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- I discovered that the PC Video game "Star Wars - Dark Forces" by
- LucasArts uses the RED Box quarter tones (or a strikingly similiar
- variation) as a sound effect. The only caveat is that it is played at
- half speed.
- During gameplay, there is a "Power Up" that can be found called a Weapon
- Supercharge. The power up only lasts about 20 seconds but, before it
- ends, a warning sound consisting of a series of five short tones, spaced
- very closely together, are sounded. This burst of five tones is repeated
- 3 more times signalling the end of the power up.
- When recorded at half speed and replayed at full speed, this tone
- sequence sounds exactly like the "1700 + 2200 HZ frequency, 5 beeps, each
- 33 milliseconds duration with a 33 millisecond pause between beeps" that
- telephone companies automated coin toll system recognize as a quarter.
- Using a $25 dual speed microcassette recorder, this can be used quite
- effectively, though illegally, at pay phones across the country.
- This has been tested and proven to work.
- Though not the most effective or convenient way to generate red box tones,
- I did get a chuckle out of this most surreptitious sound effect that the
- programmers at LucasArts incorporated into their game.
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