A new developer diary has turned up at the Star Wars: The Old Republic site today. This one comes from Audio Producer Orion Kellogg from LucasArts. He starts with a quote from the Master himself, George Lucas, "Sound is 50 percent of the movie-going experience, and I've always believed audiences are moved and excited by what they hear in my movies at least as much as by what they see.”

There is no question that Lucas is right. We who are Star Wars fans are sure to instantly recognize Darth Vader's theme or the Cantina tunes when we hear them. "It is our job," Kellogg says, "to create an audio experience that enhances the emotional experience of the game and reaches the quality level expected of the Star Wars franchise."

With that in mind, Kellogg details  the creative process behind the sounds for Star Wars: The Old Republic. He discusses voices, aliens, ambient sounds, weapon sounds and, of course, the incredible importance of music.

Lightsabers in particular are a great chance for exploration with every flavor of traditional “vwooooms” combining with truly unique and bass-heavy sabers that will give a terrifying Sith Warrior a rush of power. We’re taking traditional sound effects and then tweaking them in dozens of different ways, pulling the most out of the source material provided by KOTOR veteran Julian Kwasneski and taking the sound variety to a new level. As these weapons combine with sizzling Force powers like Force Lightning and crunching specials like Stock Strike, the resulting sound combinations are as dynamic and varied as any weapon system I’ve heard in an MMO.

It's a wonderful article that you won't want to miss.