lowered the pitch and lowered the pitch and lowered the pitch. And they sound exactly like a well-trained church choir to me. And not only that, but it sounded to me like they were singing in the eight-tone scale. And so what–they started low, and then there was something like I would call, in musical terms, an interlude; and then another chorus part; and then an interval and another chorus. They kept going higher and higher.

They were saying cricket words. I kept thinking, `Oh, I almost can understand them. It’s a nice, mellow tone. And they never went off pitch until one of the interludes, where they went real crazy and they got back on again to where they were. And I know that people do not know that they’re listening to crickets unless they’re told that that’s what that is.’

Here is the soundwave

Why should someone be humbled by nature?

Awesome :)

Tamb said:

Why should someone be humbled by nature?

why should they not? Nature will get us all in the end..

Tamb said:

Why should someone be humbled by nature?

my wife snores like that.

roughbarked said:

Tamb said:

Why should someone be humbled by nature?

my wife snores like that.

Like a church choir?

stumpy_seahorse said:

Awesome :)

yeah, exactly like my tin tinin tininitus tinninitus ahufch how do i spell that noise?

Tamb said:

roughbarked said:

Tamb said:

Why should someone be humbled by nature?

my wife snores like that.

Like a church choir?

exactly. I can make out words in the snores.

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

Awesome :)

yeah, exactly like my tin tinin tininitus tinninitus ahufch how do i spell that noise?

Me too. Don’t know which way to pronounce it either. Tinn-it-us or Tinn-itus

roughbarked said:

Tamb said:

roughbarked said:

my wife snores like that.

Like a church choir?

exactly. I can make out words in the snores.

Mea Culpa?

Tamb said:

roughbarked said:

Tamb said:

Like a church choir?

exactly. I can make out words in the snores.

Mea Culpa?

indeed.

>Although both of the tracks are crickets, the slowed down one actually has a human opera singer singing along with it accompanying it

Hmm, then why does the announcer on the audio track say that no voices have been added?

I’ll have to try it with my crickets when the audio interface arrives.

Bubblecar said:

>Although both of the tracks are crickets, the slowed down one actually has a human opera singer singing along with it accompanying it

Hmm, then why does the announcer on the audio track say that no voices have been added?

I’ll have to try it with my crickets when the audio interface arrives.

tinitus?
um however TF it is spelled.

BTW the actual mating song of the cricket is much quieter than that continual territorial chirping. There was a pair here on the curtains in the pooter room the other night, and one crept up behind the other and did the mating song (which is quite expressive) quietly and briefly before the other turned around and they double-decked. Seemed very efficient.

Interesting.
I wonder if cicadas are as well tuned.. or have they all deafened themselves too much?

Ian said:

Interesting.
I wonder if cicadas are as well tuned.. or have they all deafened themselves too much?

I’m sure they hear it all differently.

roughbarked said:

Ian said:

Interesting.
I wonder if cicadas are as well tuned.. or have they all deafened themselves too much?

I’m sure they hear it all differently.

I am actually well prepared to undergo hearing tests as relating to how to I could possibly come close to creating my own theories about hearing and what sounds actually mean to the thinking brain.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

Ian said:

Interesting.
I wonder if cicadas are as well tuned.. or have they all deafened themselves too much?

I’m sure they hear it all differently.

I am actually well prepared to undergo hearing tests as relating to how to I could possibly come close to creating my own theories about hearing and what sounds actually mean to the thinking brain.

I’ll repeat that and offer it as a challenge to someone who wants to spend money on the science.

Ian said:

Interesting.
I wonder if cicadas are as well tuned.. or have they all deafened themselves too much?

The sound of cicadas is the sound of an Australian summer.

Peak Warming Man said:

Ian said:

Interesting.
I wonder if cicadas are as well tuned.. or have they all deafened themselves too much?

The sound of cicadas is the sound of an Australian summer.

Black Princes, Double Drummers, Yellow Mundys. Green Gages.

