| Dragnet |
| Composer |
Miklós Rózsa |
| Released |
1946-08-28 |
| Title Origin |
Official |
|
Dragnet is a famous sting, used in many video games for get-ready, game-over, or as an alert.
The motif is best known as the theme of Dragnet, a radio and television police drama series. It first appeared there on episode 3 ("The Werewolf") from 1949-06-17.
Although it is credited to Walter Schumann, the theme originally comes from a motif in the 1946 movie The Killers which was composed by Miklós Rózsa. Schumann, perhaps inadvertently, used the same tune for Dragnet. This resulted in a legal dispute which ended in Miklós Rózsa receiving royalties.
Similar songs:
Title
Starting at 1967-09-14, the closing credits spell "Dragnet Theme".
Rózsa's papers are nowadays held at Syracuse University. According to public documents, the four notes have gone as the killers' leitmotif, "Danger Ahead", and, even on Rózsa's autobiography "Double Life", as the "Dum da dum dum" theme.
Composition
The motif consists of four notes on a minor scale. At the beginning of every Dragnet episode, the motif plays twice in C, with the second loop resolving to a tritone.
Games
Wizard of Wor (ARC)
Three variations exist:
- Get Ready: Only the motif in D4 and D2 plus several harmonies.
- Double Score Dungeon: The tritone succeeds for about a second, or even longer if you get a bonus player at that.
- Game Over: Uniquely to Wizard of Wor, two chords precede.
Every variation plays on six square waves, each with the same fast vibrato, and mostly with slightly different volumes. The music driver is programmed in Z80 and outputs all settings to the respective "Music Processor" in two 0066-117XX-XXYX "CUSTOM I/O" chips.
Donkey Kong (ARC)
As Donkey Kong ascends level 01, he introduces a new variation on the sting. The note data suggests that it is arranged in the key of D, but what we hear sounds more like C. Assuming the latter, the first half matches the motif in both C3 and G3, and the second half trills between G4 and F♯4.
The music driver mixes two triangle waves and outputs the mix to the hardware. It runs on a MB8884 CPU which is a clone of the Intel 8035 model, and is as such programmed in Intel MCS-48.
Pitfall! (A26)
When Harry dies, the motif plays in C♯2, and the tritone trills between G and F♯.
The tune is rendered as "4 bit poly" noise on the TIA chip.
Wizard of Wor (A26)
Get Ready plays on two square waves, one loudly at F3 and one quietly at C5. The other two variations from the arcade original have not been arranged.
For the PAL release, a programmer shortened each duration to make up for the slower hardware. The music driver was also optimized to make room for other fixes.
It should at least be recorded with NTSC. The PAL release may sound too similar for an extra recording.
Donkey Kong (NES)
Covers Donkey Kong (ARC) with two exceptions: It is now really in the key of A, but one octave down. Also, Donkey Kong is not seen climbing, so the sting plays over the main menu or attract mode, wherever you press the START button.
The official PAL releases probably sound slower and lower.
The song is track 2 in the NSF file and is rendered on the RP2A03. The FDS version of the game features the same song, although it is track 1 in its NSF file.
Donkey Kong: Atarisoft (C64)
Covers Donkey Kong (ARC) in the key of B.
It should be recorded with old NTSC. The "new" NTSC is too similar, and an official PAL release is not known. It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 1 in the rip.
Super Pipeline (C64)
The motif plays on two 5% pulse waves. Tuned at 424 Hz, it sounds closer to B2 and B1.
An official NTSC release is not known. In the rip, it is track 5.
Wizard of Wor (A8)
|
Wizard of Wor (A8) |
|
| Arranger |
Unknown |
| Released |
1983-??-?? |
| Length |
0:04.54 (Get Ready)
0:07.21 (Double Score Dungeon)
0:08.81 (Game Over) |
| Format |
SAP |
| Loops |
No |
|
The three variations match the arcade original, but are arranged very rudimentarily. Basically, the sting plays in F3, A3 and C4 at the same time.
All songs should be recorded with NTSC. An official PAL release is not known.
Wizard of Wor (A52)
|
Wizard of Wor (A52) |
|
| Arranger |
Unknown |
| Released |
1983-??-?? |
| Length |
0:04.54 (Get Ready)
0:07.21 (Double Score Dungeon)
0:08.81 (Game Over) |
| Format |
SAP |
| Loops |
No |
|
Same as Wizard of Wor (A8).
Wizard of Wor (C64)
|
Wizard of Wor (C64) |
|
| Arranger |
Jeff Bruette |
| Released |
1984-0?-?? |
| Length |
0:02.92 (Get Ready, old NTSC)
0:02.98 (Get Ready, NTSC)
0:06.61 (Double Score Dungeon, old NTSC)
0:06.74 (Double Score Dungeon, NTSC)
0:05.69 (Game Over, old NTSC)
0:05.80 (Game Over, NTSC) |
| BPM |
44 (old NTSC)
43 (NTSC) |
| Format |
SID |
| Loops |
No |
|
- Not to be confused with the 1982 version without music.
The music is surprisingly faithful to the arcade original and even covers the hardware vibrato in software. The lowest note plays on a sawtooth wave, the other two at square waves at different sustains.
They should be recorded with old NTSC. The "new" NTSC is too similar, and an official PAL release is not known. They sound otherwise the same on every SID chip and are tracks 1, 3, and 2 in the rip.
Road Runner (ARC)
Plays in G in the starting point.
Stocker (ARC)
The motif plays at F2 every time you touch a police car.
