Finding Martin Denny style bird sounds

I'm messing around with some demos/arrangements of original music, and I'd like to make a version with Martin Denny style "bird sounds" in the background. I know on the original Denny recordings, they were musicians imitating bird sounds. Does anybody have a source for an audio track of these kind of bird sounds, preferably a free download?

This is a tough one. You're not likely to find human simulations for download. There are sources for real bird and monkey sounds. Google and Itunes can get you there. Things offered under Creative Commons licensing might work for you. As a matter of ethics, you really should be scrupulous in crediting sources. I've put downloaded sounds into recordings, and worried about it enough to go back and pull those tracks out, then replaced them with my own vocal animal simulations. If you have vocal transformation plugins for your recording software, that helps. Try your own simulations, and play with feminizing, masculinizing, and pitch shifting. Oh, and plenty of reverb! Try it when no one else is around, because you're going to sound incredibly silly. Imitate stuff off the Martin Denny albums for practice. I know this sounds ridiculous, but practice will bring control. Don't let self-consciousness hamper you. If all this sounds like too much effort, you may be stuck. But really....it's fun.

Scrolling through these music threads again I realize that I forgot to mention that if you're using Apple recording software, in the sound effects section there are free surf sounds, seagulls, and some monkey noises. Not very extensive, but at least something. Hope you're making progress. P.S. does tele mean Telecaster?

On 2015-08-10 14:41, Raff Rayonsky wrote:
Scrolling through these music threads again I realize that I forgot to mention that if you're using Apple recording software, in the sound effects section there are free surf sounds, seagulls, and some monkey noises. Not very extensive, but at least something. Hope you're making progress. P.S. does tele mean Telecaster?

Yes. I generally alternate between a Telecaster and a big archtop like an ES-295 = Tele295

Now that I'm playing other kinds of music, my arsenal has broadened, but UkeTeleSteelTiki295 is a mouthful

One thing we've contemplated is to create our own library. One of our percussionists owns an ethnic music shop (most percussion but some other ethnic instruments, too) and he has bird whistles, monkey sticks, etc. I'm near the beach, so I guess I could take a little digital recorder down to capture surf sounds. I wonder if I could take the recorder to the zoo and record the bird aviary?

My first thought when I saw Tele295 was Danny Gatton! The sound library project sounds like a blast. I've made a few garageband instruments out of percussion, etc. that I've recorded. Haven't been meticulous about logging which sound corresponds to which midi key, so I have to re-figure out each instrument each time I open it. DUH! I got off on quite a tangent for a while, with different mic positions, EQing, and compression. Think I spent an entire evening trying to get the most out of an Irish bodhran drum. It's endless! Never enough sounds. I plugged in a mic and headphones, and held a big piece of sheet metal up to the mic, then banged on it with my knuckle. I was instantly hooked on recording non-instrument sounds. In the headphones the sheet metal sounded like a cross between thunder and a nuclear blast. I've used it as distant thunder in a couple of songs. So naturally I had to round up every bell, windchime, etc. in the house. Even pouring water into a glass. I've floated the idea of throwing a little monkey/bird noise recording party with friends (complete with lots of booze) but haven't had any takers yet. Got some strange looks from people, though.
Anyway, I'm sure you'll get great sounds, with all those percussion instruments available.

On 2015-09-26 12:03, Raff Rayonsky wrote:
My first thought when I saw Tele295 was Danny Gatton!

Hmmm, saw through my little fetish, did you? :wink:

I've been a Gatton freak for decades, and have my own Gatton Website "The Telecaster Archives" http://dannygatton.streetcarmike.com/ which hasn't been updated in forever, but I may do it in light of the Gatton films coming out.

Danny actually was my reason for getting into Martin Denny in the first place, with all the great versions of "Quiet Village" that Danny recorded (I know of at least 4 versions that are commercially available). He also did a beautiful version of the tiki standard "Poincinana."

Wow, I think I've viewed your site a while ago when searching Danny Gatton. Really nice! It's projects like yours that make the web a cool place. Thanks!
Guitar was an obsession for several years, but my hands are preventing me from progressing much farther. I've gotten into composing and recording exotica, and have basically given up on any kind of performing. My psyche has really settled into the center of exotica. Looking to post an album to a download site soon. Been at it for a while, but things have conspired to slow the process!
A couple years ago I posted a hybrid exotica/surf piece called "Flying The Clipper" on youtube, so friends could hear what the heck I was up to. It's still up, under a tongue-in-cheek pseudonym.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHYJXorJMpY

If I remember correctly, the Bigsby sound is a Dearmond M77T and the rest is a guitar with Dimarzio True Velvet Tele pickups. Lots of Garageband sound effects, plus some whoops and shrieks that I recorded.

That sounds great! Let me know when you get your downloads up!

Maybe theres something here:
http://www.soundsnap.com/tags/birds

Over 10 years ago I used to use a program called "Atmosphere Deluxe" http://www.vectormediasoftware.com/atmdeluxehome.htm
to create background sounds to mix into my music recordings.
I recall it was created to provide ambient sounds for mental hospitals.
Safe, soothing sounds to keep the mentally ill from going berserk!
Digital sounds of birds, insects, wind, waves, etc.

Worked really good for what you are going for!

I found some good environmental sounds here:

http://www.steelc6th.com/rhythm_tracks.htm

That is a REALLY nice find! Thanks for posting it.