Space Blaster Sounds

Tap the spring and it makes a “pew-pew” space-laser sound. The blasters in the first Star Wars film (1977) were made the same way: sound designer Ben Burtt struck a long steel guy-wire holding up a radio mast, and recorded the sound that came along it.

A tap sends many different pitches down the long spring. High pitches travel along it faster than low ones, so they arrive at the cup first, and the sound sweeps downward: pew!