This is an *exceptionally* rare bug, but I'm documenting it anyway. Under unknown circumstances, the game will confuse itself as to what sound it should play when a weapon is fired. When I've seen it, it's always been laser weapons suddenly swapping to using the recoilless cannon sound effect. I have seen this once in an older version, and once in 1.6b2. It is rather exceptionally rare, so it may not be replicable. On both occasions it has occurred in the middle of pitched combat. Weapon in the 1.6b2 incident was modded, but contained no exotic code.

Restarting the game will clear the problem. Unknown if a simple reload will fix it.

george moromisato 18 Apr 2015:

Thanks, I'll take a look.

the_shrike 17 Feb 2016:

Occurred again in 1.7 Alpha 1a. It seems more likely to trigger when a lot of different guns are fired at the same time, with customised auton swarms a potential way to trigger it.

relanat 21 Apr 2019:

I get this fairly regularly in the Taipan GodShip (1.8 betas for sure, possibly in 1.8.1). Instead of a continual grinding-like noise for the +fast IM90 it will give distinct 'blat blat blat' weapon sounds instead. Only the sound is affected. The weapon visual effect appears correctly and damage is inflicted normally.
I've never worried about it as I assumed it was something in the Taipan code causing it. I'll keep an eye out for it and see if I can replicate it.

relanat 22 May 2019:

Found a way to trigger this.
1.8.2 and 1.8.1.
XP.

Start an SOTP game playing EI500. This uses a laser cannon as the starting weapon. Use the default full-screen mode.
When the playership appears, press the Windows key. This brings up the bottom taskbar but also still shows the game.
Ensuring the mouse is somewhere over the game, not the taskbar, press the left mouse button to fire the EI500's laser cannon.
In addition to the normal laser cannon sound there is another louder distinct weapon sound being played.
Of note is this second overlayed sound is much louder and it is difficult to hear the underlying laser sound.

Pressing either F7 or F8 to adjust the volume will cancel the second sound and only the normal laser cannon sound occurs. The second sound cannot be re-triggered by bringing up the taskbar again.

If the laser cannon is fired before the taskbar is brought up, the second sound doesn't occur on subsequent firings of the weapon.

The second sound can also be re-triggered reliably in reverted games (using Esc, 9) even if the second sound has been canceled prior to reverting.

Other ships/weapons:
Sapphire/recoilless cannon fires normally with no additional sound.

Wolfen/dual laser cannon plays the second weapon sound over the normal dual laser sound.

As does the Taipan GodShip/IM90+fast. Of note is changing the selected weapon in the Taipan to the APA+fast does not produce the second sound for the archcannon, but reselecting the IM90 will still trigger the second additional sound.
Also changing the volume level (F7 or F8) while the APA is selected will cancel the second weapon sound for the IM90.
Can also be triggered in EP with the Taipan. This will happen after the initial drifting/conversation with Morningstar.

Freyr in CC produces an additional second sound. It sounds different somehow. Again the second sound is much louder.

Constellation/Moskva 11 fires normally.