19 different typewriters - sound comparison
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- Опубліковано 31 січ 2015
- a comparison of different typewriter sounds
all recordings were made in exactly the same setting, so the recordings are really comparable. I would record one typewriter, pause the recording, put the next typewriter at the exact same spot on the felt on the table and continue to record, etc.
But beware: Some typewriters have really worn platens, which are hard as a rock. Others have still a little softness. That will affect loudness quite a bit. Still, for example, the Hermes Baby (the oldest one of the bunch in this video) has a really hard platen and is still considerably "silent". So of course it is a combination of many factors.
Also, some typewriters do not have a ribbon installed during the recording. I assume metal hitting paper is quite a bit louder than metal hitting an ink-soaked ribbon made of silk. So the ones without ribbon should be considered less noisy under normal circumstances.
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For the quick path, jump to minute 12:00, you get the fast run
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Tipp:
- plug in headphones.
- put headphones a little away on the table
- adjust sound so you can barely hear the first typewriter (Olympia SM-3)
This way, you will be really able to tell the difference between the level of noise. Try it yourself ...
Here are the typewriters:
Olympia SM-3 ( 0:42 - 1:12)
Groma Gromina ( 1:12 - 1:55)
Olivetti Lettera DL ( 1:55 - 2:36)
Olympia Splendid 66 ( 2:36 - 3:11)
Mercedes ( 3:11 - 3:58)
Hermes Baby ( 3:58 - 4:31)
Olivetti Lettera 32 (very early one - made in Italy) ( 4:31 - 5:05)
Olympia SM-9 (5:05 - 5:46)
Olivetti Lettera 32 (very late one - made in Spain) ( 5:46 - 6:22)
Olympia Progress ( 6:22 - 6:59)
Princess 200 ( 6:59 - 7:36)
Princess 300 ( 7:36 - 8:06)
Hermes Baby (very late modell, plastic body) ( 8:06 - 8:38)
Erika 10 ( 8:38 - 9:23)
Hermes Baby ( 9:23 - 9:58)
Hermes Baby ( 9:58 - 10:30)
Montana Luxe ( 10:30 - 11:08)
Brother 440TR ( 11:08 - 11:39)
Triumph Tippa 1 (11:39 - 12:00)
"bought a few" = 19 typewriters
God I wish I had such funds
Ha!
Would be more helpful if you had included more commonly found machines; Smith-Corona Silent-Super, Royal Quiet DeLuxe, Remington QuietWriter, etc. I have never seen many of these machines, or even heard of them!
I have 7 in my collection, the quietest one, in my opinion, is the Smith Corona Silent 1949 followed by the Hermes 3000 which makes a "snick-snick" sound. The loudest is the Smith Corona Galaxie 12.
Thank you for the video. I have several typewriters all gifts. AND thank you for the info on the platens. I really appreciate.
Thanks for such an aesthetic effort.
some of these sounds are relaxing
Quite fascinating how the typewriters that are mechanically the same end up sounding so different. Like all your different Hermes Baby variants, for instance. Jst goes to show you cannot so easily generalise a make and model's sound from just a few samples. Also, it's not all about loudness, but also about pitch and a more vague notion of "sound quality" that in the end will make more difference to the perceived sound of whoever is typing.
I have Hermes Baby, also a lime green one. So far loving it.
helpful and enjoyable - thanks!
Terrific video.
Trust me, the Olympia sm9 sounds way different when you hear it in real life in front of you
So many Babies. Do you prefer a portable or a desktop typewriter for longer writing sessions? I have a Princess 300 but thinking about getting something bigger (e.g. Hermes 3000, Olympia Monika) for long time comfort.
My most quiet machine is a Remington Quiet-Riter which is really quiet ans smooth, followed by the Hermes 3000 which is well dampend and needs less force to type on. When on tour the Tippa 1 from Adler is my choice for not disturbing others. Thanks for this video.
