[Boomerjinks]

If you've come to the Ectomobiles Section of GBfans.com, you're probably come with a purpose. Maybe it's to tell us about a car you saw for sale on ebay or maybe it's to talk about what kind of car you think would make a good modernized Ectomobile. Though it's far more likely that you're JettaJeffro making sure no post in the Ecto-AZ thread goes without a reply, or you're some jerk from Colorado with a faggy-ass Magnum.

But, if you're new around here, you're probably visiting this lonely corner of GBfans (though not as lonely as Giga Meters) in search of or to talk about sound effect files for the Ecto-1 siren!

Well, this thread right here is your very own one-stop-shop for all your Ecto siren needs!

First of all, the siren you hear coming from the Ecto-1 in the movies is not a real, production siren. At least we're pretty sure it isn't. As far as we know, it was a studio-created sound effect that was then applied to the movie in post-production.

The "Default" Siren
You can find mp3 files of the siren that have been edited off the movie here: http://www.hprops.com/sounds/
With that link you can also find various remixes or unlooped samples of the siren for your own use in fanfilms or effects tests or whatever you'd like. Also, a wide range of proton pack sound effects.


The "Montage" Siren
GB1 features another siren that is only heard during the montage sequence. It is faster and has a higher pitch, but sounds fairly similar. This siren is almost never associated with the Ecto-1 even though it was the effect used in one of the primary Ectomobile scenes in the film. It was largely ignored until recently, when 69428scj edited together his own version of the sound effect and posted it here: http://www.zshare.net/audio/64557438e0a85f72/
If you're building an Ecto, it's definitely a must-have sound effect, if only for making your neighbors dogs head explode.


Application of the Siren to Your Vehicle
Since the siren is not an actual device and it only exists in sound file form, it can be kind of tricky to make your home-made Ecto-1 capable of blasting it out the roof. The most commonly-used method of applying the sound effect is through a CD or MP3 player which then feeds into an amp and then into roof-mounted speakers. You can use a normal Radio Shack loudspeaker or stereo speakers or, whatever really. Some users have even put the sound effect on their phone and jacked into a set of speakers to great effect. I use a 750-watt amp hooked to a set of four 8-inch weather-proof marine speakers and have had fantastic results.

The benefit of this method is that you can play other sounds out of your roof rack. The Ghostbusters theme or "Savin the Day" or whatever you damn well please. In my experience, "Thriller" is usually a hit on Halloween.

There are other methods currently being developed by other users. A good example would be Replica Props' siren sound board, which can be wired directly into throw switches to play the wind up and wind down sequences

VERY neat!

So yeah, there you have it. Discuss!

[jettajeffro]

You know me well. You know me well. I have been meaning to ask if are you using a CD or MP3 player for your set-up? We've been told the MP3 is alot clearer which I can believe, but is there a major noticable difference?

[Boomerjinks]

I'd say the MP3 and the CD player sound the same. The only difference you're likely to encounter is the volume of the sound, which comes from how much power the source device produces. I never had problems with CD players producing loud volume (we would never play anything at full volume due to distortion), but I've had to boost all the music I load onto my iPhone.

Depending on the device, I liked discmans better because they loaded the sound effect faster. But it also beeped when I changed tracks, and that was annoying if I was skipping from the siren to, say, track 8 or something.

[bradboss12]

Can I buy an Ecto for $100??? : P

Cool. Now all I need is an Ecto to put it in...

[kni1ght]

Hey gang, Mike here. I've been gone a while due to some very arduous house hunting. Closing on my first home within the next week, and school has been murder.

I saw this post and wanted to share what I did with my Ecto. Like was said above, the MP3 was an approach I used. The forward light bar in my Ecto 1 has a P.A. speaker in it......that P.A. speaker is tapped into the front channel of the stereo system. When I want Ecto to blare his siren......I un pause the CD and let the track loop......all coming out of the light bar's speaker.

The video below shows how some of this works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfjCq_ZSpjI

here's a pic from earlier in the Ecto 1 project that shows the PA speaker in the light bar.



Peace all.

Mike

[Ghostbuster J]

Just watched your video Mike and I have to say you've done an amazing job with the Ecto. Keep up the good work my friend!

