The Sound Blaster Story

The iconic blaster sound was made by sound designer Ben Burtt. He discovered it by accident while hiking near a radio tower. When he tapped one of the guy wires holding the tower in place, it produced a deep metallic twang that instantly stood out to him. Back in the studio, he recorded himself striking similar tensioned cables with a small hammer. He then adjusted the pitch and layered the recordings to give each blaster its own character. That simple metallic hit turned into one of the most re