It’s a bone-chilling, metallic howl. If you’ve seen Steven Spielberg’s 2005 adaptation, you know the exact noise. It isn't just a sound effect; it’s a physical presence. That deep, vibrating "ULLA" or the foghorn blast that shakes the theater seats didn't just happen by accident.
Sound matters. It’s the difference between a movie being "okay" and a movie being traumatizing. The tripod sound from War of the Worlds is arguably the most recognizable piece of sound design in 21st-century sci-fi. It signals doom. When that horn blares, you don't think about aliens. You think about extinction.
Honestly, the original H.G. Wells novel described the sound as a "chorus of 'Ulla! Ulla!'" which sounds almost silly on paper. But when you hear it rendered through modern subwoofers? It’s terrifying.
The genius of Michael Kahn and Richard King
Creating the tripod sound from War of the Worlds required more than just a synthesizer. Richard King, the supervising sound editor, is a legend for a reason. He’s the guy who won Oscars for Inception and Dunkirk. For this specific project, he knew that a purely digital sound would feel "fake" to the human ear. We are evolved to recognize organic threats.
He looked for something massive.
He used recordings of giant, hollow metal objects. Specifically, he used a massive, 15-foot long "blaster beam," which is an instrument made of a metal rail with strings and moveble pickups. It’s the same weird instrument used for the V’ger sound in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. But King didn't stop there. He blended it with the sound of a real lighthouse foghorn and even some animalistic roars to give the machine a "soul." A scary, murderous soul.
The sound has two distinct parts. There is the "arrival" blast—the heavy horn—and then there is the rhythmic, mechanical clicking of the tripod legs.
Why does it make your skin crawl?
It's basically infrasound. While the audible part of the tripod sound is loud, there are low-frequency vibrations that you feel in your chest. Humans have a biological reaction to low-frequency noise. It triggers a "predator" response. Our ancestors heard the low growl of a lion or the rumble of a distant earthquake and knew it was time to run.
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Spielberg and King played us like a fiddle.
The sound is also incredibly "wet." Most mechanical sounds in movies are dry and metallic. But if you listen closely to the tripod sound from War of the Worlds, there’s a squelching, organic quality to it. This reflects the lore of the Martians (or "aliens" in the 2005 version) being biological creatures fused with their machines. It sounds like a throat clearing itself of blood.
Comparing the 1953 and 2005 versions
The 1953 George Pal version of War of the Worlds had a very different vibe. The "sound" there was more of a high-pitched, oscillating electronic warble. It was the sound of the Atomic Age. It felt like radiation. It was "sci-fi" in the classic sense.
Then came 2005.
Post-9/11 cinema was different. It was grittier. It was about trauma. The tripod sound from War of the Worlds in the Spielberg era needed to sound like a building collapsing. It needed to sound like an industrial accident.
- 1953: High-pitched, "zapping" noises, electronic oscillators.
- 2005: Low-frequency horns, mechanical grinding, organic "breath."
- 1938 Radio Play: Orson Welles used a simple, chilling vocalization of "Ulla."
People often forget the 1938 radio broadcast caused actual panic. Back then, they didn't have subwoofers. They had silence. The silence between the sounds was what scared people. But in the modern era, we need the noise to drown out our thoughts.
The Foghorn Effect
The tripod sound is often compared to a foghorn, and that’s not a coincidence. Foghorns are designed to travel miles through thick air. They are designed to be "un-ignorable." By using that sonic profile, the sound designers ensured that the Tripods felt like they were kilometers high, even when they weren't on screen.
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You hear them before you see them. That’s the rule of horror.
The sound decay—how the noise echoes off the buildings in the New Jersey streets—was also painstakingly simulated. If you listen to the scene where the first tripod emerges from the ground, the sound bounces. It hits the brick walls and comes back at different intervals. This creates a sense of "scale" that CGI visuals alone can't achieve.
