WORLD SOUNDSCAPE PROJECT TAPE LIBRARY
CANADA COLLECTION

REEL 90 [DAT C40]

TRAIL, SMELTER TOUR, B.C. Nov. 15, 1973

A

[0-tone]

[ID 1 0:26]

1. COLUMBIA RIVER AND DISTANT SMELTER AMBIENCE 5'00"

[ID 2 5:34]

2. SMELTER SHIFT WHISTLE 6'20"

[ID 3 11:57]

3. DIRECTIONS TO FOOD STORE 0'20"

B [ID 4 12:24]

4. SMELTER TOUR: zinc tank -room 5'10"

C [ID 5 17:35]

5. SMELTER TOUR: zinc tank room 1'20"

[ID 6 19:44]

6. " " : ore drying machine 0'25"

[ID 7 20:23]

7. " " " " " 0'40"

[ID 8 20:59]

8. " " : mixing machine 1'16"

[ID 9 22:15]

9. " " : sulphur dioxide burnoff 0'34"

[ID 10 22:50]

10. " " " " " 0'35"

[ID 11 23:39]

[0-tone]

11. SMELTER TOUR: sulphur dioxide burnoff 0'52"

[ID 12 24:35]

12. " " : monorail transport 0'55"

D [ID 13 25:37]

13. SMELTER TOUR: melting pot area 2'10"

[ID 14 27:49]

14. " " " " " " 1'10"

[ID 15 28:53]

15. " " " " " " 0'30"

[ID 16 29:32]

16. " " : forklift scurrying 1'00"

[false take]

[ID 17 30:35]

17. SMELTER TOUR: node casting machine 1'18"

[ID 18 31:58]

18. " " : bag room 1'30"

[ID 19 33:33]

19. " " " " 0'20"

[ID 20 33:57]

20. " " " " 1'18"

[ID 21 35:19]

21. " " " " 2'33"

[false take, 10"]

[ID 22 38:06]

22. SMELTER TOUR: bag room 3'53"

 

REEL 90 COMMENTARY

1. River ca. 100 yards, Cominco Smelter ca. 1/4 mile away. Difficult to hear which is the river and which is the refinery. Broadband whoosh.

2. More whoosh. Recorded on a rainy morning at a parking lot by the base of a cliff below the smelter. Sporadic raindrops on the car roof. The whistle (at 7 a.m.) resembles the train whistle on reel 88, B2. Electric bell sound (1'50") and shift whistle (5'05") in the distance followed by electric bell again.

3. Asking man for directions to the Deluxe Food Store.

4. Relatively hi-fi environment throughout, drilling noises, in background. At 1'10" clattering: skimming zinc off electrodes with mechanical knife. With description by man. Good.

5. Zinc slabs dropping from casting wheel, with description.

6. Description again of ore drying machine in cintering plant, heavy pounding in background.

7. Same as 6 at changed levels.

8. "Pssshh" of air release of automatic weigher, with description. Pounding in background.

9-11. Heavy broadband sound and distant pounding, with description during take 9 only.

12. Steady broadband with description.

13. Pouring slag. Steady state hum, some talk in background. Not very interesting. Some bad clunks on right channel throughout.

14. Same as 13, but more activity, some interesting clang at beginning of take.

15. Same as 14.

16. Beep at beginning of take. Same broadband sound as in previous takes.

17. High whoosh, with description at beginning. Disturbances on right channel.

18. Filtering dust from smoke: spring release sounds, with description.

19/20. Same as 18, with bad disturbances on right channel, useless.

21. Same as 18, different position away from broadband sound. Spring sounds clearer, overlapping. Getting close at 1'20".

22. Change of levels. Close release sounds: 0'25", 1'17", 1'26", 1'38", interesting spring sounds. Counterpoint between two springs. Closest release sound at 2'25". Again disturbance on right channel (2'00" til end).

All in all not very interesting industrial recordings and too many, very annoying disturbances on right channel.


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