
The NBC Chimes Machine (1999) - tintinnabula
http://www.theradiohistorian.org/chimes.htm
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joezydeco
A restored machine in action:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M4SnhIhgOc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M4SnhIhgOc)

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bane
huh...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
Right. But thinking electronically the vibrating capacitor is easier to turn
into an audio signal.

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chiph
How they sounded:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP6Z86iDFjU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP6Z86iDFjU)

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drocer88
There was a 4 chime variation:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_chimes#The_%22fourth_chime...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_chimes#The_%22fourth_chime%22)

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)

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xxpor
Unrelated, 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
Given 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
Speaking 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.

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daveevad
> the notes of the famous NBC chimes are G-E-C, standing for the General
> Electric Company.

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kjaftaedi
When 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
my 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&vi...](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31210009801968&view=1up&seq=184)

~~~
xxpor
You might want to read the sentence after that quote :)

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jumelles
If 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...

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ComputerGuru
A 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.

