When starting Macbook up, startup sound plays 3 times--Is this bad?

The last two times I have started up my machine, the startup sound plays 3 times--the first two times it seems to cut itself off and the third time it plays completely. They are about a 2-3 seconds apart.
I don't know what's causing this or if it's an indication of a problem. It seems to complete startup just fine...
I have four external hard drives connected via a USB hub (one of them is a Time Machine drive)...that's the only thing I can think of...but I've had them connected many times before with no such repetition of startup sound. Also, the computer will have usually been plugged in for a while.
Any thoughts? Thank you.

Hello j:
If you are referring to the chime when you start up a system, more than once is not normal. The chime indicates that the system has successfully performed its self-tests.
If you are referring to something else, please be more specific.
Barry

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Well, you know that's a funny thing, because I didn't actually intend to mute the startup chime. I just wanted it routed to the external speakers where I could control the volume properly, like the first poster. But the chime doesn't sound out of my external speakers. I don't hear it at all.
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When starting Macbook up, startup sound plays 3 times--Is this bad?

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