[kni1ght]

Just watched your video Mike and I have to say you've done an amazing job with the Ecto. Keep up the good work my friend!

Thanks man. She's been getting some additional work to her lately....but haven't really posted any new pics or progress on her. Most of her stuff has been mechanical and things like exhaust work. As a matter of fact......maybe I'll do a small topic post on her since I haven't since like last Halloween.

Peace man, thanks for the nice words.

Mike

[Boomerjinks]

I saw this post and wanted to share what I did with my Ecto. Like was said above, the MP3 was an approach I used. The forward light bar in my Ecto 1 has a P.A. speaker in it......that P.A. speaker is tapped into the front channel of the stereo system. When I want Ecto to blare his siren......I un pause the CD and let the track loop......all coming out of the light bar's speaker.

The video below shows how some of this works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfjCq_ZSpjI

I don't really see how a video with the siren sound effect put in through the editing process illustrates what you've done at all.


Moving on, in seeing a vast number of varying replicas over the last year (including the Sony car), I've made a lot of observations. It's not hard to realize how pumping music through a lightbar PA would make it sound like crap due to the loss of range, and how playing a siren through stereo speakers may lack the power you're looking for. I think those of you at the DragonCon parade this year can appreciate just how terrible the music coming from the lightbar-mounted PAs sounded.

As most of you know, our Magnum has four marine speakers mounted behind the tanks, two on each side of the roof rack. This gives us some real high-quality audio when it comes to the music, and it gives the siren a little extra growl with the capability for lower frequencies.

However, as the speakers do not face the front of the vehicle, the effect of the siren is diminished. This is an acceptable concession to us because we don't go around blaring the siren all the time, as it would probably drive us to the edge of sanity. We can still blast the siren, but you're not going to hear us coming directly at you from 1,500 feet away. We're cool with that because we probably only play the siren out of the car 2% of the time, and that's generally just when someone asks if the car is equipped with it.

My recommendation to builders, especially pro-car builders, is to have two separate systems. Mount a 50-watt powerhorn ($26 on RadioShack.com) inside your lightbar, or your federal siren, or behind your grill. Wire that to a switch with a soundchip, which will give you the capability of playing the windup, loop, and winddown all with a singular action. For everything but the siren, mount weather-proof speakers inside the roofbox, preferably underneath, pointing down at the roof of the car. This will allow the sound to bounce off the roof and out toward spectators. You could mount them facing up, but the sound will dissipate more rapidly if they point up, they will be muffled by the roof box components they are mounted to, or you may encounter the buildup of water or debris inside the speaker. Connect these speakers to an amplifier and an aux input cable, which will allow you to play anything on a cd or MP3 player, and will give you the flexibility to play things from other devices as well (in case you accidentally deleted 'Shatner on the Mount' from your phone, but your buddy happens to have it on his).

If you're concerned about blasting yourself inside the car with downward-pointing speakers, buy some dynamat and slip that in above your headliner. After quite a bit of experience riding in hearses and pro-cars, adding dynamat to damped roadnoise would probably be something your passengers would appreciate anyway.

This setup would not be accurate, and anyone looking under the roof rack would see the speakers easily, but I think it is the perfect arrangement for prop car that both looks and performs the part of what people expect from the car they remember from the film. If you want both a powerful, authentic siren as well as auto show-quality music to be a part of your project, this is the way to go.

[Dr.D]

Has anyone tried making a siren based more off the RGB siren? It seems to be a bit of a higher pitch then the movie version. Ghosts R' Us has a good example of the siren.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPewBAV0yYo

[kni1ght]

I saw this post and wanted to share what I did with my Ecto. Like was said above, the MP3 was an approach I used. The forward light bar in my Ecto 1 has a P.A. speaker in it......that P.A. speaker is tapped into the front channel of the stereo system. When I want Ecto to blare his siren......I un pause the CD and let the track loop......all coming out of the light bar's speaker.

The video below shows how some of this works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfjCq_ZSpjI

I don't really see how a video with the siren sound effect put in through the editing process illustrates what you've done at all.

Simply put, the MP3 is pumped through the PA speaker in the roof. Where necessary, I enhanced it with audio. Just like I stated before. This video clearly shows the PA speaker in the light bar, and many of my other videos show "REAL AUDIO" not over dubbing tracks to show what the siren sounds like in this Ecto 1. Thanks for the thought Boomer.

