obsolete sounds

December 20, 2014 1:51 PM

A recent discussion with a friend about the record/needle scratch used as an audio cue of an abrupt revelation/sudden realization on many reality TV shows prompted speculation about whether the target audience recognized the origin of that sound (i.e. have they ever actually heard a tonearm scrtich across an LP?). Which led to a further discussion of other obsolete sounds. How many of these sounds are foreign to you or your younger acquaintances?
posted by Oriole Adams (19 comments total)

See also Museum of Endangered Sounds (mefi post)
posted by aubilenon at 1:54 PM on December 20, 2014 [2 favorites]

They forgot the old fashioned chunkachunka credit card validators.
posted by jonmc at 1:56 PM on December 20, 2014 [7 favorites]

The whoosh of a gas lamp and the creak of a whalebone corset.
posted by pipeski at 1:59 PM on December 20, 2014 [3 favorites]

Not to mention the peculiar chirping shriek of the Velociraptor.
posted by pipeski at 2:01 PM on December 20, 2014 [4 favorites]

The sound of dropping a quarter into a payphone...

I quite miss that one a lot.
posted by PROD_TPSL at 2:04 PM on December 20, 2014 [3 favorites]

The whir of a cassette tape rewinding. For that matter, the very concept of rewinding, which makes no sense for digital media since it's not like the bits need to be re-spooled or anything.
posted by informavore at 2:07 PM on December 20, 2014

What about the sound of a male between the ages of 13 and 16 speaking? I haven't heard that one in years.
posted by crazylegs at 2:07 PM on December 20, 2014

IBM punch card sorter.

Brrrrrp
posted by stirfry at 2:09 PM on December 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

Static and white noise between tv channels.
posted by carter at 2:09 PM on December 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

Related to this: The Coconut Effect, where less-realistic sound effects are used because audiences expect them and/or would be disappointed with the actual sound.
posted by Ian A.T. at 2:10 PM on December 20, 2014

The atmospheric sound of tuning in-between the stations on the radio dial, and barely hearing some far-away stations, especially late at night when the air is clear.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:11 PM on December 20, 2014

The click click click of a rotary phone. I really miss that.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 2:13 PM on December 20, 2014

I like to think that these are all neatly archived in the Soundkeeper's vaults, awaiting the day when society will treasure them again.
posted by Nerd of the North at 2:15 PM on December 20, 2014

That funny "oops" sound that God made right after the Big Bang.
posted by uosuaq at 2:16 PM on December 20, 2014

From the movies: The sound of reporters crisply typing away in newsrooms of old. The clack of the keys always seemed to suggest important and exciting work was happening.
posted by but no cigar at 2:16 PM on December 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

The soft clop of hooves, the gentle tingle of the bell, and the hoarse, "bring arrrt yerrr dead!"

Takes me back, that does.
posted by Thing at 2:16 PM on December 20, 2014

That, at least, is still with us, Thorzdad. My missing radio sound would be the Russian Woodpecker.
posted by Devonian at 2:17 PM on December 20, 2014

The thunk-thunk-thunk of a manual TV tuner changing stations.
posted by localroger at 2:18 PM on December 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

The slam of a moderator stating "GYOB" while deleting a chatfilter post.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:19 PM on December 20, 2014 [6 favorites]