In the original Star Wars films, the iconic blaster sound wasn’t the result of digital effects—but of creative, hands-on sound design. Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt stumbled upon the distinctive noise while walking near a radio tower. He heard a metallic twang coming from a tensioned steel cable when it was struck. Curious, he hit the cable with a wrench and recorded the sharp, vibrating sound it produced. After tweaking it in the studio, that raw audio became the unforgettable “pew” of the