KVR Audio

Kingston · Post by **Kingston** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 8:46 am

We all know the standard beep-beep-beep-beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....... of heart stopping on electro-cardiography in movies, usually accompanied by a flatline on the spectrometer.

I need that in a production. I very much doubt modern cardiographic machines actually make any sound, but it works well as a dramatic effect.

I couldn't think of any movies I would have that I could steal it from so here I am asking for help. Anyone got that sound somewhere?

sure something like a square or sine with a subtle touch of pitch modulation on attack and release on pretty much any synth would work. other ideas?

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 4:08 pm

It's probably a square wave, easiest to implement with a handful of transistors... Any synth can do indeed. Maybe there's a sampled 'beep' on freesound or wherever... Maybe you can "compose" it on your mobile phone, and record that.

Kim Lajoie · Post by **Kim Lajoie** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 2:38 am

1) 1kHz square wave.
2) Add shaped noise softly.
2.5) Add haze with your own RetroBand
3) Process with small speaker sim (the more coloured, the better).
4) Add slight room verb (preferable the same room as the rest of your foley sounds)

When I was doing computer sounds for a film last year, I added a slight chorus to give it a more unstable, ever-changing sound. Mind you, the computers were more of a cyberpunk vibe, than a clean hospital.

We actually filmed it in a hospital, I should have found some of those machines. Can you imagine the scene? Someone walks into an operating theatre with big headphones and a minidisc recorded - "Uh, hi. Mind if I record your machines? Thanks. You won't be claiming any copyright on your 'performance', will you?".

Actually, they had some REALLY cool pipes in the basement underground. You should have heard them...

-Kim.

Kingston · Post by **Kingston** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:32 am

Thanks guys. yeah suspected I would have to do it meself, but at least there's complete control now.

The thought of recording a real machine crossed my mind as well, but as I said I suspect none of the actual modern EKG's make that sound. That stuff is for movies and "heightened reality".

leahzero · Post by **leahzero** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 4:58 am

Kingston wrote:I couldn't think of any movies I would have that I could steal it from

Flatliners?

If you need a real reference for the sound, try looking for that or episodes of ER, Grey's Anatomy, and other hospital shows on YouTube. Sound quality won't be great but you can at least hear how accurate your imitation is.

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:49 am

Kingston · Post by **Kingston** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:18 pm

thanks BertKoor. I didn't know about that site. will become handy.

I ended up doing the sound using synth to boogex to room ambience. it was the boogex that finished it all off, and the sound is convincing. Too bad it didn't work in the actual production.

oh well, one for the road I suppose.

The standard sound of Cardiography in movies