The Sounds of Justice League

[PeterFries]

There's been plenty of deserved praise in these parts for the fantastic music in DC Animation, but one of the things I really geeked out on throughout JL and JLU was the sound effects library.

As a lifelong DC fanboy, I just really get a charge out of hearing the sounds that Ollie's arrows make, or GL's power ring, or the Flash running, Superman's heat vision, the Atom's shrinking effect, and on and on.

Sorry, just had to give that shout out.

edit: things, not thinks

 

[SuperChicken]

You make a good point -- we talk about alot of things, but how often do we give shout out to the editors, sound editors and such that make the eps great/

/applause

 

[Crow]

There's this one explosion/thud effect that has been used a lot, from STAS right through to JLU. As is always the case, I can't think of one specific scene to give you right now, but I'm sure you know the one I'm talking about.

The Boom Tube sound effects (the later ones in Twilight/Ties That Bind) sound fantastic.

As do Steel's suit effects when he speaks. "Gotta hand it to you, Luthor..."

 

[b.t.]

yep, rob hargreaves --our sound designer/mixer -- is da man.

 

[Yojimbo]

The effect for Mirror Master's gun on "flash and substance" was the one that stood out for me recently. It sounds like it could be from a sound library like the Pteradactyl one from Johnny Quest on "once and future thing", but I can't place it.

 

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

You know what sound I always really thought was cool? The one when the Atom changes size. Before then, it never even occurred to me that there WAS a sound when he changed size until I heard it in JLU, but it's totally perfect for the event.

I also got a real kick when the same sound was recycled for Bumblebee's size changes in Teen Titans.


-- Ed/Ace

 

[PeterFries]

The Atom's all like, FPFPFPFPFPFPfpfpfpfpfpfpfpfp, and Green Lantern's is like, zzzZWEEEEEEEEEEEE, and Ollie's arrows go, shwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip...!

One sound effect that was conspicuously absent in the series is the sound of aqua-telepathy: "doo doo doo doo doo"...

 

[BlueRocketBoy]

The Atom's all like, FPFPFPFPFPFPfpfpfpfpfpfpfpfp, and Green Lantern's is like, zzzZWEEEEEEEEEEEE, and Ollie's arrows go, shwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip...!

One sound effect that was conspicuously absent in the series is the sound of aqua-telepathy: "doo doo doo doo doo"...

LOL ... too much.

Great thread; you're right, this aspect of the show(s) is totally under-appreciated.

 

[Simpler Simon]

The punches are always nicely brutal. Animation sells half of a fight scene, and the sound effects sell the other half. Didn't some of the previous DCAU programs (I'm thinking Return of the Joker here) have to tone down the effects because it -sounded- too violent?

 

[Temple Fugate]

The boom tube sound that Crow mentioned (specifically from "Twilight") was pretty cool. It had a "WOOOW WOOOW WOOOW" thing going that I absolutely loved. And of course it has to go BOOM! right when it opens/closes. I always found it funny how the tube's sound effect in the comics was, simply, "BOOM." I kept wondering "Is it a constant boom? Is it a bunch of consecutive booms?" Now my questions have been answered.

How about those old BTAS cape whoosh sounds? They were usually mixed kinda loud, but at the same time sounded very soft and stealthy. If that made any sense.

 

[Captain Clown]

Howdy,

You know what sound I always really thought was cool? The one when the Atom changes size. Before then, it never even occurred to me that there WAS a sound when he changed size until I heard it in JLU, but it's totally perfect for the event.

I also got a real kick when the same sound was recycled for Bumblebee's size changes in Teen Titans.


-- Ed/Ace

Totally.

But also - the sound Tala's magic makes.

 

[John Cage]

My favorite sound effect was Starman's star-blast from "The Return" -- I don't know why, but it just sounded like a real comic book-ie word effect come to life, and looked great with the star visual.

That said, my favorite JLU sequence was The Doomsday Sanction's opening. The very mundane sounds of feet shuffling on carpet, coffee brewing, a TV clicking off and a shower just sounded so great and really rich. There were probably better and more involved bits, but that sequence stood out to me. It sounds great.

Have a good day.
John Cage

 

[S.C.B]

Although it's not Justice League, I always liked the original noise of Batman's grappling hook in B:TAS. I also like the noise of the Batarang being thrown. It really sounds like it's slicing through the air.

I think it's neat that Justice League and Teen Titans correlated their sound effects too - like Robin and Batman's batarangs, Speedy and Green Arrow's arrows and the Flash and Kid Flash's running.

But favourite sound effect? It's got to be the noise Flash makes in 'Divided We Fall' when he's charging at Brainthor for the first time, just after you think he's run away. That sound effect made that moment for me.

 

[Shadow_X]

Although it's not Justice League, I always liked the original noise of Batman's grappling hook in B:TAS. I also like the noise of the Batarang being thrown. It really sounds like it's slicing through the air.

Hi, I agree with you, the sound of the grappling hook(the BTAS version) was great, but I always found it kind of funny, because one of Batman´s abilities is stealth so when he used his grappling hook, he always revealed his position because the sound was so loud, it sounded like a gunshot, but still I like that sound, although in the MOTP movie and B&MrF movie the sound of the grappling hook is different, is more quiet it´s a cool sound too, also the sound from the TNBA which is the same from JL and JLU it´s a very nice sound... as you can see I liked the grappling hook no matter how it sound

But you know what I would like to see? a documentary on DVD set, where the staff tell us how the made all the sound library(like the one on the Spider-Man 2 DVD), I would love to see the foley artist in the foley stage making all those sounds , I really hope we can see this on the BB or JL season boxsets

-Shadow_X

 

[Toddman]

... also the sound from the TNBA which is the same from JL and JLU it´s a very nice sound... as you can see I liked the grappling hook no matter how it sound.

I could be wrong, but I think the sound of the grappling hook firing was changed for JLU. It's very similar to the TNBA/JL sfx, but there seems to be a double "pop" when it fires. And it sounds a little higher pitched, too.

Someone already mentioned the sfx of Green Arrow's arrows flying, and I totally agree. It was something I appreciated from the beginning of the first episode of JLU. It wasn't just the arrow slicing through the air either, but also the subtle sound of stress on the bow as the string was pulled back. I really dig the sound of Capt. Atom's energy "signature" from that episode also. Particularly the "siren/helicoptor rotor" sfx that was used just before he exploded.

Speaking of different characters distinct energy "signatures", there's a terrific spotlight of sorts for many of them during the Javelin assault on Amazo in "The Return."

Toddman