Koichi Sugiyama, 1989, giving advice to aspiring game composers:

Even today, there are still people out there who think that, as long as you have a computer and can use a sequencer, anyone can make game music. And there are a lot of aspiring game music creators with that mentality, too.

And yes, granted, this was to composers of music, and granted, this was 1989...

But! I'm here to demonstrate how even the humble Pedestrian Call Button Makers can hold themselves to higher standards in sound design!

Take a listen to this, dear reader:

UGH! This is a half step moving down. It makes me think of the Straus piece made famous by 2001: A Space Odyssey. (See 0:27 below).

It's alarming, it's a sharp interval. The direction down and the interval add up to a very unpleasant sound. I nearly jumped on the street!!

Now, consider this:

A perfect fourth, ladies and gentlemen. Present in the harmonic series, a symbol of openness, firm, grounded — yet, not entirely resolved. This comfortably leaves you in anticipation for what's next while assuring you that you are, indeed, being taken care of.

Call button designers, take note. One pitch can make all the difference.

Of course, we'd all like to have the luxury of voice in our call buttons. The button in the video below even has an exciting springiness when pressed!

But, alas, not all of the tax dollars can go to such indulgences. So be mindful of your intervals!