Planet Background Sound

[meeshu]

I'm after a recording of the ambient planet surface sound used in TOS. There is a CD available (refer to thread - http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=59009) which has two versions of ambient planet sounds. However, I've heard samples of these recordings and they include wind!

I'm after ambient planet sound without wind, as I'm sure that several episodes of TOS had background planet sound that did NOT include wind.

Is there a recording available of ambient planet sound only (without wind, dialog and other sound effects)?

Thanks.

 

[billsantos]

I have been on the same quest for over ten years! As far as I have been able to determine, the original alien planet effect itself (as well as several others) was destroyed in the fire Paramount had in the 80's(?) and it has not been available since. I have tried various alternatives, such as one of the Dolby channels on a multi channel DVD (which does have the effect by itself) but the fidelity is very poor and in every case is ridden with noise. Seems that Paramount has always placed video as the priority when coming out with the updated masters and audio has steadily declined, IMO. Two other alternatives would be 1) either find an episode on original 35mm film and isolate the "effects" stripe (which should, theoretically, have the effect without dialogue, music and be at maximum fidelity) or 2) probably a fan somewhere in the world requested a copy from Paramount at one time either when TOS was on the air or sometime in the 70's, but tracking this down is like a needle in a haystack. What a shame because I consider the sound effect one of the best ever created. The complete "loop", is roughly 30 seconds long and was created by an electronic organ with orchestral instruments. Quite a different, much more natural sound than just about any synth I've ever heard. Good luck in your quest and should you have success, please let me know!

 

[billsantos]

I just wanted to add that software does now exist to remove almost all of the howling and about half of the wind at the expense of some fidelity loss from the CD version. It is not an easy task, however, and requires moderate audio editing experience. Google Algorithmix Renovator (which is very expensive) and SPEAR (freeware but much more tedious to use) for starters.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Or, just play it on a day that isn't too windy.

 

[Captain Rob]

FYI; I've run 35 mm motion picture film for 25 years and there's no effects stripe. You would only get a separate effects channel on 35 mm film by using SDDS, DTS, or Dolby Digital. Too new for Star Trek TOS. You might try running a Blue-Ray copy of TOS-Remastered through a high-end sound system which can separate the eight channels of SDDS (a Sony product). I know that Paramount remastered the audio and well as the video.
Oops, is TOS-R available on Blue-Ray? I don't have a Blue-Ray player so I don't pay attention to its' releases.

 

[Captain Rob]

Followup:
Apparently TOS-R is available on Blue-Ray. Anyone know how many channels the sound is? With motion-picture SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) theres eight channels: center, left-center, right-center, left, right, left-surround, right-surround, and subwoofer. An effect like planet background sounds would normally be on either or both surround channels. Left-center and right-center aren't normally used except for big effects laden movies. Most theatres don't have left-center and right-center speakers unless they are larger THX-certified ones.

 

[EEE]

Why not just play an appropriate episode on your computer and use a wave editor to capture/record it to digital?

 

[jefferiestubes8]

ambient sound and 7.1 surround sound

Apparently TOS-R is available on Blue-Ray. Anyone know how many channels the sound is?

Audio is presented in 7.1 DTS HD Master-Audio.

Dolby Digital 2.0 original English mono and French and Spanish mono dubs are also available.

Here are the official TrekBBS threads with loads of info including the audio:
Star Trek season 1 on blu-ray: April 28

Star Trek season 2 on Blu-ray [release date Sept. 22]

Season 3 Blu-Ray: December 15

 

[Captain Rob]

7.1 is the same 8 channel arrangement with 7 full spectrum channels and 1 subwoofer channel. Blue-Ray uses DTS? I always hated running DTS in the theatre. The sound track comes separately on CDs and uses a reference track on the film to synchronize the sound. I've got a 7.1 Dolby setup on my computer, which sounds great. The software comes with a channel equalizer which could be used to isolate the sound in question to record it to a mp3 recorder. My XBox360 plugs into my computer sound and large HD monitor. Just the DVD version of Star Trek XI looks and sounds fantastic. I miss my old theatre because I could plug my 360 into the digital projector and sound system. Halo is great on the big screen.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Trek home video releases and surround sound

Blue-Ray uses DTS?

I don't have a Blue-Ray player so I don't pay attention to its' releases.

For your info
Other than TOS-R released on Blu-ray and remixed into 7.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio
all of the TNG, DS9 & VOYTrek TV series have been remixed into 5.1 Dolby Digital. ENT was mixed in 5.1 from the start.
The Trek TOS I-VI feature films released on Blu-ray last year were mastered as 7.1 Dolby TrueHD format.
The Trek TNG feature films released on Blu-ray last year were mastered as 5.1 Dolby TrueHD.

