February 15th, 2012 byThank you everyone for all your effort, overall it’s an impressive set from such a short deadline!
We’ve been busy listening to all your submissions, it’s been a challenge, but the sound samples have been whittled down to a shortlist (of startup sounds only, for now) that we feel meet the pitch brief (or are close to meeting it) and we’d like to hear your opinions.
Since last time…
With a tight deadline (let’s get this in for 12.04!) we played the submissions, both startup and notification, to a select group of participants who were asked to record feedback on a structured form. Firstly we discussed the brief that was set and what we were looking to achieve; participants then rated the submissions using a simple likert scale, measuring agreement with statements such as “Does this feel like Ubuntu”.
We now need your help to decide and critique the shortlisted sounds. Remember these are not final, so we want to know which you see the most potential for developing our sound theme.
We’d like you to use this survey for submitting your opinions of the shortlisted sounds below.
The Shortlist : Startup Sound
Please use the fields provided in the form for critiquing what and where improvements could be made; e.g. change of pitch, addition of notes, audio mastering, change of instrument; we need to remember this is a starting point, so the more feedback we receive, the better informed the rebrief.
No.1
No.2
No.3
No.4
We are looking forward to working with the finalist to develop the Ubuntu soundscape from this starting point; so your feedback is important!
Please get your friends and family to have a listen and let us know what they think too – the more the merrier, we will do the same 
Next steps : we hope to choose one finalist whose sound can mature through further iterations, and tune it to fit with the login experience for the 12.04 release.
Those of you who don’t see your sound up here (and remember we are keeping it anonymous so don’t tell anyone if yours is there!) thanks again for your efforts, we hope to involve everyone in the decision making process for the theme as it progresses, so there will be plenty more opportunity to have your opinion heard!
Update : Survey Full!!! Over 2000 responses – wow! New blog post to follow
The toolkit
130 Responseshide comments
I love the third, because it sounds like a real xylophone.
I think you mean Marimba. If it were a xylo it’d make your ears hurt
I R E A L L Y love the old sound. Isn’t it possibly to just give it a slight remix or something?
Me too! At least something that reminds a little of the old sound would be great.
+1 for me.
The old sound in a remix. To not forget the roots of ubuntu.
But the second is also great
Definitely the old one is better than those 4…
yes the old one, while crazy as shit… felt more ubuntu-ish… these sound phony. i think a toned down version of the old one, that is shorter, would be much better
Ditto. Other than the first one remotely recognizable as an attempt of startup up sound, I can’t comprehend why the rest could be associated with startup at all.
Besides, that what’s with the light, gimmicky – argh, I wish I could express my thoughts about sound better. NONE of them feels like Ubuntu.
Like the hollow-ish and deep original startup sound suits Ubuntu the best.
I mean the deep sounds found in the original startup suits Ubuntu the best.
i am not crazy about the old one but this 4 new sounds are not better
I feel the same way. The old sound I have hated since the first time I heard it. That has always been one of the first things I do on a new install is to remove that obnoxious crappy drumming. (I’m a drummer, vocalist and pianist and have been for 25 yrs.) These four new ones all sound incomplete first of all, second they don’t sound like a professional system startup sound. Although, neither does MSFT or OS X. If we are gonna make Ubuntu a system for EVERYONE, regular desktop users and professionals, then the start up sound must be pleasing to the ear and sound professional. Good Luck with it.
Agree with you all guys. I’ll let fanboys choose what they want. I just need to be able to choose my prefered startup sound.
+1.
I feel the old one was better. But still a new soft one would be the best
+1
I really like the first one, its great.
I agree, I think the first one is best. It sounds the most modern and the others are too quiet.
The fourth I like least, though I can’t quite put my finger on why.
Agree! It sounds exactly like “U-Bun-Too”. It’s clean, it’s fresh, it’s cool!
Agreed. The cleanliness of sound one is really stellar. The instruments may need to be changed or tweaked a little to be more “Crisp” but the tune its self is nice.
Needs a bit of a fade in though.
To be honest I would have rathered one based around the central African themes like the last one, though obviously less aggressive. Would have had more personality.
Out of those then the first one, gentle and non-imposing. I’m not sure of the reasoning for the sound, I don’t think you should load the desktop until its fully workable, not await a sound to tell you when to use it. Hate seeing a desktop that won’t work.
Obviously, Canonical is moving from the central african theme, leaving brown behind, leaving african musical instruments behind.
Speaking of personality, the absolutely best ubuntu cd cover were naked men and women. I bet Canonical Design team wouldn’t dare to create something like this again.
I like the first one , but both of them is better more than oldest
Question 9 in the servey has a typo.
Thanks Serj
None, sorry. Starting drumroll was a kind of distinguishing feature of Ubuntu since 4.10. And the best thing about sound you may do is to let user to create his own themes with ease, as it was earlier.
All 4 tunes sounds too “windowsy(R)”
Third!
Second
Definitly the second is the best
Definitly the second is the best, best
+1 for the second sound!
+1 for the +1 for the second sound!
Definitly the second is the best, best, best
+1 for the 2. No alternatives.
The first one is by far the best of them all. I nevesr liked the start up sound of ubuntu, I think is one of the few little insignificant things I never liked. Also my girl likes the first one, but a friend of mine says the third one, and that would also be my second choise. I am a grphic designer by the way, and don’t know how to contribute; would You tell me how to do so? oh! I’m from Venezuela in Latin América by the way. Tahnks, and keep the good work.
None of these beat the current sound. But this is a difficult question.
For instance is the mac sound really beautiful or is it great because everybody knows it and it has remained unchanged? Do any of these have the potential to become such a sound?
Like the first one. is great.
