Does anyone know what was used to create the “ticking” effect in the original Halloween theme?
The thing is you can listen to it a thousand times and hear different things each time especially with headphones. I guess it could be a synthesizer you are hearing or low drum?
It was certainly some kind of mid-70 sequencer. Probably the ARP Sequencer, or the Roland CSQ-600 Sequencer. However, his co-hort on the original recording was Dan Wyman, and he most likely programmed the sequencer with that particular sound. Would be hard to replicate it exactly today, unless you could sample it. Carpenter’s main instrument on Halloween (aside from the piano) was Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 for most of the synth sounds, and you can find software versions of them out there somewhere, but that wouldn’t help you with the “tick”.
Dan Wyman did the synth-programming on Halloween and The Fog (and Assault on Precinct 13). The synthesis for all three scores were made on Wyman’s built-out Moog Modular IIIP, comprising 5 boxes/cabinets (incl. the 960 double sequencer cabinet). So, we may never know exactly what really made that ticking sound. I’d love to find out myself!
Here’s a photo from Sound Art Studios;, circa late '78, the same “room” where Carpenter would have composed Halloween’s music.
The guy in the pic is Girogio Morodor (who worked with Donna Summer in the lat 70’s on some of her disco tracks)
Hope that helped a bit!
Damn Daren…you know your stuff 
Nick 
That did help a bit and I found out some things that I never knew before! 
I have something on my keyboard that makes a similar sound but it’s not exactly it. I’ve decided to take the score to my film in my own hands. I play a little bit of keyboard and I’m coming close to a final version of the Halloween theme for my film. The film was post poned because our Myers ditched us so we couldn’t continue filming. But I’m kind of glad that he ditched us because it’s given me time to develope and even better storyline IMO.My brother (who is playing Steven) hates it though 
Are those softwares for the synths available for free download anywhere?
[quote=“Myers N San Diego”]Damn Daren…you know your stuff
Nick
That’s because he’s a DAMN GOOD composer himself He did up a version of Chariots of Pumpkins from HIII and it is amazing!!! But sadly it was deleted from my computer somehow 
No kidding I had no idea…You go Daren!!! Post some of you music bro I’d LOVE to hear it.
Nick
I hopw he does!! His music is
VERY COOL THREAD. ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THAT. I FIGURED IT WAS A LOOP.
Well, since you asked, I’ll try my best to throw up some of the variations of the Halloween soundtracks I’ve done throughout the years and make a new post. Sorry FreddyMyers that you no longer have that piece of music. I’ll make sure and change that!!! (just gotta wait til I get home to find it on my machine!!!)
Just so you know, I think that the music from the Halloween films is one of the most important aspects of it’s charm, and longevity. In all honesty (and carpenter said it himself) the film has no “soul” without the music. The music is what really gripped me when I saw these films and made me come back to them again and again…I then became very intrigued in the music for this film, and film music in general - and when I started making my own movies, I also made my own scores!
WELL SAID AND I AGREE 100% DARREN
Very true! I’ve heard Carpenter state this in several interviews and he’s right. The music is what scared me the most in this film when I watched it at eight years old. I couldn’t even make it through the opening credits because the theme was so scary. My version of the Halloween theme isn’t scary enough. I want a theme with a dark and eerie feeling to it but I just can’t do it. None of the themes that I’ve composed have been successful. They just sound “fake” to me. It would be awesome if you could create one like that for me Darren. It would also be very much appreciated I’ve created some of my own scoring as well in some little mini films that I’ve done. My brother and I just come up with a quick story, have a friend stay the night, get a camera and start shooting. We finish all of the film in a day or two and then I get my keyboard out and do the score
Same here 
Hey everyone - I’ve posted a thread with some of my music for download:
https://forum.michael-myers.net/t/halloween-music-and-others-download/40184/1
Enjoy