Many people have contacted our company over the years requesting information on our Sound Effects, how we create and use them especially in the context of our live shows.   In response we present the following.  At the bottom we present  a couple of useful links to more information on sound effects and their creation. 

WALKING/RUNNING:   There are various techniques we have used at various times to create our walking sound fx.:  

One is to actually walk in hard leather soled shoes [high heels or lighter shoes for a woman] on a resonant board.   Heavy outdoor garden tiles can be used for a walking or running on pavement sound.  The Gravel Box is used for walking on gravel.

Secondly these sounds can be simulated by ‘walking’ with the shoes worn on the hands or held.   The advantage of this technique is that the resonant board or tile can be located waist high on a table for quick access.  

Third technique is to have the leather soled shoes ‘walk’ against each other.   In the same way the shoes can be tapped together for the Germanic clicking of the heels sound as heard in the Kaiser scene in Scott’s Last Last Trip. 

For walking through GRASS or BUSHES we rustle a large tangled wad of VHS video tape. 

For walking on muddy ground, we have used several thick towels soaked in water laid in a baking tray.   This can be squeezed or actually walked on or shoes pressed down into the soggy towel.  

For the peg-leg of the pirate character  Big Jim Chancer we used one shoe and a broom stick handle.

GRAVEL BOX – wooden box filled with gravel for walking on gravel sound.  Ours is constructed with a slide off and on lid and carrying handle so that the gravel need never be removed.  It is stored on it’s side.   The lid of the gravel box then generally doubles as our WALKING BOARD.   Because it’s positioned half over the gravel box, the gravel box then acts as a resonator for the ‘walking board’ lid.

WALKING ON SNOW:  CORN STARCH BOX.   For this we use small hand held boxes of Corn Starch.  We reinforce the box with packaging tape as regularly squeezing the box soon pulls apart the cardboard. 

OCEAN  - a combination of churning a bucket of water with microphone up close while churning the gravel in the gravel-box in a slow steady wave-like manner.   There are also a variety of WAVE DRUMS which produce an waves on the beach sound.  These are thin enclosed drums filled with bearings rocked back and forth for a churning waves striking the beach.  Good for beaches, not so good for out in the open sea or a ship at port. 

STEP LADDER CRASH:   Here we place a wide variety of objects on each step of a portable stepladder with flat steps.  The objects are knocked down in a staggered manner to create a long drawn out cascading crash.   Sometimes we place a large cymbal on the floor at the base of the ladder for extra ringing resonance as the objects land.   It’s a quick and mobile version of the classic ‘Fibber Magee & Molly’ crash.

MARCHING FEET: THE ‘TROOP BOX’.   We have built an old time ‘gangbusters’ wooden ‘troop box’.   Several wooden pegs suspended on heavy chord inside a wooden frame.   Various rocking motions against different kinds of bases, produce a wide variety of marching and running feet effects.   We used our troop box for the sound of the storm trooper accountants in BIG BIG SPACE and for the pursuing police in Scott’s Last Last Trip. 

SLAP STICK:  Smacks.  Whacks.  Whip Cracks.  Etc.  We use an old time theatrical slap stick.  Two boards held together by a hinge.  One of the boards has a handle fashioned on it for holding.    We also use empty 2 litre plastic bottles and strike them against our torso for hitting body punch sounds.   We also have twisted and broken big pieces of packaging Styrofoam for bone cracking sounds.  

HEAVY TWANG – a thin board clamped to the end of a table.  This creates a diving board type twang.  Used in BIG BIG SPACE for the sound of ‘walking the plank’.  

STRING TWANGS, BOINGS & SLIDES: We use a very old, banged up MANDOLIN as our ‘boing box’, sometimes in conjunction with a guitar slide. We also use the body of an old busted down CELLO with guitar strings strung over it – again with a guitar slide.  We use the cello to make the ‘wiper blades’ on the front window of the ship sound in BIG BIG SPACE.    Both are usually laid across a table for ease of access.  We have also used heavy rubber bands stretched tightly across an open wooden box.  

TWANG KNIFE BOX:   We have built a box with a 6 knives of various sizes stuck firmly beneath a metal brace over the top of a resonant box.  Twanging one knife produces an ‘arrow striking’ sound.   Multiple effects can be created by twanging the various knifes from a hail of arrows striking, to musical effects.  The resonant box can be placed on a table, the heavy wide base of the box means that the twang knife box can be operated by one hand.

PACKAGING TAPE – The Plastic tape can be pulled and repulled for a variety of  ripping, tearing noises.   We have also used lengths of Velcro.  Available in large sewing and fabric shops. 

VARIOUS AUDIENCE CUE CARDS – for our audience participation various cues are identified and rehearsed with the audience before the show.  Cards can be simple cues like ‘GASP!’ to more involved slogans or chants that everyone says in unison.  Audience can also be used for non human fx such as rumbling, wind, packs of dogs etc.   The cards are positioned for easy and silent access during the performance.

