Star Wars - Stereo vs Mono Sound Mix Comparison

Star Wars - Stereo vs Mono Sound Mix Comparison
In this video, I give an in depth review of the sound mix differences between the 1977 Stereo and 1977 Mono mixes of Star Wars.
FOOTAGE USED:
Project 4K77 (35mm Print)
Puggo Grande (16mm Print)
A huge thanks to SpaceHunterM for documenting these changes. You can view his original video here: • Star Wars (1977) - Dol...

[@MrMahn21]

Some technical info which you got wrong is that when it comes to 35mm optical tracks, stereo does NOT mean 2 speakers. There are only 2 tracks, but in those 2 tracks Dolby encoded 4 channels of information, which would then be decoded on playback. Stereo 35mm prints are actually Left, Center, Right, and a mono Surround. Also, 1 surround track ≠ 1 speaker. Surround channels come out of an array of speakers for each channel to diffuse the soundscape.

[@rickrische557]

True. 35mm Dolby Stereo had a 4-channel sound mix matrixed down to the two channels available on the film's optical soundtrack. The 70mm 6-track Dolby Stereo soundtrack featured 6 discrete channels available on the 70mm release prints striped with magnetic tape. The standard 6-track Dolby mix featured a separate channel for the left, center and right speakers behind the screen, two low bass subwoofer tracks on the center/left and center/right tracks (Dolby referred to this configuration as "baby boom" throughout the late 70s and 80s) and a single channel sent to the array of surround speakers in the theater's auditorium. It wasn't until "Apocalypse Now" in 1979 when the 70mm presentation featured stereo surround channels i.e. a left surround channel and a right surround channel, similar to modern 5.1 surround sound configurations.

[@moaningpheromones]

You're taking care of business - and we get to watch it. Rock on.

[@jarekstorm6331]

I snuck a cassette tape recorder into the theater under my jacket when I was a kid and recorded the entire Star Wars movie sound. It was the stereo mix, as I listened to it hundreds of times over the years, and became very familiar with it. May still have those cassettes in a box somewhere.

[@theanalogkid3763]

Interesting that you say that since now video reconstructions with audio recordings taken in the theater have become popular on KZbin now. For example someone synced the finale of A New Hope with a recording taken by a kid in a movie theater in 1977. Pretty amazing to hear the audiences genuine reactions.

[@moaningpheromones]

usher: this punk is wearing a wire the rebel scum.

[@sjdrifter72]

@@theanalogkid3763 There was no such film called A New Hope in 1977, but there was one called Star Wars. Get that fact right.

[@mosesberkowitz3298]

I’m gonna look on KZbin for that right now - - but if you have a link could you please post it ??

[@itsMrNoble]

@@sjdrifter72You self righteous pedant.

[@SimonRandall]

Listen to Ben Burts commentary on the New Hope DVD he explains how each mix was done one after the other and they refined the sound effects for each one. In 77 most theatres were mono so that was the most important mix.

[@lordmikethegreat]

Why did they have to do a special mix? Couldn't they have just combined the two channels?

[@ShauingOfficial]

@@lordmikethegreat No, if they did that (called a mixdown), whatever was mixed towards the left and right ends up being at a lower volume versus what was mixed on the center in the stereo mix. Also there might be phasing effects that would cancel out sounds if they combined them.

[@iZ-the-Egoni]

@@ShauingOfficialit’s actually called a "reduction", but yes that is a form of summing or mixdown as you say

[@bennettrr]

Fantastic presentation. Seeing as I only first saw Star Wars at a Drive-In theater in 1978, I hadn't heard many of these sound bytes until now. I honestly thought "close the blast doors" was a new addition in the Special Edition. Glad I was corrected and that it was there in the original mono mix. Thank you for sharing this.

[@lordmikethegreat]

Because Star Wars made such an indelible impression in my young mind, I can definitively say that I saw the mono version in the theaters originally. I remember those added/changed sound effects as plain as day. Wow. Thank you for this!

