A clear woodland stream with birds around it
The main recording is already a forest beside water, and the separate river on top of it steadies the flow and gives you a way to decide how much water you get. A quiet woodpecker taps away somewhere deeper in the trees. The water is the only continuous sound here, so it softens a few of the higher noises in a room and does nothing about a road. It sits between Spring Meadow Chorus, which is all open air and birdsong, and Jungle Morning, which is a good deal busier.
Decide how close the water is
At the starting levels you are a little way up the bank, with the forest leading and the river filling in behind it. Take the river down toward 20% to move uphill and away from the water, or raise it to stand closer. The woodpecker is sharp by nature, so keep it low while you're reading or doing anything detailed. The sound-mixing guide covers a repeatable way to set a quiet accent against a steady sound. Scenes like this usually improve when you take something out, not when you push everything up.
Explore the sounds in this mix
Listen to each layer on its own: Forest Birds & River, River and Woodpecker and Birds. Or start from scratch in the free online sound mixer.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there a river on top of a forest recording?
The forest recording already has water in it, and the separate river gives you a slider for it, so you can have a stream that's barely there or one you are standing next to.
Do I have to keep the woodpecker?
No. Switch it off and the forest and river carry the whole thing, which is the calmer way to run this one.
Is this one recording of one place?
No. Three separate sounds from the library play together, which is why you can move each one on its own.