Mirror, mirror, on the table, play a tune, if you’re able…

In the latest update from the LaserMotive blog, we are given a video glimpse of their tracking mirror, one which is ‘musically inclined’ (pun intended).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEuqrUen404[/youtube]

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Kind of gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘tuning the mirrors’, doesn’t it? 

This is the second post LaserMotive has given us like this – I blogged about the last one here.

I identify with the last line in the current post; “If we get the time, maybe we’ll program the mirror to play a song…”  If you’re an old hand in the data processing / IT field like I am (and I’m talking the 60’s and 70’s here), you might remember how some of us (who had too much time on our hands) programmed the various computer peripherals to play songs.  There were no speakers or music software involved, these were tunes which were ‘played’ on line printers, with the different series of print keys striking the paper and producing different notes.  Card readers provided snare effects while the access arms on the disk drives provided percussion.  Some of this stuff got pretty exotic – I remember hearing “She”ll be coming ’round the mountain” in two-part harmony (two different printers) while a half-dozen other peripherals provided the background beat.  Oddly enough, IBM was a big provider of this kind of stuff – they used it for computer demos.  I wish I could find a video of one on YouTube or something – it really was cool.

I love geeky stuff…

10September, 2008 – Update.  I’ve been able to locate some tunes, on the Computer History Museum website, being played on an IBM 1403 Printer.  There is no video (pity), but there are mp3 files of several songs (no ‘She’ll be coming ’round the mountain, though).  I’ve copied one here (“Born Free”) which you can play by clicking on the arrow, below.

[audio:/media/1403_BornFree.mp3]

According to the website, these songs were a gift from Ron Mak.  Thanks Ron – it brings back great memories.

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