Tamb said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Ian said:

Interesting.
I wonder if cicadas are as well tuned.. or have they all deafened themselves too much?

The sound of cicadas is the sound of an Australian summer.

Black Princes, Double Drummers, Yellow Mundys. Green Gages.

Did you ever read Anne of Green Gages, Tamb?

Peak Warming Man said:

Tamb said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The sound of cicadas is the sound of an Australian summer.

Black Princes, Double Drummers, Yellow Mundys. Green Gages.

Did you ever read Anne of Green Gages, Tamb?

I think he was talking about plums.

More slowed down crickets here. Some people are calling FAKE on the audio Arts posted.

http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2013/10/13/weekend-diversion-is-this-an-amazing-chorus-of-slowed-down-crickets/

Bubblecar said:

More slowed down crickets here. Some people are calling FAKE on the audio Arts posted.

http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2013/10/13/weekend-diversion-is-this-an-amazing-chorus-of-slowed-down-crickets/

I cannot comment because I simply cannot chase all the streaming stuff. if any at all.

This assessment seems fair (from the comments at my link):

The crickets are slowed down, but he didn’t just slow the sound down once. He did it several times, each time reaching a specific pitch. Then he faded those pitches in and out to make music. The crickets are not singing melodies.

Here is his quote: The sound you hear on this recording began as an actual live recording of crickets singing in the night. “I discovered that when I slowed down this recording to various levels, this simple familiar sound began to morph into something very mystic and complex……..almost human.” – Jim Wilson All of nature sings in Praise. An extraordinary sound “like a symphony of angels!”

The key words being “to various levels”
It’s like he sampled a slowed cricket sound and played it on a keyboard.

roughbarked said:

Bubblecar said:

More slowed down crickets here. Some people are calling FAKE on the audio Arts posted.

http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2013/10/13/weekend-diversion-is-this-an-amazing-chorus-of-slowed-down-crickets/

I cannot comment because I simply cannot chase all the streaming stuff. if any at all.

all I can say is that I can hardly hear you above the screaming crickets of Buddy Holly’s last descent..

…in other words, it’s something you could do with any sound from nature, or any sound from anywhere. Tells you nothing about the actual songs of crickets.

Bubblecar said:

…in other words, it’s something you could do with any sound from nature, or any sound from anywhere. Tells you nothing about the actual songs of crickets.

Crickets hardly sing.. unless you call getting rubbed up something to sing about.

Peak Warming Man said:

Tamb said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The sound of cicadas is the sound of an Australian summer.

Black Princes, Double Drummers, Yellow Mundys. Green Gages.

Did you ever read Anne of Green Gages, Tamb?

Bit too plumby for me.

Tamb said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Tamb said:

Black Princes, Double Drummers, Yellow Mundys. Green Gages.

Did you ever read Anne of Green Gages, Tamb?

Bit too plumby for me.

plumby = plummy

Tamb said:

Tamb said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Did you ever read Anne of Green Gages, Tamb?

Bit too plumby for me.

plumby = plummy

at last you are on course.

roughbarked said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Tamb said:

Black Princes, Double Drummers, Yellow Mundys. Green Gages.

Did you ever read Anne of Green Gages, Tamb?

I think he was talking about plums.

True. the cicadas were Green Grocers. Well it has been well over 60 years.

Bubblecar said:

More slowed down crickets here. Some people are calling FAKE on the audio Arts posted.

http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2013/10/13/weekend-diversion-is-this-an-amazing-chorus-of-slowed-down-crickets/

The original article added an ‘update’ which I posted (but didn’t label ). It seems that the sounds were manipulated more then just a slowing down.

Bubblecar said:

…in other words, it’s something you could do with any sound from nature, or any sound from anywhere. Tells you nothing about the actual songs of crickets.

Remember the old ‘sounds of the Forrest’ recordings that were big among ‘relaxation’ techniquists? They usually had pan pipes or similar accompanying them to make them more appealing.

Still, interesting techniques to get final sound is not much different (or less important) to other synthesised music.