I love using this to annoy people that leave audible typing feed back ON setting in the phone SO ANNOYING!!
I am so stealing this idea I have a few friends like that
I took this to my classroom once. My teacher told me not to use it. Sadly.
I think you should do this experiment again. Not go out and buy 19 typewriters again, but compare the ones you have and use a decibal meter to really find which ones are actually the most silent. If you are making these rankings according to your ears, then you might hear one machine louder or softer than others. You say you type mainly at night, and I assume you type in an apartment, or at least you did at the time of making this video, which is why you want something as silent as possible.
Wow this was a 💝 gift from obove thousands of thanks
From A swede 🙏❤️
I like the sound of that Triumph Tippa!
i need a type writer u have excess can i have one like a portable non electronic one
Awesome
I thought that Lettera DL (33) should be more quiet than the Lettera 32?
nice comparison. we would like to see you writing...
I've found that the hardness of the platen makes more difference than just about anything else, especially with different specimen of the same design. My Princess 300 used to be one of the loudest machines in my collection, but since I've had the platen recovered it's now one of the most quiet(though it has a good bit of crunch and clatter in the mechanisms unaffected by the platen, it's still a dramatic difference) Like you, I've found the Olympia Splendid, Companion, and SF designs to have a unique and odd tone to them, like they're not printing the letters so much as chewing them up and growling them out onto the page. Have you tried out the Hermes 3000? They type like a dream, and with the platen recovered it's the quietest machine I've ever used(though you pretty much have to get the platen redone, Hermes platens are all made of stone at this point in history). Great video! Sweet machines! Keep the videos coming
+TypewriterJustice Unfortunately I haven't got my hands on a Hermes 3000 yet. They seem to be quite rare here in Germany, it seems. They have quite a few in Switzerland, of course since they were produced there. But swiss keyboards lack the letter "ß". One of the Hermes Babys in my video has a swiss keyboard. Anyways, the Hermes 3000 is on the list, but that might take quite a while until a good one comes my way.
Very interesting and useful information that the hardness of the platen has in fact such a big influence on the level of noise. I guessed it already - common logic already tells us that hitting a rock is loder than hitting a pillow - but since I never had a platen redone yet, I couldn't tell from real life experience. So thank you very much for providing this info, I appreciate it a lot!
I already saw quite a few of your videos in the past. Very helpful in so many cases. I learned quite a lot from them. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Currently, my mind is about 80% settled, that my ultimate typewritingmachine, which I am on the hunt for, will be the gorgeous Lettera 32 in that frog-grass-green skin. I bought that almost blind (only had a small, blurry picture) for 20 Euro (around USD $22) because I thought maybe I will use it for spare parts once I find a good Lettera 32 from Italy. And then it arrived and I was blown away.
But then - the Princess 200 is simply awesome to type on. It's no joke: I can type on that machine at least 20% faster than on the other typewriters. Seriously! Amazing feel. Now, if that one would get more quite with a new platen ... hmm ...
And of course, there is the Erika 10 ... also a dream ...
One of the few I'm sure I will sell is the Olympia SM-9. Don't really understand why so many people love this one. It's boring perfect.
One last question: what exactly does it mean "the platen recovered"? As you can tell, I'm no native English speaker, so please bare with me. Does it mean, the rubber got replaced, or just somehow chemically treatended, in the meaning of "refreshed"?
ultimate typewritingmachine Your English is a lot better than my German :) Regarding the phrase, 'recovered'in this situation is to say 'replaced' - the old rubber is removed from the inner core of the platen, and new rubber is put on by machine then sanded down to the proper diameter.
I am of a similar opinion about my ultimate typewriter - whenever i leave my house and head to the bar for beers & a night of writing, I normally grab my Lettera 32 without even thinking; if i bring any other machine, it's almost always my Princess or my Adler Tippa(the curvy model, not the Tippa-S) but 90% of the time I use my Lettera 32. It simply feels right to me.
