This is something that's puzzled me for years, but I've never thought to ask online before, about hearing a low frequency noise in the morning. I'm not talking about "The Hum" phenomenon that people all over the world report, this is different. There may be a very simple answer, which is why I ask.

I only hear it when I'm out early in the morning, just after sunrise, up in central NY. The sound is sort of like a bass drum "boom", very low frequency. It picks up in speed, raises in frequency and shortens in duration. Sort of like if you dropped something on a drum skin or a trampoline. The first pause is maybe a second or less then in picks up quick. "Booooom...... Boooom..... Booom.... Boom.. boom. BoomBoomboom."

I always figured I'd mention it to someone local one day and they'd give me a dumb look (you stupid city slicker) "yeah that's to call the cows in" (which has always been my best guess) lol


It's always exactly the same, so it can't be a natural sound. It's so low and so odd... that you might not even be sure you really heard it. I remember the first time I heard it, I wasn't even sure I'd heard something. I thought it was some strange creaking noise my neck had made. Then I heard it again and knew it was something audible. I DO know it's a real noise, because I know other people who hear it. They had the same confusion I did, they asked me about it because they weren't sure it was something they actually heard.


So today something reminded me and thought I'd ask. Hopefully someone with post a link to some ultra low frequency cattle call or some such thing.

House wasn't built on ancient Indian burial grounds was it?



Other than that I got nothing.

This is an out in the woods thing. You can't hear it if you're inside.

If it weren't exactly the same every time, I'd think it was some geological thing.

I hear "yanny".

Jumanji.

Sound kind of like this, perhaps: Ruffed Grouse Sounds ?

Any industrial facilities within a 5-10 mile radius?

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Sound kind of like this, perhaps: Ruffed Grouse Sounds ?

Very similar.

Do they drum all year or only in the spring? I hear it more in November / December (because that's when I'm in the woods early more than any other time of the year).

It's similar, but more man made, mechanical than that. Like that clip is "organic", what I hear has no variation, not uneven changes in speed, it's a constant rate and always the same. Maybe someone local has an automated artificial grouse call.
(actually one of the "neighbors" is a big time bird hunter, I wonder if they really make such a thing )


One of the strange things about the noise, because it's nearly audible is that it's impossible to tell which direction it's coming from.

Over here, its the garbage trucks picking up the big metal dumpsters from the nearby shopping areas very early in the morning.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
One of the strange things about the noise, because it's nearly audible is that it's impossible to tell which direction it's coming from.

Not so strange, as low frequency sounds are non-directional in nature (as anyone who's set up a good sound system can tell you).

cas,

Get an appointment with an Ear, Nose, Throat doc.

Honestly, it could be something he/she may spot and correct.

It could be some form of tinnitus/ sinus or any number of other correctable maladies.

Or, you may possibly be insane.

There's a lot of that going around...

OK, just kidding, but getting a check up from the neck up may prove helpful.

Probably not insane or insect in ear for this long. LOL

It merits seeing an ENT. I would see one that specializes in tinnitus.

Train rolling by???

I live in an area with lots of oil and gas activity. There is a compressor a fair bit away from me that due to terrain and atmospheric conditions can be heard only at certain times.

You can't see this compressor, as it's landlocked inside a sizeable ranch. So, perhaps you might take a look on a satellite image of your area and find something you didn't know of.

Next time you hear it say "Beetlejuice" three times and let us know if anything happened.

quote:

It could be some form of tinnitus / sinus or any number of other correctable maladies.

I wish it was correctable.

I've no idea but I'm glad you mentioned the hum phenomenon. I've been hearing that in the morning or late at night since I moved 3 years ago. I thought it was just me, or maybe the highway not too far from here.

Bitterns (a water bird) make a low booming, thrumming call in mating season. It is a weird sound.

I don't if that is your noise, but it is a thought.

^ The "hum" is a funky one, because who knows. Lately I've heard one at night that annoys the crap out of me, but so far no source. I hear it some nights but not others. Hot or cold, so it's not someone's A/C. No luck yet, but it sounds like a truck idling all night.

Over the years I've heard things like that at home that I eventually tracked down. One was street sweepers at the "local" mall (several miles away). Another trains idling in a yard (so many many miles away that you'd never believe you could ever possibly hear them, but low frequency travels far and penetrates.)

Maybe it's the moorlocks ...