Ok, I was thinking of resurrecting an old thread that I posted six years ago on TOS sound effects, but this question isn't quite the same as that title. This has to do with the sound effects libraries that made up many of the sounds of the original series. For example, variations of the Enterprise bridge could be heard in Outer Limits, Hawaii Five-O, etc. I remember hearing the howling wind sound like in one of the alien planet surface effects in either a Lassie or Flipper episode..... many of the sounds came from earlier sources and were mixed together. The TOS sound effects CD was a great release, and even some later surprises in the LaLa Land releases, but still some key sound effects missing. I was wondering if such sound effects were ever released with other titles, such as a "Paramount/ Desilu Sound Effects Library" or similar?
have Paramount SFX used in Trek and others ever publicly available??
- Thread starter billsantos
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Hmmm, I guess no one knows. It is interesting to note how often the sound effects appeared in other shows/ movies. The dual tone bridge sound, for example, could be heard as far back as the early 50's in some Superman episodes. I was just curious if any other sound libraries out there carried any of the effects? I listened to Hanna Barbera recently and the only one I came across was Trek's photon torpedo, yet, even though I didn't watch very many cartoons as a kid, I remember hearing things like the control room from "Whom Gods Destroy", but not on any release that I can find.
I always liked the torpedo sound. I wonder how they even made it? I think it originates from "War of the Worlds".
I believe that was made by someone striking a cable or tower. I used to get somewhat close with a long, cardboard tube with a spring inside that was coupled at each end by cups.
Over the years, I've discovered that many of the sound effects were actually mixes of individual sounds used in other shows-- probably all from Paramount's library at the time-- or perhaps studio sound editors shared with different companies. The bridge sound I believe is made up of three distinct sounds- 1) the two tone sound (which appeared in several much earlier shows like Superman), 2) the steadier machine-like thumping/typing (this may be a radio teletype machine as used on naval vessels of the post WWII era), and 3) the steady tone (this could have been just an organ playing a fat tone that was reverbed). I've heard all but one of the sounds distinctly and separately in other TV series. There was an episode of Hawaii Five-O (not the pilot) that had the two tone sound mixed with only the steady tone and the typing/ thumping part was not present (I've spent a long time trying to research which episode it was and never had any luck.... McGarrett had gone below deck to view some radar or something on a naval ship and that's where the sound was heard... I always thought one of the Wo Fat episodes, but not sure).
Many of the sound effects came from a prior library somewhere, but I've never had much luck tracking it down. There was an episode of Flipper I believe that had the whining wind sound heard in the alien planet surface sound in "City On the Edge Of Forever" (NOT the tones as they always seemed to be unique to Star Trek, along with the transporter).
The only sound that seems to show up in other libraries is the torpedo. Other than that, I've not had much tracking down any of the others.
I think the big difference between TOS and modern sound effects is that the 60's sounds were analog in nature. What devices were around then basically used analog circuits. This can make a big difference in how a sound effect sounds. That, and the sound editors did a lot of traveling around to find sounds that weren't already in their libraries. There is that high, insect-like sound heard all throughout "Wink Of An Eye". A mystery to me until one day I was at the dentist and heard it. It's one of the powered instruments a dentist uses! For years, I heard the same beep used for the alert light at the middle center of the helm-navigation console (not the general red alert) at hospitals. The actual red alert sound I believe was an old siren, with the audio clipped just right and then maybe sped up a bit from the original.
As for the transporter/ alien planet surface sounds, they are both created from the same instrument. There was some sort of pitch bending device at the time that instrument recordings were either fed into, or mimics created by the Hammond organ of the time. IIRC, I read that at least one of the modern sound editors who worked on the latest films wasn't able to recreate the original transporter sounds. I believe if they had looked at it from a truly analog perspective and analog set up, they may have been successful. A tube device can sound a heck of a lot different from an IC or transistor based "equivalent".
As for the transporter/ alien planet surface sounds, they are both created from the same instrument. There was some sort of pitch bending device at the time that instrument recordings were either fed into, or mimics created by the Hammond organ of the time. IIRC, I read that at least one of the modern sound editors who worked on the latest films wasn't able to recreate the original transporter sounds. I believe if they had looked at it from a truly analog perspective and analog set up, they may have been successful. A tube device can sound a heck of a lot different from an IC or transistor based "equivalent".
I don't know if anyone cares or is following this thread, but I decided to follow up on the unknown dental instrument sound I talked about above as heard in "Wink Of An Eye". I was at the dentist this past week, heard the sound as the dentist was working on my teeth, and asked him what it was. The actual instrument is the microsonic instrument used to clean teeth & gums. Try finding a recording of this on the web, however!
I actually have a 1988 CD of TOS Sound Effects! In fact, about 20 years ago I wrote a Star Trek skit for my answering machine message using the sound effects from this CD. Several of my student workers played different bridge characters, and it turned out great! Wish I still had a recording of that!
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