From where com the original alien and predator sounds

[Ale]

Hi

Does anyone know where those originally come from

As far as I can hear:

Alien1 Scream Orcas?

Predators (here I mean this scary vibrating r-r-r-r--r-r)
Maybe echolot sounds from a spermwhale?

Who knows exactly?


Ale

[nst7]

I don't know specifics but in reading articles in the past, I know that often for these types of movies they combine different animal sounds (sometimes mixed together), and then alter them by slowing them down, speeding them up (both pitch and/or time) and putting them through other kinds of effects.

This is an area that you could really experiment with and have some fun. You might try taking some basic animal sounds and mangle them every way you can think of and see what you come up with. Don't just stick with the obvious, either. For example, maybe a chirping bird, when slowed down and/or lowered in pitch could sound like something completely different.

As for effects, try everything- chorus, harmonizer, pitch shifter, time compession/expansion even autotune (might give interesting results on non-musical sounds). Also, bass enhancers, flangers, whatever else you can think of. And even non-animal sounds might work in a lot of situations.

You might see if you can find some books on sound effects and check them out.

[Gary Nattrass]

Used to use a pre-set called "bottom whacker" on the SPX in the old days to get some interesting pitch change effects.

You can also get some good sci-fi ambience backgrounds by taking a random piece of music is slowing it right down, used an AMS audiofile to do this as the jog and shuttle was very good.

[Ale]

Thanks guys.

But I know the tricks in manipulating sounds.

When It comes to "creature" sounddesign many sounds have their original in nature. For a special reason I need to know where those special alien sounds have their origin.

Hope someone can help and knows exacly what the sound designer have done. (any DVD Special) Maybe someone knows a film where whale sounds have been sound givers.


Thanks for sharing

Ale

[Carl Kolchak]

From what I remember (I haven't watched either film in a while - which is a crime on my part) in the Mano-a-Monstero scrap at the end of Predator there was a lot of Crocodile and possibly Hippo, and I'm pretty sure it's main clicking sound was some large type of bird (unprocessed).

I think I have an old Fangoria or something, from the period that mentions the sound fx, but that might take some looking for.

As for Alien, a lot of the sound that it appears to be making are actually part of the score (lot of weird tuba growls etc - particularly in the Brett sequence) and of course the most terrifying sound is Lambert being "raped", so presumably that's all her and not the creature.

The only specific sound I remember it making is the screech, once with Dallas and again in the finale - I'm pretty sure that's either a Pig or a Piglet.

Though saying that - as a child I could do an uncanny impersonation of that sound, and we used to play "hide and seek" in the dark. So sometimes I would just sit still in the darkness until I heard someone near me, and then I would jump out at them making that noise - there were a few "brown trouser" incidents and a couple of physical injuries as a result.

So it could be a human voice - not an animal at all.

[Ale]

Thanks Carl

I will look into this. Condor make sharp clicks. Maybe there are some r-r-r-r-r- I still think its a whale sonar when hunting


I am searching for the high frequency screech from the baby aliens.
Crocodile make that deep sound but I will check

Thanks

[Frank Kruse]

Originally Posted by Ale

Predators (here I mean this scary vibrating r-r-r-r--r-r)
Maybe echolot sounds from a spermwhale?

Just a note: The typical sound of a sperm whale are very short clicks so I don´t think that´s it.

http://neptune.atlantis-intl.com/dol...nds/potwal.mp3


frank.

[Carl Kolchak]

Just had a quick look at Predator on line, and it sounds like there's a lot of things including Elephant (???) some Hogg, Human vocalisations [@ 91mins 50 seconds] and I'm pretty sure it is a bird in the sequence starting @ 68mins 30 seconds (and/or possibly a gibbon/howler monkey - when it performs field surgery on itself @ 51mins10seconds).

Not an exact match, but slow down the Macaw sound at the end of sound # 3 and you're in the ball park.


Regarding Alien, I just found this, which if it is at all trustworthy state:

"The creature's vocalizations were provided by Percy Edwards, a voice artist famous for providing bird sounds for British television throughout the 1960s and 1970s as well as the whale sounds for Orca: Killer Whale (1977)"

So I guess you weren't far off with your Orcas theory .

But whilst I was having a poke around the internet for info, I stumbled across something that really shows you how a bunch of fan boys can team up and make one hell of a showreel (anybody remember Van Ling?)

I don't know how this passed me by, but it's actually rather well done.

- man I feel lazy now!


And if that's not enough, this is pretty close to genius!


Hope that helps.

[Roy Pahlman]

The Predator clicking sounds were made a voice over artist. Trying hard to remember his name now, Peter ??????. I was working with him and he did the sound for me. Your ideas may work with some processing though.

[Ale]

Thanks Roy

I have found some whale samples that are very very close to your voice artist. Thats funny!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/530907/whale_Growl.mp3

First I thougt it was a sperm whale, But now I think it must be an other whale.

Thanks for helping me guys!

Ale