Deep Note
Encyclopedia
THX
THX is a trade name of a high-fidelity audio/visual reproduction standard for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, and car audio systems. The current THX was created in 2001 when it spun off from Lucasfilm Ltd...
's audio logo, a distinctive synthesized crescendo
Crescendo
-In music:*Crescendo, a passage of music during which the volume gradually increases, see Dynamics * Crescendo , a Liverpool-based electronic pop band* "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue", one of Duke Ellington's longer-form compositions...
sound. It was created by Dr. James A. Moorer
James A. Moorer
James Andy Moorer is an internationally-known figure in digital audio and computer music, with over 40 technical publications and four patents to his credit....
, then an employee of the Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
Computer Division, in 1983. The sound is used on trailers for THX-certified movie theatres and video releases; it debuted in the THX trailer shown before the 1983 premiere of Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
in Los Angeles.
Description
The U.S. trademark registration for the sound contains this description of it:While the Deep Note had originally been from a soft to loud pitch from its debut in 1983, the Deep Note over the years has been remixed digitally, with then-new technology, which made the Deep Note with a more abridged sound. Beginning notably in 1988 the Deep Note became louder and abridged, and in 1993 the Deep Note was cut short to save time for Laserdisc (1995 for VHS). Most recently, however, the Deep Note has been cut short to the single note (where both sounds stay in one pitch), in favor of other sound effects in certain THX logos.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's website includes an MP3 specimen of the sound.
The sound is perceived as louder than it actually is; sound designer Gary Rydstrom
Gary Rydstrom
Gary Roger Rydstrom is an American sound designer and director. He has won seven Academy Awards for his work in sound for movies.-Career:...
explains that, "from a technical standpoint, 'Deep Note' just feels loud because it has a spectrum of frequencies that grows from small to large."
James A. Moorer
James A. Moorer
James Andy Moorer is an internationally-known figure in digital audio and computer music, with over 40 technical publications and four patents to his credit....
has been quoted as saying "I like to say that the THX sound is the most widely-recognized piece of computer-generated music in the world. This may or may not be true, but it sounds cool!"
Furthermore,
The sound can be approximated vocally by two (or more) people by both starting on the same note, then each continuously diverging, one up and one down, until the same note is reached two octaves apart and then sustaining for several moments.
Previous works
Prior to the creation of Deep Note, several other works made use of similar techniques of frequency spread.In their book Analog Days, Trevor Pinch
Trevor Pinch
Trevor J. Pinch is a sociologist and former chair of the Science and Technology Studies department at Cornell University.Pinch has a degree in Physics from the Imperial College London and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Bath...
and Frank Trocco point to the track "Spaced", from the 1970 Beaver & Krause
Beaver & Krause
Beaver & Krause were a musical duo made up of Paul Beaver and Bernie Krause. Their 1966 album The Nonesuch Guide to Electronic Music was a pioneering work in the electronic music genre....
album In a Wild Sanctuary as the source for Deep Note. They quote synthesizer builder Tom Oberheim as saying the original analog form is much richer than the "digital perfection" used in movie theatres.
Other similar predecessors include:
- Iannis XenakisIannis XenakisIannis Xenakis was a Romanian-born Greek ethnic, naturalized French composer, music theorist, and architect-engineer. He is commonly recognized as one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers...
' piece MetastasisMetastasis (Xenakis composition)Metastasis, also Metastaseis or Métastassis, is an orchestral work for 61 musicians by Iannis Xenakis. His first major work, it was written in 1953-54 after his studies with Olivier Messiaen and is 8 minutes in length...
(1955), which contains a very similar effect in the first minute that begins on a single tone and slowly spreads into a tone clusterTone clusterA tone cluster is a musical chord comprising at least three consecutive tones in a scale. Prototypical tone clusters are based on the chromatic scale, and are separated by semitones. For instance, three adjacent piano keys struck simultaneously produce a tone cluster...
. - The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' 1967 song "A Day in the LifeA Day in the Life"A Day in the Life" is a song by The Beatles, the final track on the group's 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, the song comprises distinct segments written independently by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with orchestral additions...
," which concludes with "an orchestral crescendo," climbing in a free-form manner before stopping at a single high note, followed after a pause by a single crashing piano chord. - StyxStyx (band)Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
's 1974 song "KrakatoaThe Serpent Is RisingThe Serpent Is Rising is the third album by Styx, released in 1973. The album was reissued in 1980 with new artwork and a new title, Serpent. The band consider this to be their worst recording...
