Sound Sound Design

Don't Worry This Is Not A Repeat Of Yesteryon

Though we are covering some of the same old ground, namely that obscure cult Seventies sci-fi television show "Star Trek" because Conrad is going to squeeze all the blog content he can from it.  Art!

     One thing that they did very well was having a library of background sounds, as well as sounds for props in foreground use.  You may not notice these as they are intended  to be unobtrusive soundscapes that help convey the impression of a large, complex piece of engineering with it's crew.  Art!

     Here's the bridge, where you'd get "Whirrrr Bleeep PING" on a cycle, hinting at whatever processes are going on (sorry I can't actually put a sound file up on here, a bit beyond Conrad).  They would vary the speed the PINGs came in at, again to suggest a reaction to circumstances.  Art!

     The computer room where you had quite a sharp melodic eight-note scale on repeat, presumably to explain that the mechanical slaves were busily beavering away.  Art!

     Another digital slave hard at work.  Conrad always wondered how Mister Spock knew what was on those little plastic cards of his, since they didn't have any labels or titles.  ANYWAY this one made quite a startling robotic KRANG! when it went into action, perhaps indicating that it's time to replace the hard drive?  It was quite similar to what was possibly one of the most famous sound effects, always accompanied by a swirly light show - Art!

One of these three is doomed

     Quite similar to that computer's operating tone, just higher-pitched and more drawn out  SQRANNNNNGGG if you like.  You were always on edge when people used the transporter, because of the unearthly sound, and the uncertainty if they'd arrive all in one piece, and if that piece was their original form.

     Of course there were other, more mundane devices, such as doors.  Don't knock the humble door, they prevent fires and smoke from spreading.  The ST ones would open with a SWOOSHSQUEAK and then close again with another SWOOSHSQUEAK.  Just think of the wear and tear on those doors, especially in corridors where you have hundreds of people bimbling about.  Art!

Er - a slight malfunction

     I think that's all we need from the Starry Trekkers today, having used and abused them for two days running they probably need a bit of a rest.  

     O - if anyone is curious, the motley is off on it's summer holidays.  'Lighthouses of the Aegean Cruise' I believe.  Each to their own.
  

Mister Orange Juiced

If you keep up with either BOOJUM! or the outside world, then you will know that the FBI searched the Mar-A-Lago residence of the former President on Tuesday, with a predictable torrent of rage from the drugged-out man-baby - Joe Rogan's words, not mine.  

     Welllll get your popcorn, because the plot thickens.  Art!

     If your job was sitting in here and being the boss, then when you left you had to LEAVE ALL YOUR DOCUMENTS BEHIND.  These are then sent to the National Archives.

     Mister Orange, being either too dim to understand or too entitled to bother, took 15 boxes of documents down to his Lago lair, which were physically recovered.  However, an insider grassed him up to the FBI, and the current speculation is that the documents concerned might be extremely sensitive ones about national security issues.  The hilarious thing is that Mister Orange is involved in so many legal issues that it's impossible to speculate which these papers apply to.

     Ooopsie.  He's now looking for a law firm specialising in criminal law.

Mar-A-Lago-go-go

Enceladus

Normally, given that this is BOOJUM! we'd be talking about the Saturnian moon, the one that consists of a global ocean with a surface of ice, possibly with some Enceladans lurking in the depths.  Art!

     However, given that this is indeed BOOJUM! we will perversely doing nothing of the kind.  No, you see Conrad did his open-the-Brewer's-at-random thing, and the first thing that caught my eye was "Enceladus".  Art!

     It states that he was the most powerful of the 'hundred-armed giants', which means he must have spent equally large amounts of talents on tailoring and deodorant.  He seems to have been a bit of a rotter, conspiring against Zeus, which is a rather caddish thing to do.  Zeus, not happy with this behaviour, smote him hip and thigh and felled him in Macedonia.  Then, to ensure he didn't get ideas above his station, Zeus dropped Mount Etna on top of him.  The periodic eruptions of this volcano are due to Ol' Ennie's breathing.

Let Us Check In On The Doctor And Sarah

When last we left them The Doctor was being deliberately selected as the target for an alien killing machine that had run rampant at the Mersa Martuba depot.

Eight:  Pieces, and bits

 Captain Dobie emerged from his mud hut at speed, wearing an expression the Doctor considered best described as “murderous”. 

I should be concentrating on balancing or escaping, not the CO’s temper, he told himself.  One mis-step and I’ll be so much organic kindling.

‘You monster!  I’ll show you!’ bellowed Dobie, pitching a small round object at the black tank.  The Doctor frowned at the –

‘Hand grenade!’ he hissed to himself, practically falling down the pyramid on the opposite side.  A terrific percussive bang came from the other side, shortly followed by another.  Shrapnel thudded into the wooden crates, and the Doctor witnessed at least two of the killer tank’s arms fly apart in the air.  Grasping the opportunity, aware of what Sarah had shouted about the contents of the crates, he used his sonic screwdriver to loosen the staples holding a corner together, prised it back, ripped open the tin-foil and pulled out a two-pounder shell.  It was the size of a handy club,

He had an idea, and a destination, both inspired from his vantage point on the crates.  Dropping down to the ground, he sprinted eastwards, hearing the black tank drive after him, scooting along the sands.  A few scattered shots came from soldiers or J Force vehicles, coming far too close to him for comfort, until an authoritative voice bellowed “cease fire!”.

     Crikey, it remains to be seen if our favourite Gallifreyan's running skills match the alien killer.

"Barriers"

Hopefully today's version will be less of a strain on the old heart muscles than yesteryon's, with it's plutonium-scavenging HAZMAT team.  As you ought to know by now, these photographs are from the BBC and are on the theme of "Barriers".  Art!

Courtesy Phillips Roberge

     This is a Scottish castle, can't remember which one, and there's a few barriers at play here.  Most notably water, since the castle sits on an island, which makes it difficult with anybody having foul play in mind to get at it.  Secondly there's access: a single narrow bridge.  That's no accident, because it limits the number of armed hostiles able to get access to the castle walls.  The windows are all high up and there are only arrow-slits lower on the walls, meaning you'd need ladders or a siege engine to mount an assault - and how on earth are you going to get a siege engine onto this island?

     Barriers indeed.

Finally -

Currently borrowing Degsy's fan instead of my Incredibly Noisy One and it's been a lifesaver today.  I got one of my own on the weekly shop last night, so he can have his back.  I like to keep you up to date on these things.