How to recreate the sound (for the nerds)
If you're a sound designer or just a hobbyist, you've probably tried to mimic the tripod sound from War of the Worlds. It’s a rite of passage.
Basically, you need a heavy brass source. A trombone played very loudly (blasting) is a good start. Then, you layer it with a metallic "clank" that has been slowed down by about 500%.
- Start with a low-frequency square wave.
- Layer a recording of a ship's horn or a train's air horn.
- Add a "granulated" sample of a lion's roar.
- Apply a heavy reverb with a long "tail" to simulate an urban environment.
- Distort the mid-range to give it that "ripping" texture.
It’s about the "bite." The sound needs to feel like it’s tearing the air apart. In the 2005 film, the sound actually distorts the audio of the other elements in the scene, which is a clever trick. It's so loud that it "squashes" the sound of the people screaming.
The impact on pop culture
Since 2005, every giant monster or robot movie has tried to copy this. Think about Pacific Rim. Think about the "BWAHHH" in Inception. Hans Zimmer actually gets a lot of credit for that "Bramms" sound, but the tripod sound from War of the Worlds predates it and, frankly, is much more terrifying because it’s tied to a specific, predatory entity.
Even the game Mass Effect used a similar sound for the Reapers. It’s become the universal shorthand for "an ancient, unstoppable force is here to kill you."
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What most people get wrong about the sound
A common misconception is that the sound is just a digital file or a synth patch. It’s not. Richard King is famous for his field recordings. Much of what you hear in the tripod's movement and its vocalization comes from real-world objects being pushed to their breaking point.
Another mistake? Thinking the "Ulla" is gone. While the 2005 film doesn't have a voice saying the word, the cadence of the horn blast follows the two-syllable structure of the original "Ulla" from the book. It’s a hidden tribute to Wells.
Some fans also argue about whether the sound is a "weapon" or a "communication." In the film, it’s clearly a way for the Tripods to coordinate their movements across the city. It’s a hunting call. Like wolves, but with heat rays.
Specific scenes to re-watch (for the audio)
If you want to truly appreciate the tripod sound from War of the Worlds, put on some high-quality headphones and jump to the "Ferry Scene."
The way the sound travels over the water is different from how it sounds in the city. The water reflects the high frequencies, making the tripod's horn sound sharper and more piercing. It’s a masterclass in acoustic physics.
Then there's the "Basement Scene." The sound is muffled, filtered through layers of dirt and concrete. You don't hear the horn; you hear the rumble. It makes the audience feel trapped, just like Ray Ferrier.
Actionable Insights for Sound Enthusiasts
If you want to dive deeper into the world of cinematic soundscapes or simply want to experience this specific sound in its full glory, here are the next steps to take:
- Audit your hardware: This sound is meant to be heard with a dedicated subwoofer. If you're watching on laptop speakers, you're missing 70% of the experience.
- Study Richard King: Look up his interviews on the War of the Worlds DVD extras (or YouTube). He breaks down the use of the "Blaster Beam" and how he manipulated pitch to create dread.
- Compare the "Bramms": Listen to the Inception trailer and then the Tripod horn back-to-back. You’ll see how one evolved into the other.
- Check out the "Musical Version": If you want a totally different take, listen to Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds. It uses a guitar talk-box to create the "Ulla" sound, which is eerie in a 1970s prog-rock way.
The tripod sound from War of the Worlds isn't just noise. It’s a legacy. It's the sound of the 20th century's greatest sci-fi story meeting 21st-century anxiety. Next time you hear a distant siren or a foghorn on a misty morning, you'll probably think of three-legged machines cresting the horizon. And that’s exactly what Spielberg wanted.
To get the most out of your home theater experience when analyzing these sounds, ensure your crossover frequency is set to at least 80Hz to allow your subwoofer to handle the heavy lifting of the Tripod's low-end "growl." Additionally, look for the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release, which features a Dolby Atmos track that significantly improves the spatial positioning of the Tripod blasts compared to the original DVD release.