A new idea for haunt sound

[DrUnK3n_PaNdA]

So I was reading an article on Cracked a bit earlier about ghosts and possible causes for ghost sightings (Link (http://www.cracked.com/article_18828_the-creepy-scientific-explanation-behind-ghost-sightings.html)). Essentially the article points the finger at super-low frequency sounds that humans can detect, but not actually hear.

I decided to try it myself, using audacity to generate some of the low-frequency tones the article mentioned. And while I can't tell if it's placebo effect or not, some frequencies tend to make me feel genuinely uneasy for no reason, giving me chills or making me turn to look over my shoulder, while others make me sick to my stomach.

My first thought after realizing this actually works... is 'how could I use this in my haunt?' I'm planning on having my computer's powerful sub running at a constant low-frequency. I'm curious to see what effects it might have on my Guinea.. I mean trick or treaters!

[Roach McKrackin]

I know exactly what you're talking about. You want a 28hz tone... Used to great effect in the film "Irreversible"

[corey872]

No doubt low freq can make for some interesting effects. One night after watching a particularly scary movie, I was tweaking some settings on the stereo and decided to play the test tone through each speaker. It comes out of the sub woofer as a low rumble. The wife freaked out..."What is THAT?!?! she exclaimed from another room.

The problem is going to be getting enough power to a very low frequency. At some point it becomes just a 'whoosh' of wind in and out of the speaker. It would be interesting to see results across a wide spectrum of people, but I'd think something in the 'low, but audible' range would have a more wide spread effect.

[debbie5]

You are gonna call lots of horny elephants to your yard....

[GhoulishGadgets]

Hi,
it's called infrasound - you can buy some really expensive gear on the web for it, then you need a long tube for resonance.

I've played with it using big speakers and car amplifiers - they're normally good for low frequency

[Lunatic]

You are gonna call lots of horny elephants to your yard....

"Horny elephants", that's a good one.

Interesting concept of using a low fequency to help creep out the spectators. I like it.

[gadget-evilusions]

Monster-Tronics sells an infrasound set up to commercial haunts.

http://www.monster-tronics.com/product_info.php?products_id=41&osCsid=7f609b90c943a31770ec58f8b162496e

I have yet to see it in person but I have heard the results are impressive.

[Otaku]

I remember that Haunt Master Prods sold an infrasound CD a while back. Haven't seen it on the site for a long time, though.

[BrotherMysterio]

Continuing this subject, #55 of Haunted Attraction had an article related to this subject. I'd order the issue and read it, but the site says it's out of print.

Did anyone get this issue and read this article?

[fontgeek]

You might look at something like a "Buttkicker" LFE setup. This is a powerful subsonic transducer, normally used bolted to a wooden floor or platform. But you could bolt it to a large piece of PVC pipe, or maybe an empty open ended 55 gallon drum if you don't have a platform you can use. There is no audio with this, it's strictly a tactile/feeling thing.
You can play with people's emotions and body by transmitting an accelerated heartbeat, or an uneven heartbeat. Peoples bodies respond to the beat even though they can't hear it.

[walterb]

I ran out of time this year, but plan I running an old 18" cerwin vega with below 30hertz sounds next year. Anything below 50 hertz should be I will try and test it in January to see if it sounds good. Any suggestions on sound cd's would be helpful. I know there are 23" subs out there, too.

[fontgeek]

Just for the testing? You might try Pink Floyds "the Wall", just don't wire up your standard speakers to the system. The helicopters in "Run Like Hell" give a good thumping that should tell you if your system is giving you the feel you want. For an actual haunt, you need to decide what your "needs" are and hunt for that specifically. Lord knows there's enough different collections out there that you can use as a whole or just for a short section of. If you have neighbors close by, you might give them a heads up on your trials. Having them (and their cats and dogs) pissed at you won't help.

[walterb]

I may run this year round if it stops a certain dog from barking!

[BrotherMysterio]

Having them (and their cats and dogs) pissed at you won't help.

Not to mention pissing on their floor. They don't call it the "brown note" for nothing! On whether it's an urban myth or not, the jury's still out, but no telling what their furkids will do if they start hearing those crazy tones. I'm just grateful that the nut-job that lives somewhere in my neighborhood didn't ring in this new year last night with his usually 21 gun salute. (Not kidding. Totally spooks the dogs.)

On a related note, I've heard of using these frequencies as a sort of fear gun, or "fear ray", where you project it towards someone, and it has a direct effect on them.

Anyone heard of this?

[niblique71]

I was reading the JB Corn books recently. He has a section on ultra and sub (Infra) sonic frequencies. In one paragraph he describes using the Infra sonic waves in his professional Haunt. Apparently they were so effective and disturbing that he stopped using them within 1 hour and never used them again. He doesn't describe what effect they had, just that they were TOO effective.

I'm neither pro nor con about using this effect, But I would suggest proceeding with caution.

[BrotherMysterio]

I was reading the JB Corn books recently. He has a section on ultra and sub (Infra) sonic frequencies. In one paragraph he describes using the Infra sonic waves in his professional Haunt. Apparently they were so effective and disturbing that he stopped using them within 1 hour and never used them again. He doesn't describe what effect they had, just that they were TOO effective.

I'm neither pro nor con about using this effect, But I would suggest proceeding with caution.

