Sonos Creates New Bell for the Stock Exchange
When challenged with changing the chime, the team wanted to give it some soul
This morning, for the first time in the Nasdaq bell’s 18-year history, a brand new sound will kick off trading. Created by the talented sound experience team at Sonos (made up of music producers, sound designers, scientists and audio engineers), the new chime has “some soul wrapped around it,” says Chris Jenkins, who explains the main goal was to make a provocative sound.
After much research and experimentation, it was delightful happenstance that led to the new sound. Jenkins’ dog was running around and barking at something outside, but once he stopped there was a gentle ringing coming from the bookshelf—one of Jenkins’ Tibetan bowls. The team got to work tapping and tinkering Tibetan bowls (aka standing bells) with various implements—from screwdrivers to brushes, drumsticks and chains—to get the right cadence and tone, adding in the sound of coins for an appropriate flourish toward the end. The final result (you can hear the old one on Soundcloud) is made up of 100+ different sounds, and is a layered and charged noise that builds to a climax that’s sure to motivate and excite. Quite a lot for one bell, but it’s part of the Sonos mission: to make everything sound better.
Images courtesy of Sonos