[Boomerjinks]

Where necessary, I enhanced it with audio.

Where is there any original audio in the video you posted? There is no road noise, no engine noise, and no audible wind.

I call shenanigans.

[kni1ght]

Where necessary, I enhanced it with audio.

Where is there any original audio in the video you posted? There is no road noise, no engine noise, and no audible wind.

I call shenanigans.

Call it want you want Boomer. The conversation I previously had with Ghostbuster J thanking him for the nice comments about my Ecto and that video were continued from previous videos I had posted where it showed me working on Ecto and testing the siren. The audio in the above video is the exact same audio track that I use in Ecto's CD player for his siren. Ghostbuster J was giving me a compliment about Ecto, and I was explaining how I make the siren work. Do you want me to post another video with a camera right in front of the PA speaker blaring the siren? Would that make you feel better? All the people on this message board have done nothing but compliment me on my work on Ecto and tell me how good I did with her appearance and her siren, and I always let them know how much I appreciate it.

The video below is a recent outing with the guys and Ecto again. Since Boomer is so dead set on hearing real Ecto 1 siren audio....watch the video.....and again......it's the same audio track as in the previous video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVcIUGZk3r8

To be more precise, when the video is at 4:07, that's Ecto's (REAL) siren. Again....same track.

If Boomer wants to say that using a PA speaker sounds like crap, and pumping it through a CD player is not the way.....I say let those who are building "their own" Ecto 1, discover all sorts of ways to make an Ecto siren. My method has not only served my purposes, but when Ecto is live and in color, she sounds great, the siren sounds great, the PA speaker sounds great, and the clarity and sound does the car, the movie, and the idea of Ghostbuster justice. Friends, this method does work. Don't believe me, find for out yourself.

Thanks again to Ghostbuster J for his earlier comment and to whom I was chatting with before.

Mike

[Chace]

To be more precise, when the video is at 4:07, that's Ecto's (REAL) siren. Again....same track.

Which when you walk to the back of the car in that video is nearly completely muted.

Granted, I have no system on my car for playing the regular siren other than the stereo while the doors and hatch are up...which is all I need for a car show, but falls short for parades. Having seen a bunch of other setups at DragonCon, I agree that Boomer's is a better option.

Of course I also have a motor driven siren that's loud as hell and I can KINDA get off on a technicality as it's the "You can't park that here!" siren.....really its a shame that there isn't a motor driven that sounds accurate...they're just so beautifully loud.

But whenever I get around to upgrading my sound system....which will be after I upgrade my lights, I plan on using the example set forth by Boomer. It just sounds better.

[kni1ght]

More power to ya bud. I think each person should use whichever they feel is best for them. For me, my P.A. setup has really proven itself. Maybe one day it will get replaced by something more advanced. But in the here and now, with the parades and car shows, and events I've done with Ecto, the siren has always been a real hit. I too have one of the traditional wind-up sirens that are louder than hell. LoL But for the traditional Ecto 1 siren everybody is use to, my PA speaker has done exceptional. Actually much better than I thought since it's such a low tech approach.

Peace man.

Mike

[kni1ght]

Here we go. This is a much older video, from October 2008. And other than the GB Music....all the Siren Sounds in this video are "REAL TIME" siren sounds from Ecto's roof P.A. setup. Both Ecto and JP Jeep in this video have undergone major changes since this video was made, but the PA setup is still the same.

You can even tell at times in the video where I was turning up and down the volume on Ecto's stereo to adjust the Siren volume when needed......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uMhN_5w8WQ

Not saying my way is better......just saying.... it "does" work.

Mike

[Boomerjinks]

The reading comprehension in this thread is appalling.

You described your audio setup, then posted a link to a video stating that the video showed the results of that setup, when in fact it was a video of your car with all audio removed and the song and siren added in through video editing. THAT's the only problem I had, that instead of actually contributing to the demonstration of your system, you just posted an unrelated video to plug your car.

And if you go back to the system details I was describing, I did not state that the Ecto siren played through a PA would sound "like crap." I specifically stated that music would probably sound terrible due to the low end getting cut out, and that a PA is actually ideal for the siren. So hop down off your high horse and actually read.

