certain sounds

[kale]

Does anyone one here have any useful links as to how certain common sounds we have heard in our life are made? For example TV test tones, dial tones, sirens etc.. it would be interesting to have a page that has a breakdown of what simple waveforms are used in society to make certain sounds and tones we hear, so we could remake certain things instead of just using samples..

[mthrfnk]

Lots of dial/test tones are just single notes (sometimes arranged in patterns) of the most common waveforms (sine/square/trianlge/saw).

You can make siren style stuff again with the most basic waveforms (on their own or by combining and adding a little detune), just add up or down pitch sweeps to get the desired sound.

I sometimes add a bit of vibrato when working with straight sines/squares/triangles - I find it gets rid of some of the abrasiveness monotone high pitched sounds can have.

[Artie_Fufkin]

When you turn on a (forgot which one) gameboy, it's basically a square at a certain note and then the octave above that.
Have a loop going really fast in your daw and try different phrases of notes(major/minor/augmented/diminished chords arpeggiated, octaves, patterns within scales) and you'll find these sounds you've heard before.
If you're trying to make a specific sound, it could help to get a sample of it and slow it down to hear the individual notes or pitch sliding.