This technical stuff is getting outside the scope of this thread inquiring about the ambient sound design/effects of a planets' surface on a TOS episode.
Perhaps Captain Rob you may be interested in this thread regarding Dolby's new (as of Q1 2010) audio format and the next Trek feature film?
next Trek movie in 7.1 surround sound?

 

[Michael]

Why not just play an appropriate episode on your computer and use a wave editor to capture/record it to digital?

Because of the dialog?

Here are the official TrekBBS threads ...

These threads are official?

 

[EEE]

Why not just play an appropriate episode on your computer and use a wave editor to capture/record it to digital?

Because of the dialog?

Are you being sarcastic or just plain silly? (honest question)

 

[Michael]

Are you being sarcastic or just plain silly? (honest question)

Neither. The OP wants a clear recording of the planet surface background sound. How should he be able to get it from an episode without the disruptive sounds of dialog and musical score?

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Blu-ray releases and TrekBBS discussion.

Here are the official TrekBBS threads ...

These threads are official?

Star Trek season 1 on blu-ray: April 28 115 Replies
Star Trek season 2 on Blu-ray [release date Sept. 22] 39 Replies
Season 3 Blu-Ray: December 15 68 Replies

They generated the most discussion on this forum for each product release. The 'go-to' thread for each.

 

[EEE]

Are you being sarcastic or just plain silly? (honest question)

Neither. The OP wants a clear recording of the planet surface background sound. How should he be able to get it from an episode without the disruptive sounds of dialog and musical score?

No way I'm even going to try and convince anyone that they can accomplish something they won't even try. So I give... musical scores and dialog do* cover every second of planet sounds in every episode and the special effects/planet sounds aren't* loops, so it does* take much clean sound to capture and duplicate the entire effect. And it would* be too hard to even try it on something off the top of my head like "The Man Trap."

* polarity reversed to accommodate the negativity of this thread.

 

[Michael]

No way I'm even going to try and convince anyone that they can accomplish something they won't even try. So I give... musical scores and dialog do* cover every second of planet sounds in every episode and the special effects/planet sounds aren't* loops, so it does* take much clean sound to capture and duplicate the entire effect. And it would* be too hard to even try it on something off the top of my head like "The Man Trap."

* polarity reversed to accommodate the negativity of this thread.

Whoa, why so adversarial?

I just assumed recording the background sound himself would be a thing the OP already tried. I just offered my best guess on why this might not have worked out. But what do I know? Maybe you are right and getting that recording isn't as hard as I'd imagine. But still, I don't see a reason to be that unforbearing.

 

[EEE]

No way I'm even going to try and convince anyone that they can accomplish something they won't even try. So I give.

Whoa, why so adversarial?

Exactly my point.

 

[billsantos]

I did manage to record the complete loop some years ago. I believe I used "The Man Trap" one time as well as the ending sequence of "The Menagerie". During the second season, they curtailed the loop to roughly 20 seconds as heard in "The Paradise Syndrome" and several others. "The Paradise Syndrome" offers the effect at the highest fidelity out of any of the other episodes. The only problem is dialogue, but if you can tolerate footsteps, it is possible to piece together the complete loop from two scenes. My understanding is that the original 35 mm episodes had soundtracks composed of DME stripes (dialogue, effects, music) and my understanding was that it was possible to isolate any one of these as necessary. I'm talking the original Paramount tapes, not anything that was ever released to the public nor any tv stations for that matter.

 

[meeshu]

Thanks for the comments.

So it appears there isn't a clean recording of planet background sound available at the moment.

Currently, I have several stereo VHS tape recorders and several stereo DVD players. The only recordings of TOS are those I made (in mono) from the television years ago, plus one prereorded VHS tape (in stereo, I think) of The Cage.

So I don't really have the media, equipment, and software to enable isolation/extraction of planet background sound. At this time, I can't afford to purchase the gear either.

This is why I asked the question regarding the availability of planet background sound.

 

[billsantos]

Thanks for the comments.

So it appears there isn't a clean recording of planet background sound available at the moment.

By "clean", if you mean the complete loop without dialogue or other noise, then no. It is possible, however, to piece together several pieces together from the episodes I mentioned. The only thing you'd be left with is noise because it was recorded at such a low level to begin with.

Currently, I have several stereo VHS tape recorders and several stereo DVD players. The only recordings of TOS are those I made (in mono) from the television years ago, plus one prereorded VHS tape (in stereo, I think) of The Cage.

The alien planet effect I pieced together was from the VHS releases. By the time you get to the DVD, Paramount had already played enough with the original effect to completely change it.

So I don't really have the media, equipment, and software to enable isolation/extraction of planet background sound. At this time, I can't afford to purchase the gear either.

This is why I asked the question regarding the availability of planet background sound.

Not necessarily. I did all of my piecing together with a Marantz cassette deck and coupled it to the VCR through the RCA mono jacks. No fidelity like you can get now, but I was satisfied with the result for years.