WINGS FLAPPING  UMBRELLA :  We use a small child’s umbrella.  You must make sure you do not hear the sound of the hinged arms, just the flapping sound.   This can be pulled to the microphone for flying towards.   And pulled away from the microphone while flapping for the flying away sound

‘DOG BOWL’ PERCUSSION:  We have built a frame containing several different DOG BOWLS.    These are stainless steel feeding bowls as found in pet shops.  Each size bowl produces a different ringing pitch when struck.  Quite musical when played by an accomplished percussionist.

THEREMIN:   Our theremin was built from a kit by Eoin ‘Kenobi’ O’Brien.  There are several Theremin sites on the internet, including several that offer kits for building your own.    We use the theremin in conjunction with a delay pedal.   Perfect sound for science fiction. 

WIND MACHINE:  We have built an old fashioned wind machine.  A wooden barrel with a sheet of heavy canvas over it, is cranked by a handle.  Other websites have detailed construction plans.  See Tony Palermo’s excellent page on this for detailed construction details.  

FLEXITONE  - an old vaudville f.x.   Can be ordered through a large music store.  Great for a strange unexplained weird or chilling sound.   Highly recommended. 

SLIDE WHISTLE – can be found in toy shops but better models can be found or ordered through a musical instrument shop.   Highly recommended.

HARMONICA.  Used for bleeping alarm sounds in the control panel of the starship Ámadan.

BICYCLE BELL.

BICYCLE HORN -  different sizes produce different size honks.

VARIOUS POTS -  Cooking pots struck for musical comic striking sound.

FINGER CYMBALS  - tiny things for tiny tings. 

TRIANGLE – the real orchestral instrument is expensive but makes a lovely ping. 

DOOR:   We have a half door of solid wood.   Several locks, bolts, and chains as well as working door knob are mounted.   The Door is held upright by wooden supports attached by clamps.   It can be easily detached from it’s mounts for ease of storage and transportation.   We used a rubber hammer pounded against the door for the battering ram against the door sound as heard in BIG BIG SPACE. 

FISHING REEL:  For a fabulous and controllable clicking sound.   Used as kite reel sound in BIG BIG SPACE.  Also used to create controllable creaking door f.x.  Also can sound as a Geiger counter type machine.  Can be taped down so that it can be operated by one hand.   VIBRA-SLAP -  available in most fine music shops.

GLOCKENSPIEL.  Metal keys can be removed to ensure that only correct notes are struck by the inexperienced.    Great for eerie presence just by tapping the keys in a random fairly steady manner.   There are plenty of cheap kid’s toy models.   We have an adult one that comes in it’s own storage box.   

KALIMBA – the African thumb piano.  Called by different names around Africa.  Steady arppeggios create striking floating dreamy atmospheric ambience.   

MUSIC BOX  - cranked by hand.   Use one with an out of copywright or traditional tune.   There’s something eerie about hearing a music box in the back ground.

BELLS  from tiny to large.  We have sleigh bells, a pitched bell tree, tiny decorative bells, big school bells and a variety of wooden and metal wind chimes.    We also use a large steel pipe suspended from a coat hanger wire lodged through a hole drilled at the top of the pipe.  Striking the pipe creates a distant tolling bell sound.  Different lengths of piping produce different pitches.   Cheap way of ‘tubular bells’. 

WRATCHETT SOCKET WRENCH -  used for a torquing click sound.  Winding something up or winding down.   There is the actual metal tool and wooden toy ones.  Each with a different type of sound.    We use it for the twisting the head of Amundsen torture sound in Scott’s Last Last Trip.

RUBBING BALLOONS TOGETHER  - for bodies squeezing together in comical way.   Forcing something to fit.  Plenty of comical sound potential.   Used as the sound of Marlene’s living ‘implants’ in BIG BIG SPACE.

BICYCLE WHEEL – A working bike wheel mounted in the rear part of a bike frame with rear wheel and chain and pedals.   Can be cranked, gears shifted etc..  Used as the Wheel of Death sound in BIG BIG SPACE.   Mounted upright in a heavy cymbal stand for ease of use.   Materials, such as playing cards, can be held against the spinning wheel for extra f.x.  Shifting gears creates a menacing mechanical sound.

BOTTLE AND CORK:   Pushing a wet cork firmly up and down against a bottle creates a varying squeak sound.   It was used most famously in THE SKELETON KEY radio play with Vincent Price.  We used it to create the squeaky wheel on an approaching wheel barrel sound.  Bottle and cork is kept wet by placing in a plastic basin filled with water. 

BOOKS-   Big heavy books we use a thick copy of the Golden Pages Phone Directory.  One book schuffled around and smacked closed can create the sound of many books.

PC KEYBOARD  - for computer typing sound.

THUNDER:  We have used a large balloon filled with several metal bearings.   Bearing available at a bike shop.  Balloon is shook up close to the microphone. Be careful not to rustle the balloon too hard or it will burst and send bearing flying everywhere!  

WARBLE BOARD:  We have a large 4 foot long 1 foot wide piece of sheet metal.  Shaking back and forth produces a heavy metal warble sound.   Also can use a piece of thin fibre board for a regular warble sound.   Made famous by Rolf Harris. 