I was surprised to see the Montana in your video! I have one in my collection, but they seem rather rare here in the US; I would love to find several more so I could better compare the feel of the Montana against the feel of the Hermes it mimics. I should do a video on my Montana...hmmm.
TypewriterJustice
Thanks for clarifying the term "recovered". So it is all new rubber as I assumed. I will definitely get that done on the Lettera, too. From there on, I will see whether to get maybe on of the Hermes Baby bunch and a Princess done as well.
I believe the Montana is very rare here as well. This one is the only one I ever saw in the wild, too. Popped up on eBay with the option for instant buy. Took me 7 seconds to sweep over the text whether there are really bad issues and after not finding any hints about it, the Montana was mine.
I don't think I will keep it though, since I will reduce to a max. of 2 typewriters (promised my wife to do so) and the Lettera 32 is almost already set for sure, the Princess 200 on a good way just as the original Hermes Baby (Jubilee model).
So I think the Montana will be available for sale soon, but of course a) shipping to the U.S. is probably expensive (plus there might be a tax?) and b) it has a German QWERTZ keyboard. Still, if you're interested, let me know. (And if you happen to run over a Hermes 3000 with German QWERTZ keyboard in good condition, let me know also.)
I really enjoy your videos, so from my side you have a thumb up for a video on your Montana - just as for any other typewriter of your collection.
+TypewriterJustice When I was about to get my first (and only one, for the moment) typewriter, I was undecided between the Lettera 32 and the Adler Tippa (curvy, like the one in the video), and I also considered an Olympia Traveller Deluxe. Eventually I went for the Tippa. I could have bought any of them for about the same price, but somehow the Tippa intrigued me the most.
Anyway, it was an online purchase, so I couldn't test them, and I'm really curious to know how they compare. How would you describe your typing experience with those machines? Also, my Tippa tends to slip on the table as I type (problem solved through some gripping material placed under the typewriter): does the Lettera do that too?
***** the tippa and the Lettera 32 have a very similar feel, both quite snappy & crisp; the Olympia Traveler is more like the SF, Splendid, and Companion models: a bit mushy, springy, and almost clumsy feeling(almost like the Lettera 22, so different from the 33) Keep in mind, this is all a matter of your personal taste & typing style! Hunt & peck(2-finger) typists generally like the Olympia feel more, home-key typists lean more towards the snappier feel of the others. Regarding the slipping: almost any portable typewriter will move a bit as you type; the best way to overcome this is with a good, thick felt typing pad(normally about $30 online)
this video help me.
This video is old and you probably got your problem solved. But my suggestion would be: the Royal Quiet De Luxe. I have a similar problem than you, cuz the typewriter noise bothers my brothers. I don't type at night, but anyway. And I used to type on a SM3, which is the loudest machine. The QDL is the completly opposite, and it is much more quiet than the Lettera 32 for example. I bought the 1951 model, and it is amazing. I even felt at the beginning that there was something wrong, like if the machine wasn't typping correctly, since it was so quiet and smooth.
Royals and Smith Corona are hard if not impossible to find with German types.
Hi Mr. Typewritingmachine:
I found your video very usefull. I'm looking for a typewriter the quiter possible. The people in the store recommends me the Olivetti Lettera 32 or the Olivetti Linea 101. Do you know which one makes less sound?
+Andrew Carmaicol A Lettera 32 is a manual typewriter - I have one now equipped with a fresh platen rubber (actually the one shown in this video here, but then it was with the old rubber) and find it one of the most quiet ones. A Linea 101 is an electrical typewriter, so quite some different story. It might be quiet - but it is electrical, with all the upsides and downsides to this. The most "silent" typewriters I have are a Hermes 3000 with a pretty fresh platen rubber, a Remington Noiseless 7 and a Continental Silenta. I prefer the Hermes 3000 above all and it has pretty much become the typewriter I always use. But a Lettera 32 with a fresh platen rubber is a very good choice as well. To Linea 101 I can not say anything, I never had one of those.
