Where did the original Star Wars noises come from?

While we're on the subject of LucasFilm, EMusician Xtra links to Filmsound.org's Star Wars special.

Highlights: The screech of a TIE fighter is a 'drastically altered' elephant roar, and a brilliant bit about Ewok language, which is an electronic composite of Tibetan, Mongolian, and Nepali. Elsewhere on the same site is this interview with sound designer Ben Burtt, where he goes into more detail about Darth Vader and Lightsabres...

Posted by Tom Whitwell.

Comments:

ah yes, I remember hearing that R2D2's bleeps were made in part on an ARP 2600. skwoop.

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:41 pm

My friends and I still swear to this day that Wicket speaks tagalog (we're filipino), but the "it varies from character to character" bit in the article might still attest to that.

# posted by

Anonymous : 6:13 pm

So... Has anyone tried the TV-lightsaber-thingie?

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:00 pm

can't argue with that Tom (Duff)! Plus respect for where you work at now, and having your own patent. I watched 'the adventures of andre and wally b' the other day...it makes me shudder to think what it must have been like to 3D animate in 1984. Gawd bless XSI 4 is all I can say...

# posted by

Anonymous : 5:49 am

The Arp 2600V softsynth manual claims that the Arp 2600 sample + hold module was used to create R2D2's bleeps, and having fiddled around cluelessly with the thing i found it can indeed make some R2-esque sounds. :)

# posted by

cemenTIMental : 10:43 am