Sound Effects

[Gus]

I don't remember what made me think of it, but I was thinking: How do/did they make some of those nifty, unique sound effects? Some ones that came to mind:

• The "glock" timer from Pyramid
• The ringin sound effects from Family Feud and Blockbusters (not exactly the same, I know, but probably the same method)
• The "time's up" bell from Tattletales
• These from TPIR:
• The "whoop whoop whoop" portion of the infamous "clang clang clang whoop whoop whoop" DSW effect
• The strange buzzer from Pathfinder
• The upward wubba-ing from Penny Ante (also on TJW)
• The "mrrrrp" buzzer heard after a definite game loss

• Any others you can think of

[Craig Karlberg]

Not sure about this but I heard that Pathfinder buzzer on Trivia Trap back in the 80's.  As far as TPIR goes, most of the sound effects are digitally "keyed" in on a keyboard, so each key had a "speciffic" effect(bells, buzzers & the Big Wheel sound) all were electronically "mapped" out & manipulated to create those sounds.

[WhammyPower]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Mar 29 2004, 04:21 AM\']Not sure about this but I heard that Pathfinder buzzer on Trivia Trap back in the 80's.[/quote]
You're right about that.  It was used to signify a "trap" (wrong answer) in the first round of the game.  (Later in the run, it changed to the right answer in the first round, as some of us may know)

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'Gus\' date=\'Mar 28 2004, 06:46 PM\'] How do/did they make some of those nifty, unique sound effects? [/quote]
 There are 3 basic ways that sfx have been played into game shows:

1- Practical (actual bells, horns and electric buzzers on the set. Some of the techniques of radio drama were carried forward to TV. One of the last practical effects used on a game show was an old device that created friction between a piece of wood and a strap of leather - it was used for the squeek in "Squeeze Play")

2- Tape (sounds recorded on either McKenzie tape loops or NAB tape cartridges that are played during the show)

3- Digitally stored (almost all sounds heard today are played from a digital storage device that is activated from a keyboard. Of course the original source of the sound was either practical or computer generated)

And for all, the device that creates the "whoop, whoop, whoop" sound is called a klaxon.


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[chris319]

I always thought a "glock" was a pistol. Anyway, the end game timer on the Bob Stewart Pyramids sounds to me like a combination of musical instruments: a wood block, a xylophone and a flute or piccolo.

Electronic audio oscillators have been used over the years to create some of the effects you describe, most notably the FF lockout effect.

Sound effects libraries dating from the early days of radio provide various flavors of chimes and buzzers.

My understanding is that a claxon/klaxon is a harsh-sounding buzzer, like the time's up buzzer of the Race Game. But what do I know?

[Jimmy Owen]

I thought Bud Collyer did a good job with the bell on TTTT, how many other hosts did double duty as SFX operators?

[Chief-O]

>> I thought Bud Collyer did a good job with the bell on TTTT, how many other hosts did double duty as SFX operators?
I may be wrong, but I doubt he was the one that rang the bell. All the networks usually have union people [NABET or IBEW] run sounds. However, there are some exceptions: Ira Skutch running the MG7X bell and buzzer, Drew Carey running the buzzer and doorbell on Whose Line, etc.

[DrBear]

[quote name=\'Chief-O\' date=\'Mar 29 2004, 06:14 PM\'] I may be wrong, but I doubt he was the one that rang the bell. All the networks usually have union people [NABET or IBEW] run sounds. However, there are some exceptions: Ira Skutch running the MG7X bell and buzzer, Drew Carey running the buzzer and doorbell on Whose Line, etc. [/quote]
 And Drew's the only one I could confirm, from seeing Robin Williams run over and bang on the buttons on the desk during his appearance on Drew's Line. I'd bet that in 99.9 percent of the other cases, it's the producer saying "buzzer" or "bell" to the union guy.

[byrd62]

I might have heard a sound clip or two from TPiR's early days, in which the show's famous "bell sequence" rang a bit slower as a "live sound effect" than it does today as a keyboard-generated effect.

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'byrd62\' date=\'Mar 29 2004, 05:37 PM\'] I might have heard a sound clip or two from TPiR's early days, in which the show's famous "bell sequence" rang a bit slower as a "live sound effect" than it does today as a keyboard-generated effect. [/quote]
Didn't we discuss this previously, or is this an acid flashback, flashback, flashback, flashback, flashback, flashback...?

No doubt you did hear what you think you heard. For most of the Price's run the various audio techs controlling sfx would fire the "ping" using his/her thumb on a plunger switch similar to the little round call bell you'd have to summon the nurse at many hospitals.

The rapid fire series of repeating "pings" used to denote many wins would have your thumb cramping by the end of the show. Most of the techs I saw accomplished the rapidly repeating "pings" at various speeds by holding the plunger switch upside down in their fist and rapidly banging it on the table   ;-)

Yes, the glamor is all on the living room side.   ;-)


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[JasonA1]

However, there are some exceptions: Ira Skutch running the MG7X bell and buzzer, Drew Carey running the buzzer and doorbell on Whose Line, etc.

And Howard Felsher running the double-buzzer on "Feud" thanks to union waiver...Chris Clementson provided that one, but it bears repeating I guess.

I'm fairly sure at least early on the TTTT bell was really run by the host. But maybe that inital press (when the camera was actually on them) was just a working together between the SFX guy and the host in question.

I had two quickies to add: was there an IGAS where they showed the guy who ran the buzzer and the device used to make the noise? I recall it was the same buzzer (device, also?) used on CBS 10k shows too, which would make sense given the location of tape and network.

My second is the toaster on Match Game. There's been times where Gene presses the button, gets no response, then says something directed towards backstage like "somebody needs to wake up back there." Is this operated off-stage via union or am I missing something?

-Jason

[chris319]

Ira did not operate the sound effects on MG; instead he gave a thumbs up/thumbs down. This was done because not only was there a sound effect but also a stage electrician had to increment the score on the contestant's desk and activate the light on the panel.

Can't tell you what the deal was with the question board.

[chris319]

Oh, and leave us not forget one of the few devices that made its own sound effect: the inimitable clunking noise made by the game board on Concentration.

[GSWitch]

[quote name=\'Gus\' date=\'Mar 28 2004, 08:46 PM\']

• The "time's up" bell from Tattletales
• These from TPIR:
• The "whoop whoop whoop" portion of the infamous "clang clang clang whoop whoop whoop" DSW effect
• The upward wubba-ing from Penny Ante (also on TJW)
[/quote]
 The Time's Up bell from Tattletales was also used for the same method on the Jack Narz version of Now You See It.

The Penny Ante sound effect started on another Goodson game show I respected a lot, Double Dare (1976).

[Chief-O]

>> was there an IGAS where they showed the guy who ran the buzzer and the device used to make the noise?
Yes, there was. The man's name, IIRC, was Orville White. I even recall the Professor doing a story on this particular episode when it aired on GSN.