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Sound Effects Collection

Media Services has a number of sound effects collections on CD, containing hundreds of sound effects. Additionally, the Canary Collection contains over 70 CDs of musical effects. They are all useful for enhancing student projects, films, and presentations. Up to six CDs at a time can be checked out of the library for three hours for AU student production work. You can search these indexes online.

Greg Smith Sound Effects Collection

This is a collection of 1450 sound effects tracks recorded by producer Greg Smith during his 20 year career in the film and television industry. Mr. Smith has provided sound recording or post-production sound on many films including: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith; Jurassic Park; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Who Framed Roger Rabbit?; and numerous IMAX productions.

Mr. Smith, a professor in Audio Technology / Department of Performing Arts, graciously provided this collection to the University Library with the request to share it openly for the benefit of filmmakers and video and audio producers around the world.

The Greg Smith Sound Effects Collection is located in the American University .

Finding Aids

Use the indexes below to locate individual sounds. The collection currently includes an additional 400 sound effects recorded by Professor Smith's students at American University. Tracks are in zipped mp3 format. Once downloaded they can be un-zipped with any widely available utility like (PC) or (Mac).

Greg Smith Sound Effects Collection Index:

Greg Smith Sound Effects Student Collection Index:

Greg Smith SFX Collection Zip Files

  • Ambience 1.1 - 52 tracks -
    JUNGLE - Ambience at den (7 tracks,10.4 min.); Bird ambience (10 tracks, 10.5 min); Day/early morning ambience (12 tracks, 29.9 min); Frog ambience (4 tracks, 5.3 min); Misc. jungle ambience (19 tracks, 33 min).
  • Ambience 1.2 - 47 tracks -
    JUNGLE - Bird ambience (8 tracks, 14 min.); Bug ambience (7 tracks, 13.7 min.); Monkey ambience (3 tracks, 2 min.); Panda ambience (7 tracks, 17.3 min.); Morning, rain, thunder, post storm recordings (14 tracks, 49.9 min.); Lagoon (3 tracks, 12.1 min.); MISC. - Valley (3 tracks, 10.1 min.); Misc. museum lobby (3 tracks, 4.1 min.).
  • Ambience 2 - 118 tracks - .
    CONSTRUCTION - Car workshop (5 tracks, 14.3 min.); Chassis shop (2 tracks, 4.8 min total); Drilling (4 tracks, 3.9 min.); Dyno room (5 tracks, 14.8 min.); Fabrication shop (2 tracks, 5.2 min.); Garage (10 tracks, 23.8 min.); Machine shop (6 tracks, 10.4 min.); Misc. construction chatter (5 tracks, 10.2 min.); ELECTRONICS - AM Radio button (2 tracks, 1.7 min.); FOREST - Forest with birds, woodpecker (8 tracks, 20.4 min.); Forest in the morning (2 tracks, 4.9 min.); Misc. forest (4 tracks, 6.5 min.); PEOPLE - Crowd cheers, applause, laughter (3 tracks, 1.1 min.); Crowd with car noise, NASCAR, race track, parking lot (5 tracks, 7.7 min.); Large crowd (4 tracks, 8.4 min.); Misc. crowd (4 tracks, 6.5 min.); RAIN - Light rain (4 tracks, 4.4 min.); Rain and thunder (9 tracks, 11.3 min.); Misc. rain (9 tracks, 14.5 min.); ROOMS - Elevator (4 tracks, 2.6 min.); Empty room (2 tracks, 2.8 min.); Jail (3 tracks, 4.7 min.); Room tone (3 tracks, 3.6 min.); Misc. room (7 tracks, 15.4 min.); RURAL - Farm (4 tracks, 5 min.); Rural ambience (7 tracks, 13.9 min.); Village (2 tracks, 8.7 min.); Misc. rural (3 tracks, 6.6 min.).
  • Ambience 3.1 - 69 tracks -
