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Does anyone have any sfx of a suitcase being wheeled on cobblestone? I've been working on a feature the past two weeks, and have to finish it up by next week, and I don't have the time to go out to the actual location and record it.

Also, I'm also looking for a walla of a small group of people (10-15 max) outside at a party.

Thanks all!

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  • When next week? I can't get to it this week, but there's a -1-2 cobblestone streets a few miles from my house. I could head out there with a couple different suitcases Sunday at the earliest. Although with it being Labor Day weekend there may be a crowd issue. Let me know.
    – Steve Urban
    Aug 30, 2011 at 1:35
  • @Steve Urban By next Wednesday. I went to two different locations this morning but didn't get anything that I liked. If you have the time to record it then I would be so grateful man.
    – Mitchell Scott
    Aug 30, 2011 at 20:50

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I agree with the previous posts; don't get stuck because you don't have access to real cobblestones. Almost any hardscape surface that has breaks or cracks in it will probably suffice. Think sidewalks, driveways, brick paths, etc. Also, some crosswalks in LA have yellow, bumpy, non-slip plates - something like that would work very well.

Getting the correct suitcase for the job is just as important. Large or small? Fits in the overhead bin? New or vintage? Squeaky or smooth?

Re. ext party crowd, look me up on LinkedIn, I may have something that will work.

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  • Oh yeah, just like the yellow pads on the BART train platforms in SF. Good call!
    – Stavrosound
    Aug 30, 2011 at 6:57
  • +1 on the correct suitcase being just as important.
    – Steve Urban
    Aug 30, 2011 at 13:45
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If you havent found something for it yet here is an idea -

Take a suitcase to a grocery store or Target. They have those bumpy plates in front of the store to keep shopping carts from rolling into the parking lot by accident. You can do a recording there that would sound enough like cobblestone with a little bit of editing.

The convenience of these locations shouldnt take up a lot of time - just a quick 5 min trip to Target and throw an Zoom up, roll something over it.

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  • Oh and if you need it foley style - rip the section of vid out and throw it on your phone (if you have one that can play video) for reference while rolling.
    – C3Sound
    Aug 30, 2011 at 0:47
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    @C3Sound Great idea! Also, @Mitchell, I would walk around your neighborhood and see if any of your neighbors have either cobblestone (best option...) or paths with cracks in them - preferably wide cracks in the cement, like between blocks of a pathway. This should get what you need.
    – Utopia
    Aug 30, 2011 at 1:28
  • @Utopia I assumed he didn't already know of anyone he knew that had cobble stone driveways and such. If that is the case, of course, use the real thing. And those plates around stores are everywhere. You don't have to track down a specific persons house to go record at.
    – C3Sound
    Aug 30, 2011 at 9:42
  • Without looking, name for me every type of driveway there is within a two block radius of your house/apartment.. A cracked sidewalk or a stony path would sound infinitely better than a rubber plate, imo.
    – Utopia
    Sep 10, 2011 at 2:26
  • @Utopia I've never seen a rubber one.
    – C3Sound
    Sep 11, 2011 at 3:50
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I would honestly just bring a suitcase into your booth, flop it upside down on some carpet and take a couple of "cobblestone" size rocks you picked out of the garden (washed first) and lightly bump them on the plastic wheels using two of them to get the rhythm that sounds realistic to the picture. Then "sweeten" (I hate that word) the sound with some generic rolling... Of course it will take a bit of trial and error, but I'm pretty sure it could be made to work and be convincing. I'd never do that for an audiobook but I think the picture could help sell it if you're in a bind. I think this will work because essentially when you're rolling a suitcase over cobblestones, you're not really rolling but rather hitting the wheels with each new protrusion of a stone. Just an idea...

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