History Main / PreviewsPulse

Trailers love to play up excitement and mystery, and one favorite way to do this by tickling the ears with an unusual sound. One of these sounds is the Previews Pulse. It is often created by an instrument known as a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaster_Beam blaster beam]] which creates a single chord which ends up sounding technological and mysterious. Other methods are through mixing several instruments, usually bass, or altering the sound of a horn.

* ''{{VideoGame/Mass Effect 3}}'''s trailers had them. The "pulse" is actually in-universe: it's the sound the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Reapers]] generate when charging their [[FrickinLaserBeams massive lasers.]]

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjKO10hKtYw The second trailer]] for ''{{Film/Godzilla 2014}}'' has them, during the scene where Godzilla is revealed from within an enormous smoke cloud. By contrast, [[http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=10z69o0&s=5#.Utb7v-ChBFL the first trailer]] played the same scene without any pulses, instead playing Ligeti's ''Requiem'' during then.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjKO10hKtYw The second trailer]] for ''Film/Godzilla2014'' has them, during the scene where Godzilla is revealed from within an enormous smoke cloud. By contrast, [[http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=10z69o0&s=5#.Utb7v-ChBFL the first trailer]] played the same scene without any pulses, instead playing Ligeti's ''Requiem'' during then.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZhYjRHllxk The trailer]] for ''Disconnect (2012)'' has it.

* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbw9hlBnG74 trailer]] for ''Film/EuropaReport'' has it (second half).

** Inna's "Be My Lover" uses the same or a similar blaster beam sound during its dance break.

* ''{{Film/Inception}}'' is one of the most famous examples, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hP9D6kZseM featuring a distinctive sound in the trailers]] that [[MemeticMutation became memetic]]. [[http://inception.davepedu.com/ Buttons for it exist]].
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Note The Deep Note]] is the Ur-ominous sound before nearly every movie. You may know it better as [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWkJ86JqlPA the THX sound effect.]] Its ominousness comes from the fact that it sounds louder than it actually is, since it's made of a spectrum of frequencies that grow from small to large.

* ''{{Film/Transformers}}'', particularly the trailers for ''[[Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen Revenge of]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi1rMw-2hx4 the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon Dark of]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY_nPE2EQ80 the Moon]]''.
* ''Film/TRONLegacy'' plays one [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiRPWfz3HZw as Sam first enters the Grid and sees a Recognizer]]. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=40jX-9zc7Ec Its trailer isn't free of them either.]]

* ''Film/RedRidingHood'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM8V3cHdSC4 goes for the horn]].
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt7ofokzn04 So does]] ''Film/BattleLosAngeles''.

* ''{{Film/District 9}}'''s [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6PDlMggROA second trailer]] featured pulses of many sizes. They're in-universe, to boot - they're the sounds the ship makes. [[spoiler:One shatters every window in Johannesburg.]]
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VdONYkKFmQ Many also]] in ''{{Film/Immortals}}''.

* ''Film/CowboysAndAliens'''s is fairly muted, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV-mii_IrKc but it culminates at 2:07]].

* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxVIhsLdcC8 trailer ]] for ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}''.
* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbTgbusuNmM Russian trailer]] for ''Film/TheCounselor''.
* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U9KmAlrEXU#t=50 trailer]] for ''Film/UpstreamColor'' has it.

* ''{{Film/District 9}}'''s [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6PDlMggROA second trailer]] featured pulses of many sizes.

* ''{{VideoGame/Mass Effect 3}}'''s trailers had them. The "pulse" is actually in-universe: it's the sound the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Reapers]] generate when charging their [[FrickinLaserBeam massive lasers.]]

* ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'': [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3tidwW1gGM&t=1m13s Sound familiar]]? The chord actually does show up in the film once, as the spear-wielding apes appear in a roof.

* ''{{Film/Prometheus}}'' used these, coupled with a strange howl taken from the original ''{{Franchise/Alien}}'''s trailer.

* ''{{VideoGame/Mass Effect 3}}'''s trailers had them. The "pulse" is actually in-universe: it's the sound the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Reapers]] generate when charging their [[FrickinLaserBeam massive lasers.]]

* {{Mass Effect 3}}'s trailers had them. The "pulse" is actually in-universe: it's the sound the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Reapers]] generate when charging their [[FrickinLaserBeam massive lasers.]]

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty: VideoGame/ModernWarfare 3'': [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uAEn8zKpMg Another chord]] from Creator/HansZimmer himself.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty: VideoGame/ModernWarfare 4'': [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uAEn8zKpMg Another chord]] from Creator/HansZimmer himself.

* Diablo Swing Orchestra's "Justice for Saint Mary" (the final track off ''Pandora's Pinata''). [[http://youtu.be/3UIJmJB0GEU?t=5m45s At 5:45 into the song]], just after the final chorus, there are two low-pitched trombone notes, signaling to the listener that the song is about to kick it up a notch.