The Timekeeper: Recording A Clock Shop
Join me on a field recording trip to a clock repair shop in this article!
In preparation for my field recording road trip, I needed to replace the battery in my watch. After a quick Google search for “watch repair near me”, I found The Timekeeper. From the photos, it looked like a small shop owned by a trade master. I was sold.
The Shop
Upon arriving, a woman was already there and was discussing repair costs for a grandfather clock with the owner. This gave me time to look at the plethora of timepieces that filled the shop.
During a pause in the repair conversation, the sound of the shop filled my ears. It was unlike anything I had ever heard. 4 Grandfather clocks along the main wall were the stars of the auditory experience. Together they created a delicate, relaxing melody of ticking and tocking.
Now that I had noticed the sound of The Timekeeper, I could not stop hearing it. The more I listened, the more I wanted to record it. As I continued to wait, ideas filled my mind about how I would go about capturing this unique soundscape.
Asking To Record
After the woman left the shop, it was my turn to meet The Timekeeper. After telling him I was in need of a battery replacement, he got straight to work. It only took a few minutes and my watch was ticking again. Thankfully that was all that it needed after dropping it on the floor while waiting!
While checking out, I still was not sure how I would ask the unusual question, “can I record your shop?” Fortunately, The Timekeeper asked me his own unusual question. He was wondering if I happened to know anyone selling a baseball memorabilia collection. Unfortunately I did not, but would ask around for him.
Then it was my turn to ask. His reaction was expectedly perplexed. After explaining to him that I was a sound recordist and that his shop was sonically interesting, he agreed.
Setting Up The Gear
Two days later, I went back to The Timekeeper 20 minutes before closing. For this recording, I brought my tripod, Sony D100, and DIY SASS microphone.
The most challenging aspect of this recording would be setting my gain. Having never heard the chimes of the 4 grandfather clocks, I really didn’t know what to expect. Luckily, at 5:30pm, the largest of the 4 went off and I was able to set my gain based on its loudness.
5:30 was closing time which meant it was time to leave. Now it was time to worry about whether or not I had actually started the recording.
The Sound
At 9:30am, I returned to The Timekeeper to retrieve my equipment. Not surprisingly, my D100 was dead, so I would have to wait until I got home to listen.
Below is my favorite excerpt from the 12-hour recording. It’s during the midnight hour in the shop.
Honestly, this recording turned out better than I had expected. I like how the 4 Grandfather clocks are all about 1-minute off. This keeps them from overlapping, although a clock from the back of the shop can be heard during the chimes of the second Grandfather.
I also like how they go off from right-to-left, which creates a nice stereo-image.
There is some audible self-noise, especially when no clocks are chiming, but it is pretty minimal in my opinion.
In total, 8 different clocks can be heard in this short ≈ 6-minute recording.
Final Thoughts
Although human-made sounds are typically a nuisance to me, the sounds of The Timekeeper are quiet, peaceful, and reminiscent of simpler times. I hope you find them equally so!
For more Sound Stories, click here or browse below.
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Thanks for reading,
-Jared
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