[@Jedi817]

This has blown my mind... I grew up watching the 1995 VHS tapes with the THX Stereo mix... I thought that was the true original version of the film. I had no idea it was different than the theater mono mix; it's like listening to a different movie! In many places the mono mix is superior, just like with Terminator.

[@ViewpointProd]

I adore the additional sine & triangle wave beeps & telemetry in the mono version, so simple yet so satisfying.

[@HexTableTop]

The mono is the ond I grew up with on TV. I thought I dreamed these variants until now!

[@StarTurtleZero]

An interesting side note is that the Story of Star Wars LP record is comprised of the mono mix. When you have listened to it as many times as I had as a kid, you remember all the sound effects (e.g. the Millenium Falcon winding down out of hyperspace)

[@vicwolfrin]

I love finding out about all the differences and variations in the original Star Wars

[@TroublesomeSlateTruck]

10:32-10:33, 10:34-10:35, 10:36-10:37, 10:38-10:39, 10:40-10:41, 10:42-10:43 And 10:44-10:45 As Viceroy Would Say From Star Wars Episode One: Close The Blast Doors! Now One Of The Stormtroopers Would Say: Quick! Open The Blast Doors, Open The Blast Doors. 10:46-10:47, 10:48-10:49, 10:50-10:51, 10:52-10:53, 10:54-10:55 And 10:56-10:57 One Stormtrooper Called: Close The Blast Doors! Captain Of The Stormtroopers Said: Open The Blast Doors, Open The Blast Door.

[@JacobDreamWorks921]

I think the 70mm 6 track magnetic Dolby Stereo soundtrack is the best sounding why, cause it has rich powerful bass, very high dynamic range and the sound sounds very well separated.😉

[@animaginaryboy2]

My sister would always do this really good impression of Aunt Beru saying, "I think so!" but watching it again when the special editions came out, it sounded nothing like that, but now I realise we must have watched the 1977 mono mix! My sister will be so pleased when I tell her, for sure! But awesome video, thank you!

[@konami1979]

Thanks for the cool comparisons. I know that the movie was originally meant to be heard in stereo, but the mono mix curiously made me nostalgic. I first heard the movie's mono mix on my parents' early 1980s TV set, which lacked stereo sound.

[@wonderfulwookiee6443]

Very nice! I mostly prefer the stereo (it's what I'm most familiar with) with the exception of C-3PO'S tractor beam speech, and the "close the blast doors" line. Everything thing else I prefer stereo.

[@lordmikethegreat]

When the special edition came out and that line was deleted, I wondered why as it was iconic and funny... I used to joke about it all the time. Now I know that it was never in the original stereo release.

[@Zickcermacity]

I have distinct memories of the mono sounds, because while the first time I saw Star Wars was in a Dolby Stereo theater, I saw it at least five more times that summer, probably at least once in a mono house

[@thesmilingman7576]

The stereo version sounds like it was recorded recently and not in the 70s

[@samuel-wankenobi]

That’s because there’s from 2 different prints the print for the stereo is higher quality

[@1987VCRProductions]

The stereo prints were recorded with Dolby type A noise reduction which helped dampen the noise floor and expand the dynamic range. The mono prints were done in the old Academy sound-on-film standard which really hadn’t changed much since the birth of sound films in the 1920s. The 35mm Dolby Stereo prints had 4 channel audio matrixed onto two tracks (Left, Right, Center, and a mono Surround channel). The 70mm Dolby Stereo prints had 6 channels of audio recorded on magnetic strips glued to the film (Left, Right, Center, Mono Surround, and two Low Frequency Effects tracks).

[@spitfiremark1a768]

Thanks for the effort in posting this. Very informative. STAR WARS is so interesting on many levels. That is why it has endured.

[@anthonyforg6867]

They definitely added more emotion with the alternative takes, on the mono version. Was that the version that was shown on TV in the 1980’s?

[@samuel-wankenobi]

All home release have been the stereo version and on tv it was the stereo version

[@suttercane6]

I definitely remember the mono mix from it's original TV showings in ITV here in the UK.

