It snowed in Hokkaido the week we were there, and the world went mute. Snow absorbs sound, so a snowfall is as close to silence as most of us will ever get.

Not quite silent

It isn't silent — it's a hush. The flakes land at 19 dB, and if you listen long enough you can hear the difference between powder and wet.

Why it matters

The quietest recordings are the hardest to make and the easiest to ruin in mastering. We barely touched this one. It didn't need it.