Not only did these people have to hold a firm knowledge of music but they had to understand mechanics and how to align everything time-wise AND they built some of these machines without electricity and none of these were built with CAD programs on a computer. Beyond amazing!
Anyone with an education in the late 1800s would have a firm grounding in music and music theory, especially people with a technical education. The mathematical nature of music was considered part of science back then. Virtually every educated person played at least one musical instrument as a matter of course.
Something I noticed but wasn't mentioned was the way it wiggles the bridge to get a tremolo effect. Very clever machine from a very clever time in mechanical tech.
That’s vibrato. I’m not sure if you meant finger board but i still agree that it’s incredible how such an old machine could replicate vibrato to that accuracy.
@@OhKnow379 Another thing they should've mentioned is that these Violins have Machine Head tuners like a Guitar instead of the Traditional Friction Pegs cause it's easier to tune up.
I don’t know why they would, the people of hundreds of years ago are the same people as we are now, we just have more access to tech and information nowadays.
@@giusepperesponte8077 propaganda that's why arguably people in the past are more competent because of lack of accessibility and information that they need to work to get them, no info means no surpassing those in charge, make them more effectively in power in the long run, the reason they want to paint the past as dumb is to make the mass majority of people think superior of themselves so they are foolish enough to be exploited and profited upon, besides it makes appealing content too by making people look dumb as they actually are
NO! Like ALL orchestrions, they sound exactly like a 1980s audio chip in an 8 bit computer (like SID or Pokey). They sound "mechanical" They DO NOT SOUND like analog instruments. It's one or two notes at a time. It sounds very fake.
@@tarstarkuszThat's a good point. It can just about reproduce the frequencies of the instrument, but without any of the articulation. That seems like the next logical step if you wanted to reproduce a more authentic violin sound.
I am Dutch, so I am excited that you were inspired by the Speelklok museum! Thank you for your appreciation for the museum and making it better known all over the world by your video.
2:00 And now the world has gone full circle: you're listening to this music on a machine which has absolutely no violins inside, but can imitate them (as well as just about any other sound).
This is amazing. This shows why humans are so bad ass. Not only to build the instruments, but the instruments to master the instruments. Mind blown! Boom!
Seems like the goto inevitable but instead of just going on mental autopilot and just running with it, carefully consider humanity's inevitable tendencies of survival and would acknowledge that critical point of no return, and would NEVER cross that line and screw itself over like that! We all want to be competitive ya, but not create something which marginalizes ourselves altogether, falling back on us negatively. Long story short, there's much forecasting which goes into literally ANY sort of production, and we would not invent things which kill off the inventor. Who wants to invest in doomed engineering???? Those are just scare tactics to drive up our productivity in society. Don't fall for society's tricks, always be 10 steps ahead...
I'm 70 years old and have always appreciated genius innovation. In my life experience, only about 2% of people think about and try to create new things. The other 98% stand around and tell them it will never work.
Perhaps he has incredibly dry skin so he doesn't need to worry about the oils from his body ruining the machine's surfaces... All jokes aside, I didn't notice him touch the machine.
A song dear to my heart. But the mechanics are more impressive than the sound. It sounds like a MIDI recording made on a keyboard set to electric violin. Unlike a player piano, it doesn't come anywhere near approaching the sound of a human playing.
The slightly off beat nature of this machine, combined with a lack of inflections, makes it haunting. Like a humanoid, it's almost human but not quite.
mechanical things are so cool, whether it's a no-man orchestra or an automaton. It's sad that everything nowadays is electronic. It's amazing to see something mechanical and innovative and unique on youtube. Can't wait for Marble Machine X!!!!
John Doe Electronic isn't bad, but you can't see how the machine works. you can learn so much how a mechanical thing works by just looking at it. Yes, electronics are much, much more useful, but mechanical marvels are so interesting to just look at.
So we've got a Swedish guy talking to a Dutch girl about a German instrument, in English. It's like a Germanic Variety Pack! 😉 Anyhow, very cool video. Thanks for featuring this instrument - I've enjoyed a number of orchestrions over the years, but I don't think I'd ever come across one with violins before now.
There is a truly amazing collections of self playing instruments like that in the Nethercutt Collection in Southern California. I'd highly recommend it if you like this sort of thing. They also have a great museum of immaculate classic cars mostly from 1900s-1950s
These machines were built in three models: The model A (one in this video) the model B (which has a round compartment which conceals the violins, and the model C, slightly more plain. They were manufactured under the name "Phonoliszt Violina" and were made in large numbers, by the Hupfeld company, which was based in Leipzig, Germany. This was their most popular line of instruments, which they dubbed as "The eighth wonder of the world". The Hupfeld firm also made many player pianos and large orchestrions.
The Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violiana remarkable as it may be is not the only machine to play a violin mechanically.As meanwhile in the USA a certain Henry Conrad Sandell devised an even more remarkable machine to play a violin & piano mechanically which is only a quarter of the size of the Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violiana. The result was the the most remarkable & unique mechanical music machine ever devised The Mills Violiana Virtuoso.What makes the violiana virtuoso so special is that it contains no vacumn & is Entirely electro magnetic in operation Thousands of these were built by mills & a vast number still survive today.Unlike Hupfeld The Mills Violiana Virtuosa has only a single violin & uses all 4 strings which are bowed by a variable speed electric motor which has a far greater dynamic range than the Hupfeld system.Because of its unique mode of operation The Mills Violiana Virtuoso lends itself instantly to MIDI and a digital player system is now made for this. It would be an interesting exercise to compare the Mills & Hupfeld machines side by side to see which is really the Eighth Wonder Of The World!
Brilliant bow idea. Instead of back and forth on a pivot arm they did a loop. Really the only reason we go back and forth is because our arms are only so long. Eventually you gotta come back.
Nathaniel, yes,except that hurdy-gurdies can have a small rotating wheel bow which is applied to the string. The idea is used in some Popper violin players. The Hupfelt idea is also interesting in that it moves the violins onto the circular bow. Each violin has one playing string.
@@leefongchew2107 The violins don't need to be removed for tuning. Instead, there are screw-tuners on each headstock like on a guitar, and there are small buttons I think located in front of the violin section, which, when the instrument is turned on and with the roll frame in 'neutral', cause each violin to sound by moving it towards the bow, along with sounding the corresponding note on the piano at the same time. So long as the piano is in tune (and it only needs to be tuned about 2 times per year in a museum environment... more if commercially used), then the violins can just be tuned to the piano. The other 3 sympathetic strings on each violin are tuned by plucking them with the fingers and adjusting the screw-tuners.
I couldn't think of a more perfect video series for me to enjoy (apart from the already more than perfect Wonderful Wintergatan Wednesdays, of course!). Thanks for sharing bits of this fairy tale with us! P.S. Marble Machine X will be the 10th wonder of the world. The 9th is your first Marble Machine. :)
I have always admired these types of instruments. Here in the United States there are a few collections. My favorite is the Stahl Museum in S/E Michigan. They are both an automotive museum (about 150 cars of 20-40s like Auburns, Duesenbergs, Benz, movie cars, etc.) they also have an extensive collection of these instruments including one identical to this one and a couple of other violin players. Some of them are huge....maybe 15' high and 30' wide or more). They are played through out your visit and if that isn't enough....they also have a large theater pipe organ that plays throughout the day.
I've seen one sitting in a museum and admired the mechanics as much as possible, but seeing it actually doing its thing is a whole new level. The violins even have whammy-bars on them. The principle of having two reels of programme-tape for continuous play is even the same as on contemporary cinema projectors
dem0n0maniac it does not calculate though, the earliest computers where mechanical and kept track of the planets and stars and then with wwII WE GOT THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE
I just realized how new this Video is when I saw 51 Views and 31 Likes :o That Would be terrifying as a kid, not knowing that this piano plays itself and coming downstairs to find it doing this without anyone playing
Sure, it's an interesting, well produced piece by a much loved You Tuber with a loyal fanbase, but obviously it's the mind-blowing-don't-mind-yer-Avatar-the-movie CGI at 0:33 that is a big draw here :-D
Fly Beep yes, I do. Those violins sound just realistic enough to sound creepy as hell. Just as something that's supposed to look human can look creepy because it's almost human, but not really. I know what it means and I use it figuratively.
5:14 "It really is an amazing machine. And surprisingly flammable. Now if you'll just wait while I plug in this sketchy cord." **crackle snap bzzzt!!**
First time I’ve seen one of these in person was many years ago at House on the Rock in Wisconsin. One of the most amazing places filled with mechanical instruments from all over the world.
This guy... would walk into an open heart surgery operating room while someones chest is open, lean on the table and tell the surgeon, "Now ask me if I can guess what you're doing." The surgeon would reply, "Isn't the video titled, Heart Surgery? And stop leaning on the patient."