I never once questioned whether or not your system worked or whether you car had the siren, I was simply calling you out for posting a video unrelated to the discussion in this thread.

[kni1ght]

The reading comprehension in this thread is appalling.

You described your audio setup, then posted a link to a video stating that the video showed the results of that setup, when in fact it was a video of your car with all audio removed and the song and siren added in through video editing. THAT's the only problem I had, that instead of actually contributing to the demonstration of your system, you just posted an unrelated video to plug your car.

And if you go back to the system details I was describing, I did not state that the Ecto siren played through a PA would sound "like crap." I specifically stated that music would probably sound terrible due to the low end getting cut out, and that a PA is actually ideal for the siren. So hop down off your high horse and actually read.

I never once questioned whether or not your system worked or whether you car had the siren, I was simply calling you out for posting a video unrelated to the discussion in this thread.

You know what, I've said all I'm going to say. I've made nothing but friends here on GB Fans and all of them have been very receptive to my work I've done on that 1960 Cadi Ecto. They've all been very nice, traded ideas and I have done the same. I'm not going to waste time trying to make a point to you boomer because I've noticed over the years you can be very one-up-ish and adversarial. I'm not trying to be that way....I'm just sharing my Ecto experiences, with my friends here. I'm not saying "im right, you're wrong" I'm sharing stuff with folks. I acknowledged what you said before about my video. But it's not me who needs to come down off his high horse......I'm here to have fun with my GB buds and talk about the "1960 Ecto 1" I did........not to give members crap about their work and criticize their creative talents. I posted that video for many reasons......I stated when I posted that video, that "this is how some of the stuff works" and the rest was being shared with a fellow GB bud. Then you sound off about my video.

You "were" right about one thing though. It is getting appalling.

[Boomerjinks]

All I said was that this statement

The video below shows how some of this works.

is false.

That's all I am talking about. Beyond that, I'm not sure why you feel you need to keep bringing up how much everyone loves your car.

[kni1ght]

All I said was that this statement

The video below shows how some of this works.

is false.

That's all I am talking about. Beyond that, I'm not sure why you feel you need to keep bringing up how much everyone loves your car.

Well, Boomer, you've just proven that apparently, that fact bothers you. Looks like that's what all this is about. Get Over it already!! My head ain't that big! If people dig the car, cool. If they hate the car, that's fine too. And FYI, the video shows a close up of the light bar from a bumper mounted camera rig and you can clearly see the P.A. in the light bar.

You really need to chill out and stop being so adversarial with me dude. If you're that bothered with my postings and what I share with folks, then PM me and we'll discuss it. You publicly trying to bash what I do with my Ecto videos and how I post them is quite childish..........and unforunately, one of the reasons I won't let my 13 year old son on these boards.

Chill out all ready!! Got a problem with me, PM me......I'm sure these folks don't need to hear it.

[AJ Quick]

And FYI, the video shows a close up of the light bar from a bumper mounted camera rig and you can clearly see the P.A. in the light bar.

However this thread is about actually making sounds come out of the roof of an Ecto. It is not about showing off a PA system hidden under the light bar, and posting a video with a siren edited in. That's the point Boomerjinks is trying to express to you. He is not attacking you, your car, or your video. He is merely trying to say... Hey... That's not what this topic is about, please post your video somewhere else if you are trying to get hits for it.

This is specifically what you said:

The video below shows how some of this works.

However upon watching the video all I saw was your car driving around with the siren edited in after the video was shot. It doesn't show how it works at all. Its off topic.

You publicly trying to bash what I do with my Ecto videos and how I post them is quite childish..........and unforunately, one of the reasons I won't let my 13 year old son on these boards.

Boomerjinks has been nothing but polite to you in this thread. If I was a parent with a 13 year old, I wouldn't want them posting on the message boards either. They tend not to have the manners or writing comprehension that a Ecto-1 owner should have.

This is a stupid argument and frankly you should have brought it to PM.

[Judhudson]

Hope you guys don't mind this bump...

Most people can't seem to stand 20 seconds of the siren blazing out of their car, but having the theme music combined makes it a lot more tolerable. Seeing as I couldn't find a combination of the siren and Ghostbusters theme, I went ahead and made them myself - with three different styles.

