Humming sound at night - Recording Included -

I've heard this sound on and off as long as I can remember with no real correlations that I can come up with - it happens throughout the year, almost exclusively at night, though I have heard it before sunset and it could just be that less activity makes it easier to notice

I simply can't figure out what's causing it. I don't leave electronics on while I'm sleeping and it definitely seems to be coming from outside the house - so it's not my PC or TV, it's not the heater or AC, nor is it the neighbors' as the humming has persisted with and without the Heating and AC units being on.

Various identifiable background noises include, cars passing down the nearby road, cars and trucks on the nearby freeway, the shuffling of my movements as I put the phone in place to record, opening and shutting of the window and the phone being placed on the window sill/leaned against the window.

There is a transformer on the nearby telephone pole, but I've never heard a humming transformer that lacked a distinct buzzing sound or seemed to occur in the manner that this does.

This first video is 4 separate recordings from one night, it's the raw recordings, I'll be making all the sound files available in an archive at the end of the post.


This second video is an 18 second segment found in recording number 3 (they're not in numerical order in the first video, it's file numbered 3) where there are 3 distinct sounds that accompany a dip in the hum's volume.



Prior to these recordings, I was never able to pick it up and thought I had tinnitus or was simply going nuts. Now that I've got proof that it is indeed emanating from somewhere, I'm also barely qualified to even call myself an amateur sound editor/analyst so I'd welcome any and all help identifying potential sources so I can continue investigating this.

Files
Mediafire
ATS is cutting the mediafire link out? I may have to u2u anybody who wants the recordings the links, I'll also add the link to the youtube video descriptions.

a reply to: eNumbra

It sounds almost as if it peaks or goes up in frequency or intensity sometimes.

What distinct sounds are you hearing in #3? The whooooshing?

I know I hear more static or white noise type sounds late at night when most things like TV or traffic are quiet. Are you only hearing it in one place at specific times? Is it just around you in general or can you move around and hear it louder or softer?

Have you ruled out things like the fridge kicking on?

How long does it last?

Think I've heard a similar sound to this. What all types of manufacturing are around you?

originally posted by: BarefootInWinter
a reply to: eNumbra

It sounds almost as if it peaks or goes up in frequency or intensity sometimes.
It does

What distinct sounds are you hearing in #3? The whooooshing?
Yes, the woosh is what I'm referring to.

I know I hear more static or white noise type sounds late at night when most things like TV or traffic are quiet. Are you only hearing it in one place at specific times? Is it just around you in general or can you move around and hear it louder or softer?
It's louder towards the front of the house, sounding like it comes from outside but closing the window doesn't dampen it much, it typically becomes the stand out sound with the window closed. The recordings include open and closed window. And though it sounds like it's coming from outside, I have yet to go outside to see if I can follow it or pinpoint it anywhere. The service head for the house is nearby but if it was the service head making this sound I suspect i would hear it nearly, if not everyday and as I mentioned, I've never heard an electrical hum that wasn't a more distinct buzzing.

Have you ruled out things like the fridge kicking on?
Yes. Definitely not the fridge or any other appliance I can find in the house as, like the service head if it were something in the house it would be more constant. I haven't heard it at all for multiple nights now, the recordings are from last week or the week before.

How long does it last?
Hours? I don't think I've ever heard it last less than 2-3 hours at a time, more often than not, it starts in the evening and it's still going strong when I go to sleep.

I have a bit of a lack of information currently as I've never been able to approach it so tangibly now that I've managed to record it. Now, I have a notebook next to my bed and I'll be recording every detail I can the next time it occurs.

originally posted by: misterhistory
Think I've heard a similar sound to this. What all types of manufacturing are around you?

There's a Melitta Coffee nearby.

When I see threads on strange noises, I conjur up images of underground alien bases or something. Ok, maybe not aliens. Does it seem like it is coming from all around, up above or below ground? Intriguing mystery for sure.

originally posted by: Night Star
When I see threads on strange noises, I conjur up images of underground alien bases or something. Ok, maybe not aliens. Does it seem like it is coming from all around, up above or below ground? Intriguing mystery for sure.

All I can really say for sure is that it's definitely coming from outside.

a reply to: eNumbra

Don't think that would be it. But I don't know much about the equipment used for processing the coffee

a reply to: eNumbra

Have you spoken to any of your neighbors or heard of anyone from your city speaking about unexplained sounds?

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: eNumbra

Have you spoken to any of your neighbors or heard of anyone from your city speaking about unexplained sounds?

Not yet and no

All I can really say for sure is that it's definitely coming from outside.

a reply to: eNumbra

Are there any power line transformers nearby? Maybe the pitch changes according to a lighter night time load on the transformer as power consumption is down?

eNumbra, the next logical step would be for you to ask other family members, or neighbors, if they can hear this sound. If not, then you have a big-time mystery on your hands. If they DO hear it, you need to walk, bicycle, or drive a silent car with your window down towards the sound.

