The music of the lightsabers

This thread is focused on the musical qualities of lightsabers.

 

I'll start us off:

Paraphrased from the databank at SW.com (edited for length and relevant content):
Ben Burrt, Sound Designer: '[The] sound of an interlock motor on the old film projectors made a musical "hum." I recorded that motor. Later I had a broken microphone cable that caused my recorder to accidently pick up the buzz from the back of my TV picture tube. I recorded that buzz, and mixed it with the hum of the projector motor. Together these sounds became the basis for all the lightsabers.'

Ben Burrt again: "I always try to match the sound of a unique weapon with the personality of the character who wields it...The Jedi lightsabers have a warm, almost musical sound, while the villain's lightsaber sounds a lot more dangerous and nasty, a little like a buzz-saw..."
Burrt actually makes reference to music in the quote above. Note that the terms "warm... almost musical... dangerous... nasty... like a buzz-saw..." can also easily and accurately describe some of the sounds which come out of feedbacking distorted electric guitar amplifiers (which I'll elaborate on later).

 

If anybody knows or can figure out the pitches/frequencies (Hz) of the lightsaber sounds, that would be excellent.

A friend of mine's dad is an experimental music professor, so I'm currently trying to arrange a time I can gain access to all the high-tech stuff, so I can analyze the lightsabers. If I can figure out how to do it, I'm gonna post those sine-wave looking charts of each lightsaber sound.

 

Sounds interesting to me. Post 'em. TOo bad i can't find a sound baord w/ the EXACT sounds to affix into my saber. With the Electroluminestant blade, and the sounds ,might be cool. Turn it on at night I might give my neighbors a heart attack.

 

Thanks for posting here. This topic has more potential than it might seem at first glance.

I'm gonna post 'em eventually. It'll be funny if it turns out the lightsabers produce actual note frequencies (for example: darth maul's lightsaber is the note "D" or "D#" or something, haha). The graphical representations of the sounds will be way cool. Be patient though, I'm a slacker. Maybe some computer genius or music genius will post 'em before me. I'll do it eventually though. Stay tuned...

 

metaforcesaber!

what an intresting and intruiging (sp?) topic! Its been in the back of My mind for sometime now, glad to see a thread on it. I will be most intrested to see your musical analysis on lightsabers. I am of the controversial theory that music exists in everyday sound, even 'noise'. at times I've even sat in a convo, and just listened to the music of pure speech. (dont recommend it though, when someone is trying to tell you something!)

fascinating

 

Thankya!

Yep, I too think that music exists in traditionally 'non-musical' mediums. One thing I forgot to mention is the rhythm of the lightsaber sounds. It'll be interesting to rhythmically notate the lightsaber duels. That would be hilarious if we eventually discovered that "the Vader vs. Obi-Wan duel in Ep4 is in 3/4, and has several 16th note triplets interspersed" (just a goofball exampe btw) or something like that. That would be funny.

I'm gearing up to do the initial research on this. I'm still arranging the time to gain access to all the high-tech gadgets I'll need. And as I mentioned before, be patient, because I'm a slacker. Stay tuned...