Tapani Nuolimies Tapani Nuolimies i have the string instruments and i have piano too, I have to tune it frequently. And the white thing with holes that Rolling, it seems new for me because it's still white enough for 100 years. I need more information because I'm just curious.
I guess it isn't shown too well in this video, but each of the three violins are provided with screw-tuners like a regular classical guitar... supposedly they help the violins stay in tune longer than regular violins with traditional friction tuners, but not too much! :P To tune the violins, one simply turns on the machine, and I think moves a lever in the spoolbox which sets it at "neutral". With the pump running and the bow wheel spinning, there are three (I think) buttons in the spoolbox which actuate the "play" pneumatic for each violin (the one that pushes it into the bow), as well as simultaneously playing that tuning-note on the piano. Thus, the person in front can adjust the screw-tuners until that string is in tune with its piano note. Of course, the sympathetic resonance strings have to be plucked manually to tune them, since they are not played by the bow, and the operator needs to manually strike the piano keys for those sympathetic string notes. So yes it helps to have a pretty good ear to keep this in tune, since it sounds horrible otherwise :) But I don't think they need to be tuned more than once or twice a day, provided the room has good climate control. If you have perfect pitch you may wish them tuned a little more often. For an instrument that is providing background music for a restaurant or hotel something like eight hours a day (pre amplified sound), without attention other than turning it on and periodically changing the rolls, that's still pretty good. The Mills Violano-Virtuoso (an American competitor) had a much different system, where the violin tuning pegs were entirely replaced by levers connected to heavy weights, with a screw system allowing the leverage of the weights and tension to be adjusted. (you can see this in the video "punching a hole, playing a roll" here on UA-cam) When properly set up with good strings... their violins stay in tune a LONG time.... almost as long as the piano!
My Uncle, DR. Clyde N. English was a world renown organist. He would have absolutely loved this. He graduated from Notre Dame Paris. He received his doctorate from Vienna School of Music. Any form of Music is wonderful. But this is extroirdinare! Thank you.
lois tonen How are the violins tuned? And how do you change the strings? Are those the original violins from 1910 or have they been changed? My violin is also from around 1910. 😊
pfft its a whole computer, the instruments are the sound card, the mechanics the cpu, and the pianola roll the ram/hard disk. Only seems to have one program installed though. :)
Some of the best 19th Century and early 20th Century mechanical instruments were made by Italian builders, such as the Gavioli company, Marenghi, Bacigalupo, Griffigna, Frati, Chiappa, the Varetto brothers, and others. They made their instruments in France, Holland, Germany, England, and even in the U/S. Why? Because of economic reasons, and the excellent supplies of suitable woods and leather, coupled with some of the craftsman skills which were around in those lands. They passed on their knowledge to local people, whilst also learning skills from them. The first patent for a book organ keyframe was granted by France to A. Gavioli in Paris in 1892, as was a patent for the frein harmonique which was a great aid in making an organ string tone using one low-cost organ pipe. Their ideas are still in use by mechanical organ builders around the world today. Many builders gravitated to the Black Forest area, notably Waldkirch im Breisgau, mainly because of the wood and the climate. From there, skills spread to Holland and Belgium, also places such as Czechoslovakia, Russia, Spain, and later Mexico and South America. One's nationality is largely irrelevant, if you have useful skills, and if you are prepared to work hard, to learn , and invest in training others to carry on and develop those skills. Everyone in the English-speaking world, and much of the Spanish and French speaking world, is the descendant of immigrants somewhere along the line. Nationality is a label which is very often misused badly in our world.
The originals (of which I think around 60 exist), when they (rarely) come up for sale, typically sell for in the mid 6 figures (USD). The replicas made by the MMM are more "affordable" and sell in the low 6 figures I think. "Affordable"... hee hee. This is why I collect foot pumped player pianos. But of course these are awesome if you can afford one. If you can't, there are just enough in public museums in the USA, Europe, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and I think a few other places, to hopefully visit and see and hear one in person.
This is masterful mechanical engineering. It’s sad this is a dying art. Everything is electronic and even interest in quality mechanical watches is fading. My watch has a clear back, to watch and appreciate the works inside. No, it’s not as accurate as quartz, but there’s little pride in owning a Casio. Thanks for sharing !
