sound effect

any sound, other than music or speech, artificially reproduced to create an effect in a dramatic presentation, as the sound of a storm or a creaking door.

[1925-30]

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Artificial imitation of sound to accompany action and supply realism in a dramatic production.

Sound effects were first used in the theatre, where they can represent a range of action too vast or difficult to present onstage, from battles and gunshots to trotting horses and rainstorms. Various methods were devised by backstage technicians to reproduce sounds (e.g., rattling sheet metal to create thunder); today most sound effects are reproduced by recordings. An important part of old-fashioned radio dramas, sound effects are still painstakingly added to television and movie soundtracks.

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▪ theatre

      any artificial reproduction of sound or sounds intended to accompany action and supply realism in the theatre, radio, television, and motion pictures. Sound effects have traditionally been of great importance in the theatre, where many effects, too vast in scope, too dangerous, or simply too expensive to be presented on stage, must be represented as taking place behind the scenes. An offstage battle, for instance, can be simulated by such sounds as trumpet blasts, shouts, shots, clashing weapons, and horses' hooves. Certain dangerous effects, such as explosions, crashes, and the smashing of wood or glass, must also take place offstage. Sound effects must often be coordinated with actions on stage; when the hero pretends to punch the villain on the jaw, a sound technician backstage must provide a realistic “smack!”

      Many ingenious methods have been devised for the faithful reproduction of various sounds; wind sounds, from a breeze to a hurricane, can be simulated when a piece of canvas is rubbed by wooden slats mounted on a revolving cylinder; thunder is imitated by shaking a large sheet of metal; rain sounds are produced by rattling dried peas in a wooden box; horses' hooves can be imitated by clattering coconut shells or suction cups against a hard surface; gunshots can be produced by slapping boards together or by firing blank cartridges.

      Today most sound effects are recorded on records or tapes, which provide greater realism and allow for the production of an almost limitless range of effects with no need of bulky sound-producing devices.

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