Is there such a thing as a "sound detector"? You could use one to isolate the sound's origin by moving in the direction where its the loudest.

originally posted by: donktheclown

All I can really say for sure is that it's definitely coming from outside.

a reply to: eNumbra

Are there any power line transformers nearby? Maybe the pitch changes according to a lighter night time load on the transformer as power consumption is down?

There is a transformer on the nearby telephone pole, but I've never heard a humming transformer that lacked a distinct buzzing sound or seemed to occur in the manner that this does - for example, the sound is not occurring right now and hasn't for the last several nights.


Besides, a humming transformer is distinctive and would be quite loud enough during the day that I could hear it while standing under the pole its on.

originally posted by: carewemust
eNumbra, the next logical step would be for you to ask other family members, or neighbors, if they can hear this sound. If not, then you have a big-time mystery on your hands. If they DO hear it, you need to walk, bicycle, or drive a silent car with your window down towards the sound.yep, part of the point of this thread is ideas on how to proceed, thanks.

Is there such a thing as a "sound detector"? You could use one to isolate the sound's origin by moving in the direction where its the loudest.

Some quick google search suggests yes, but it's all a bit cost-prohibitive.

originally posted by: eNumbra

originally posted by: carewemust
eNumbra, the next logical step would be for you to ask other family members, or neighbors, if they can hear this sound. If not, then you have a big-time mystery on your hands. If they DO hear it, you need to walk, bicycle, or drive a silent car with your window down towards the sound.yep, part of the point of this thread is ideas on how to proceed, thanks.

Is there such a thing as a "sound detector"? You could use one to isolate the sound's origin by moving in the direction where its the loudest.

Some quick google search suggests yes, but it's all a bit cost-prohibitive.

It just occurred to me that since our cellphones have a microphone for picking up our voice, there might be a software application, with settings that are adjustable for locating the source of a sound in a given frequency range.

a reply to: eNumbra

It almost has a harmonic tonal quality. It doesn't come across as machine-like, at least what I can hear. Could it be any of the scenarios described in the link:
www.nytimes.com...

a reply to: eNumbra

Pay attention to the weather when you hear and Don't hear the humming. I have heard that even high tension lines can hum with changes in temp or humidity. I am thinking it is an electrical hum of some sort, it could be from the line transformer you mentioned, I have heard smaller transformers in equipment hum or buzz.

The line transformers on the poles convert high voltage at down to the 110-120vac your house needs. I would think you could really narrow it down or eliminate that transformer as the source if you went outside and stood under it, maybe putting your ear to the pole (WOODEN POLE) if it's metal I'd just listen around the area in case their is an issue with stray current.

I'm on my phone or I would try to find the frequency of the hum in your video with some sound editing software, if it is at 60hz that would be the standard ac frequency in the US, 400hz would be aviation related (it's what frequency plane electrical systems run at). The frequency could help narrow down if it's electrical. It sounds kinda close to 60hz buzz to me, we have a baby monitor that buzzes kinda like that from interference when we have the toaster or microwave on.

Good luck, I have tinnitus and am also blessed with the ability to notice the highpitched whine from older crt TV sets left on across the house on mute, barely audible noises drive me bonkers!!!

i find it similar to a transformer-type hum somewhat. or some other electricical/current/voltage generated sound, maybe?

originally posted by: Ranger351
a reply to: eNumbra

I'm on my phone or I would try to find the frequency of the hum in your video with some sound editing software, if it is at 60hz that would be the standard ac frequency in the US, 400hz would be aviation related (it's what frequency plane electrical systems run at). The frequency could help narrow down if it's electrical. It sounds kinda close to 60hz buzz to me, we have a baby monitor that buzzes kinda like that from interference when we have the toaster or microwave on.

I'll keep an ear out, I found a sound meter app for my phone(best I can do for now) and I'll try an get more information on it. Using a sound meter app I found for my phone seems to indicate its around 200hz, its not the most accurate, but testing it against test tones I can find on youtube indicate it's in the general area, but this was from the second video; which was the one loud enough to get a reading over the sound of the computer itself. I'll have to try and get the sound the next time it occurs to be sure.

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4
i find it similar to a transformer-type hum somewhat. or some other electricical/current/voltage generated sound, maybe?

It certainly could be, but transformers always seemed to have more of a square wave sound to it - a distinct buzz, rather than a traditional sine wave hum. To my ear at least.

a reply to: eNumbra

The second video sounds kind of like an electrical motor hum, with almost like a blower/vacuum noise accompanying it, take a walk over to the coffee plant to see if they are grinding beans