Just watched the movie" Of Mice and Men" from 1939 and they had one of these playing in a scene and I had never seen one before, I'm glad I found more information here about it so thanks for the video
I have no idea how you would go about building this. There must be about a dozen engineering and musical disciplines involved. It's more complicated than a modern car!
Wow. I'm amazed. Cause i am from Leipzig Germany, and i drive by the Ludwig Hupfeld Center an the Ludwig Hupfeld Street on my way to work every day. But i didn't know he built such mechanical instruments. Greetings from Leipzig :D
It probably had the sweat and tears of hundreds of engineers and powered by money from eccentric millionaires. (In a time when this wasn't a common thing to do!)
Aerobug our skin is covered with a natural acid which mantains the skin soft and elastic, if you touch something you'll leave fingerprints, right? That's because of your skin acid. So he's leaving corrosive acidic fingerprints all over a precious and old instrument, the girl from the museum has gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints while he's just touching everything without a care in the world
He doesn't touch anything but the entirely cosmetic guardrail; notice how he goes in at 2:53 but then adjusts so his sleeve is on the guardrail, and the vertical post means that his hand wouldn't have been touching the cabinet front at that point. He does position his hand back on it later but still only on the guardrail, which I really wouldn't call a sin considering he knows better than to try to touch anything further in.
Supposedly there were between 2,000 and 10,000 Phonoliszt-Violinas originally built... not counting the thousands of Hupfeld Helios orchestrions and of course other types of orchestrion built by other makers. So this instrument was actually quite popular in its heyday, if difficult to maintain due to its complicated design.
makes no sense to me why people are saying "he put his grubby bare hands all over it," when all he ever did was lean on the side rail... Everybody has to be an expert.
Alex Funkhouser the worker is also wearing gloves which shows how it’s supposed to be handled :/ if it’s supposed to be “touched all the time” then why would the worker bother wearing gloves am I right
And if someone made this today it would come with a 90 day warranty, break down after 91 days, and cost a fortune to repair. I mean just imagine this was playing over and over and over and over to audiences at a worlds fair. And it STILL works today. The quality and workmanship in this beauty is not likely to be reproduced in the modern world. A real shame.
Oh lemme guess, you're going to keep making these videos about fascinating mechanical music-producing machines, while continuously teasing us about the Marble Machine X until we're absolutely drooling to hear it in action, aren't you? Sounds good to me! (Also this makes me want to go watch Hugo again.)
![[Black MIDI] Deck in the Halls MADMAN - 12.42 Million](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q13tSRMEovw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Try to Beat me at Violin [🎻100 Violin Giveaway]](/img/n.gif)
The tuning. The cleaning. The maintenance over all. This is one heck of an instrument.
That's what I wondered about; how the violins are disassembled and taken down to change strings and tune. How difficult is that?
First of all the regulating!
Not only did these people have to hold a firm knowledge of music but they had to understand mechanics and how to align everything time-wise AND they built some of these machines without electricity and none of these were built with CAD programs on a computer. Beyond amazing!
I think this instrument is fascinating
Precisely why no one is impressed with anything anymore. Computer do it. People don’t do shit
@@6r6b6 Only jaded people like you believe that.
Anyone with an education in the late 1800s would have a firm grounding in music and music theory, especially people with a technical education.
The mathematical nature of music was considered part of science back then.
Virtually every educated person played at least one musical instrument as a matter of course.
Europe though.
Something I noticed but wasn't mentioned was the way it wiggles the bridge to get a tremolo effect. Very clever machine from a very clever time in mechanical tech.
I saw that also...
Tremolo is a change in volume, not pitch. We have all been deceived.
...and Vibrato BTW.
That’s vibrato. I’m not sure if you meant finger board but i still agree that it’s incredible how such an old machine could replicate vibrato to that accuracy.
@@OhKnow379 Another thing they should've mentioned is that these Violins have Machine Head tuners like a Guitar instead of the Traditional Friction Pegs cause it's easier to tune up.
it's actually wiggling the tailpiece, not the bridge ;-)
i still think we highly underestimated how smart people in the history actually are, media do history no justice
The antecedents of today’s hi-tech developers....
@@facelessdrone thats true, a good education is rare and expensive
I don’t know why they would, the people of hundreds of years ago are the same people as we are now, we just have more access to tech and information nowadays.
