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Star Wars Blaster Sound Effect
Ben Burtt, who did sound design for the original star wars movies, also made the class blaster sound effect. A combination of digital & analog techniques, it has been remade and remixed countless times over the years as the franchise is adapted and updated.
As demonstrated in the video, the sound was originally recorded using steel cable under tension (or a slinky, in this case) & a wrench. The classic PEW PEW was then saved, isolated from background noise, layered with other sounds, and edited into the movie. In the same way that Star Wars has defined what a good sci-fantasy movie SHOULD be, its iconic blaster sound has also cemented into our cultural consciousness what a laser gun SHOULD sound like. That iconic sound would not be possible without a combination of analog & digital processes.
-Robert