Muchas gracias Mr. Typewritingmachine!
+ultimate typewritingmachine
How did you manage to have the platen replaced or re-covered new rubber? Is there any one in the USA does still do that?
+Enrique Iglesias I did get it replaced in Germany, since I live there.
In the US most people I know of get their new platens from J.J. Short (www.jjshort.com/typewriter-platen-repair.php)
ultimate typewritingmachine Could you please tell me where you got the platen replaced in Germany? Here in Italy I haven't found anyone who does it. Thanks.
My typewriter is a little harsh on pushing down on the keyboard. You think wd40 would make the buttons easier to press? I heard it makes the typewriter key sticks jam and get stuck and get sticky.
Always follow one simple rule: never (as in: NEVER) use WD40 on a typewriter. Never.
Best approach is to simply clean it, not to oil it. Because dust and oil will become grease over time.
Clean it with "Reinigungsbenzin" - if you are from Germany, which your name suggests. Look up some vids on youtube on how to clean a typewriter to get the idea.
In general, mechanical typwriters don't need oil. It tends to make things worse.
Oh, I read a lot of comments on other vids and they said it was ok. By the way, I am german, but I do not speak it.
But I did not use wd 40 yet. I was going to but I will not anymore.
I assume you get this question a lot but are any of these for sale? I have a "home' typewriter that I prefer to just keep and use at home because of its weight and size. I'm looking for a smaller more portable typewriter to take out and about. The question is, would you sell any of these? It looks like you have a lot of Hermes Baby, and honestly, that's the typewriter I am most interested in for portability right now. Let me know what you think.
+Mackenzie Seven
I live in Germany, so shipping costs would be very high if you live in the US as I asume, and also we have a different keyboard layout (QWERTZ).
Ah. Shipping wouldn't be an issue; however, the keyboard difference is. Are all of them QWERTZ?
Yes, all of them are QWERTZ. I do have a Groma Kolibri in QUERTY layout though which I am planning to sell, but I haven't had the time yet to fully check it out, clean and lubricate it. This might take 2 or 3 more weeks. Google for Groma Kolibri typewriter in case you're interested.
Of course, the Kolibri is QWERTY, not QUERTY
+Mackenzie Seven
btw.: Although I do love the looks of Hermes Baby typewriters I have to admit I am not that big of a fan when it comes to typing on them. Compared to a Princess 200 for example they are definitely not in the same class. Just not as precise and snappy. By far.
Except one, I will sell all my Hermes Baby typewriters in the future because I almost never use them.
So I would recommend to try one out first, before you decide and buy one, if you have the possibility to do so.
Heyy...you too from Germany ?? Need some help buddy with Lettera 22, Groma Kolibri, Lettera 32 and Princess 300
What kind of help are you seeking? Repair? Or buying recommendations?
@ultimatetypewritingmachine6976 Regarding repair and Buying both to be honest. I'VE got many models and options, some in good shape but some not doing well so that's why wanted a conversation or two for kind assistance 😊
@@user-hl2bj7xn6i I suggest to post your questions here. This way, not just me will read it. And there are smarter and more experienced people around than me. :)
You do know there are noiseless typewriters?
A computer?
A word processor?
Here in the US, Remington and Underwood marketed “Noiseless” models in the ‘30s-‘50s. They featured a different typing mechanism, where the type arms were timed to just barely “kiss” the platen hard enough to print, but without flinging them firmly into the platen like conventional machines. They also had a kind of acoustic cover meant to help muffle the sound.
Needless to say, they weren’t literally “noiseless.” But they were quieter than conventional typewriters.
I was confused as to why your typewriters all have the wrong keyboard layout, then I realized they aren’t American.
underwood typewriters.........
The body of the typewriter dose afect the sound.
If its metal then it would be louder then plastic.