@@giusepperesponte8077 propaganda that's why arguably people in the past are more competent because of lack of accessibility and information that they need to work to get them, no info means no surpassing those in charge, make them more effectively in power in the long run, the reason they want to paint the past as dumb is to make the mass majority of people think superior of themselves so they are foolish enough to be exploited and profited upon, besides it makes appealing content too by making people look dumb as they actually are
Bruh Da Vinci tried to make a spinning tank. Imagine that today with modern weapons and armour
As a furniture mover, the sight of it gives me anxiety!
could become the end of your carrier as furniture mover^^
I was wondering how they move it. Such a delicate piece yet must weigh a ton! It'd be a nightmare to move I'm guessing
@@TheTruthKiwi I'd say they move it, very very carefully. ;)
Just be glad you're not some police officer. You could have been moving out people's mamas. So big they have moons orbiting them.
Sure we can move it! right boys? *spits hands* Woah! oh boy hold it hold it....first step on the stairs....BOOM! ok...everybody run!
You're getting closer and closer to building a perfect instrument
imagine getting to the point where you only need 4 likes to be the top comment.
@@AlexandrBorschchev now 7 likes.
NO! Like ALL orchestrions, they sound exactly like a 1980s audio chip in an 8 bit computer (like SID or Pokey). They sound "mechanical" They DO NOT SOUND like analog instruments. It's one or two notes at a time. It sounds very fake.
@@tarstarkuszThat's a good point. It can just about reproduce the frequencies of the instrument, but without any of the articulation. That seems like the next logical step if you wanted to reproduce a more authentic violin sound.
@@cesarm3218 I've heard good examples. This just isn't one of them.
woman: wearing gloves. man: ill just lean on it with my bare arm and hand
rhinestines Karen: says this comment
Me:
Lmfao
Of course she has to
Shes a woman so if she touched it with bare hands the ochestron would fail NNN
-Netherland- the homeland of space cakes
Same
I am Dutch, so I am excited that you were inspired by the Speelklok museum! Thank you for your appreciation for the museum and making it better known all over the world by your video.
I guess youtube recommendations have brought us all back together again
Once again, we're all gathered here...
@@maliciousqueefer3427 yes, indeed we are. Indeed we are.
Hello. Indeed we are once more collected in one place to witness ancient greatness.
Heya
Hey again )
The song at 0:25 is called "Sous le ciel de Paris" :)
Thanks! :3
De Aalster Gavioli is the organ playing it at the Speelklok museum.
I was able to find it thanks to you :D
The one from 2:20 is "Pasadena".
whats the full name ?
The song played by the Hupfeld is "Home in Pasadena" composed by the great Mr. Harry Warren in 1923. You're welcome!
2:00 And now the world has gone full circle: you're listening to this music on a machine which has absolutely no violins inside, but can imitate them (as well as just about any other sound).
That's not full circle, its just another step.
The power of the instrument
Is defently Missing!!
@@kennethschultz6465192khz 32bit audio:
ye u have no clue what the term "full circle" means 💀
Nah, I play the cello, and playing it myself (or listening to someone else) doesn't sound at all like a recording.
5:15 for anyone who only wants to see it play.
@Scorpion S Loooooool
but what did it ply i must know
@@NapalmSticksToChildren Pasadena
Thanks man you saved my time
When a violin plays itself it's called an eighth wonder if the world.
When I play with myself I get thrown out from museum
Wonderful! Well said. lmao
Maybe use a bow next time. Pizzicato isn't appropriate all the time.
@@Aaronontheradio That was rude. Are you suggesting that John should go pluck himself?
@@penelopepurr I stand by my comment.
Hahahaha that was great 👍😂
This is amazing. This shows why humans are so bad ass. Not only to build the instruments, but the instruments to master the instruments. Mind blown! Boom!
meta engineering lol
And someday we will create machines that will replace us entirely!
Seems like the goto inevitable but instead of just going on mental autopilot and just running with it, carefully consider humanity's inevitable tendencies of survival and would acknowledge that critical point of no return, and would NEVER cross that line and screw itself over like that! We all want to be competitive ya, but not create something which marginalizes ourselves altogether, falling back on us negatively. Long story short, there's much forecasting which goes into literally ANY sort of production, and we would not invent things which kill off the inventor. Who wants to invest in doomed engineering???? Those are just scare tactics to drive up our productivity in society. Don't fall for society's tricks, always be 10 steps ahead...
Mad Minute i to enjoy being human...until the aliens attack then you fools are on your own 😀👽
It's impressive, but the computer you're using is far more complex, impressive and versatile.
cool
Go back to your cave pikapetey
Pikapetey Animations why are you here
Ye why IS he here XD
Pikapetey Animations Petey where did you come from? :0
Pikapetey Animations o/ yo.
