The original Grainger Library of Sampled Sound (GLOSS) was a collection of recorded sounds from the Percy Grainger Home and Studio in White Plains, NY. The sounds included samples of instruments in the collection and ambient sounds from the house.
The project was undertaken by Matt McGarrell for the Percy Grainger Society. It was developed through the Museum Association of New York (MANY) “Building Capacity, Creating Sustainability, Growing Accessibility” program and was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [CAGML-246991-OMLS-20].
The sample collections comprise the following items:
Musical Instruments
- Piano (single hits of single notes across all octaves)
- Harmonium (single hits of single notes across all octaves, played with one registration)
- Xylophone (single hits of single notes across all octaves)
- Autoharp (a selection of chords, a chromatic scale and glissando, two improvisations)
- Chinese Gongs (five instruments, single hits)
- Staff Bells (single hits across 4.5 octaves)
Domestic Sounds
- Bathroom sink and toilet
- Dancing Bear toy
- Bookcases
- Dressing table drawers
- Cabinet drawers
- Plant stand
- Wardrobe drawers
- Electric lights
- Photocopier room safelight
- Candlestick
It was a notable feature of the GLOSS collection that domestic and furniture sounds were treated as equivalent to musical instrument sounds.
This page offers the complete set of samples for download in .MP3 format.
Alternatively, you can download sample packs in .AIF format as follows:
- Volume 1: Autoharp and Chinese Gongs
- Volume 2: Furnishings
- Volume 3: Lights and Piano
- Volume 4: Staff Bells and Xylophone
- Volume 5: Harmonium Part 1
- Volume 6: Harmonium Part 2
All samples are licensed under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 and may be used and modified creatively with suitable attribution.