It’s rather misleading though because it gives the impression that this is what crickets actually sound like when slowed down. As they say:

“Actually scratch that, not even almost identical to humans singing in a choir but actually identical to humans singing in a choir. It sounds exactly like a human choir singing and what’s more they’re singing in perfect harmony.”

…well yeah, because that’s what he made the sounds do. Which is easy enough but nothing like the raw cricket sound slowed down.

I think a real comparison is in order. Time to get the recording equipment out, bubblecar. :)

Arts said:

I think a real comparison is in order. Time to get the recording equipment out, bubblecar. :)

I’m still waiting for my new Steinberg/Yamaha audio interface to be delivered (this is a high quality USB2 external soundcard that you plug your studio-quality microphone & MIDI keyboard into, and use with Cubase). Hopefully will be here this week.

Arts said:

I think a real comparison is in order. Time to get the recording equipment out, bubblecar. :)

That’d be no good, they’d sing with a Taswegian accent…

I have the sound of cicadas in my ears.

Constantly.

Skeptic Pete said:

I have the sound of cicadas in my ears.

Constantly.

The whole wide world is whistling …

Is there no cure?

Bubblecar said:

Is there no cure?

Apparently not.

I have heard of people committing suicide due to unbearable tinnitus.

I am starting to see it from their point of view.

The sound is always there. Always.

But sometimes my mind is able to ignore it or blank it out.

Today is not one of those days.

Embrace the crickets when you’re being nagged at, Pete

Dropbear said:

Embrace the crickets when you’re being nagged at, Pete

I don’t get nagged at.

And my mother went home this morning.

Skeptic Pete said:

Dropbear said:

Embrace the crickets when you’re being nagged at, Pete

I don’t get nagged at.

And my mother went home this morning.

Who is this god who walks among men?

Skeptic Pete said:

Dropbear said:

Embrace the crickets when you’re being nagged at, Pete

I don’t get nagged at.

And my mother went home this morning.

Tell me about your mother, Peat.

lights pipe

You’d think there’d be some kind of electronic implant that could cancel the noise by emitting at the right cancelling-out frequency or something.

Peak Warming Man said:

Tell me about your mother, Peat.

lights pipe

My mother was the inspiration for Hyacinth Buckett.

It’s a travesty of justice that she didn’t receive royalties from the show.

Skeptic Pete said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Tell me about your mother, Peat.

lights pipe

My mother was the inspiration for Hyacinth Buckett.

It’s a travesty of justice that she didn’t receive royalties from the show.

LOL, no more questions.

Skeptic Pete said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Tell me about your mother, Peat.

lights pipe

My mother was the inspiration for Hyacinth Buckett.

It’s a travesty of justice that she didn’t receive royalties from the show.

We’re still waiting for our royalties…
Onslow was based on my father

Skeptic Pete said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Tell me about your mother, Peat.

lights pipe

My mother was the inspiration for Hyacinth Buckett.

It’s a travesty of justice that she didn’t receive royalties from the show.

Shall be calling you Sheridan Pete.

stumpy_seahorse said:

Skeptic Pete said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Tell me about your mother, Peat.

lights pipe

My mother was the inspiration for Hyacinth Buckett.

It’s a travesty of justice that she didn’t receive royalties from the show.

We’re still waiting for our royalties…
Onslow was based on my father

LOL

Skeptic Pete said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Tell me about your mother, Peat.

lights pipe

My mother was the inspiration for Hyacinth Buckett.

It’s a travesty of justice that she didn’t receive royalties from the show.

I never knew I had a brother!!!!

Doctor today asked family history of migraines. I didn’t say infront of my son that mine were stress related due to my mother!!!

Skeptic Pete said:

I have heard of people committing suicide due to unbearable tinnitus.

I am starting to see it from their point of view.

The sound is always there. Always.

But sometimes my mind is able to ignore it or blank it out.

Today is not one of those days.

I have heard of people who ask to medicos to deafen them.. because it’s so annoying seems extreme.. but I guess it’s annoying.