," which features the spread tone. - Yellow Magic OrchestraYellow Magic OrchestraSakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
's 1981 track "LoomBGM (album)-Personnel:*Ryuichi Sakamoto: keyboards, vocals*Yukihiro Takahashi: drums, vocals*Haruomi Hosono: Bass, keyboards, vocals*Peter Barakan: Lyrics*Hideki Matsutake: Computer programming...
," with an upward slow glissando to crescendo at the beginning. A similar sound appeared in Yellow Magic Orchestra member Haruomi HosonoHaruomi Hosono, also known as Harry Hosono, is a Japanese popular musician, best known internationally as a key member of the rock band Happy End and the pioneering electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra.-Biography:...
's earlier 1978 album Cochin Moon. - A similar effect is used several times in the 1979 version of When a Stranger CallsWhen a Stranger Calls (1979 film)When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 thriller starring Carol Kane and Charles Durning, directed by Fred Walton. The film derives its story from the classic folk legend of "The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs". The original music score is composed by television composer Dana Kaproff.The film ranked #28...
. - A similar effect appears on the track Something's Moving of Michael StearnsMichael StearnsMichael Stearns is a United States musician and composer of ambient music. He is also known as a film composer, sound designer and soundtrack producer for large format films, theatrical films, documentaries, commercials, and themed attractions....
' 1981 album Planetary UnfoldingPlanetary UnfoldingPlanetary Unfolding is an album of electronic ambient music by U.S. musician Michael Stearns. It is considered a classic of ambient music.-Overview:...
. - A similar sound was created for use in the 1979 horror film, "Phantasm". The sound was used for the "Dimensional Fork", a vibration which supposedly created a rift in time and space. The same sound appeared in the sequel, Phantasm II" and was used, along with other sounds created in the third movie, in "Phantasm OblIVion"(4).
Popular culture
The perceived loudness of the Deep Note is frequently depicted as having actual destructive effects:- The 1992 made-for-video feature Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My VacationTiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My VacationTiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation, also referred to as Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation or How I Spent My Vacation, is a 1992 American direct-to-video animated film from Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Entertainment. The film was produced in...
shows a Deep Note–like trailer (which features a hand holding a batonBaton (conducting)A baton is a stick that is used by conductors primarily to exaggerate and enhance the manual and bodily movements associated with directing an ensemble of musicians. They are generally made of a light wood, fiberglass or carbon fiber which is tapered to a grip shaped like a pear, drop, cylinder...
) blasting an audience, sending many people flying and wrecking the theater, concluding with the text, "THUD: The Audience Is Now Deaf." - The episode of "Bill Nye the Science GuyBill Nye the Science GuyBill Nye the Science Guy is an educational television program that originally aired from September 10, 1993 to June 20, 1998, hosted by Bill Nye and produced by Buena Vista Television. The show aired on PBS Kids and was also syndicated to local stations, making it the second first-run television...
" called "Sound" parodied the logo, replacing "THX" with "SOUND, the Audience is listening". Instead of the Deep Note playing, an orchestra tunes up. - In a 1994 episode of The Simpsons entitled "Burns' HeirBurns' Heir"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death experience which prompts him to find an heir to inherit his wealth after he dies...
", a THX trailer plays before a film, literally blowing the audience out of their seats, shattering eyeglasses, teeth, and even causing one person's head to explode; the audience whoops in response. Grampa Simpson shouts, "Turn it up! Turn it up!" This segment was later turned into a THX theatrical trailer. - In Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, there was a parody of the THXTHXTHX is a trade name of a high-fidelity audio/visual reproduction standard for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, and car audio systems. The current THX was created in 2001 when it spun off from Lucasfilm Ltd...
logo and it reads "ABC: The Audience is Learning" before a Letter of the Day segment starts. The Deep Note sounded like kids singing along with the THX theme song and some kids laugh in the background when the logo appeared. Above the logo is "Nucasfilm," another parody of LucasfilmLucasfilmLucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
. - In the 2006 film Over the HedgeOver the Hedge (film)Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated family action comedy film based on the characters from United Media comic strip of the same name. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, and produced by Bonnie Arnold, it was released in the United States on May 19, 2006.The film was produced by...
, Deep Note is featured in a scene late in the movie, when the animals enter a house and Penny accidentally switches on the television nearly waking up Gladys Sharp. The sheer force of the sound blows some of Penny's porcupine quills off. - In the very beginning of the 2006 film Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, Deep Note is parodied in the beginning by Jack BlackJack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
and Kyle GassKyle GassKyle Richard Gass , also known as KG or Kage, is an American rock musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He is a member of the bands Tenacious D and Trainwreck. In Tenacious D , Gass plays lead guitar and sings backup vocals, and also plays the role of Black's comic foil in most of their comedy...
with cartoon versions of themselves flying via flatulence propulsion, and the words "THCTHCTHC commonly refers to tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active chemical compound in Cannabis.THC may also refer to:* Tan Holdings Corporation...
