70s/80s Buzzer SFX Question

[chrisholland03]

Someone made a comment several days ago about odd sound effects on shows.  The bells and buzzers were mechanically activated by a technician off-stage, and the synthesized effects were often recorded endless loops (replayed on McKenzies, NAB carts, etc)

My question is:  when a synthesized effect was associated with a lock-out device on a show, was there a direct link from the lockout to the loop device? Blockbusters, for example, had a unique effect associated to each team's lockout, and frequently both effects were audible if both teams hit the lockout at the same time.  The assumption is there was a direct link, but it very well could have been technician(s) triggering the effects in response to the lockout.

[thewhammy_2000]

I was wondering who else would notice that Blockbusters effect.

One way would be to check out any buzzer blooper from any game show. Family Feud would be a good example.

[chris319]

frequently both effects were audible if both teams hit the lockout at the same time

That's a bug, not a feature. A lockout is supposed to lock out the player(s) who didn't buzz in first. Which version of Blockbusters was this?

A device could provide a dry contact closure to trigger a Mackenzie cart and lights. Corey Cooper's computer for Classic Concentration triggered Mackenzie sound effects.

I don't know how the Scrabble sound effects were done and it had plenty of them.

I built a lockout in 1985 using a VIC 20 computer. The sound effect was the same for each player, but you betcha the first player to buzz in locked out the other stations until the lockout was reset by the producer (me). In the extremely unlikely event that more than one player hit their button at the exact same instant, the machine has to arbitrarily select one of them.

[clemon79]

That's a bug, not a feature. A lockout is supposed to lock out the player(s) who didn't buzz in first.

And it did. Sometimes both sound effects fired, but the actual lockout still ascertained one side or the other and lit appropriately.

[JasonA1]

frequently both effects were audible if both teams hit the lockout at the same time

Which version of Blockbusters was this?

The original. I remember hearing this a fair amount as well, when the buzz-ins were neck-and-neck. The lock-in effect for the 1987 version was the sound of the original two together.

-Jason

[PYLdude]

Funny, I don't remember hearing both sounds when the tie went to the family pair.

Unless I'm getting my buzzers confused.

[TimK2003]

Same type of thing happened on the episode of Gambit (CBS) that is floating around:  Occasionally you will hear both couple's buzzers, but only one couple's display would light up.