We spoke with Aslı Yalçın, co-founder of Vadi Sound, a specialized sound design studio based in Istanbul, Turkey that focuses on cinematic, organic sound effects and combines field and studio recording expertise. With a personal focus on urban field recording, Aslı creates culturally rooted soundscapes from cities and communities worldwide.
Aslı is committed to driving meaningful change, advocating for women in audio, mentoring women across industries, and supporting underrepresented and disadvantaged communities through non-profit organizations like KODA, LEADNetwork, and ASAM.
Marmoset and Track Club are proud to partner with Vadi Sound on our sound effects catalog. See our conversation with Aslı below.
Marina: To start, could you introduce yourself and share a little about your role at Vadi Sound?
Aslı Yalçın: A former manager once said about me, “She likes working with people and creating for people.” That’s still true today as the co-founder and CEO of Vadi Sound, where I also work as a field recordist. Formerly, I spent 18 years in international marketing at Unilever, leading brands and digital strategy across regions like the Middle East, Africa, Russia and UK. After a sabbatical—where I focused on spending time with my son, social impact projects, and some amateur acting—I moved into executive consulting at Stanton Chase, where I deepened my skills in business development and navigating less defined environments.
When COVID hit, I met my business partner Enis, a talented sound designer, sound artist, and producer. He had started building a local open-access sound effects library but needed investment, international experience, and a strategy to turn it into a global brand. We clicked instantly, and after taking some time to reflect during the pandemic, I realized I was looking for something more fulfilling—a creative job I’d wake up to every morning excited to do—so we joined forces.
At first it was an instinctive leap, but five years later, Vadi Sound has grown into something much bigger than we imagined: a complete library of 50,000+ original sound effects across 97 libraries, used in games, film, music, immersive media, and creative AI. We also do commission work for games and film, and video games remain one of the most important parts of our sound effects sales. We partner with brands shaping the future of audio, and try to bring a fresh, progressive sonic aesthetic—capturing fleeting sounds and turning them into cinematic experiences.
Marina: What has your experience been like as a woman in the field recording and sound design space?
Aslı: At first, I didn’t realize how male-dominated it was. At Unilever, diversity and inclusion were always on the agenda, but here the industry is largely Western-centric, with women making up only about 5%, if that.
From the start, we wanted to build a company rooted in equality. We’ve recruited women and non-binary talent from the Middle East because representation matters. For me, it wasn’t just about being an entrepreneur but about being a woman creating in audio—so I took up field recording myself, completed a master’s in Sound Technologies, and wrote my thesis on urban soundscape recording techniques and listener perceptions.
Marina: What do you think needs to happen to bring more women into sound recording?
Aslı: Field recording is still not very well understood. People often ask—is it art, a job, documentation, or music? To me, it’s a bit of all of those. That’s why raising awareness is so important, especially about what equipment is needed and how accessible it can actually be. Mentorship is also critical. Almost every woman I’ve interviewed has pointed to other women as mentors, and that cycle of support is what helps more women enter and stay in the field.
That’s why we started our flagship project, Vadi Talks—an interview and feature series building visibility for women in sound. I’ve hosted guests like Çisel Karacebe, a sociologist and researcher writing her PhD thesis on the sounds produced by modified cars, their owners, and the communities around them—what messages these sounds convey. It’s such a fascinating angle. Another guest was Mélia Roger, a prolific and versatile field recordist and artist who works to inspire ecological change through environmental and empathic listening. I’ve also spoken with Nia Hansen (Skywalker Sound), Rebekah Wilson (Source Elements), field recordists and sound artists Melissa Pons, Martha Mutiso, Laura Giannone, and Valeria Krachunova-Popova.
Beyond Vadi Talks, we’ve also built a network of emerging young women in audio supporting each other, recommending one another for projects, and hosting workshops. For example, in Ankara we brought together 20 young women for mentorship and training. And every year, we celebrate International Women’s Day, which in this space still feels like an act of resistance.
Marina: You’ve recorded everything from noisy urban spaces to quiet natural ones. Can you share a particularly memorable recording experience?