[@victorarmandoneis]

That's interesting. Many things that are presented by many as additions and/or changes for the Special Edition come from the original theatrical version. C-3PO's line about the tractor beam having 7 terminals and "Close the blast doors!" were all there from the very beginning, only in a different sound mix. Huh, who knew? I didn't.

[@sguinn91]

I was born in the early 90s, so I grew up with the vhs re-releases and the 1997 special editions of these movies. I'm noticing a lot of the sound effects and even some of the dialogue from the mono mix that made it into the special edition,DVD 5.1 mix and Blu-ray 6.1 dts mix! Nice comparison!

[@TwoStarWarsNerds]

This is great! I love this kind of content. It would be cool to do a Mono vs Stereo vs 6.1 surround comparison.

[@samuel-wankenobi]

The 6.1 surround sound was done for the dvd so no theatrical version of that exists but the 1995 vhs/ laserdisc did have 2.1 surround sound soo

[@chronimperiales]

In the book "Star Wars Year by Year : A Visual Chronicle", they said the C-3PO mono line about the tractor beam, was added the 21th July 1978. So the Mono sound mix is finally from 1978 :/

[@SG10FilmArchive]

Wow interesting! Do you know of that was the whole Mono-Mix, or just C-3P0’s line?

[@TheVarietyGuy]

I can't believe I never knew this!... So glad I found this video

[@moaningpheromones]

Thanks to this video I'm hearing the mono vs stereo versions of the film on two different film archive webpages. I feel the force flowing through me - it could just be indigestion. Two sound versions of the film - wow. That must've thrown people for a loop for years. I had no idea this was a thing. Mind blown.

[@indigoyarkindell968]

I have never heard the mono mix before. neat video. Also neat how some of the adds made it into the Video releases.

[@richieb3714]

A lot of the mono sound effects can be found on the LP, The Story of Star Wars. This seems to have been sourced from a mono mix and features selected scenes from the film with some narration. I didn't have a video of Star Wars for many years and so this mix is kinda seared into my brain!

[@ros9764]

The mono mix defenietely adds more of a space feel to it. The new sound effects were great additions

[@Eva01-jy2qu7pu9r]

I prefer the mono sound definitely

[@Delerane]

Fun-fact: I'm pretty sure* that the 77's french version is a mix of both of them. The film was released in France in october 1977, so a few month after the Mono-mix version. For example, at the begining of the movie, you can hear both of the alarms. R2 beeps when Luke discovers the dead jawas, but you can't hear the Cantina song outside it. However, you can hear the "whirring" sound effect to the hologram, and "Close the blast doors" is present too. 3PO also explains the tractor beam. I can't affirm it, but judging by my "GOUT" DVDs and old VHS before 1997, it seems correct.

[@hypnoz7871]

Je te confirme. J'ai grandi avec les VHS et c'est bien un mix des deux versions qui a été realisé. L'alarme au début du film étant mon souvenir le plus flagrant, celle que l'on entend dans la version mono est gravé dans ma tête.

[@NeidhardtDerBlitzschnelle]

I can confirm the same to be the case for the German Version of the film, which was released in February of '78. As when I bought the 2006 Limited Edition DVD, the one with the original cut of the film, taken from the Laser Disc Release, and when I watched that cut it also contained most of the added sound effects and lines. According the Wookiepedia, this was done with most foreign dubs of the film.

[@samuel-wankenobi]

The only reason the mono mix different sound effects are believed to be from the 1997 special edition is because the mono mix never got a home release

[@itsMrNoble]

It’s incredible how people are still poring over this tiniest details of this film 45 years later.

