Former Apple Sound Designer Discusses History Behind 'Sosumi', Mac Startup Tone, and Camera Click

[Solomani]

I’m not sure if he’s heard the watchOS sound effects. I think they’re beautifully done.

Yes. Yes the watch sounds really are well done.
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My 2013 iMac has a startup chime – did they remove it after that?

The problem w/startup chime is if the volume was left high at last shutdown, it will start up w/ear-splitting chime... not good if someone’s sleeping, etc.

Yes, I kinda thought that was one reason they got rid of the startup chime… because it could have been distractingly loud (especially when you are troubleshooting at night when the family is asleep). Then again, Apple did not have to completely remove the startup chime. They could have simply left it as an Option to turn on or off (maybe something that could be set in disk Bootup settings?)

 

[thefourthpope]

The screen cap sound was great for what it was. But now it forces a delay in the actual process. The machines complete the task instantly but we have to wait while the sound finishes.

 

[pianojoe]

Somehow, the chime on my Mac is G flat major, not C major.

 

[Internet Enzyme]

I find if deeply unsettling that the new macs do not have the iconic startup chime. Equally as egregious: no more glowing apple logo! It’s like they’re trying to throw away their icon status!

 

[Solomani]

Somehow, the chime on my Mac is G flat major, not C major.

Maybe your Mac is uh…… different?

 

[MrBat]

Here ya go: https://reekes.net/sosumi/

The Mac start-up sound, immensely satisfying. Can't explain why, but makes you feel VIP. Also, no other pedestrian computer got a sound like that at start-up.

Apple turning it off on new machines is disgraceful. Apple don't know anymore what it meant to be Apple. So sad.

 

[simonmet]

The PowerMacintosh 6100 crash sound in the video is hilarious.
.

And what the eff is up with that Macintosh Centris crash sound!

I didn’t realise there were quite so many versions of the startup chime, and I reckon that video is missing a few too. I haven’t even heard most of those crash sounds. I thought the crash sound was more like a flat/sad startup chime.
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The Mac start-up sound, immensely satisfying. Can't explain why, but makes you feel VIP. Also, no other pedestrian computer got a sound like that at start-up.

Apple turning it off on new machines is disgraceful. Apple don't know anymore what it meant to be Apple. So sad.

Agreed. The loss of the startup chime is basically symbolic of Apple’s loss of personality as it transitioned to a soulless mega-corporation. It symbolises the transition from the personality of Steve Jobs to the personality-less Tim Cook.

Sure it was a bit annoying on occasion, but they could’ve easily fixed that by letting you turn it off. A simple script that set the volume to zero on shut down achieved the same thing.

 

[Double-A]

What a funny guy. I feel a bit sorry he didn't profit from anything. I like his humour though, maybe he could go into dry standup. I laughed during the interview

Agreed

 

[scrapesleon]

A great piece of history

 

[Altis]

The startup chime itself doesn't sound bad, and is fine for a desktop...

But I have no idea why they put it on the laptops. Few things as disruptive in a lecture or conference as an incredibly loud and long startup sound -- that serves absolutely no purpose other than to disrupt everyone around you.

And its volume is based entirely on whatever system volume you just so happened to have shut down with. If you've forgotten, then who knows what'll happen when you turn it on.

 

[Wanted797]

The problem I have with Apple now is their products lack heart. The little tiny details (like the startup sound) were what Steve obsessed over and gave the products personality.

The exclusion of the startup chime in new Macs took them from a part of your life to a machine you use when you need it.

Bring back the heart, Apple. Make the machines mean something to people.

So true. I miss the little lock and unlock noises they made it real. Apple had this ‘bubbly’ (I think I think bubbly that because of the clamshell macs and aqua theme).

The loss of skeuomorphism and flat design has made the whole experience flat.

 

[TheIntruder]

I guess my early Macs rarely crashed, because I only recall hearing that crash sound once.

