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In fall 1999, [6] THX released the trailer Broadway 2000 for use of the Dolby Digital Surround EX sound system. As a result, an entirely new Deep Note was made from scratch. In this version of the Deep Note, new voices were made using a similar process while voices from the previous version can be briefly hea
This page is dedicated to THX Certified video game releases, and whatever trailer they may have. What constituted a THX Certified Game was that the game was designed and created solely in a THX Certified Studio, not that the video or audio was completely certified by THX, like a film was. THX Certified Games debuted between 2003 and 2010 and are generally not as well remembered as DVDs or VHS ...
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The Deep Note is THX's audio trademark, being a distinctive synthesized crescendo that glissandos from a low rumble to a high pitch. It was created by Dr. James A. Moorer, an ex-employee of Lucasfilm's Computer Division in late-1982. The sound is used on trailers for THX-certified movie theaters, home video, video games, car infotainment systems and the THX website.
The Deep Note debuted at the premiere of Return of the Jedi in Los Angeles. Since then, it has gone on to be a pop culture icon both in meme and cult nature. Moorer sound re-designed and re-recorded the Deep Note for the 2015 Eclipse trailer.
Lucasfilm Ltd. version (1983-2015)
The first version of the Deep Note made its debut before the first THX trailer, Wings, that preceded the premiere showing of Return of the Jedi. Two different interpretations of the note ran concurrently with the 1983 version in both the Grand trailer and the mid-90s reorchestration of the Cimarron trailer. The Deep Note originally transitioned from a soft to loud intensity, and over the years has been remixed digitally, as new technology developed. In 1993, the Deep Note was cut-short and pitched higher (ending in an E chord rather than a D), to save time for Laserdisc and again in 1995 for VHS. In 1996, with the debut of Tex, the Deep Note was low-pitched and cut-short which is different than other versions. It was later used in the DVD version of the Digitally Mastered variant of the iconic Broadway trailer in 1997, then later with both the Ziegfeld and Tex 3: Action trailers in 2006. In 2007, for the Amazing Life trailer, the Deep Note had been cut short to the single note (where both sounds stay in one pitch), in favor of other sound effects. However, in the last two trailers to use the 1983 note, both based on the famous Broadway trailer, the sound was played in full. The sound is perceived as louder than it actually is; sound designer Gary Rydstrom 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 said in a 2005 interview, "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!" Although Moorer had initially claimed that the score consisted of about 20,000 lines of code, he subsequently corrected the statement and elaborated, "The original 30-year-old C program is 325 lines, and the “patch” file for the synthesizer was 298 more lines. I guess it just felt like 20,000 lines when I did it. Given that it was written and debugged in 4 days, I can’t claim the programming chops to make 20,000 lines of working code that quickly. But, to synthesize it in real time, in 1983, took 2 years to design and build a 19” rack full of digital hardware and 200,000 lines of system code to run the synthesizer. All that was already done, so I was building on a large foundation of audio processing horsepower, both hardware, and software. Consequently, a mere 325 lines of C code and 298 lines of audio patching setup for the 30 voices was enough to invoke the audio horsepower to make the piece."
Remastered version (2005–present)
In May 2005, to coincide with the theatrical release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, THX debuted a new trailer called The Science of Sensation, which featured a new version of the Deep Note, which is similar to the original, but voices from the Broadway 2000 trailer were mixed together.
Regenerated version (2015-present)
In April 2015, THX debuted a new trailer called Eclipse, which is accompanied by an updated, more powerful version of the Deep Note, also created by Moorer. It is described as being "intensely more complex, taking the audience on an epic sensory journey, unlike anything they've experienced before." This version of the Deep Note was created entirely digitally so it could play on 7.1 and spatial surround sound systems, and Moorer created 30-second, 45-second and 60-second versions of it. Moorer used around eighty voices in the remake, as opposed to thirty in the original 1982 version. In an interview with Yahoo, Moorer said "I kept thinking: That’s the way I originally wanted it to sound. I think it’s as far as you can take it." However, this only appeared on Eclipse, and for unknown reasons THX eventually went back to the 2005 version for use in future trailers.
•1983 "Wings" Version
https://thx.fandom.com/wiki/File:Wings.ogg
•1983 "Broadway" Version
https://thx.fandom.com/wiki/File:BroadwayOrig.ogg
•1993 "LD" and 1995 "VHS" Version
https://thx.fandom.com/wiki/File:BroadwayLD.ogg
The THX Deep Note was composed by Lucasfilm sound engineer Dr. James ‘Andy’ Moorer and was screened at the start of the 1983 premiere of Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. In 2015, Dr. Moorer refreshed the THX Deep Note and made it even more spell-binding for modern cinema formats. It remains one of the most recognizable sonic ...
CookieDurationDescription_GRECAPTCHA5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by the Google ...cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, ...cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent ...cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent ...Music/Sounds: The -1.5 Deep Note to as heard on the DVD and Tex versions. The Scarface version and Matrix version use the normal deep note Availability: Rare. Seen in THX-certified games. The original variant was spotted on Shadow Ops: Red Mercury, and Madden 06. It may have also appeared on other games too. Editor's Note: TBA.
Nov 8, 2024 · Video Games: With THX's entry into game audio certification, the Deep Note has been featured in trailers and advertisements for THX-certified games and gaming systems. Consumer Electronics: Various consumer electronics brands have licensed the Deep Note for use in their product advertisements, leveraging its association with high-quality audio.
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Jan 26, 2021 · How the iconic THX Deep Note was made. You know this sound. You probably hear it every other time you go to the movies. And you know that it was actually, carefully composed: In 35 yrs we have ...
