In part one I described how my love of sound began with a large reel-to-reel tape recorder, and how I discovered sound effects records. In part two, my interest deepens, and expands, as we move into the 1980s.

Forgive a brief digression before we get back to the main theme.

The history and use of sound effects is interesting in its own right. The use of atmospheric sound effects, created by actors or back stage crews often using mechanical means, dates back at least two thousand years. Creating the sound of horses’ hooves, or weather such as thunder or wind, is still used to supplement the action on the stage, though more often than not these days the effects are reproduced electronically. The techniques transferred fairly readily to film-making, once sound was added to the pictures. The latest technologies were employed to record and store useful sounds, and very quickly large libraries of effects were made.