# That Law & Order noise-- This is what it is.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-law-order-noise-this-is-what-it-is/787730>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 30, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-law-order-noise-this-is-what-it-is/787730 "2017-05-30T18:55:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-law-order-noise-this-is-what-it-is/787730/1 "2017-05-30T18:55:41Z")

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[“The mark is described as consisting of two musical notes, a strike and a rapid rearticulation of a perfect fifth pitch interval, which in the key of C sounds the notes C and G, struck concurrently.”](http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=76641094&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch)

That’s how it is trademarked, anyway. Yeup, it is trademarked. _Th-chunk!_

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**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-law-order-noise-this-is-what-it-is/787730/2 "2017-05-30T19:12:05Z")

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It’s not two different pitches. It’s two of the same pitch.

IMDB says “The distinctive “thunk-thunk” sound effect used in between scenes was created by combining close to a dozen sounds, including that of a group of monks stamping on a floor. The sound is intended to be reminiscent of both a judge’s gavel, and a jail cell door slamming.”

I assume monks don’t stamp any differently from other people, but it don’t sound like stamping to me either.

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-law-order-noise-this-is-what-it-is/787730/3 "2017-05-30T19:24:40Z")

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Hey, that is what is written on their trademark and I think they’d know.

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**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-law-order-noise-this-is-what-it-is/787730/4 "2017-05-30T20:17:36Z")

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To clarify that language, **Knowed Out** ; each of the two hits of the “sound” is an identical perfect fifth interval.

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-law-order-noise-this-is-what-it-is/787730/5 "2017-05-30T20:36:46Z")

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> [@Knowed\_Out](#):
>
> It’s not two different pitches. It’s two of the same pitch.
> 
> IMDB says “The distinctive “thunk-thunk” sound effect used in between scenes was created by combining close to a dozen sounds, including that of a group of monks stamping on a floor. The sound is intended to be reminiscent of both a judge’s gavel, and a jail cell door slamming.”
> 
> I assume monks don’t stamp any differently from other people, but it don’t sound like stamping to me either.

IMDb trivia is about as useful as a Wikipedia article with no cites.