Michael Schwartz
I always seem to need the sound of automobile wheels traveling over some type of surface, such as gravel, sand, pavement, snow, wet, grass, etc. Is there a library with these sounds? If I create one, any ideas on marketing and distribution?

In the past, I've rolled a car down a hill with the engine off, but in Los Angeles in the summer, I wasn't able to get snow. Also, I haven't been able to approximate and "fake" the sound of wheels through snow. Or even grass very well. Any ideas?

Scott Gershin:
You could try a combination of foley tricks combined with real car recordings... Snow can be created with tires in dirt "without snappy grit," tires in water ( remember the sloshing fx ) tires in sand... You could hang out of car at high speed for those wicked of heart or more safer installing mics in the wheel well or under the car gets you some interesting colors.. but the most critical part is your mic selection. & how you deal with wind noise.

This is an area that older mics have some cool uses for. Also if your mic setup becomes undone you wont be crying over a pair of schoeps. Grass falls under the " if a tree falls & no one is there to hear it catagory".. Mud, dirt, grit, rocks, water ... seem to be the nuts & bolts For all of you that are looking to part with a portion of your library.. Try Hollywood edge..their always looking.

Excerpt from thread "Is there a SFX library of "surfaces"s" Mar 29, 2000 at Sound Design discussion list

Film Sound Question & Answers