Killed until Dead (C64)
Plays when you read the file on or phone Sydney Meanstreet.
The sting is in C2 and is resolved with a crescendo after a fermata.
It should be recorded with:
- NTSC (but not old NTSC which is too similar)
- PAL. These C64s automatically tune it at 424 Hz, making it closer to B1.
It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 2 in the rip.
Donkey Kong: Ocean (C64)
Covers Donkey Kong (ARC), except that the bass has slightly changed.
Arranged using Electrosound 64, it is tuned at 424 Hz and sounds closer to B.
It should be recorded with PAL. An official NTSC release is not known. It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 1 in the rip.
Head over Heels (C64)
The sting is in E4 and resolves to a sound effect. It is tuned at Galway's 442 Hz.
It should be recorded with PAL. An official NTSC release is not known. It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 2 in the rip.
Stifflip (C64)
Plays when one of you says "Help".
Tuned at 424 Hz, the sting sounds closer to B3, B2 and B1.
It should be recorded with PAL. An official NTSC release is not known. It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 5 in the rip.
Stifflip (ZXS)
Plays when one of you says "Help".
The sting is in A♯3 and A♯2, probably as a simplified port from the CPC arrangement.
In the rip, it is track 8.
Chernobyl (C64)
Norman is a fan of Rózsa and composed a song where the motif is repeated like in The Killers. It is arranged in A3 and A2, except that the higher octave starts out very quiet, and PAL C64s tune everything at 424 Hz, making it closer to G♯.
This song plays while the game loads. Unfortunately, it uses the computer's built-in disk loader, which slows down the music irregularly.
It should be recorded with:
- NTSC
- PAL
It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip.
Garfield: Big, Fat, Hairy Deal (C64)
If you stay in the room with the rat for one second, it starts running, and if you chose sound effects in the menu, the audio channels are used as follows:
- The sting in C3 resolved to a perfect fifth
- Echo of channel 1, delayed by 80ms
- Mute
It should be recorded with PAL. An official NTSC release is not known. It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 2 in the rip.
Stifflip (CPC)
The sting plays in C3 and C2 when one of you says "Help".
Alf the First Adventure (C64)
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Amyloid (C64)
The sting is accompanied by a 12/8 beat. Tuned at 424 Hz, it sounds closer to B1 and B2.
The game was never released, but a demo from Donné's group Maniacs of Noise calling this arrangement "Get ready" has been spread since summer 1988.
It should be recorded with PAL. In the rip, it is track 3.
Stocker (C64)
The motif is in C4, C3 and C2.
It should be recorded with NTSC, but not old NTSC which is too similar. An official PAL release is not known. It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 2 in the rip.
Garfield: Big, Fat, Hairy Deal (AMI)
The above sting plays immediately in the room with the rat and pause the theme. The audio channels are used as follows:
| Key
|
Speaker
|
Sample
|
| C3
|
Left
|
Pulse wave modulated between 53% and 69%
|
| C2
|
Right
|
| C3
|
Right
|
| C2
|
Left
|
Square wave
|
The LED filter is constantly turned off. Unlike the theme, the sting sounds the same on both game versions. In either rip, it is track 3.
Garfield: Big, Fat, Hairy Deal (AST)
The above sting plays immediately in the room with the rat and pause the theme. The audio channels are used as follows:
- C3
- C2
- C3 with vibrato
In the rip, it is track 3.
Stocker (DOS)
The motif is in C2. Uniquely, after your sixth ticket, your license gets suspended and the sting also plays, followed by a short minor sixth, resolved to a perfect fifth.
Incredible Shrinking Sphere (C64)
As the words "Game Over" fade in, the sting plays in F2, F1, F3, and resolves to a diminished seventh chord.
It was arranged using Ubik's Musik.
Two channels sound different on every machine because they use the SID chip's unstable low-pass filter. It should be recorded with:
- C64 PAL and a bias where the filter is noticeable and pleasant (and likely as intended).
- C64C PAL.
An official NTSC release is not known. In the rip, it is track 5.
Shougi (GB)
The sting plays in F♯2 and F♯3 during the start of a ?! Shougi game.
Road Runner (NES)
The sting plays in G2 and G4.
Yogi's Great Escape (C64)
Over the get-ready screen for Mumbo Jumbo Marsh, the sting plays twice, both times in D3 and D2.
It was arranged using Ubik's Musik.
It should be recorded with PAL. An official NTSC release is not known. It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 5 in the rip.
Jumping Jack (C64)
When the level ends, either because one player completed it or neither has lives, the sting plays with a drum beat. The second loop resolves to a perfect fourth and an improvized bass.
Arranged using Game Music Creator, it is tuned at 424 Hz and sounds closer to B1 and B3.
It should be recorded with PAL. An official NTSC release is unlikely. It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 7 in the rip.
Wild West Seymour (C64)
The sting plays at several different points in C2 and C1.
Arranged using Ariston, it is tuned at 434 Hz.
It should be recorded with PAL. An official NTSC release is not known. It sounds otherwise the same on every SID chip and is track 2 in the rip.
Monopoly (GEN)
A short jingle of the song exists in the game's ROM, but isn't played in the game.
Donkey Kong (GB)
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Wizard of Wor (ZXS)
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Methodist (C64)
The sting is in G1 and resolves to a minor sixth after a fermata.
It was arranged using SID-Wizard 1.8.
The instrument is a mixed triangle and pulse wave which sounds different on both SID models. According to HVSC, it should be recorded with C64C PAL. In the rip, it is track 20.
Wizard of Wor (CP4)
Should at least be recorded with PAL.
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