There is also pitch therapy – though I don’t know how successful it is

Brindabellas said:

Skeptic Pete said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Tell me about your mother, Peat.

lights pipe

My mother was the inspiration for Hyacinth Buckett.

It’s a travesty of justice that she didn’t receive royalties from the show.

I never knew I had a brother!!!!

Doctor today asked family history of migraines. I didn’t say infront of my son that mine were stress related due to my mother!!!

hmmm

Arts said:

Skeptic Pete said:

I have heard of people committing suicide due to unbearable tinnitus.

I am starting to see it from their point of view.

The sound is always there. Always.

But sometimes my mind is able to ignore it or blank it out.

Today is not one of those days.

I have heard of people who ask to medicos to deafen them.. because it’s so annoying seems extreme.. but I guess it’s annoying.

There is also pitch therapy – though I don’t know how successful it is

poikilotherm said:

Arts said:

Skeptic Pete said:

I have heard of people committing suicide due to unbearable tinnitus.

I am starting to see it from their point of view.

The sound is always there. Always.

But sometimes my mind is able to ignore it or blank it out.

Today is not one of those days.

I have heard of people who ask to medicos to deafen them.. because it’s so annoying seems extreme.. but I guess it’s annoying.

There is also pitch therapy – though I don’t know how successful it is

.

“Ploise exploin”

I have the sound of cicadas in my ears. Constantly.

i have that too but luckily for me it only happens every 17 years.

Mr buffy claims Prue and Trude in Kath and Kim were based on his sister….

Why should someone be humbled by nature?
———————————————————————

Because you can realise that you are not the significant part of what you can perceive but a small complicit part of the wonders of all.

You must have skipped that class…

My personal cicadas have cranked it up a few notches this morning since I discovered that the black box recorder had grabbed this late last nite –

ROCKWIZ SALUTES VANDA & YOUNG SPECIAL ON SBS ONE MARCH 24TH

Ian said:

My personal cicadas have cranked it up a few notches this morning since I discovered that the black box recorder had grabbed this late last nite –

ROCKWIZ SALUTES VANDA & YOUNG SPECIAL ON SBS ONE MARCH 24TH

that was filmed at Perth Zoo on saturday night :)

Arts said:

Ian said:

My personal cicadas have cranked it up a few notches this morning since I discovered that the black box recorder had grabbed this late last nite –

ROCKWIZ SALUTES VANDA & YOUNG SPECIAL ON SBS ONE MARCH 24TH

that was filmed at Perth Zoo on saturday night :)

Close..
Enmore Theatre

Arts said:

Ian said:

My personal cicadas have cranked it up a few notches this morning since I discovered that the black box recorder had grabbed this late last nite –

ROCKWIZ SALUTES VANDA & YOUNG SPECIAL ON SBS ONE MARCH 24TH

that was filmed at Perth Zoo on saturday night :)

Close..
Enmore Theatre

Ian said:

Arts said:

Ian said:

My personal cicadas have cranked it up a few notches this morning since I discovered that the black box recorder had grabbed this late last nite –

ROCKWIZ SALUTES VANDA & YOUNG SPECIAL ON SBS ONE MARCH 24TH

that was filmed at Perth Zoo on saturday night :)

Close..
Enmore Theatre

must have done a tour

http://rockwizlive.blogspot.com.au/

Gaza City, Palestine – Two teenage Palestinian girls were killed in separate incidents last month in so-called “honour killings”, revenge attacks carried out most often by family members against women suspected of “immoral sexual conduct”.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/03/upsurge-palestinian-honour-killings-gaza-201432372831899701.html

wookiemeister said:

Gaza City, Palestine – Two teenage Palestinian girls were killed in separate incidents last month in so-called “honour killings”, revenge attacks carried out most often by family members against women suspected of “immoral sexual conduct”.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/03/upsurge-palestinian-honour-killings-gaza-201432372831899701.html

“honour killings” = men who cannot get their way controlling women

“immoral sexual conduct”. = just having sex