I had the opportunity to visit the historic “Ambassador” apartment complex in Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1928, this building has been well-preserved and has an eerie vibe.

To record the elevator sound effects, I used the Lom Usi Pro with magnets to fix it to the metal surface of the elevators. I also used the Zoom H3-VR to record ambisonic sounds, which can be found in the VR Sound Library.

The resulting sound library includes the elevator doors opening and closing, the sound of waiting for the elevator, and the interior sounds of riding up and down in the elevator.

The complex has three original 1944 OTIS elevators and I recorded all of them. In addition to the elevator sounds, I also recorded the ambience from outside the building, a room tone, and a spooky glass door opening with automatic door beeps.

All these sounds are included our 1944 lift and elevator sound effects library and can be downloaded for any commercial or non-commercial use.