[@kmr5947]

日本の劇場公開版DVDを確認した所、ステレオの英語版と、劇場公開版吹替、新吹替（初出がわかりませんが、映像はLD版ソースと聞いた事があります） 日本語版はどちらもモノラル版以降の効果音のようでした。 日本では劇場公開がアメリカより一年以上遅れたので、最古のバージョンの効果音を使った吹替は存在しないかもしれません I checked the original theatrical DVD released in Japan. It includes the stereo English, the theatrical Japanese and the Japanese new dub(I don't know it sourced, but I heard the pictures sourced the LD). Both Japanese versions seemed to be the sound effects of mono versions. In Japan, theatrical screening was delayed for more than a year, so dubbing with the oldest sound effect may not exist. それと、「ブラストドアを開けろ」がおかしい事に気付きました。 劇場公開版DVDの新吹替と特別編VHS以降の吹き替えは主な声優が同じですが、「ブラストドアを開けろ」は翻訳からして変更され、「ブラストドアを閉じろ！」が省略されていました。 And one more thing, I noticed that "open the blast door" is strange. Main characters are dubbed the same actors in the theatrical DVD new dub and the special edition, but somehow troopers was changed actors and translations. And "Close the blast door!" was omitted. They are as below : theatrical DVD old dub「ブラストドアを開けろ、ブラストドアを開けろ！(Open the blast door, Open the blast door!)」 theatrical DVD new dub「防弾ドアを早く開けろ！(Open the bulletproof door quickly!)」 special edition VHS,DVD&BD「遮蔽ドアを閉めろ！なんてザマだ！早く開けろ！(Close the shielding door! what a mess! Open it quickly)」 他のトルーパーもいくつか確認しましたが、「ブラストドアを開けろ」以外は変わっていないようでした。 I checked some trooper's voices, but others may be not changed. 日本では字幕翻訳も頻繁に変更されています。 8mmフィルム版も確認しましたが、他のメディアと違っていました。 In Japan, subtitle translations also changed many times. I also checked the 8mm film version, it was different from other media.

[@BrettWMcCoy]

I must have seen it in mono originally, because I remember "Close the blast doors" the first time I saw the movie and thought it was the funniest part of the movie. I remember seeing Star Wars again a a year later in true Dolby Stereo and thought it was weird the rebel pilots had modulated voices (like Cylons) over the radios and the very strange echoes in the chasm when Luke & Leia swing over. And then also in 1978 or so, the record "The Story of Star Wars" came out, a stereo mix, but it had all of the extra stuff from the mono mix! And then of course later on, when the Special Editions came out, it had the extra stuff from the mono mix but in proper surround sound. :-)

[@iZ-the-Egoni]

The fact that Lucas + Co. were making changes to things even at least a month after first general release instead of requesting a simple stereo reduction to mono really shows how chronic his temperament is regarding matters such as these

[@peterp2153]

Yeah but minor changes like that weren’t entirely unique to Lucas, esp regarding audio mixes that could be rolled out progressively as exhibitions expanded (vs today when it’s a wide release same day across the country and film prints have been replaced by digital files).

[@rainbowrunner1550]

Luke saying, "Blast it Biggs, where are you?!" in the Stereo mix is the one that shows up on basically every official home video release of A New Hope. It's interesting how "Blast it Wedge, where are you?!" was only in the Mono mix, and wasn't added in any home video release. Granted, it's not actually Biggs coming to Luke's rescue. But the thought process that Luke is going through with that line is that it's hurtful to Luke that Biggs, one of his closest friends cannot be there to help him in that moment. It's essentially Luke saying "Where are you Biggs, I thought you had my back on this?", referring to the bigger picture, rather than that particular moment with the TIE Fighter on his tail.

[@Blazingstoke]

I always found that line a little confusing, because Wedge had _just said_ he was coming to cover Luke ("I'm on him, Luke. Hold on."), so why would Luke be expecting Biggs? Fortunately, the 1997 SE reinstated the reunion scene between Luke and Biggs, so we got clear exposition that the two are old friends (something which, in the original theatrical cut, you had to _really_ pay attention and/or rewatch the film a bunch of times to pick up on), and the line makes more sense.

[@brandonthemainstreetelectr1204]

Stereo sounds like clear tape and mono sounds like an old muffled film

[@SG10FilmArchive]

The Mono Mix was sourced from a 16mm film dupe, so it’s naturally a lower quality.

