Descending bassy sinewave

[Masque]

This is the most overused and hackneyed sound effect and I'm sick of it.

0:18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpExNYMxALE

Pick any movie trailer from the last 10 years and you'll hear it. The same exact sound effect, a stupid descending "booooooooom",

Why though? Why do they use this? What effect does it have on a psychological level? It must have one, or they wouldn't use it in dang near every trailer.

Also, does anyone know what the technical term for it is? I call it the descending bassy sinewave, but I'm sure there's an actual industry term for it. There must be. Since it's a tool that's used SO much, just as carpenters have a name for that bangy thing what pounds nails.

Any sound designers can tell me what the name for it is in a typical sound library?

[Masque]

Here it is at 0:55, and in many, many other Blackmill songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXVQNSlFJ6M

I don't mind it as much in music like this, but with trailers and commercials, every time I'm like 'Yep, there it is again. Derp. Right on cue."

[Original Cast Recording]

Sometimes it's more of a low synthy wave sound. Sometimes it's more like a digital bass drum with a pitch-slider and extended decay. There's also a good chance they're combining sounds to produce the one effect.

[Original Cast Recording]

But yeah, totally overused.

[Masque]

To illustrate -- I just typed in "movie trailer" on YouTube.

First result -- yep, there it is. 0:44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTNMt84KT0k

Second and third result (Disney+ "Acolyte" trailer, Rebel Moon pt 2 trailer) didn't use it.

Fourth result -- yep, there it is. 1:21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djSKp_pwmOA

[Masque]

Publicado originalmente por NoMoreUnderscores():

Sometimes it's more of a low synthy wave sound. Sometimes it's more like a digital bass drum with a pitch-slider and extended decay. There's also a good chance they're combining sounds to produce the one effect.

Yeah I figure it'd be pretty easy to make with just a Juno 106, but there has to be a sound library name or industry term for it, still. I *need* a name for my audio nemesis, here.*

*tongue-in-cheek -- not really, but kinda, yeah.

[saranacX]

Lets goooooo

[Masque]

Publicado originalmente por saranacX:

Lets goooooo

Oh, that's my other nemesis lately, for sure. Combine that with the bassy descending sinewave and I might just snap.

And it's funny that "Lets gooooooo" is ALSO found in the comments of damn near every single trailer or product announcement. Like they belong together, a marriage of derpitude.

[Masque]

Joking, just something I noticed.

Comedians do that a lot, too.

"What's with all the (insert innocuous thing they've been thinking about here)?"

And honestly, I am actually curious about the psychological effect -- I know that the advertising industry is really into affecting psychology with all they do, from imagery, color, light, pattern -- to music, audio and sound effects. Psychology and emotion are a huge part of what goes into advertising. Probably the biggest part.

And that sound effect -- there is a reason they use it. Something about tension and release, perhaps. It would be interesting to hear from an expert. I'd look it up -- if I had a term I could use to search for it. There must be a discussion among people in the ad industry on this particular sound -- probably a dissertation or twenty, too.

[zexx11]

its in a game also:

Shift 2 Unleashed, when you finish out of the top three you get that sound.

[Morkonan]

Publicado originalmente por Masque:

...Probably the biggest part.
..

Echoes are dramatic.

Fading sounds are mysterious, sometimes leading, and usually an "asked question" when in the body of a song/ad/effect.

To get the full feel for any meaning, you kind of have to listen to segments before and after the moment.

IMO :)

PS: Echoes naturally fade. It just matters what it's an echo "of." Big loud vs soft and grainy.