How Sound Engineers Made the Millennium Falcon’s Most Iconic Noise

The Millennium Falcon is the big businessman of cool when it come to classic sci - fi spaceship . The vessel is a kitbashed chef-d’oeuvre and a bold ikon that scream Star Wars . It ’s also a “ piece of music of junk , ” a “ bucket of bolts , ” and constant headache for Han Solo and caller , but hey , she ’s got it where it counts .

The most illustrious Falcon speech sound from the original trilogy is the sci - fi “ wah - wah ” when Solo fail to leap to hyperspace . You cognize , the one that sounds like “ beeeeew - bew - bew - bew - bew . ” Posted viaYouTube by centre on Cinema , this three - moment interview with sound engineer Ben Burtt , carry on in 1980 , walks through all the disparate noises needed to make that strange mechanical wheeze . In the process , it also shows that sound engine driver are lamentably under value for their hearable efforts .

The sound is principally drive by a the inactivity starting motor of a 1928 biplane and is then textured by a dental practitioner ’s airjet , motor , storage tank turrets , and some groan water pipe . Throw ’em all together and there you have it . [ center on CinemaviaDigg ]