Yeah, I read that too. I was hoping I could find more information on it.

[walterb]

We will see how this works. It appears a lot of hocum is written on this issue. I use to run the 18" sub in my car 15 years ago with no side effects.

[hedg12]

I've been interested in this subject for quite a while & thought I'd add what I know to the discussion.
The human ear doesn't perceive sound levels equally at all frequencies. Low frequency sounds "sound" quieter than higher frequencies (it's not linear, if you're really interested google "Fletcher - Munson".) Sound also dissipates quickly, and dissipates faster the further away from the source it's measured. As such, it's necessary to have really big speakers and really powerful amplifiers to produce usable infrasonic frequencies.
Low frequencies are greatly affected by what is referred to as the "boundary effect" - when either the speaker or the listener gets closer to a wall, the reflected sound waves get closer and closer to being in phase with the sound waves coming directly from the speaker and they reinforce each other. Conversely, if your room is big enough you'll have dead spots where the direct and reflected sounds are out of phase and cancel each other out.
So basically, unless you have multiple really big subwoofers and amps (not to mention understanding neighbors) it would be pretty difficult to take advantage of infrasound in an outdoor haunt, but you could probably get good effect indoors without breaking the bank.
Another interesting thing about infrasound - the wavelength of the infrasound frequencies is really long. A 20Hz wavelength at sea level is over 56 feet long. The reason this matters is that if the room isn't at least 1/4 the length of the target frequency (just over 14 feet for a 20 Hz tone) the reflections from the boundary effect come at increased intervals & create a comb filter effect. So basically you might get a great effect from the infrasound in one place but none at all two steps away. That'd be a nightmare if you were setting up a home theater, but could be really cool in a haunt.
Another interesting factoid - a healthy human eye resonates at around 19 Hz. It's been demonstrated that exposure to a 19 Hz. tone can cause people to "see" movement out of the corner of their eye...

Edit: Oops, just saw the link in the OP's post that talks about the whole 19 Hz. eye thing...

[walterb]

This is getting me all fired. I am going to buy a test tone cd this week and hook up the Adcom monoblock sitting in my basement to the 18" cerwin vega in the garage and see what happens. Actual test results will be in soon.

[niblique71]

This is getting me all fired. I am going to buy a test tone cd this week and hook up the Adcom monoblock sitting in my basement to the 18" cerwin vega in the garage and see what happens. Actual test results will be in soon.

We're looking forward to your test results.


I can relay a few experiances from my life.

Most of my early life I was a professional musician in a rather successful local band. I've had many opportunities to participate in sound checks in large venues. Our band had electronic "Pipe organ style" Bass pedals so we'd often ask the sound provider if they could accomadate the ultra low booming frequencies. On several occasions our bass player would test his pedals out and I'd be in front of the "W" bins. The sound would litterrally take your breath away at the lowest frequencies. This was especially true if the room created a "Sweet" spot where the sound waves had extra resonance. These sweet spots always went away with a room full of sound deadening "live" bodies. I have had my vision slightly affected on rare occasions. Imagine a cameraman shaking a camera to create an earthquake effect.

On a few occasions, the sound engineer would "Test the room" as well as the equipment with a niose generator. I'll never know if the sounds got to infra sonic frequencies, but the effect of many thousands of watts pushing air at such low frequencies is indeed disturbing when it's the only thing being being heard (Felt).

I noticed that the Monster tronics unit needs a large pipe (Not included). I assume that this device that can be aimed at a target area (a gun of sorts??). I'm looking forward to reading more on this subject.


@ Hedg12 Great info!!

[BrotherMysterio]

Another interesting factoid - a healthy human eye resonates at around 19 Hz. It's been demonstrated that exposure to a 19 Hz. tone can cause people to "see" movement out of the corner of their eye...

Edit: Oops, just saw the link in the OP's post that talks about the whole 19 Hz. eye thing...

Well, yeah, it was mentioned, but it didn't say anything about the resonance of the human eye. Veddy interesting! Thanks for that insight! (no pun intended)

I noticed that the Monster-Tronics unit needs a large pipe (Not included).

Not included!?! Wow, for close to a grand, I wonder how much extra the pipe costs.

I assume that this device that can be aimed at a target area (a gun of sorts??).

That's what I was wondering. I think the pipe acts as a general resonator, much the same way the sound waves from a pipe organ can be heard throughout the venue.

Incidentally, apart from some general use in one or two areas, I would love to use it as a "fear gun" on some boneheads who are trying to prove how "tough" they are. I mean, granted, you won't scare everyone, and so it's important to entertain them first and foremost. I don't really have a problem with someone not being scared just so long as they come out laughing, going "wow, that was wicked. Sweet!" I always liked the motto "those too brave to be scared will leave smiling."

However, sometimes some "tough guys" just try to be utterly belligerent about it, so, perhaps loosening them up a bit might be just what the mad doctor ordered.

<Cartman>"I am a Pro Haunter and you will Respect My Authoritah!!"</Cartman>

We're looking forward to your test results [and] I'm looking forward to reading more on this subject.

Indeed, as am I!

[fontgeek]

The sub-sonics are also a great way to chase the gophers from your yard, they tend to regard that range of sound as ground movement. For them, that means predators, so they scramble to your neighbors yard. The neighbors will "love" you for it.