Just a simple gathering place for one of my favorite sounds to field record: rain and thunder. Here you will find a variety of this power of nature in many different formats, ranging from shorter MP3s to HD files to storms that last nearly a half hour. Feel free to download, use in your own works, or just put on for a simple relaxation tool. Headphones recommended.

Just Rain [Pro field recordings rain & thunder for relaxation, sleep, meditation, yoga  & more]

Roll20 rutor  Rain sounds

Nine minutes of audiophile recordings of rain showers and some thunder. This soundscape features three distinct storms/recordings, all taken from near Romeo, Michigan over the years 2012-2015. These field recordings were recently unearthed while in COVID quarantine, and were formed into this long collage designed for study, relaxation, or sampling. This track will close out my upcoming release RESERVOIR - a compilation of all new extended water-based soundscapes that will be out JULY 31st 2020.

Stay tuned for the full LP on all streaming platforms, as well as a limited Bandcamp physical version which is going to contain some really cool bonuses. All sounds, editing, and artwork by R.J. Stefanski. Taken on Tascam handheld recorders and maintained at HD 96 k, 16 bit WAV files. Enjoy on good headphones.

Reservoir

Buy HD on Bandcamp

A New Rain [Extended Nature Sounds for Relaxation, Sleep, Meditation](HD Rain & Thunderstorms)

Recorded in a World Heritage Wilderness Area in Tasmania, this album features the relaxing sound of a stream flowing gently through cool, temperate rainforest.

The full 160 minute album is available for download from https://wildambience.com/albums/tasmanian-rainforest-stream/

Tasmanian Rainforest Stream

Tasmanian Rainforest Stream - Album Sample

The very first piece of CITY STORM.
This intro gives a glimpse into the release focusing on storms captured in urban settings. Just under four minutes of sparkling audio with clear droplets of rain slowly pooling up on a midtown Detroit patio. Aimed out towards Second Ave, several cars streak down the soaked concrete, and towards the 3 minute mark you can hear the rain intensify and patter on the overhang. 

Enjoy on good headphones! 
Audio captured in 96 k / 24 bit WAV files with Tascam hand-held recorder.

City Storm

Buy on Bandcamp

City Storm Pt. 0I (Intro): Rain Droplets & Passing Cars (Relaxing HD Rain Sounds)

"CITY STORM" 
PT. 02: CARS PASSING IN THE NIGHT
-The second part of "City Storm" slowly sheds the light rain patter from the intro to focus on the quiet after the storm. This also happens to be captured at night, allowing the listener to hear lots of the smaller sounds that get lost in the midday din. For example, in the quiet moments between cars the electric hum of the street lights overhead is audible. You can also here the opening of a parking lot gate across the street as the cars make their way down the soaked pavement. All audio was captured with handheld Tascam microphones in midtown Detroit a few years back. Enjoy on good headphones!

City Storm Pt. 02: Cars Passing in the Night (Relaxing HD Rain Sounds)

"CITY STORM"
PT. 03: ROLLING THUNDER
-For the third part of "City Storm" the main feature is the arrival of thunder, albeit very distant thunder. I have never released a soundscape devoted specifically to this particular type of rolling, grumbling thunder that is travelling from quite a distance. I wanted to include some info from this great website "Sciencing":

on Rolling vs. Clap thunder:
-"You can typically hear thunder from a storm within about 15 miles of your position, occasionally farther out. Cloud-to-ground lightning that discharges fairly close to you will produce a sharp clap or crackle of thunder as the strong sonic shockwave from the part of the bolt nearest your position reaches you first.

A drawn-out, subsiding roll of thunder follows as your ear registers shockwaves from higher and more distant parts of the bolt’s channel.

The volume fluctuations of rolling thunder can be due to the zigzag and often forked shape of a bolt, differences in air density along the mostly vertical lightning channel and soundwaves bouncing off clouds, mountainsides and other obstacles – a combination of sound dulled and distorted by distance as well as echoes.

If you’re some distance from a thunderstorm, you may only hear rolling or pealing thunder." (check out the full article at: https://sciencing.com/difference-between-rolling-clap-thunder-6906574.html)

All audio was captured with handheld Tascam microphones in midtown Detroit a few years back. Enjoy on good headphones!

City Storm Pt. 03: Rolling Thunder and Quiet Rain (Relaxing HD Field Recordings)

"CITY STORM": A mini LP devoted to storm sounds captured in urban environments.