I'm 70 years old and have always appreciated genius innovation. In my life experience, only about 2% of people think about and try to create new things. The other 98% stand around and tell them it will never work.
Imaging having to tune that beast!
Same as tuning a violin regularly...
@@ethanbrock5438 correction: same as tuning THREE violins regularly
@@thewatcherinthecloud Oh my bad
@DarkGrisen OUR bad. Truly a beast of an instrument.
You only have to tune the string being played. so just tuning one violin
Lol she’s wearing gloves to touch it and he straight up slaps it
@Pedro Miguel its 3 years old vedio
Perhaps he has incredibly dry skin so he doesn't need to worry about the oils from his body ruining the machine's surfaces...
All jokes aside, I didn't notice him touch the machine.
Yes but he could fix it lol
@@aryanpandita3058 POV: Your grade in English is above 90% in class 10
You wear gloves in part to keep the oils of your hand off of things.
5:23
aaaa thanks
Doing the lords work
ua-cam.com/video/IvUU8joBb1Q/v-deo.html
I will give you a Like. Thank you Gentleman
A song dear to my heart. But the mechanics are more impressive than the sound. It sounds like a MIDI recording made on a keyboard set to electric violin. Unlike a player piano, it doesn't come anywhere near approaching the sound of a human playing.
"What is this? “
A Hurdy Gurdy with extra steps.
Lol essentially
Absolutely incredible
Engineering Masters... I can't even fathom how this was constructed.
@@samaigol5169 no he was busy building the pyramid
@@samaigol5169
Why so ofensive
@@samaigol5169 wut lol
Mohammed Islam magic
sama igol have some manners stupid fella
How do you rosin the bow though????
How do u tune them
carefully
Hold the rosin against the horse hairs in the gap between two violins and turn the machine on.
THATS WHAT I WAS WONDERING
Or change the hair?
The slightly off beat nature of this machine, combined with a lack of inflections, makes it haunting. Like a humanoid, it's almost human but not quite.
It's basically a boss from Nier Automata.
Uncanny valley is strong with this instrument
@@T1mm0s A very lively instrument and song, played by a machine.
@@m.i.c.h.o lmao song is weird, no emotion to it. I feel nothing
You most be deaf! @@GreenLeafUponTheSky
mechanical things are so cool, whether it's a no-man orchestra or an automaton. It's sad that everything nowadays is electronic. It's amazing to see something mechanical and innovative and unique on youtube. Can't wait for Marble Machine X!!!!
Gragaloth Why is electronic bad? Microprocessors are a thousand times more complex than theses machines. Both are impressive IMO
John Doe Electronic isn't bad, but you can't see how the machine works. you can learn so much how a mechanical thing works by just looking at it. Yes, electronics are much, much more useful, but mechanical marvels are so interesting to just look at.
There is a certain charm to it.
Lmao
LOL
nobody cares 4 the marble machine.
no it will not be the 9th wonder./
not sure why he plays overcompressed edm for transitions either
So we've got a Swedish guy talking to a Dutch girl about a German instrument, in English. It's like a Germanic Variety Pack! 😉 Anyhow, very cool video. Thanks for featuring this instrument - I've enjoyed a number of orchestrions over the years, but I don't think I'd ever come across one with violins before now.
And the 8th wonder of the world can’t even play Paganini. Come on, it needs to practice 40 hrs a day
Shanghao Zhong. to be fair how can a machine imitate the bowing needed for Paganini songs
If only ling ling had built the machine instead
*ASIAN INTENTIVIES*
They build that machine in order to compete ling ling, but ling ling more way better than that machine
so there's 40hours in A DaY...ok
There is a truly amazing collections of self playing instruments like that in the Nethercutt Collection in Southern California. I'd highly recommend it if you like this sort of thing. They also have a great museum of immaculate classic cars mostly from 1900s-1950s
World class but out of the way SFV museum. Now that things are opening up after a year it is time for a visit. Thanks for the reminder!
These machines were built in three models: The model A (one in this video) the model B (which has a round compartment which conceals the violins, and the model C, slightly more plain. They were manufactured under the name "Phonoliszt Violina" and were made in large numbers, by the Hupfeld company, which was based in Leipzig, Germany. This was their most popular line of instruments, which they dubbed as "The eighth wonder of the world". The Hupfeld firm also made many player pianos and large orchestrions.
