How Star Wars Created The Legendary Lightsaber Sound Effect
So much goes into making the signature weapon of the "Star Wars" franchise, the lightsaber, special. The colorful blades, the wide variety of hilts, their unique appearances and functions — so many aspects help enhance sci-fi's greatest laser sword. However, a lightsaber would be nothing without that iconic sound. The sound of a lightsaber activating is unmistakable, as is the hum that continues to flow from the weapon afterward. As it turns out, a lot of effort went into making such a seemingly simple sound come to life the first time lightsabers reached the big screen back in 1977's "Star Wars."
The mastermind behind many of the most iconic "Star Wars" sound effects out there, Ben Burtt, has famously discussed what went into the creation of the lightsaber's hum in multiple interviews. As he recalled, during his time as a student and projectionist at the University of Southern California, inspiration struck when he heard a pair of Simplex movie projectors idling. "They had an interlock motor which connected them to the system which, when they just sat there and idled, made a wonderful humming sound," Burtt explained. These harmonious projectors, coupled with a recording of a television's picture tube hum, combined to create the lightsaber hum fans of "Star Wars" recognize today.
While Burtt's original lightsaber sound has endured for decades beyond "Star Wars," it has been tweaked on occasion for narrative reasons.
Not all lightsabers sound alike
For the most part, the lightsabers fans have gotten to know over the years aren't too different in the sound department. Sure, some might sound a bit different when they activate or deactivate, but for the most part, they don't deviate too much from one another. However, that's not to say that some haven't taken Ben Burtt's original lightsaber hum in a new direction. Take the crackling, unrefined blade Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) uses throughout the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, for instance. For good reason, it drifts away from Burtt's more elegant and ethereal sound.
"It looks like it was put together by an amateur. It sputters when it turns on, so the sound we wanted to have that unfinished kind of sputtery electric quality," said "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens" supervising sound editor Matthew Wood in a 2016 interview with Business Insider. He and his team understood Ren to be a bit of a wildcard who's rather unpolished, so the sound design of his saber matches. In that same vein, Wood also ensured Ren's saber emits a menacing sound, which carries over to the chainsaw and flamethrower-inspired voice changer in his helmet as well.
Yes, lightsabers, their hilts, and their wielders all look cool and make for impressive images on the big screen, but without the fitting and inventive sound design behind them, they wouldn't be nearly as revered as they are.