Music
Recreate the sounds of Star Wars’ R2-D2 with the Arp 2600
M. Salaciak and Text Chunk attempt to generate the voice of R2-D2 using the Arp 2600, the same synthesizer used in the movies to give the robot its distinguishable chirps.
Captured at Studio Bell’s National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta as part of Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp, M. Salaciak and Text Chunk are on a mission to generate the original robotic R2-D2 sounds from the Star Wars franchise.
Originally produced in 1971 by Arp Synthesizers, the 2600 was ARP's answer to the modular system, creating a more transportable and intuitive synth. Today, the Arp 2600 is one of the most iconic and sought-after synthesizers of all time and has been used by acts like Stevie Wonder, The Who’s Pete Townshend, Depeche Mode and, more recently, The Chemical Brothers and Nine Inch Nails. Sound designer Ben Burtt used an ARP 2600, combined with his own voice, to create the voice of R2-D2 in the Star Wars films. Burtt also used the synth to also create the sound effects of the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