TURKEY CALLS.  CROW CALLS.  DUCK CALLS.   As found in a sports/hunting shop.    Can be used for their intended purpose but can also be used for stylised sounds.  For example our Turkey Call was pumped to produce a comic motor sound of the Space Escape Dingy in BIG BIG SPACE.   

WARBLING BIRD WHISTLE – filled with water in it’s little water basin for warbling bird sound.    Real ‘‘Laurel & Hardy’ I’ve just been hit on the head and now am seeing stars sound.’

CHAINS – for chain rattling of prisoners in BIG BIG SPACE. 

SIREN WHISTLE-  produces a whishing ‘weee’ whether blowing or sucking through the small tubular whistle.  Great for the sound of something being thrown swiftly through the air.    Used in comic punches.  The ‘weeeee’ preceedes the ‘whack’ of the strike.

LARGE PLASTIC FUNNEL -  Bought in an agrocultural supply store,  The funnel can be used for a stylised ‘small speaker’ voice fx.  Or for megaphone f.x.   Also for stylised fx.  For example we use it whenever the Pooka turns invisible in THE PHANTOM CHANCER a lá  ‘The Shadow’.     The actor keeps it close at hand, it’s quick, simple and effective.   Other hand held voice effect used has been to speak into the cylinder of an empty Chocolate Drink container.  This was used in INVASION FROM PLANET VAMPIRE when our heroes where being held prisoner inside giant test tubes.

DRILL:   Battery operated Black & Decker drill.  Operated to create the motion of the robot RomManDroid in BIG BIG SPACE and PLANET VAMPIRE.   Various torques created by squeezing the bit as it turns.  The tighter the trigger is squeezed the faster the drill whines.  Also can be pulled toward microphone for approaching sound and pulled away for leaving sound. 

WASHING MACHINE BARRELL - for large metal sounds.  Ship’s hull.  Robot’s body. Etc.

AQUARIUM PUMP.   As part of  Rotwang Krell’s  mad scientist lab we used a common electric aquarium pump with a remote switch to activate and cut off on demand.  The plastic tube placed in a plastic bucket with water for bubbles.  Sound of pump can be dampened by covering with a shoebox and putting a towel over the covering box. 

TOY CAR with cogs-like ‘motor’ on rear axle pushed over head of a floor tom drum head for rumbling open sound.   

SPRING DRUM  - We use a couple of varying sizes.  This is a tubular drum with a long sprng attached to the centre of the drum head.  When the drum is shook back and forth a deep foreboding lingering rumble comes from the drum.   The bigger the drum, the deeper the rumble.   We used our spring drums throughout the Crazy Dog Live series.  They are made by company called ‘REMO’.   Highly Recommended.

TOY BULL-HORNS with pitch-shifting. Runs on batteries.  We have a couple different models.   Used in PLANET VAMPIRE when RomMandroid is turned off and sings ‘Daisy’.

LARGE METAL KITCHEN UTENSILS – two giant spoons for sword fight clanging and drawing of swords and knifes. 

CUPS, SAUCERS WITH TEA SPOONS, WINE GLASSES, COINS, 

PLASTIC MARKER CAPS TOSSED INTO GLASS FOR ‘ICE’ F.X. 

STRAWS used for BLOWING BUBBLES or  SUCKING SOUNDS in GLASS OF WATER. 

MARBLES on circular FILM CANISTER lid – great for rolling sounds.  We also drop several onto the film lid for the sound of falling teeth after Admundson is punched in the mouth in Scott’s Last Last Trip.  

COCONUT SHELLS  - the sound of hooves.  Different surfaces give differing sounds. 

WATERING CAN  - slowly pouring water into basin for a water trickling sound. 

PLATES for plate smashing.  Keep some extra and be sure to practise this to make sure of microphone placement and also be sure that any scattering debris is safely away from audience and performers.

CHAIR PUSHED ON WOODEN FLOOR – for chair commotion sound.   We just find a chair in the venue we’re performing in.    

DRUMS – we use a wide variety of actual drums like the hand held JIMBE,  BODHRÁN,

BONGOS [on stand] and toy Lollipop drums.   We’ve also used full and partial drum kits as part of our live shows.  Again the drums can be used for music or for stylised fx., for example using the floor toms for a stylised rolling down the hill tumble sounds or the cymbals for crashes.    

LIQUID SOAP BOTTLE – squeezed slowly or held upside down over metal bucket for Chinese water torture steady dripping.  Can also be squeezed for peeing sound as used in TREAD SOFTLY BILL LIZARD.

PLASTICENE CRUNCHED for fire crackling sound.   We used a wrapper that several hot dog buns came in.  Heard in Ferdia The Druid.

SMALL SUITCASE – has metal latches for suitcase latch sound.  Also slide along wooden resonant board for shifting of cases sound.  Handy to store some of the sound effects items when on the road.  

OLD DIAL TELEPHONE.  Used both for an old phone sound but more often as stylised mechanical sound.