Mavimao said:
- I say that because Darth Vader's voice effect in the French dub is really cheap sounding. Almost like the actor is talking through a tube.
That's because Lucasfilm didn't give any indications on how to do the "Vader's voice". So the french team has to find a way to recreate it.
Here is an interview of Perre Davanture, the french sound engineer who do the job : http://www.objectif-cinema.com/spip.php?article4547&artsuite=8 . He explain his work and he clearly say that Ben Burtt came for the mixing.
I made a translation :
La Gazette du doublage : You worked on the first Star Wars movie. What do you think of this first trilogy? Have you worked as a sound engineer or technical manager?
Pierre Davanture: When Michel Gast and I have watched Star Wars (1977) to prepare the dubbing, it is true that we were very impressed and immediately made special arrangements.
Knowing that mixing would be done in Paris, in stereo 6 tracks (for 70 mm release) we immediately considered the main auditorium of the SIMO de Boulogne. I contacted my friend Jean Neny who has kindly come watch the film. Before the screening, he said: "It is important that it is for you that I come to see a movie before mixing" but after the screening, he admitted that I had done well considering the film.
We decided that I'd tests rigged voices for Vader and C-3PO and that I will provide to the mix, strips mounted distorted for each character. With only a harmonizer, I distort the voice of Roger Carel for C-3PO. As the voice of Vader, we have not been able to get the U.S. production unit used, I used the harmonizer to lower the tone of voice of François Chaumette. Then to recreate the resonance effect of the mask, I thought, as I often did, to get closer to reality. We then made a chest latte (about 40x25x30 cm) inside of which was placed an omnidirectional microphone and a small 12cm speaker, mounted on a pivot so that it can be orient for best results. Our chief editor Maurice Martin prepared the french speaks tapes and Jean Neny, in the studios of Boulogne, made mixes in the presence of Ben Burtt, the sound engineer of the production.
This little box which I speak was nicknamed the "Vader box" and an artist had even drawn over the head of Vader. He remained in the auditorium of PM Productions for years but unfortunately it has disappeared ...
La Gazette du doublage : Do you have specific recommendations for Lucasfilm / Fox dubbing? Tell us about your collaboration with Jean Rouat, Jean Neny and Ben Burtt, sound engineer at Lucasfilm?
Davanture Peter: No, we did not have any recommendation of the production, since we were not even able to get the reference device used to Vader.
As director of the dubbing service in SND, I organized the work as explained above, in agreement with Michel Gast and to the tricks about the voice. Jean Rouat recorded the dialogues. Maurice Martin assured the lyrics synchronization and dispatched bands for mixing. I just met Ben Burtt at the time of mixing. The mixing was directed by Jean Neny.
