Forbidden Planet Tonalities

[bigbreak]

So last night I was watching that classic 1956 sci-fi thriller Forbidden Planet on Svengoolie.
They did not use music in the film. Just some primitive 50's sound effects created by
electronic music pioneers Louis and Bebe Barron. It's amazing what they accomplished
with what they had to work with. They called them "Tonalities".

So I decided to try to recreate something similar using modern technology, yet retain that
primitive 50's technology sound.

All "Tonalities" were created with an Arturia Moog Modular Synth plugin.

 

[Mellencaster]

One of my favorite sci-fi movies. You did a great recreation of the effects, Russ.

In one part of the track, I almost felt this was going to start.

 

[bigbreak]

One of my favorite sci-fi movies. You did a great recreation of the effects, Russ.

In one part of the track, I almost felt this was going to start.

Yeah, I think Geddy was using a Minimoog into an Echoplex for that.

 

[Fretting out]

Awesome another svengoolie lover, rock on!

 

[4pickupguy]

Sounds like some theramin in there.

 

[Mjark]

Pretty cool. I just listened to the main title overture. I need to read about how they did it.

 

[Tim E]

There's a modular synth company called Wiard that makes a module called the Wogglebug. The thing basically plays itself chaotically. Back in the aughts, they had a demo of the module on their website that sounded like it could have come straight from Forbidden Planet. I can't find it on the current site, but I did manage to save it back then because I thought it sounded cool.

 

[ASATKat]

.

 

[ASATKat]

This is the overture in the beginning of the movie. I think it's the most recognizable part of the score. So I improvised over it using my Yamaha MagicStomp.

I found this worked in the key of C/Am, with V7 Imaj7 hints. V7alt, diminished 7th also sounded good in spots. Lol, it's full of preludes to a tonality.

Overture - Jammin with the Krell

 

[Old Plank]

Great sounds bigbreak, thanks; and a good reminder to watch FP, been meaning to for a few years. I've just recently picked up a Korg monologue to get into synths for the first time, after seeing Charlotte Greve and Wood River play last month. Your piece is good inspiration to get on it!

 

[ASATKat]

The Krell approve

 

[Ed Driscoll]

So last night I was watching that classic 1956 sci-fi thriller Forbidden Planet on Svengoolie.
They did not use music in the film. Just some primitive 50's sound effects created by
electronic music pioneers Louis and Bebe Barron. It's amazing what they accomplished
with what they had to work with. They called them "Tonalities".

So I decided to try to recreate something similar using modern technology, yet retain that
primitive 50's technology sound.

All "Tonalities" were created with an Arturia Moog Modular Synth plugin.

Very cool -- the old Zero-G Nostalgia VST software synth that debuted around 2004 has a section that if I remember correctly, is called "Sci-Fi" and has a lot of those Forbidden Planet-style sound effects.

 

[rdjones]

So last night I was watching that classic 1956 sci-fi thriller Forbidden Planet on Svengoolie.
They did not use music in the film. Just some primitive 50's sound effects created by
electronic music pioneers Louis and Bebe Barron. It's amazing what they accomplished
with what they had to work with. They called them "Tonalities".

So I decided to try to recreate something similar using modern technology, yet retain that
primitive 50's technology sound.

All "Tonalities" were created with an Arturia Moog Modular Synth plugin.

WOW, I usually watch Svengoolie (and Nightmare Theatre on PBS) but last night I had obligations to experience Night Visions at Grassmere which incidentally had its own rather spacey soundtrack.

Thanks for posting !

BTW, I watched Ghoulardi in the '60s as a kid in NE Ohio, so I had an early introduction to the shock theatre genre.

Hopefully Forbidden Planet will come back around in rotation although I doubt it will show up on Nightmare Theatre since everything they air is from the public domain.

 

[Rene Asologuitar]

Very interesting recording!!!
You are quite a sound artist!!!
Thanks for this.
Rene

 

[Bob Womack]

When I studied Electronic Music Composition in college we looked at this example. As I recall, many of the sounds were created with nothing except a tape machine and an EQ. They routed the output of the machine to the input through a EQ or filter set and boosted the recycles sound until they were on the edge of feedback. Then they used the EQ to push the machine on into feedback. The tape transports back then were driven by A.C. induction motors that used 60hz from the line (in the U.S.) so you could take a powerful P.A. amp and a tone generator and feed the capstan motor from that. By varying the frequency of the motor driving the capstan, you could speed up or slow down the machine for shorter or longer delays as well.

From there is was down to whatever "found sound" sound you wanted to feed into the rig to "seed" the sound effects.

Bob

 

[Telekarster]

Cool man!!! Great job. One of my favorite sci fi movies, next to War of the Worlds. Just finished watching it in fact, for the 1,000,000th time! LOL!!

 

[Bob Womack]

I've got the Ultimate Edition boxed set with the little Robbie the Robot model!

My wife got it for me but can't stand the electronic music. Hilarious!

Bob

 

[ASATKat]

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