: The Audience is baking" appear on the screen. - The LucasArtsLucasArtsLucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
adventure game The Curse of Monkey IslandThe Curse of Monkey IslandThe Curse of Monkey Island is an adventure game developed and published by LucasArts, and the third game in the Monkey Island series. It was released in and followed the successful games The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge...
opens with a large 'CMI' logo with a Deep Note made by the sound of monkeys, accompanied by the caption "The Monkeys are Listening." - The promotion for the upcoming Cartoon Network block "Flicks" featured a parody of the Deep Note.
- A documentary on "The IT CrowdThe IT CrowdThe IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
" Series One DVD has various male voices vocalise the Deep Note sound. As they reach the end, some of the voices in the background end up screaming. The first captions state that the video is "shittily mastered for minimal sound and picture quality." This is followed by the logo where "THX" is replaced by "KEN", which when fully read in the context of the captions on the screen reads "Mastered by "KEN using a VCR." - The New Jersey NetsNew Jersey NetsThe New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and other teams use the Deep Note when there is about 10 seconds left in warm-ups. At the end of the Deep Note, the buzzers go off. - A similar sound can be heard as an Easter egg in μTorrent.
- When turned on, IGTIGTIGT may refer to:*Impaired glucose tolerance, a term associated with diabetes* Interlinear Glossed Text, a structured representation language text in various forms...
video slot machines make the Deep Note as its startup sound. - In an episode of Back at the BarnyardBack at the BarnyardBack at the Barnyard is a Nickelodeon CGI animated show that is a spin-off of the 2006 film Barnyard. The debut series premiered on September 29, 2007 on Nickelodeon. The show is produced by Omation Animation Studio, in association with Nickelodeon Animation Studios. The show mainly features pop...
, when Otis and Pip watch a DVD, at the beginning there is a parody of the THXTHXTHX is a trade name of a high-fidelity audio/visual reproduction standard for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, and car audio systems. The current THX was created in 2001 when it spun off from Lucasfilm Ltd...
logo that reads "BYX", and the Deep Note is sung by a choir. - One time on Horton and Horton Jr. in the episode "Horton and Horton Jr. at the Movies Again", there was a parody of the THX Logo and it reads "HPX Certified Cinema: The Audience is Watching" before the ultimate special edition of Mr. Wildlife starts. The deep note sounded like a curch organ sound on a Mellotron m400 when the logo appeared. the system is owned by Punisfilm, yet another parody of Lucasfilm.
Music
- The Brown Derbies, a collegiate a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group from Brown UniversityBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, replicated Deep Note using only human male voices. The first track of their 1997 CD "Nightcap" is entitled "THX." - Another collegiate a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group, Redefined, from UW-Madison, replicated Deep Note with both male and female human voices as the first track on their self-titled 2002 debut album. - Rapper Dr. DreDr. DreAndre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
was sued in 2000 by LucasfilmLucasfilmLucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
, then-owner of THX, for using an unauthorized coverCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Deep Note on his album 2001. - The "Mega Lo Mania Remix" of Mylène FarmerMylène FarmerMylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
's song "California" begins with Deep Note. - Rock band AsiaAsia (band)Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
used Deep Note as the opening for the song "Countdown to Zero" from their 1985 album AstraAstra (album)-Credits:* Mastered by Bob Ludwig & Greg Fulginiti at Masterdisk* John Kalodner : John Kalodner...
. - TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
used Deep Note as the opening for the song "Intro with DJ Felli Fel" from the album Shock Value IIShock Value IIShock Value II is the third solo studio album, from American record producer Timbaland serving as the second volume of the platinum-selling Shock Value which topped charts worldwide and received 16 platinum certifications.... - Amberian DawnAmberian DawnAmberian Dawn is a Finnish symphonic power metal band, formed in 2006 by Tuomas Seppälä and Tommi Kuri. Their third album End of Eden was released on Spinefarm Records in October 2010.-Atheme One :...
used the Deep Note in the introduction for their song Incubus on their album The Clouds of Northland ThunderThe Clouds of Northland ThunderThe Clouds of Northland Thunder is the second full-length studio album by Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn. It was released May 13, 2009...
. - Hell Is living Without You by Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
from the 1989 album Trash starts out playing Deep Note. - Drum and Bass artist 'Delta Heavy' used the Deep Note in their song titled "Space Time"
External links
- THX trailers
- United States Patent and Trademark Office sound recording of Deep Note (MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
)