The Sound Design of  Star Wars Episode 1  - 2 -

R2-D2
One of those distinct and memorable sounds is the voice of R2-D2. "R2 was, on the first film, the most difficult sound project," Burtt recalls. "He appears again in this film, and he is very much in character, as he always is." 

Lightsaber sounds
The old lightsaber sounds also appear in Episode I, though Burtt is reworking them to fit the faster fighting sequences that take place in the new movie. Each of the new lightsabers will also have its own signature sound, slightly different from the others. "I always try to match the sound of a unique weapon with the personality of the character who wields it," Burtt says.

"The Jedi lightsabers have a warm, almost musical sound, while the villain's lightsaber sounds a lot more dangerous and nasty, a little like a buzz-saw. It sounds like the guy who uses this is truly evil."

"Pre-auralization"
These sounds have been assembled into a rough mix to accompany the rough cut of Episode I. "We've already got all the basic ships and explosions and ambiances in it," Burtt says. "It's a continuation of the pre-visualization process achieved through animatics, except it's done with sound. 'Pre-auralization', if you will." At first, all of the effects are temporary. Then, as the final sounds are developed and perfected, the trial sound effects are slowly replaced by their permanent, official counterparts. 

Experimental mixes
"On the first movie, we had several experimental mixes of the picture. They were all temporary versions, of course, and some of them were rather sloppy. But we could sit down and run the picture from beginning to end and, with sound added, it would seem complete," Burtt explains. This process allows everyone to critique the film's sound based on a close approximation of the final version.

Manipulating soundmixes are easier today
The digital revolution has made manipulating sound and sound mixes much easier than it was when Star Wars began twenty years ago. "Since we're working with computer files now," Burtt says, "it's technically easier to manipulate the sounds and move them around. Adding sound to a movie that's still being edited is just like applying paint to a house that's being constantly modified and rebuilt. If someone adds a balcony or removes a wall, you have to start over, and that's the way it was with sound back then." 

But with today's technology, the computer can keep track of everything, which makes such dynamic sound designing and editing less of a headache. "Now we can build a very complex temporary mix, which is so much richer and deeper," says Burtt. The translation from temporary sound tracks to final mix has also become less problematic. "It used to be that when the final cut of a movie was decided upon, you would scrap the temporary sound mix and start building the final tracks. But now, you get to keep everything, because it's all digital and can be handled much more easily. So I'd say roughly 80% of the temp mix will end up in the final one."

Digital technology makes the creative process more effective
All of these technological advances don't necessarily mean that sound work is easier now than it was twenty years ago. "The creative process is just as big and just as hard," says Burtt, "but technology allows a smaller crew to tackle the challenge, and to do it in a more effective way. The sound crew on Episode I is about a third of what it was on Return of the Jedi, even though the task is just as complex." The extensive use of new technology allows for more freedom in the exploration and creation of sound, enabling the crew to concentrate more on art than on technical considerations.