Did you know that you can download more than 33,000 BBC sound effect samples for free?
"Explore a weird and wonderful collection of noises from the broadcasting behemoth. There can be few organizations that have used more sound effects than the BBC, but did you know that that the good old British Broadcasting Corporation has made more than 33,000 of its FX available for free download?" -
MusicRadar.
>>> BBC Sound Effects
"Any Number Can Play. Composing with a tape recorder is a fascinating new line of musical adventure. Depending on the attitude and ability of the composer (and, it must be admitted, to some extent on the amount and quality of the equipment) it can be anything from an amusing hobby to an advanced art. The musically ignorant owner of a simple tape recorder can learn to record and organise sounds into real compositions, and gain much pleasure in the process. "
>>> Terence Dwyer: Composing with Tape Recorders (pdf)