That's a good thing. Those crash sounds were only played after serious, hardware-related errors, not more common software crashes.

The easiest way to invoke them without such incidents was to use the hardware interrupt switch, when Macs still had the physical restart/interrupt buttons.

 

[Fiachers]

I so miss the days when I was younger, when computers seemed amazing, fascinating and intriguing. These little details gave the Mac such personality compared to Windows, which I switched over to when I was 19. It all seemed so magical and special, but those days are gone.

 

[MrBat]

And what the eff is up with that Macintosh Centris crash sound!

I didn’t realise there were quite so many versions of the startup chime, and I reckon that video is missing a few too. I haven’t even heard most of those crash sounds. I thought the crash sound was more like a flat/sad startup chime.
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Agreed. The loss of the startup chime is basically symbolic of Apple’s loss of personality as it transitioned to a soulless mega-corporation. It symbolises the transition from the personality of Steve Jobs to the personality-less Tim Cook.

Sure it was a bit annoying on occasion, but they could’ve easily fixed that by letting you turn it off. A simple script that set the volume to zero on shut down achieved the same thing.

Basically, in the Startup Manager, a volume dial could have been added, so, you'd control the tune default volume when starting the machine, which would be independent from the volume you had set up inside macOS before Shut Down. Not so hard...

But oh well, Jobs is there no more to push Engineers to the limit and make them deliver up to the tiniest detail.

Dells XPs and some Thinkpads are catching up to MacBooks. Also, no MagSafe anyway, so,... besides macOS, (unless you go for hackingtosh) the point of getting Apple made computers is simply put, not worthy of my money anymore.

EDIT: Forgot to add, the damn glowing Apple logo in the screen lid. Premium as hell detail, but of course, removed from newer MacBooks... disgusting.

 

[44267547]

I so miss the days when I was younger, when computers seemed amazing, fascinating and intriguing. These little details gave the Mac such personality compared to Windows, which I switched over to when I was 19. It all seemed so magical and special, but those days are gone.

I’m not so sure about your post. I know what you mean by the subtleties with little features years ago with computers, but I still think laptops and computers today are much more advanced and have features that make the user experience more accessible, fluid and organized. If I had my choice of an older style Mac from years back, I would obviously take today’s modern computer because of all the advancements and the stark differences in terms of performance.

 

[randyhudson]

By contrast, Jim Reekes' C-Major must've been so refreshing to hear.

Except it's a G chord in that video.

 

[bunnspecial]

I miss the "chimes of death." Some of them are quite musical(like on the Mac II) while other computers-like some Performas-are a car crash.

 

[justperry]

I’m not so sure about your post. I know what you mean by the subtleties with little features years ago with computers, but I still think laptops and computers today are much more advanced and have features that make the user experience more accessible, fluid and organized. If I had my choice of an older style Mac from years back, I would obviously take today’s modern computer because of all the advancements and the stark differences in terms of performance.

Most of the time you make sense with your posts, not this time.
These new MacBooks could have included the startup sound, glowing Apple Logo, Macsafe, thought out software and UI amongst many more lost features, those days are gone, I agree with the OP.

 

[44267547]

Most of the time you make sense with your posts, not this time.
These new MacBooks could have included the startup sound, glowing Apple Logo, Macsafe, thought out software and UI amongst many more lost features, those days are gone, I agree with the OP.

If you don’t agree with what I wrote, doesn’t mean it doesn’t make “sense” to others, it just doesn’t make sense to you. That would be an anecdotal opinion on your behalf. To be honest, you also inadvertently construed my post. I was simply talking about how the Mac has changed in terms of user-interface, organization and structure. You’re complaining about more specific hardware changes over the course of years. Not at all the same tangent I was on.

 

[Mr. Heckles]

This was pretty interesting. Something so little has such a big impact.

 

[lunarworks]

The problem I have with Apple now is their products lack heart. The little tiny details (like the startup sound) were what Steve obsessed over and gave the products personality.

