San Francisco—More than just a City
Hey there! Welcome back. Good afternoon, Good evening, Good any-time you are reading this. Haha. Today I will be talking about my “ambience” experience in one of the most fascinating cities in the world. The city I visited in October is popularly known for its cool summers, fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of architecture, and landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, the former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, Fisherman’s Wharf, and its Chinatown district. Yes, you guessed right, I visited San Francisco, or more precisely I passed by San Fran!
I didn’t have much time to spend in San Fran because I was going from Mexico to Thailand where I was attending a workshop. The cost of living in San Fran is so expensive that I decided to stay for only 2 days! I stayed in an outdated hotel, the cheapest I could find around the center. But I think 2 days is enough to go to the most interesting places in S.F. I was ready to make full use of my 2-days stay to explore the financial center of Northern California. I couldn’t wait to see the famous Golden Gate.
Gadgets Used
Knowing fully well that I am just going to be in “The City” for just 2 days, I figured out a stealth setup will be suitable for my tour around S.F. All I used were my Sony A10 and a 2xLOM Mikrousi. These two stealthy Ninjas did a great job. Haha. They made a nice duo in San Fran. Of course, they are very lightweight, which means they were easy to carry around. The remote functionality about these gadgets is one thing I love, I can easily connect my phone via Bluetooth and control the record and input level.
My “Sound” Experience in the City
Of course, I had to go see the famous Golden Gate Bridge, from which I had some traffic noises. Trust me, S.F is a busy city. I went to various parks, walked around the city center, downtown, the financial district, and the port of San Francisco.
I recorded sounds from the Pier39 close to the Fisherman’s wharf. I recorded sounds from the world-known Coit tower, the airport and a lot of places. At the port, I recorded some incredibly great marina sounds and weird noises from the old streetcars! Sounds form the modern Metro were not left unrecorded. Believe me when I say the Metro has crazy loud noises. You can listen to the sounds of San Francisco here.
I can’t forget about my experience at the Sea lion of Pier 39. I saw the most adorable Sea lions there.
All in all I recorded almost 80 ambiences. I think I got enough material to cover the majority of San Francisco Atmosphere from an overall perspective. While there is no denying that san Francisco is an exciting place to visit, I wish I had more time to record more sounds from the city. With many tourist attractions and financial institutions in the city, San Fran is a haven for undiluted fun and business.