Hupfeld also made a couple of Violinas apt for use in cinemas, on that model, the violins were in a seperate case that sat alongside the piano.
The Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violiana remarkable as it may be is not the only machine to play a violin mechanically.As meanwhile in the USA a certain Henry Conrad Sandell devised an even more remarkable machine to play a violin & piano mechanically which is only a quarter of the size of the Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violiana. The result was the the most remarkable & unique mechanical music machine ever devised The Mills Violiana Virtuoso.What makes the violiana virtuoso so special is that it contains no vacumn & is Entirely electro magnetic in operation Thousands of these were built by mills & a vast number still survive today.Unlike Hupfeld The Mills Violiana Virtuosa has only a single violin & uses all 4 strings which are bowed by a variable speed electric motor which has a far greater dynamic range than the Hupfeld system.Because of its unique mode of operation The Mills Violiana Virtuoso lends itself instantly to MIDI and a digital player system is now made for this. It would be an interesting exercise to compare the Mills & Hupfeld machines side by side to see which is really the Eighth Wonder Of The World!
Unfortunately I doubt they have one at the Speelklok Museum -- but if you could provide them one, I'm sure they'd be overjoyed.
Brilliant bow idea. Instead of back and forth on a pivot arm they did a loop. Really the only reason we go back and forth is because our arms are only so long. Eventually you gotta come back.
Kinda makes me think of the hurdy gurdy
Sloppy seconds anyone?
@@teknoman117 exactly. Uses the same circular bow concept, which I'm sure is where they got the idea for this.
Nathaniel, yes,except that hurdy-gurdies can have a small rotating wheel bow which is applied to the string. The idea is used in some Popper violin players. The Hupfelt idea is also interesting in that it moves the violins onto the circular bow. Each violin has one playing string.
Maybe we can make a chainsaw bow. lol
I actually went to this place before and the same lady showed me this on a field trip
Might be Silly, but i m very curious What happened if the violin out of tune? Can take it out for tuning?
@@leefongchew2107 The violins don't need to be removed for tuning. Instead, there are screw-tuners on each headstock like on a guitar, and there are small buttons I think located in front of the violin section, which, when the instrument is turned on and with the roll frame in 'neutral', cause each violin to sound by moving it towards the bow, along with sounding the corresponding note on the piano at the same time. So long as the piano is in tune (and it only needs to be tuned about 2 times per year in a museum environment... more if commercially used), then the violins can just be tuned to the piano. The other 3 sympathetic strings on each violin are tuned by plucking them with the fingers and adjusting the screw-tuners.
Still plays a very jolly musical piece to be heard again...lovely
Is it just me or do you hear a vibrato in the violin? And if that is what i hear, how did they do that?
Dennis de Bruin there is indeed a vibrato! It's a small L-shaped piece just above the bow. It "shakes" if there is a vibrato needed. :)
Lois Elizabeth wow amazingg
Was wondering the same thing! This machine is brilliant!
Lois Elisabeth Yes I also noticed the thing attached to the tailpiece, probably makes the tailpiece wobble to get the vibrato.
how would they program the machine to perform vibrato at specific moments of the song?
I couldn't think of a more perfect video series for me to enjoy (apart from the already more than perfect Wonderful Wintergatan Wednesdays, of course!). Thanks for sharing bits of this fairy tale with us! P.S. Marble Machine X will be the 10th wonder of the world. The 9th is your first Marble Machine. :)
I have always admired these types of instruments. Here in the United States there are a few collections. My favorite is the Stahl Museum in S/E Michigan. They are both an automotive museum (about 150 cars of 20-40s like Auburns, Duesenbergs, Benz, movie cars, etc.) they also have an extensive collection of these instruments including one identical to this one and a couple of other violin players. Some of them are huge....maybe 15' high and 30' wide or more). They are played through out your visit and if that isn't enough....they also have a large theater pipe organ that plays throughout the day.
I've seen one sitting in a museum and admired the mechanics as much as possible, but seeing it actually doing its thing is a whole new level. The violins even have whammy-bars on them.
The principle of having two reels of programme-tape for continuous play is even the same as on contemporary cinema projectors
Orchestrions are SO COOL. They're like super primitive computers
dem0n0maniac primitive?? the world is awash in electronic computers. I dont see many machines like this one!
