Recording interstate sound effects and airport car driving sounds from OC to LA

Welcome to sunny California! If you need to travel between Orange County and Los Angeles, you’ll most likely find yourself on the highways and interstates. But have you ever really listen to the sounds of the road? One fellow sound designer did, and he asked us to capture those typical Los Angeles interstate sounds. So, off we went on a 45-mile journey to Silverlake, and along the way, we recorded some great driving sound effects back in 2017!

How we captured the driving sound effects

Before we hit the road in our trusty 2008 Toyota Yaris, we fixed the pistol grip from Rode between the handlebars with tape. We were a little worried about vibrations, but the pistol grip shock mount is designed to reduce handling noise while recording, and it did a great job. We used an Audio-Technica mono microphone, which is now discontinued, but still a reliable tool for sound recording.

More about interstate and highway sounds

If you’re from Los Angeles or have ever driven there, you’ve probably noticed that the sounds of the highways and interstates are different from each other. Different concrete, patched roads, potholes, and even the speed of your vehicle all contribute to the unique driving sounds. Driving over a bridge will also produce a different sound. And if you change lanes, you’ll hear a loud rumbling sound every time you hit one of those little white dots on the road.

If you drive a different car, van, or truck, you’ll notice a different sound too. Depending on the tires, they will create a variety of sound effects. 

For us, it was important to capture these recordings at night. Driving the same route during the day would have meant being stuck in rush hour traffic (but hey, that’s a different sound, and if you’re working on a film project and your actors are stuck in traffic, that’s perfect too!)

The interstates, highways, and streets we passed through were:

• Newport Blvd
• I55
• I73
• I405
• I605
• I5
• Highway 101
• Silverlake Blvd

So next time you’re driving on the interstates, take a moment to appreciate the unique sounds of the road. And if you need some of those sounds for your next project, you know where to find them!