What does that weapon sound like?

[HiveJive81]

I find myself wondering what certain weapons in the 40k universe sound like. I do certainly know what something like an autogun, stubber, autocannon, shotgun, grenade launcher, and missile sounds like. We have analogues to these in the real world and I've used or been near them. So those things I'm not concerned about.

The humble Lasgun has been described as a 'crack', but in the games we get the classic sci-fi 'pew' laser noise. I believe the 'crack' makes some sense, since at light speed something is igniting the air with a superheated beam. When you superheat the air that quickly, it's going to make a crack or 'boom'.

The chainsword baffles me- as I understand, it's not powered by liquid fuel and working on a standard small motor like a chainsaw. I think it would be a more 'electrical powered' with a sound similar to a rotary saw. But I could be wrong.

A melta gun? Now that's interesting. Again, your blasting a superheated beam through the air and igniting it- so I'd think that'd have a pretty... well, obnoxious and loud noise. I'm not sure how to describe it but almost like a super-loud cutting torch, perhaps?

Plasma? Your guess is as good as mine, but in all the science videos I've watch it buzzes like electricity- and lightning is made of plasma and tends to make thunder- so wouldn't it also have a more 'explosive' noise?

Rad guns? Probably... nothing?

 

[Blood Donor]

Is it onomatopoeias that you are after?

 

[Borvin]

I find myself wondering what certain weapons in the 40k universe sound like. I do certainly know what something like an autogun, stubber, autocannon, shotgun, grenade launcher, and missile sounds like. We have analogues to these in the real world and I've used or been near them. So those things I'm not concerned about.

The humble Lasgun has been described as a 'crack', but in the games we get the classic sci-fi 'pew' laser noise. I believe the 'crack' makes some sense, since at light speed something is igniting the air with a superheated beam. When you superheat the air that quickly, it's going to make a crack or 'boom'.

The chainsword baffles me- as I understand, it's not powered by liquid fuel and working on a standard small motor like a chainsaw. I think it would be a more 'electrical powered' with a sound similar to a rotary saw. But I could be wrong.

A melta gun? Now that's interesting. Again, your blasting a superheated beam through the air and igniting it- so I'd think that'd have a pretty... well, obnoxious and loud noise. I'm not sure how to describe it but almost like a super-loud cutting torch, perhaps?

Plasma? Your guess is as good as mine, but in all the science videos I've watch it buzzes like electricity- and lightning is made of plasma and tends to make thunder- so wouldn't it also have a more 'explosive' noise?

Rad guns? Probably... nothing?

Try play (or watch gameplays) of the Dawn of War series and you'll get ideas of the most weapons sounds. Plasma i think was a 'whoooamp' sound that turned into screeching while flying.

 

[Stoof]

In my headcannon...
Lasguns SNAP or CRACK (superheated air instantaneously). Lascannons are like sharper/less bassey versions of conventional artillery. No "pew pew" here laddy!
Meltas - intense bassey hiss/roar (slower process, building rather than instantaneous and lasting a second or so).
Plasma guns "pwoomph" when they fire and POOOOM when the plasma ball hits/explodes.
Chainswords scream if they're electric or rev chainsawly (new word!) if they're powered by prometheum. I am sure I've read at least one 40K book which described pulling a rip cord to start a chainsword (Survival Instinct?) and I've seen a youtube video where some armourers built one.
Rad-guns - the hmmmmmmmm of a microwave and a DING! when it's finished firing
Conventional guns are conventional.

 

[enyoss]

In the ORB it said meltas were “silent when fired...”

At which point I thought, oooh, a nice sneaky weapon for The Raid, before going on the read how it almost immediately becomes an ear splitting roar as it superheats the air around it

 

[Space Truckin]

Track down the Abnett audio drama thorn n talon. Ravenors crew gets ambushed and they are trying to id the number of cultists attacking based on the sounds of the weapons.
Not exactly canon but interesting and kinda funny how he's written the char. dialog.

 

[SirFrog]

I think @Stoof has the noises mostly down, although I disagree on some of them.
Melta: Meltas flash-cook things as far as I understood, making noises more akin to fuel explosions, a roaring, low boom.
Plasma: The actual projectile fired by plasma weapons is a magnetically accelerated pellet of superheated hydrogen. I imagine it's supersonic, but the firing mechanism is mostly silent, so the report is probably sharp and loud.
As for Rad-guns, it depends. The "shooting-gamma-rays-laser" would be silent, unless the weapon itself has loud cooling coils or electromechanical components that need to click in place. It may also produce a loud hiss when hitting flesh as it literally melts it off its bones. As a side note to this: Do NOT Google the effects of acute radiation damage, just trust me in that it's messy, horrifying and absolutely NSFL.

Additionally: Stub weapons are just stub weapons. Radium weapons are stub weapons with radioactive ordinance. Bolters have a characteristic barking roar. Imperial chainswords seem to be mostly electrical, so they probably sounds like a loud electric chainsaw.

 

[almic85]

In my head melta guns sound like you are microwaving paper right up until the target explodes. Then it sounds like a giant kernel of popcorn going pop.

Lasguns sound like something moving really fast right by you.