    SNOW - River and snow (3 tracks, 3.6 min); Snow and bird (1 track, 1.1 min); Snow falling (8 tracks, 6.7 min); Snow hits bamboo (3 tracks, 3.1 min); Snow off trees (1 track, 35 sec); THUNDER - Close thunder (3 tracks, 46 sec); Distant thunder (8 tracks, 7.7 min); Extended series thunder (3 tracks, 4.2 min); Misc. thunder (25 tracks, 10.3 min); URBAN - Car (3 tracks, 24.2 min); City daytime (3 tracks, 7.2 min)
  • Ambience 3.2 - 72 tracks -
    WATER - Babbling brook (2 tracks, 1.6 min); Creek (6 tracks, 6.6 min); Hot spring (6 tracks, 8.1 min); Jungle stream (9 tracks, 20 min); Little stream (8 tracks, 10.1 min); Loud stream (5 tracks, 6.5 min); Misc. stream (11 tracks, 17.2 min); Misc. water (2 tracks, 1.4 min); River (13 tracks, 23.9 min); Waterfall (7 tracks, 7.8 min); Waves (3 tracks, 6.6 min)
  • Ambience 3.3 - 38 tracks -
    WIND - AC (4 tracks, 4.8 min); Birds (4 tracks, 8.3 min); Desert (4 tracks, 9.4 min); Misc. wind (9 tracks, 19.2 min); Prairie (2 tracks, 6.9 min); Rattling (2 tracks, 2.4 min); Trees (7 tracks, 16.4 min); Whistling (2 tracks, 2.9 min); Window (4 tracks, 6.6 min)
  • Animals - 209 tracks -
    AIR - Birds (67 tracks, 48.1 min); Cicada (9 tracks, 2.1 min) LAND - Alligator (1 track, 1 min); Bamboo rats (9 tracks, 5.3 min); Buffalo (5 tracks, 9.4 min); Bull (4 songs, 31 sec); Chickens (7 tracks, 1.5 min); Cows (4 tracks, 5.8 min); Coyote (1 track, 12 sec); Dogs (10 tracks, 8.1 min); Fox (1 track, 29 sec); Frogs (18 tracks, 18.8 min); Horses (16 tracks, 11.3 min); Misc. animals (1 track, 1.4 min); Monkeys (20 tracks, 14.7 min); Pandas (21 tracks, 18.1 min); Pigs (7 tracks, 2.3 min); Prairie dogs (5 tracks, 8.3 min); Snakes (4 tracks, 2 min)
  • General 1 - 187 tracks -
    Bells (7 tracks, 1.1 min); Boats (6 tracks, 18.1 min); Doors (29 tracks, 4.9 min); Electronic (12 tracks, 6.8 min); Explosions (14 tracks, 3.2 min); Fire (9 tracks, 10.6 min); Machinery (110 tracks, 1.6 hours)
  • General 2 - 158 tracks -
    Applause and clapping (2 tracks, 15 sec); Clanks (2 tracks, 6 sec); Compressed air (3 tracks, 14 sec); Creaking (3 tracks, 3.5 min);Desk bell hotel (4 tracks, 36 sec); Electric (12 tracks, 19.1 min); Matches (7 tracks, 1.6 min); Metallic dropping (12 tracks, 23 sec); Military (9 tracks, 10.2 min); Misc. SFX (3 tracks, 3.9 min); Music Instruments - Percussion (4 tracks, 56 sec); Nature (2 tracks, 59 sec); Novelty (15 tracks, 5 min); Phones (11 tracks, 4 min); Rattling (7 tracks, 5.5 min); Scuba (16 tracks, 18.4 min); Sports (3 tracks, 25 min); Tea kettle (4 tracks, 2.8 min); Toilet (3 tracks, 3.6 min); Tools (13 tracks, 4.4 min); Water cooler (5 tracks, 1 min); Wet sounds (26 songs, 7.4 min); Whistles (1 track 57 sec)
  • Transportation - Vehicles 1 - 87 tracks -
    CARS - Race cars (87 tracks, 1.9 hours)
  • Transportation - Vehicles 2 - 157 tracks -
    CARS - Race cars (66 tracks, 1.3 hours); Street cars (91 tracks, 39.5 min)
  • Transportation - Vehicles 3 - 84 tracks -
    VEHICLES - Bus (3 tracks, 2.6 min); Tractor (6 tracks, 3.1 min); Trucks (75 tracks, 1.2 hours)
  • Transportation - Aircraft - 97 tracks -
    Helicopters (19 tracks, 27.5 min); Jets (21 tracks, 30.1 min); Prop plane (52 tracks, 48.7 min); Rockets (5 tracks, 11.9 min)
  • Weapons - 78 tracks -
    Cannons (48 tracks, 4.3 min); Firearms (30 tracks, 2.1 min)

Greg Smith SFX Collection Student Work Additions Zip Files

  • Ambience 2 13 files. .
  • Ambience 3 23 files. .
  • Animals 2 files. .
  • Foley 72 files. .
  • General 1 62 files. .
  • General 2 88 files. .
  • Impacts 39 files. .
  • Transportation - Vehicles 2 31 files. .
  • Transportation - Vehicles 4 15 files. .
  • Weapons 72 files. .

Contact Us

(202) 885-3250
mediaservices@american.edu
Lower Level, Bender Library

Media Collections