Aslı: Last year I was in Barcelona, capturing urban ambiences. The city is so alive, even in January. At one skate park I recorded for hours: people skating, smoking, laughing, even teaching a dog how to skate. At one point a skater came up and started rapping to me. It was so unexpected and joyful that the whole session felt like a movie soundtrack. I went back for three days to capture it from different angles.
Some scholars in the Anthropocene discourse argue that cities themselves are now considered part of nature. I feel the same. I like recording harsher urban sounds—construction sites, traffic under bridges, or a city forest framed by the hum and buzz of the city. Some think of these as ‘noise’ and avoid them, but when you listen closely as a field recordist, there’s rhythm and music in them. I’ve also noticed that recording the chaotic sounds of the city helps me feel less disturbed and more at ease with the big cities.
Link to Vadi Sound’s City Perspectives collection: https://vadisound.bandcamp.com/album/city-perspectives
Marina: How does your approach differ between field recording and studio recording?
Aslı: Both require creativity and planning, but field recording demands much more preparation. You have to think about security, equipment, weather, time of day—even airplane flight paths. Often you need to scout locations, do intentional listening, make pilot recordings, and research the cultural or natural context.
But spontaneity is just as important. Sometimes the most beautiful sounds come from unexpected places. Once I was recording grand palace doors in Istanbul, and later discovered that a cheap PVC bathroom door I captured had one of the richest, most musical rattles I’d ever heard. Those surprises keep it exciting.
Protest ambiences are another favorite of mine—and they remind me that sometimes it feels good to raise your voice too. Enis also wrote a blog post about this, the creative and adventurous side of field recording.
Marina: How do you keep your work feeling fresh and inspiring?
Aslı: Joy and keeping high standards are essential. One of our favorite libraries was recorded in a vintage shop that’s also a radio station. We loved being there with friends, exchanging ideas, and capturing every detail of those analog devices. Because it was recorded with passion, it resonated with listeners.
We keep an eye on market trends and where there’s room for more progressive or organic sounds. We also learn a lot from our collaborators. But mostly, we follow immersive recordings rooted in real textures and lived experience. If they sound interesting to us, they usually sound interesting to others too.
We also travel a lot. Enis loves recording in nature, and I enjoy recording in different cities—especially when I’m on holiday. I get so much out of those recordings, and it keeps me from ever getting bored on vacation.
Marina: I know Vadi Sound also supports causes like Musicians Without Borders and nature preservation. Why is that important to you?
Aslı: Sound and music cross all cultural, religious, and social borders. They affect our stress, moods, and sense of belonging—that’s powerful. From the start, even before we could fully support ourselves, we set aside resources for causes we care about: supporting the LGBTQ+ community, Romani musicians, rural schools in Turkey, stray animals, and food aid in Palestine. With so much conflict, we feel a responsibility to contribute, even in small ways.
Marina: Looking ahead, what excites you about the future of Vadi Sound?
Aslı: It feels like we’re just getting started. The landscape is changing quickly, with AI, the ethical sourcing of data, and new technologies. The Sound Effects Software market is set to double by 2033, signaling growing demand for high-quality, modular, organic audio assets. Media & Entertainment GenAI applications are forecast to hit $11.6B by 2032.
What excites us most is staying grounded in organic, real-world cinematic sounds. We have several challenges to give organic distinct sounds their value and overcoming the stock-library fatigue. It’s very exciting to collaborate with progressive brands like Marmoset to expand their music platforms with beautiful ethically-recorded sound effects.
I want to build on my thesis on urban soundscape recording techniques and maybe publish some articles. I also want to kick off a project on ‘heel sounds in cities’—the rhythms of all kinds of shoes on different surfaces across different urban spaces. A friend once suggested it, and it struck me as such an original idea.
Enis is leading an impressive project called The Quiet Places of Anatolia, capturing unvisited mountains and endangered wildlife.
Marina: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Aslı: Beyond business growth, we’re committed to working with partners who value ethical sourcing and meaningful impact. We’ll continue to advocate for women, underrepresented voices in audio, and vulnerable living beings. Ultimately, better sound.
Marina: That’s great! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Aslı: Thank you! It’s a pleasure working with Marmoset/Track Club and with you. We really appreciate the value you place on our SFX library and this opportunity to share our story.
