Comments on: quattro

quattro

the fire you left me — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 20:19:27 -0800

The IBM 1403 Printer (1964) playing music. This may change your life.

By: Steve_at_Linnwood

Steve_at_Linnwood — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 20:26:36 -0800

excellent!

By: tss

tss — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 20:40:05 -0800

Hey, PDP-1 music! Sounds from the world's "first" minicomputer. I'm ashamed to admit that the Passacaglia recording was what really turned me on to Bach.

By: sgt.serenity

sgt.serenity — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 20:43:28 -0800

you people are really lowering the meta-bar here......

By: lazaruslong

lazaruslong — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 20:50:38 -0800

Who else can only see Paul Newman being chased by a big printer instead of a bull now? Thanks a lot, fire. great post

By: eddydamascene

eddydamascene — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 20:56:41 -0800

that rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is blazing. I want one!

By: adamt

adamt — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 21:03:07 -0800

I'd like the see the printed result of playing these tunes. The underlying drone of what I assume to be the paper feed makes the tunes reminicient of bag pipe music to me.

By: tss

tss — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 21:22:20 -0800

While we're at it, the RCA Mark II synthesizer. Effort spent trying to play the weird mpeg audio file is worth it, IMHO. Or there's this recording (can't listen, don't have Real, but it's 12-tone music so no great loss). Here's something equally unlistenable. Finally, here's the first link, cleaned up a bit... Early music synthesis is k-rad. OK, enough derail...

By: Diddly

Diddly — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 21:29:29 -0800

How about a symphony of printers?

By: ac

ac — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 21:31:19 -0800

Oh my god that was amazing. wonderful post.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 21:38:36 -0800

Bah! My Commodore 64 could do this with it's 1541 floppy disk drive. You can listen for yourself here.

By: snez

snez — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 21:42:05 -0800

I'm enjoying all the links - thanks fire & co.

By: nicething

nicething — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 21:49:33 -0800

Banks of hard drives, acting as speakers. Complete with videos of the 3-drive action.

By: Vidiot

Vidiot — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 22:29:58 -0800

Reminds me of the days when my best friend in high school would play Pink Floyd basslines on his Chevette's ailing power-steering system.

By: cinderful

cinderful — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 23:04:17 -0800

Reminds me of the brilliant Epson E-card by Carbonated jazz - creating bouncy holiday music from Printer sounds

By: hippugeek

hippugeek — Tue, 04 Feb 2003 23:40:30 -0800

This is the coolest, dorkiest thing ever. Consider my life changed.

By: Dick Paris

Dick Paris — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 03:40:48 -0800

Fab post and follow-up. Thanks everyone.

By: wells

wells — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 06:26:12 -0800

That was really, really cool. For some reason I am reminded of these plastic strips I had once - they looked almost like the rings you peel off from around a milk bottle cap, and they had strange ridges pressed into them. When you ran your thumbnail along the ridges quickly, holding the strip taut with your other hand, it would speak a phrase. It was freaky cool. Ohhh, a link to the Talking Ribbons! Thanks for that link, fire. I really enjoyed that.

By: asok

asok — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 07:17:55 -0800

is good. wells - these talking ribbons, they vibrate?

By: carter

carter — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 07:18:26 -0800

Uh-oh. There goes the first part of my morning. Very cool!n

By: LeLiLo

LeLiLo — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 11:39:11 -0800

My brother, who has fixed many a 1403 (Model N1s) for IBM, says "It seems to me I heard of a computer system playing the Star Spangled Banner in 4-part harmony while a picture of a flag was printed out on the printer." Urban legend? True? Sounds like something quonsar would mention, if so.

By: briank

briank — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 13:39:57 -0800

Sometimes when it is very quiet in my office, I swear I can hear the computers singing to themselves..... (neat link, I wish the museum itself had an actual live demo of this)

By: wells

wells — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 13:46:29 -0800

I guess the Talking Ribbons are like mini vinyl records, really, except in one long strip instead of in a disc shape. Your thumbnail is the needle, and the resulting 'voice' is the vibrations from running it along the strip.

By: walrus

walrus — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 13:46:39 -0800

I was reminiscing about this at random, the other day. I'm sure I saw a tv programme about printers doing this, once upon a time. That urban legend sounds similar (at a stretch) to something aphex twin was playing around with.