Comments on: The Birotron: The Keyboard of the Future
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future/
Comments on MetaFilter post The Birotron: The Keyboard of the FutureMon, 01 Oct 2007 12:21:20 -0800Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:21:20 -0800en-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss60The Birotron: The Keyboard of the Future
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future
In 1975, armed with a big pile of 8-track car stereos and a whole lot of moxie, Dave Biro set out to change the sound of rock music. He failed spectacularly. This is the fascinating and tragic story of one of the rarest instruments in rock music- <a href="http://www.believermag.com/issues/200706/?read=article_collins">The Birotron</a>. <br /><br />Even if you don't recognize the name, you've probably heard the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellotron">Mellotron</a>. The Beatles, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, The Kinks and countless others featured the unusual sounds of the <a href="http://egrefin.free.fr/eng/mellotron/melhist.php">keyboard</a> on many of the most recognizable songs in rock music. However, despite the popularity of the Mellotron, it wasn't without it's flaws- heavy, bulky, slow, and- <em>most important to this post</em>- limited to 8 seconds of sound per key before the tapes which made up the sounds needed rewinding.
Dave Biro decided to improve upon the Mellotron, and by cramming all those 8-tracks in a <a href="http://www.mellotron.com/biro1.htm">case</a> and wiring the whole mess together, he was able to create an <a href="http://egrefin.free.fr/eng/mellotron/birotronE.php">instrument </a>with virtually infinite sustain. Unfortunately, his timing was a bit off: 4 years after the first Birotron rolled off the line, <a href="http://www.obsolete.com/120_years/machines/fairlight/">the world's first polyphonic digital sampling synthesizer</a> was introduced. That, plus some serious technical and quality control issues, was enough to kill off the Birotron after only a handful were made.post:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:14:06 -080040 Wattbirotronmellotronrockrockmusicmusichistorykeyboardsynthesizermusic8-trackmusicalinstrumentBy: Kadin2048
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857632
Very cool article. Only thing I noticed in it was the mention of a "telltale 400 kHz hum". Unless the author is a bat, there is no way he's hearing 400kHz anything; human hearing tops out at about 20kHz. I'm thinking he means 400<strong>Hz</strong>.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857632Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:21:20 -0800Kadin2048By: Kirth Gerson
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857635
Personally, I think it wasn't the timing that was the problem. It was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxie">Moxie</a>.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857635Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:22:50 -0800Kirth GersonBy: sourwookie
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857637
No one should listen to that much Yes. Or any Rick Wakeman for that matter.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857637Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:25:08 -0800sourwookieBy: 40 Watt
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857639
<em>Personally, I think it wasn't the timing that was the problem. It was the Moxie.
</em>
Oh, please. "Moxie contains gentian root, which is the path to the good life." What more do you need?
<em>No one should listen to that much Yes. Or any Rick Wakeman for that matter.
</em>
For the record, I agree with you 100%, sourwookie.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857639Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:27:12 -080040 WattBy: Kadin2048
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857641
Also, all the samples linked to from <a href="http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/right.htm#_birotronchoir">this page</a> (which is linked to in the article, near the end) seem to be dead.
Any other sources for them?comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857641Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:27:58 -0800Kadin2048By: 40 Watt
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857644
<a href="http://mikedickson.org.uk/tron/right.htm#_birotronchoir">Here's a working link to the samples</a>. Sorry, I should have caught that.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857644Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:31:33 -080040 WattBy: Greg Nog
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857648
Oh man, that is awesome. As someone's who's currently trying to build an ungainly impractical musical instrument right now, I raise a glass to Mr. Biro.
Well-played, sir. Well-played.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857648Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:33:53 -0800Greg NogBy: itchylick
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857676
Great story. Digital has obviously brought us many great things, but analog is where the fun is. I once built a guitar amplifier entirely out of parts from Radio Shack ... even etched the circuit board myself. It sounded completely horrible, but damn if it didn't work, and that's really the point. Building it was way more fun than using it.
I see they still sell the <a href="http://www.radioshack.com/sm-more-product-information-for-the-pc-board-kit--pi-2102870.html">kits</a> at RS, but I wonder if this isn't a dying hobby.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857676Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:54:29 -0800itchylickBy: malocchio
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857685
<em>Yes's 1978 hit single "Don't Kill the Whale"</em>
???comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857685Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:02:15 -0800malocchioBy: quonsar
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857723
"i gave it a 72 dick. it's got a good beat and you can dance to it."comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857723Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:26:31 -0800quonsarBy: item
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857738
I read that as '72 inch dick'. Just so it goes down for future historians to study, I read the above comment as '72 inch dick'.
also: the Birotron is an awesome beast. Too bad about the issue with the tapes wearing unevenly, as the audio quality on a good, working 8-track far surpasses anything that digital audio will ever be able to accomplish in terms of dynamics and warmth.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857738Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:40:55 -0800itemBy: Espoo2
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857780
great article. Can't wait to play with the samples.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857780Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:57:53 -0800Espoo2By: melissa may
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857867
This is beautiful writing and a truly excellent post. That is not the sound I expected to hear. It's <em>beautiful</em>. I can't quite wrap my head around the idea that this was 1975. It's little wonder Biro thought his fortune was made.
I want more samples, very much. If anyone reading this ever comes across more and you think of it, would you let me know?
I would be grateful.
Thank you, 40 Watt. This made me very happy and rather broke my heart.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857867Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:23:16 -0800melissa mayBy: oats
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857877
Itchy, I was thinking as I read the article that there are probably a lot of analog multitrack 2-inch tape machines getting taken out of studios as digital takes over, and that one of those machines might make a pretty decent foo-o-tron with the right glue between it and a keyboard.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857877Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:46:21 -0800oatsBy: gimonca
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857880
<i>Other members of Yes still remember the Birotron, though without fondness; guitarist Steve Howe took revenge on the machine during one recording session by slipping a Seals & Crofts 8-track into the back of the Birotron's tape set. Thus in mid-solo, instead of a diminished seventh chord, Wakeman would suddenly hear: We may never pass this way aaaa-gaaaain, We may n...... </i>
Ha!!!comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857880Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:56:00 -0800gimoncaBy: doctor_negative
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857912
Great post, 40 Watt. I love early synth history and I had never heard of the Birotron. What a truly 70's kind of invention.comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857912Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:38:55 -0800doctor_negativeBy: flapjax at midnite
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1857921
Mighty fine, 40watt, mighty fine. Great find, great post.
<small>Small suggestion: add the <u>musicalinstrument</u> tag.</small>comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1857921Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:51:13 -0800flapjax at midniteBy: Joseph Gurl
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1858016
Oats: 2-inch tape machines are still very much in demand (and very spendy).comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1858016Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:21:46 -0800Joseph GurlBy: Karlos the Jackal
http://www.metafilter.com/65190/The-Birotron-The-Keyboard-of-the-Future#1858160
If you've read this far, you may be interested in building your own <a href="http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/09/make_a_mellotron_out_of_w.html">Mellotron out of Walkmans</a>! Via <a href="http://musicthing.blogspot.com/">MusicThing</a>, via <a href="http://www.makezine.com/">Make</a> zine...comment:www.metafilter.com,2007:site.65190-1858160Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:26:01 -0800Karlos the Jackal
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