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In The Know (10)
Posted by: Johanna Jansdotter on 25th Nov 2009 in In The Know
Our occasional series where great design objects are described by those who know them best; their owners.
Keechdesign design assistant Johanna Jansdotter looks (and listens) to a very small thing...
What is it? It's a musical box mechanism. No bigger then a match-box. It is constructed from five small components, put together to create a small piece of a song, and in my case it's a slice of Led Zeppelin's eight minute long Stairway To Heaven. (Was going for The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel but can't be more satisfied than with the one I ended up with).
Tell me more... Well - the ratchet handle rotates the cylinder. The 'Braille' then plucks the comb which produces the music. The whole thing rests on a die-cast bed-plate. It's just a magnificent piece of art.
Why did you buy it? It creates the purest sound in the most uncomplicated musical way you ever came across. It was on a dark wooden table in a small shop in Barcelona. I was on my way to find a place in the warm October sun in the hart of the city to get a coffee (a last-minute trip that turned my life around, but that's another story). A little boy was turning the handle just as I was passing by. He was rotating it very, very carefully, as if he was afraid to break it. This was a magical moment containing me, him and the sound of silence.
About its looks? It is a bare, delicate construction made out of different metals. But its raw design makes me think back to a time to the late 1700s when the idea probably first saw daylight. It reminds me more of a watch than a musical instrument.
Technical advantages? If you place it on a wall or table, the volume will increase amazingly. Haven't figured out how - it just does. Magical once again!
Emotional appeal? The purity of the design itself, and the sound that it produces - it's a highly evocative thing that has to be experienced.
Could it be improved? The device has not changed since Antoine Favre invented it 300 years ago. Why improve or change something that's already perfect?
Not recommended for... Using as a door stop.
Posted by: Johanna Jansdotter on 25th Nov 2009 in In The Know
Our occasional series where great design objects are described by those who know them best; their owners.
Keechdesign design assistant Johanna Jansdotter looks (and listens) to a very small thing...
What is it? It's a musical box mechanism. No bigger then a match-box. It is constructed from five small components, put together to create a small piece of a song, and in my case it's a slice of Led Zeppelin's eight minute long Stairway To Heaven. (Was going for The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel but can't be more satisfied than with the one I ended up with).
Tell me more... Well - the ratchet handle rotates the cylinder. The 'Braille' then plucks the comb which produces the music. The whole thing rests on a die-cast bed-plate. It's just a magnificent piece of art.
Why did you buy it? It creates the purest sound in the most uncomplicated musical way you ever came across. It was on a dark wooden table in a small shop in Barcelona. I was on my way to find a place in the warm October sun in the hart of the city to get a coffee (a last-minute trip that turned my life around, but that's another story). A little boy was turning the handle just as I was passing by. He was rotating it very, very carefully, as if he was afraid to break it. This was a magical moment containing me, him and the sound of silence.
About its looks? It is a bare, delicate construction made out of different metals. But its raw design makes me think back to a time to the late 1700s when the idea probably first saw daylight. It reminds me more of a watch than a musical instrument.
Technical advantages? If you place it on a wall or table, the volume will increase amazingly. Haven't figured out how - it just does. Magical once again!
Emotional appeal? The purity of the design itself, and the sound that it produces - it's a highly evocative thing that has to be experienced.
Could it be improved? The device has not changed since Antoine Favre invented it 300 years ago. Why improve or change something that's already perfect?
Not recommended for... Using as a door stop.
Comments
Posted by TelStar on 30th Nov 2009 08:23 PM
Johanna, does it play the full version of 'Stairway To Heaven'? Although I guess that would make it too big?
Johanna, does it play the full version of 'Stairway To Heaven'? Although I guess that would make it too big?
Posted by J.Jansdotter on 30th Nov 2009 09:27 PM
But it does!
If you play it more than once, hold it close to you ear, you will find out that you suddenly have a song in your head - and in your case - Stairway To Heaven.
But it does!
If you play it more than once, hold it close to you ear, you will find out that you suddenly have a song in your head - and in your case - Stairway To Heaven.
Posted by Roxy on 1st Dec 2009 10:31 AM
OMG is this little thing for real? I WANT ONE, u cant go moore old school than this!
OMG is this little thing for real? I WANT ONE, u cant go moore old school than this!
Posted by Sid the Monkey on 1st Dec 2009 12:13 PM
Awesome!!
Awesome!!
Posted by Carolinka on 1st Dec 2009 09:46 PM
Whoah! Love those!
Whoah! Love those!