[@brandonthemainstreetelectr1204]

@@SG10FilmArchive that's what i thought so thanks for replying

[@vinceamaro1382]

​@@SG10FilmArchive specifically the Puggo Grande

[@IrnBruNYC]

I’ve always felt the ADR work on Aunt Beru in the stereo and six channel mixes was terrible. And in comparison to this mono mix, which I am hearing for the first time ever, the other mixes feel unfinished and rushed. There’s a similar story with the Beatles mono mixes. Most consumers had mono at the time so they spent a lot more time getting the mono mix right. The stereo mix of the Beatles recordings was more of an afterthought.

[@rmn070]

If the theatrical cuts ever get released on 4K, these two audio mixes should be remastered in Dolby Atmos individually, and so we can have the option to switch between the two mixes. In my opinion, almost all of the Mono Mix sound effects make it the better audio mix.

[@systemshocker2875]

2:59 The way Bera said "Tell Uncle" sounded like ti was edited compared to the alternate track in the mono print

[@IMosuGoji]

this is crazy the mono mix seems so much better other than Aunt Beru in my opinion hopefully the mono mix can be remastered or something or find the sound effects and re-edit them back in

[@DTSsince2016]

Awesome comparison! The Mono Mix is similar to the 1997 Special Edition

[@linoxyard]

So, to me it sound like the original 1978 Italian dub is based on the mono mix because it has all of the additional sound effects and pieces of dialogue, although it is presented in dolby stereo

[@antkowiak666]

I have the Silver Screen Edition and it lets you choose to watch the stereo mix or the mono mix. Both are great!

[@toddlask]

very interesting! mono mix has some nice adds.

[@davidcolantuono3622]

The Falcon "winding down" sound effect (along with its "winding up" sound effect) is also what I've heard in the newer releases of Star Wars. Actually, I remember C-3PO mentioning about the tractor beam in the VHS tape I used to watch during the 1980s. Of course, the beeping sound was not there at the time, although I heard it in newer releases. "Close the blast doors!" - not heard in the 1980s VHS, but heard in newer releases. The sound effects of the Falcon's guns right before Han and Luke fight four TIE-fighters are what I heard only in the newer releases. Red Leader's engine sound effects are also in the newer releases, but not in the 1980s VHS. I didn't comment on all the changes in sound effects between the Stereo and Mono versions, but with a few exceptions (one of which is C-3PO talking about the tractor beam), I much prefer the Stereo version.

[@SG10FilmArchive]

To my knowledge, Ben Burt made a specific audio mix for the VHS release which is why it has effects from both the stereo and the mono mixes.

[@Zickcermacity]

Certain scenes in mono sound "busier", since all the same sounds come out of both speakers, vs the stereo, where some sounds are panned more to one side or the other

[@simonthurlow8051]

I always knew my 80s VCR recording from TV in the UK was different, mainly the Beru lines. Thanks for clarifying, TV was obviously the mono mix.

[@NeidhardtDerBlitzschnelle]

Some additional Info: While all of the movie's foreign dubs were in stereo, the additional sound effects and voice lines from the mono mix were carried over. I remember when I got the 2006 DVD of A New Hope around 2016 or so, I watched the Original Version (German Dub). But when I heard the "Close the blast doors!" line and C-3PO explaining the tractor beam, I couldn't help myself but scratch my head in confusion.

[@dceufan]

1:02 - WAIT!! …. Isn’t that the song “Mars the Bringer of War” by Gustav Holst?? #ThePlanets

[@vanbelkom]

Crazy thing is I really prefer the mono mix and it's very likely this is the version most saw in 77'

[@memoir4you]

The version I taped onto vhs many years ago on TV was definitely in mono mix .

[@jorgegodoy6824]

It is sad to see that the original academy winner hard work that those talented people put on these movies are so hard to find

[@PeachLover94]

The mono mix Death Star announcer for closing on Yavin IV sounds like Scott Beach while the stereo mix one sounds like Terrence "Terry" McGovern. Beach and McGovern, both performers from the Bay Area, worked with Lucas back on _THX 1138_ and _American Graffiti._

[@superradness]

9:08 Why though? Did Lucas regret not adding that line in originally?

