That "transforming" noise

The originals... ok, not exactly, but the original named "The TransFormers" anyway. Take THAT, Diaclone!
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Shockwave
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That "transforming" noise

Post by Shockwave »

Hey, does anyone here know what the producers of the Sunbow cartoon used to make the original transformation sound? I've seen this come up over at TFW but the only response I ever saw was someone who didn't understand the question and answered with "that's the noise they make when they transform." Yeah no. I know that, that's not the question. Or the other thing was usually smart asses saying the same thing trying to be funny. I've never seen a real answer to this. So does anyone here know?
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Re: That "transforming" noise

Post by BWprowl »

Some sort of 1980's digital sound synthesizer/mixing board thing, I would assume. Although admittedly, I know very little about sound mixing and generation and so forth, so my guess really isn't worth all that much.

I'd...actually never thought about it before now, honestly.
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Re: That "transforming" noise

Post by Onslaught Six »

From the Wiki:
"Transformation is often accompanied by a distinct noise — an 8hz pulse, repeated five times, with each pulse lasting a roughly equal amount of time, whose pitch can be represented by the absolute value of a declining (for alt-mode to robot mode) or increasing (for robot mode to alt-mode) sine wave. In the G1 series, the sine wave generally increased when a Transformer changed to his robot mode, and declined when he converted to vehicle form (or whichever mode was smaller/shorter.) In general, the larger the robot, the deeper the pitch of the sound, and the longer the duration of the pulses."

How'd they make it? Probably screwing around with a synthesizer. Those old analogue synths had a lot of screwy stuff about them and could really make things sound different. (Individual synths--not just different models, but actual individual keyboards--would often have minute differences that made them entirely unique to themselves.)
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Ursus mellifera
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Re: That "transforming" noise

Post by Ursus mellifera »

I can make that sound with my mouth, but I've always been pretty good at sound effects.
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Re: That "transforming" noise

Post by Shockwave »

And the winner is O6! Thank you sir, that is the answer to my question. I often wondered what they used for that and somehow, I knew you'd know.

Also Ursus, I can do that too and have often been pretty good with sound effects as well. Not Michael Winslow from Police Accedemy good but still pretty good.
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Ursus mellifera
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Re: That "transforming" noise

Post by Ursus mellifera »

Shockwave wrote:And the winner is O6! Thank you sir, that is the answer to my question. I often wondered what they used for that and somehow, I knew you'd know.

Also Ursus, I can do that too and have often been pretty good with sound effects as well. Not Michael Winslow from Police Accedemy good but still pretty good.
I like to creep out my GF by sometimes answering questions she asks me in G1 Soundwave's voice.
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Re: That "transforming" noise

Post by 138 Scourge »

Ursus mellifera wrote:
Shockwave wrote:And the winner is O6! Thank you sir, that is the answer to my question. I often wondered what they used for that and somehow, I knew you'd know.

Also Ursus, I can do that too and have often been pretty good with sound effects as well. Not Michael Winslow from Police Accedemy good but still pretty good.
I like to creep out my GF by sometimes answering questions she asks me in G1 Soundwave's voice.
Get my number from Dom, call me, and leave me an obscene message in G1 Soundwave's voice, please.

I feel like I can do a decent G1 Transformation noise, but I've never recorded it to check. Sounds good in my head, though.
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Ursus mellifera
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Re: That "transforming" noise

Post by Ursus mellifera »

138 Scourge wrote:Get my number from Dom, call me, and leave me an obscene message in G1 Soundwave's voice, please.

I feel like I can do a decent G1 Transformation noise, but I've never recorded it to check. Sounds good in my head, though.
Consider it done.
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Re: That "transforming" noise

Post by Shockwave »

Y'know, I wouldn't mind hearing it either (and like Scourge, Dom has my number). I've never been able to crack doing a passable Soundwave voice. Most of the others I can do, but that one has always been a toughy.
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Re: That "transforming" noise

Post by Ursus mellifera »

Shockwave wrote:Y'know, I wouldn't mind hearing it either (and like Scourge, Dom has my number). I've never been able to crack doing a passable Soundwave voice. Most of the others I can do, but that one has always been a toughy.
You have to inhale as you speak. It distorts some of the letters, but it sounds like him.

I will get both numbers, and devise a suitably upsetting message.
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