3rd one I think is the best one and it sounds most like the style that ubuntu wants to give and that is vibrant. All the others sound like rejects for the windows one.
sure
Ok, am I the only one who is going to dig for sound 2? Oh well.
It’s awesome.
+1 !!
No.2 is awsome and btw Ubuntu does need a new login sound!
No.2 – is very awesome!!!!
N°2! the best!
No it’s not! It’s too similar to Windows Vista theme! No. 1 is the sound. No. 1 is Ubuntu.
Where are the new icons?! Ubuntu needs a new icon-theme! It would make the UI perfect! Imagine a LTS and you have to use five years these old icons.
Icons that should be also for application like emesene, gwibber and so on…
I really love the first and the first second of the second sound.
I feel the same way about the second one.
It is just smooth and welcoming.
nice work
like it
first and second.
First one. Second one sounds too much like Windows. No love for three and four.
Exactly! Agree! This is it!
#2 is the only usable one IMHO.
Guess mine http://soundcloud.com/pak33m/ubuntu-sound-theme-design didn’t make the cut
I included a start and notification in one there. I still vote for mine 
No.3
My vote : 3 !
My vote goes for the 1st one.
n°2
we need some drums in the login sound
yes drums, like in mine http://soundcloud.com/pak33m/ubuntu-sound-theme-design
hmn,
first one reminds of a an ufa. don’t like.
second one reminds of windows. don’t like.
third one is pretty good. maybe a bit simple.
fourth gets my vote! it has an african touch but pretty modern at the same time.
i mean ufo, not ufa
Not a big fan of any of these four.
I do hope that you make a 5.1 channel sound available. As Ubuntu enters the TV market, I hope to experience the Ubuntu startup sound in full surround sound.
See:
* http://blog.dustinkirkland.com/2011/08/ubuntu-login-sound-in-51-channel-glory.html
Love the third sound. Its is brilliant!
Hello everybody,
To my mind, the second sound is the best, but I like also the second sound! Good work for all the sound designers!
Thanks!
Sorry, I’ve made a mistake…
Please read this following sentence instead of my first post:
“To my mind, the second sound is the best, but I like also the first sound! Good work for all the sound designers!
Thanks!”
I like the third one, really. It doesn’t sound very synthesized, and I think that’s a cool direction.
I like that all of these are reasonably quiet and reasonably short
After reading reviews of and hearing the shortlist sounds I added a new version of my start sound where it was shortened to 3 seconds and hit hats removed.
http://soundcloud.com/pak33m/ubuntustart2
Sound 2 Will Be So nice In The NExt Ubuntu version
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned the likeness between #2 and the spaceship “jingle” from Close Encounters. I find that really distracting.
#1 is nice but as has been said, it feels a little too “sci-fi” for Ubuntu. And kind of communicates “error” to my ears.
#3 isn’t bad and retains the percussion-y element of the old sound scheme, but I think it also just sounds kind of sloppy/arhythmic.
#4 is the clear winner in my mind. It’s brief, sounds like something is starting, and is “light” (though all of them are pretty “light”).
#2 also reminds me of the film Pod People. Feels a bit “cheesy” to me.
No.2
second second second
i like it!!!!
N.2 must win =) It’s somethink new and modern sound
#3 and 4# it’s to boring!
Track 2 sounds like a remix of windows login sounds, so please NOT track 2!!!
The first !!
3. But I’d really love something african as it was before
No.2 very good
i’d rather be able to chose my CUSTOM startup sound easily rather than circlejerking for hours about #2 or #3 or whatnot
In this moment you’re able to customize your startup sound. But haters gonna hate… :/
The second ones!
Sound 2 is the way.
It’s relaxing, simple, calm and it doesn’t feel cheap.
Sound 3 sounds like an alert to me.
The others don’t suit the Ubuntu sound scheme.
Sound #1 does it for me
Sound #2 sounds like a windows 7 start-up sound
Sound #3 sounds like it does not belong anywhere
Sound #4 sounds broken or incomplete
after listening again Sound #2 if a deeper tone of sound #1 and actually sounds better and NOT W7
so #2 and second choice #1
Number 4.
1 – the fadeout is too noticable; it feels truncated.
2 – too long
3 – the tones go up AND down; I’d prefer a rising sound
4 – short, rising tone – and I like it.
I can’t believe nobody else prefers #4!
Also occurs to me just now that it sounds most like a prompt to action.
you nailed it
#4 is not hectically, rising, light, smooth
Sadly I missed the deadline, but if anyone want to give them a try please feel free to do so.
Link here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/175241/new_system_sounds.zip
I really, really love the Rhodes versions
Here’s mine (just the start sound new version anyway)http://soundcloud.com/pak33m/ubuntustart2
Defenetly second. It has something calming. Really fits to the whole Unity concept I think.
Does anyone know how I get these nice looking smileys and when they get default for Ubuntu, because that’s what they should be.
Number 2 is the best in my opinion. I can imagine seeing Unity and hearing that sound at the same time
In my opinion other candidates sound too “buzy”.
We’ve been trying to compare these sounds to the list of values. Compared to the current theme, these may score higher on “preciseness”, but that’s about it. Because of its warmth, the current African theme expresses a lot more collaboration, reliability and freedom.
If we have to choose from these four, only the third one has a similar warmth. But as it is now, it doesn’t come near in terms of character.
I love the third sound. It doesnt shock you if turning on the computer. I just want to be pleasantly greeted.
I think number 2 is the only one that’s even close to being usable. The rest are like doorbells (especially number 4). A very poor showing here – I personally would rather keep the current ‘african’ sound. Maybe look to another Africana type sound.
The first one is the best !
There isn’t better !