PT. 04: "Midtown Showers with Thunderclap and Birds"
-This piece begins with the remnants of rolling thunder from the last entry in City Storm, before opening up to a bustling Midtown street in the middle of a rain storm. Cars can be heard honking and passing by as the grumbles grow into a single, loud clap of thunder that nearly clipped in the recording. Once this subsides the focus is on layers of relaxing rain and springtime birds. Even with the bird calls, this still feels mostly nocturnal, or at least the kind of city presented in David Fincher's "Se7en" where its always raining and in some hazy in-between period that isn't day or night. 

This piece was built from three separate (recently unearthed) recordings captured in Detroit over the last few years. All audio has been maintained at HD 96 / 24 bit WAV files. Enjoy on good headphones.

All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski 2020.

City Storm Pt. 04: Midtown Rain Showers with Thunderclap And Birds (HD Field Recordings)

"CITY STORM"
PT. 05: SUDDEN DOWNPOURS OF RAIN WITH ROLLING THUNDER

The storm progresses once again, with this chapter the focal point is on a few very loud and clear downpours of rain. Only at the opening and close of the soundscape are passing cars present to remind the listener the setting is still in an urban environment. Remnants of the earlier chapters are still lurking, as rolling thunder grumbles along and the outro is sampled from "Cars Passing in the Night". This cyclical construction helps the mini album maintain its consistency and nocturnal mood.

Headphones highly recommended!

All sounds and artwork property of R.J. Stefanski

City Storm Pt. 05: Sudden Downpours of Relaxing Rain with Rolling Thunder [HD Field Recordings]

This is a demo of Christian's new Autumn Piano (available as a FREE instrument on https://pianobook.co.uk for those of you who aren't aware of this amazing service!)

I kept this pretty raw. There's a light bit of EQ, reverb, compression, and saturation, but the sound itself came entirely from Autumn Piano.

Thanks to Christian Henson for yet another incredible free instrument, and to the entire Pianobook community for your contributions. This website has, in my humble opinion, changed the world.

Autumn Piano Demo (Pianobook)

CITY STORM Pt. 07:
"Pouring Rain in New York City"

The final track from mini-LP "City Storm", this soundscape features four minutes of HD pouring rain captured in Flatbush (Brooklyn) in Fall of 2020. There is some street noise and ambiance in the distance, but this was recorded in the middle courtyard of an apartment building. Headphones highly recommended.

All sounds property of R.J. Stefanski

City Storm Pt. 07: (Outro) Pouring Rain in New York City (Relaxing HD Rain Recordings)

In early August 2020 I made a trip to rural Michigan and captured dozens of recordings with my Zoom H6 and it's different capsule attachments. This soundscape is built from three different field recordings I made in a backyard while a Cooper's Hawk chased a crow through the trees.

The soundstage is full of details including nearby church bells (telling us the bulk of the audio was made at 10 AM), cicadas, dogs barking, and other small creatures. Stay tuned for an EP of material from my Michigan trip.

All sounds captured by Zoom H6 in audiophile WAV lossless format. Headphones highly recommended.

Property of R.J. Stefanski, all rights reserved. 2020.

Cooper's Hawk Chasing Crow(with church bells, cicadas, and more) Zoom H6 Stereo Soundscape

Function

3AM...

Brooklyn NYC + Detroit | Message directly for inquiries about sampling recordings, bookings, collaborations, or questions | Since releasing a series of diverse mixtapes in 2011, Stefanski has slowly turned his focus to his own ambient productions, often built entirely of original field recordings. He has released a wide array of original soundscapes ranging from brief, high-def clips of thunderstorms to extended sound collages, each project sharing a hazy, psychedelic glow. Before moving to Brooklyn, Stefanski curated the chill out room for infamous Detroit after-hours rave BAK DØR. After relocating he released an LP of short field recordinged ("20 X 2"), a podcast for an experimental NYC label (Metamorph) and an album for Bivouac's "60 Minute Cities" series. His relaxing rain soundscapes are some of the most popular on soundcloud, with one clip nearing 14 million streams as of late 2020. More recently Stefanski expanded his productions with visual components, including a new website which hosts the unique travelogue "The San Diego Tapes" and photography prints for sale.

~FEEL FREE to use my field recordings/original tracks in any of your own works, I only ask you cite me as a source and please send me a link of the finished product.  MESSAGE ME for questions, I won't see questions in comments.

#ambient #fieldrecording #soundscape #relaxing #fieldrecordings #sounddesign #meditation #soundeffects #drone #yoga #studying #study #newage #experimental #audiophile #foley

City Storm Pt. 04: Midtown Rain Showers with Thunderclap And Birds (HD Field Recordings)

R.J. Stefanski

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