Ghostbusters 1 Theme with the Standard Siren
http://www.simprograms.com/downloads/ghostbusters/GB1 Theme - Ecto Siren - Slow.mp3

Ghostbusters 1 Theme with the Fast Siren (Montage) (too be honest, I don't think I did a good job on it, I dislike this siren anyways)
http://www.simprograms.com/downloads/ghostbusters/GB1 Theme - Ecto Siren - Fast.mp3

Ghostbusters 2 Theme with the Standard Siren - Run DMC version, I took out the car sounds in the beginning - it didn't seem to fit well seeing as the car is running to begin with...
http://www.simprograms.com/downloads/ghostbusters/GB2 Theme - Ecto Siren.mp3


I put these on my iPhone for the Ecto I'm working on - and tested them on our Cop Car's siren. Crowds are going to love it!

Enjoy!

*I didn't save the project files, so I won't be able to do any editing unless I redo them.

[kni1ght]

Hope you guys don't mind this bump...

Most people can't seem to stand 20 seconds of the siren blazing out of their car, but having the theme music combined makes it a lot more tolerable. Seeing as I couldn't find a combination of the siren and Ghostbusters theme, I went ahead and made them myself - with three different styles.

Ghostbusters 1 Theme with the Standard Siren
http://www.simprograms.com/downloads/ghostbusters/GB1 Theme - Ecto Siren - Slow.mp3

Ghostbusters 1 Theme with the Fast Siren (Montage) (too be honest, I don't think I did a good job on it, I dislike this siren anyways)
http://www.simprograms.com/downloads/ghostbusters/GB1 Theme - Ecto Siren - Fast.mp3

Ghostbusters 2 Theme with the Standard Siren - Run DMC version, I took out the car sounds in the beginning - it didn't seem to fit well seeing as the car is running to begin with...
http://www.simprograms.com/downloads/ghostbusters/GB2 Theme - Ecto Siren.mp3


I put these on my iPhone for the Ecto I'm working on - and tested them on our Cop Car's siren. Crowds are going to love it!

Enjoy!

*I didn't save the project files, so I won't be able to do any editing unless I redo them.

Don't mind the bump at all.....welcome change of pace. I checked out the files you posted and I dig the fast Ecto siren. And I agree with you on the 20 seconds of blaring siren. My buddy Raul found one that I need to try to get from him, or at least, rip it off the CD we've been using. It's a phenomenal sounding siren that starts out with the slow wind up (just like a real one would sound) then progresses and eventually winds down. I dig your approach to how you are accomplishing your siren though. I've thought about adding a blue tooth extender to Ecto, so my Iphone can trigger the siren remotely when at shows. It's something I've done already with my KITT car and it works great.

Thanks for sharing those.

Peace man.

Mike

[Shappy]

Mike,

Was curious to see what you used for your red light and old chrome siren box on your car. I was having trouble tracking down both pieces and didn't know what I should be searching for. Any hints or help would be appreciated.

[Nate1885]

does anyone have a new link for the montage siren?

[69428scj]

If there were another place to upload it for free, I'd do it...otherwise I could just email it to you.

[Boomerjinks]

If there were another place to upload it for free, I'd do it...otherwise I could just email it to you.

Tindeck.com !!

[kni1ght]

Mike,

Was curious to see what you used for your red light and old chrome siren box on your car. I was having trouble tracking down both pieces and didn't know what I should be searching for. Any hints or help would be appreciated.

For the most part, the red light on the roof is just the assembly piece similar to the smaller blue ones in the front of the forward light bar. The only difference is, I placed red acrylic in the light housing to give the red look. And the chrome siren is an actual old siren from that era. A buddy of mine found it on ebay, and jumped at it. So I bolted to the roof piece I made for Ecto, and wired a momentary push button for it in the car. Sounds like a tornado siren. LoL

Peace man.

Mike

[Mxlplx]

Isn't the red light siren a Solaray siren?

[Boomerjinks]

Isn't the red light siren a Solaray siren?

Sirens don't produce light.

[69428scj]

The red light is a Propelloray and they haven't been produced since the 1950s. It was the most difficult exterior piece to find. Montage siren reuploaded here