Lightsaber Ignition Sounds

When Dooku ignited his lightsaber when confronted by Obi Wan, it sounded a lot like the sound of Luke's lightsaber at the end of the chase through the forest in Episode 6. (compare the two sounds, they are the same).

The second time Dooku ignited his lightsaber to challange Yoda, it sounded the same as Darth Vadar's lightsaber.

Are there different ways to ignite a lightsaber?? Slow and quiet / fast and loud

Also, when watching Episode II throught a digital souround sound system, and also at the movies, it is so clear that the Sith lightsabers have more power than Jedi lightsabers. They hum a lot louder when they are nutural and when moved, the sound shakes the windows!! Anyone else agree?

 

I definitely noticed that as well. There is a clear difference between the first time and the second time he ignites his lightsaber.

 

"Are there different ways to ignite a lightsaber?? Slow and quiet / fast and loud"

I severely doubt that. The sound/speed of the ignition just depends on the situation/mood from a story-telling point of view.

 

I think it's the sith blades, they hum louder and deeper. I've totally noticed this, And i'm a big fan of it!

 

Sith lightsaber swings are loud, but their on sound is quiet. Jedi lightsaber swings are quiet, but their on sound is loud.

 

It always seemed to me that the harsher sound of Luke's lightsabre igniting in ROTJ was due to it being his first attempt at making one, a kind of 'home made' version.

The red lightsabres do have a deeper thrum, Burtt said he did this on purpose and even says that he made ever lightsabre sound slightly different in some ways.

 

I think Ben Burtt just picks the sound effect that is most dramatically appropriate.

It's kind like in the original films where saber blades extend at different speeds depending on whether it was a dramatic moment or a fast action moment. Blade extension speed seems more or less consistent in the prequels; however, Maul's double bladed saber in TPM definitely extended much more slowly than it did earlier in the film.

 

The nuance in sound could depend on where you stand when you hear it and what kind of room you´re in.

 

It could also be like when you start a car. Different cars make different start up noise. Plus, each time you start a car up it doesn't sound exactly the same...at least on my car, anyways

 

Well, you guys are talking about lightsaber's in general, and I'm being specific. Go and listen to the Dooku duel with Obi-Wan and then the one with Yoda. When he fights with Obi-Wan his saber ignites like a Jedi's saber. With Yoda, the saber ignites like a Sith saber. WHY!!!?!

 

The saber ignition sounds inconsistancy bothered me as well. I always thought it was based on color (blue=flash, red=hiss, green=snap-hiss). So I was disappointed when Qui-Gon's green saber used the blue saber sound in TPM. Now the sounds are all jumbled up in AOTC. Ben Burtt's getting lazy.

 

I'm with Damon on this.

I presumed that Luke's sabre ignition sound was on account of it being his own newly constructed sabre, and being different in form from the one he used previously.
Furthermore, the chilling hiss a Sith sabre makes was because of its crystal(s).

Now, we have that inconsistancy to mess us all up

 

Come on, guys. Does it honestly matter?



I think that it would sound a tad more boring if all lightsabers were the same, so I'm just glad that they sound different. If you notice when Anakin ignites the blue saber before he starts fighting Dooku, it sounds just like Luke's when he ignites his after he falls off the speeder bike in ROTJ. This is also the same sound I think as when Vader ignites Luke's saber in ROTJ.

 

I wonder if Dooku ever had an accident..., by accidently stabbing himself... it's handle being curved and all... hehehe

 

Good to see this is an interesting topic.

I refer you all to the ATOC visual dictionary. It states that Dooku 'replaced' the original cyristals in his lightsaber and replaced them with Sith crystals. It also states that Sith crystals generate a stronger blade when energised by the dark side of the force.

It seems a strong posibility that Sith lightsabers can be ignited fast and slow. Dooku performed a fast ignition seconds before Obi Wan ran towards him. This sounded light Luke's lightsaber in Episode 6. The second time just before fighting Yoda, it was a slow ignition, just like the slow ignition Darth Vadar used before fighting Luke for the first time in Episode 5. Watch this scene closely. Darth Vadar also demonstrated a fast defensive ignition when protecting the Emperor from Luke in Episode 6. This gives strong evidence that there are different ways of igniting a lightsaber.

If you are not to sure about this theory, check out Episodes 5 and 6, then compare the sounds of Dooku's lightsaber in ATOC.

PS. Dooku's lightsaber is my fav. It looks so cool and heaps different to the Jedi lightsabers. And well done Christopher Lee. What an actor. At age 80+ he is fantastic. Bring on Episode 3 Mr Lee.

 

When dooku lights up his saber before he fights obi its pretty deep.

 

I've noticed the Dooku thing. He lights up his lightsaber against Obi-Wan and it sounds simular to Luke's ROTJ. However, it does have a louder and slightly different sound. It could be an error on Burtt because Dooku does light his saber against Yoda and it has a traditional Sith sound to it.

But when Obi-Wan tosses Anakin the second lightsaber, it sounds like Luke's ROTJ, right? Very interesting when that same blue lightsaber that Obi-Wan tossed sounds more like a traditional lightsaber on sound when it was tossed to Obi-Wan in the arena battle.

Sometimes you listen to the same lightsaber make sounds and it is different at times. We wonder why, but it is there and only Ben Burtt can answer that. Like I was just talking about Luke's ROTJ on sound. We're familiar with it. It is the sound Luke's green lightsaber makes. But it makes a different on sound then the familiar one when he turns it on to to fight Vader right after Vader threatens to turn Leia to the Dark Side. Listen to it to see what I mean.

There are several examples of this if you look for it. Not just with Dooku's lightsaber.

 

Look at the way Vader slowly extents his blade at the beginning of the ESB duel. It is clear to me that you can control the ignition (well, at least for a sith light-saber).
That's cool !

 

Luke's lightsabre in ROTJ lights extremely quickly. It really bursts into life. The closest comparison is when Mace lights his sabre to hold against Jango's throat.

Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an Ep3 lightsabre that makes a noise like a duck when it ignites, just for the hell of it

 

well, in the SW insider it says you can ignite your lightsaber for maximum stability if you want.(this is what obi-wan supposedly did before he fought vadar cause he had a red sith blade and could cut through a jedi blade(very rarely). It's probobly just burtt doing what he wants though.

 

If there is a quote from Lucas himself, I would buy it, but I don't buy this lightsaber cutting through another lightsaber.

 

I believe it's more like the Sith blade is so powerful that it short-circuits the Jedi hilt, and it causes it to fail.


I don't think the beam actually "cuts" through the other beam.

 

No your right it does'nt Cut, short circuit is what happens literaly. But as far as i'm concerned this is not true until there's confirmation.

 

If anybody ever wanted some lightsaber sounds to compare, PM me and let me know and we'll arrange an email that I will send different sounds to you. I got tons of lightsaber sounds.

 

The Sith saber cutting through a Jedi's blade is just an EU explanation of why Obi-Wan's saber fizzles out in the ANH duel.