The exclusion of the startup chime in new Macs took them from a part of your life to a machine you use when you need it.

Bring back the heart, Apple. Make the machines mean something to people.

Except the startup sound we all know and love is from the non-Jobs era of the '90s.

Yes. Yes the watch sounds really are well done.
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Yes, I kinda thought that was one reason they got rid of the startup chime… because it could have been distractingly loud (especially when you are troubleshooting at night when the family is asleep). Then again, Apple did not have to completely remove the startup chime. They could have simply left it as an Option to turn on or off (maybe something that could be set in disk Bootup settings?)

I don't agree with it personally, but the reason they removed the sound is because people almost never turn off their computers anymore. People just close the lid and it sleeps.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Interesting article. As strange as it sounds, The Mac start up tone makes me think of Jobs days and its a classic tone of where the Mac was during Apples early years.

Agreed and indeed. I felt Apple having an undermining evil dictator ruling over all under Tim when the MBP 2016 was found out that no boot chime was set as default.

Tim needs to continue building and holding the fort, no need to raise a new flag. Yet he claimed at WWDC that the Mac holds a dear place in their hearts lol yet he essentially ripped out its heart.

Agreed, the Breathe notification chord especially.

Never heard it in the full year and 4mths I owned the Nike+ S2 before I sold it last week. S3 coming soon

Lol that sound IS beautiful but the effect of hearing it is like waving a red cape at a bull for me. I may be the only person on the planet who finds that whole exercise stressful and infuriating. I think it's because it's got the uncanny knack of popping up right when I'm in the middle of something important and can't take the time out for it. So I've come to associate it with all inopportune things like a call from a telemarketer when I'm already answering the doorbell.

I’ve found ALL visual notifications in WatchOS that jump in front of user interaction an annoyance and needs to be scrapped.

I’ve noticed the non-typical timing of the breathe app that has occurred when seated may be algorhytm based on slight heart threshold raise (not unlike the sudden 120bpm alert). Try to not get annoyed by it and instead think the watch is noticing your elevated heart rate as a stress indicator and trying to keep you calm allowing you to focus.

Enjoy!

I guess my early Macs rarely crashed, because I only recall hearing that crash sound once.

I’ve always associated the Mac boot chime, like the smiling Mac as a pleasant surprise like a warm geeeting.

Here ya go: https://reekes.net/sosumi/

Gracious senor.

 

[Mr. Donahue]

I miss the old lock sound. It had a slight echo to it. Sounded so cool. The current lock sound just isn’t as pleasing to hear.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Basically, in the Startup Manager, a volume dial could have been added, so, you'd control the tune default volume when starting the machine, which would be independent from the volume you had set up inside macOS before Shut Down. Not so hard...

But oh well, Jobs is there no more to push Engineers to the limit and make them deliver up to the tiniest detail.

Dells XPs and some Thinkpads are catching up to MacBooks. Also, no MagSafe anyway, so,... besides macOS, (unless you go for hackingtosh) the point of getting Apple made computers is simply put, not worthy of my money anymore.

EDIT: Forgot to add, the damn glowing Apple logo in the screen lid. Premium as hell detail, but of course, removed from newer MacBooks... disgusting.

I definitely feel you.

Regarding the backlight Apple Logo, Apple has it on wrongside up when the lis was opened for years. Then when Backlight came to the logo on PowerBooks it was first on the TiBook so its only when metal case was first introduced. TiBook that was a pure marvel of engineering sex compared to the competition for almost a decade later.

 

[simonmet]

I kind of get that Apple’s justification for removing the startup chime being that there’s little need to turn computers off anymore. The power draw on sleep is so minimal with modern chips.

But there is need to restart on occasion, such as installing new software or an OS update or patch and it’s these times that the signature startup chime is missed.

I always wanted to see it get a little more high-res though. Like a full-definition orchestral chord.