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The NBC Chimes Machine (1999)
- chiph 6y agoHow they sounded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP6Z86iDFjU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP6Z86iDFjU
- drocer88 6y agoThere was a 4 chime variation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_chimes#The_%22fourth_chime%22 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_chimes#The_%22fourth_chime... On D-Day in World War II: "At 2:30 a.m. the network was put on 'flash' basis; the NBC four-chime-alert calling all newsmen and commentators to their microphones, key operating personnel to their stations, sounded from the newsroom control room" The fourth chime and NBC Radio's announcement of D-Day are here: http://www.nbcchimes.info/nbcsounds.php http://www.nbcchimes.info/nbcsounds.php
- xxpor 6y agoUnrelated, but I noticed the anchor said Allied as "a-LIED" instead of "AL-lied" I'd typically hear today. I wonder if that was the typical pronunciation back then? Edit: it appears the pronunciation in the UK is the same one used in the audio, according to https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/allied https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/allied. I'd hazard a guess this means the US pronunciation has evolved over time
- Stratoscope 6y agoGiven the date and the pronunciation "a-LIED", this sounds like the Mid-Atlantic accent, an invented accent that was taught in acting and preparatory schools in those days. Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn were among the best-known practitioners of this accent. It was very common in movies and newscasts back then. In the NBC Chimes Museum article, the announcer in the first audio clip under "1944 the fourth chime" is another good example of the Mid-Atlantic accent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent https://www.google.com/search?q=mid-atlantic+accent https://www.google.com/search?q=mid-atlantic+accent
- 082349872349872 6y agoSpeaking of US non-rhotic accents, I was amused[1] to learn that the admonishment to Use Yah Blinkah has recently been joined by Stay Wicked Fah Apaht Bonus quinzy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7g3RuoreRc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7g3RuoreRc [1] which explains why I am also a fan of Mister B, who puts the RP in RaP.
- jumelles 6y agoIf any are still around I would love to know where they are. I hope there are a couple hiding out in attics or basements somewhere...
- joezydeco 6y agoA restored machine in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M4SnhIhgOc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M4SnhIhgOc
- bane 6y agohuh...so it's an electronic Mbira/Kalimba/Thumb Piano/Music box. I would have thought it was a hammer hitting vibraphone bars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbira https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbira
- joezydeco 6y agoRight. But thinking electronically the vibrating capacitor is easier to turn into an audio signal.
- ComputerGuru 6y agoA decent YouTube video that goes into the history and shows a restoration of such a machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0_WL735Ueg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0_WL735Ueg The presenter does a good job of describing how it works and showing the parts inside.
- daveevad 6y ago> the notes of the famous NBC chimes are G-E-C, standing for the General Electric Company.
- kjaftaedi 6y agoWhen making comments like this you should note that this is your own speculation or provide a link to support your claims. The linked article only says: > A seven-note sequence which was first used, G-C-F-E-G-C-E, was determined to be too complicated for the announcers to play correctly on a consistent basis. It was first simplified to G-C-F-E, and finally to just G-E-C.
- daveevad 6y agomy bad. i lifted quote from wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_chimes#cite_ref-3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_chimes#cite_ref-3 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31210009801968&view=1up&seq=184 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31210009801968&vi...
- xxpor 6y agoYou might want to read the sentence after that quote :)