[@dceufan]

Wow .. the original 1977 version sounded better imo. The Stereo mix is alright but the Original is what I grew up with. #StarWars

[@AdhamOhm]

12:44 The original announcer sounds like Harry Shearer (aka Seymour Skinner, Weylon Smithers, Kent Brockman etc on "The Simpsons"). He had already provided dub voiceovers for Captain Khurgee (the Imperial officer who gives a sitrep to Vader after the Millennium Falcon lands at the Death Star) and Gold Two ("The guns... they've stopped!")

[@justinmatthews5356]

Seems like aunt Beru had the most changes

[@sebastiandrylla]

I saw this movie in 79' with my older Brother, it was in Poland... I was 4 years old and couldnt undarstand a Word of english, or read the Polish Translation, My Brother was Reading it for me, but after 10 minutes I grap his arm and told him " no juz dobra jest okaj" its ok I dont need to know the word's... That Picture was speaking to me enough whitout undarstanding the talking... Stereo or Mono, WHO Cares ? ( Gwjazdne Wojny) Polish for Star Wars... I have seen this movie about 100 Times later on... But I dont know, after 200 Times I have stoped counting😊😊😊😊😊

[@patrickwilson1459]

So does this explain there were some movie theaters that played the movie in stereo while others played it in mono mix?

[@dceufan]

1:21 - John Williams use The Planets by Gustav Holst as the bases to his #StarWars music.

[@JacobDreamWorks921]

Could you do an editorial on the differences between the 70mm and 35mm versions of The Empire Strikes Back?

[@thesmilingman7576]

2:17 why the heck is there a cartoon sound effect in my stars wars movir

[@Zickcermacity]

6:03 - The Stormtroopers in mono mix sound like Fed Flinstone and Barney Rubble!

[@3cheaptrick]

You left out one part Hold Out Wait For For My Signal To Start Your Run .😯😯😯

[@FarhanSyafiqFadhillah]

Looks like there's additional changes based on the original video's comment

[@viperleader001]

I hate to say it, but the 77 Mono mix I grew up on was way better, ever since I saw this in the Mann Chinese Theatre and I had this on a audio tape as well, the Mono mix was better.

[@Gukworks]

So they started changing Star wars from nearly the start.

[@coledakers6127]

1:25 I am confused, someone explain!

[@Nathan-nq6bc]

"Nebula Space Hunter M, *aah* ?" "You know it?" "What?? 😄, no, never heard of it." 😂

[@pandaoneproductionsd9765]

Mono mix all the way ↗️↗️↗️

[@EthanLong]

Great work

[@kthx1138]

Fascinating!

[@Zickcermacity]

9:28 - Did Star Wars influence our civil defense lexicon?

[@TheWarlordNinja]

So I guess the subwoofer doesn't exist back then

[@johnsplayworld2402]

this is cool!

[@FekLeyrTarg]

Looks like George liked changing things even in 1977. Just kidding of course. :P

[@veronicaporras9246]

6:09

[@tylerwaugh2352]

I think the mono sounds better in most scenes 👍

[@shortshaker9236]

I think I prefer the mono track of Star Wars 1977.

[@sap20lj]

That's how george lucas created THX sound mix

[@PokemonBoy-de4jd]

That was for Return of the Jedi when he played a print of the film in a poor quality theatre, causing the score to not play at random.

[@hochiminhwasamass-murderer8922]

Hmm.

[@SpaceHunterM]

I would have preferred you not acknowledging my video at all to being misgendered. Not everyone you encounter online is a man.

[@moaningpheromones]

You poor darling - how terrible. Did you eat today?

[@jarekstorm6331]

I snuck a cassette tape recorder into the theater under my jacket when I was a kid and recorded the entire Star Wars movie sound. It was the stereo mix, as I listened to it hundreds of times over the years, and became very familiar with it. May still have those cassettes in a box somewhere.

[@veronicaporras9246]

6:13