@@Steezey7 Primitive: 1 being the first or earliest of the kind or in existence, especially in an early age of the world: primitive forms of life.
how are they like computers Xp
@@jholotanbest2688 because it's a machine that runs a program.
dem0n0maniac it does not calculate though, the earliest computers where mechanical and kept track of the planets and stars and then with wwII WE GOT THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE
This is what makes the internet and UA-cam great. 👍👍
Stephen Cresswell Agree
Well that’s until you wander on the other sides of youtube
Stephen Cresswell *again
i read the title wrong lmao, generally thought it said:
*100 year old self, playing violin*
corbanXV lol
grodhagen chill, it was misread
lol . My first real laugh of the day.
@grodhagen r/iamverysmart
corbanXV same lmmfao
all these old wonderful machines blow my mind! People really are awesome!
Amazing! I'm glad that works of art like this are getting the attention that they deserve.
No computer...no CNC... no comment.
Engeneering level 3x Legendary Master. :-)
Technically, this is a computer!
@@MrAbuskeleke: No computer/CAD to create design plans...
Just incredible.
I just realized how new this Video is when I saw 51 Views and 31 Likes :o
That Would be terrifying as a kid, not knowing that this piano plays itself and coming downstairs to find it doing this without anyone playing
Swivel_Z strange, on my phone right now it reports 19 views. I'll check it on a new browser on my laptop
Clearly a cached count. Headed towards 1700 views now.
1822 now x.x
Sure, it's an interesting, well produced piece by a much loved You Tuber with a loyal fanbase, but obviously it's the mind-blowing-don't-mind-yer-Avatar-the-movie CGI at 0:33 that is a big draw here :-D
Hahaha, hell yeah, so true!
That is absolutely incredible how people thought up all of that and built it !!! Absolutely beautiful !!
Ridiculously, absurdly, magnificently brilliant.
Now this is SACRELIGOUS
No it was Ling-Ling...
Go practice
It's truly a work of genius, but it gives me a strong uncanny valley vibe
Darudestorm How is this Uncanny Valley? Doesn't that just apply to animated faces or characters?
Ryan Park Oh yeah, I guess that makes sense
Stephen true
You have no idea what uncanny valley means do you?
Fly Beep yes, I do. Those violins sound just realistic enough to sound creepy as hell. Just as something that's supposed to look human can look creepy because it's almost human, but not really. I know what it means and I use it figuratively.
5:14 "It really is an amazing machine. And surprisingly flammable. Now if you'll just wait while I plug in this sketchy cord."
**crackle snap bzzzt!!**
Hello Wintergatan You inspire me to keep doinf what i love thank you
First time I’ve seen one of these in person was many years ago at House on the Rock in Wisconsin. One of the most amazing places filled with mechanical instruments from all over the world.
This was the first place I saw one as well- really magical as a kid.
Thanks for making these videos and providing the history of the machines Please continue to make them.
Thanks!
4:44 He was like: Oh, look she are wearing gloves, so its better not touch the instrum... Ops.
Polo Polo XD
Hahahaha :D.
I bet he was yelled at after the first shot were he slaps the top of the instrument
I want Twoset to watch this and see their reactions to it.
@twosetviolin !
Leonardo Gabriel Crahaybloklander Tagging them doesn’t do anything, this is UA-cam not insta lol
Came here to look for a twoset comment hah.
lopkobor no... have you ever been on insta haha
They'll just bitch and bitch and bitch some more about all of its imperfections.
This guy... would walk into an open heart surgery operating room while someones chest is open, lean on the table and tell the surgeon, "Now ask me if I can guess what you're doing." The surgeon would reply, "Isn't the video titled, Heart Surgery? And stop leaning on the patient."
Lazlow Rave I could not agree more with your assessment.
Lazlow Rave that is hilarious!
Lazlow Rave c f scrrbgbg
Lazlow Rave I'm taking surgery on the toilet I'm taking a shite😂
I kept thinking the same thing. How does this man have the decency to rest his arm on a historical artifact of beauty. It is truly mind boggling.
2:53 your such a 🎼 nerd 🤓 it's adorable 😍 the giggle at the end aww 💕
wow la justesse des note est juste incroyable !
So, how to tune the violin? They take it out??
may syarah this, is the good question
may syarah I was wondering the same, and how do they change the strings? This video left so many questions unanswered.
Tapani Nuolimies Tapani Nuolimies i have the string instruments and i have piano too, I have to tune it frequently. And the white thing with holes that Rolling, it seems new for me because it's still white enough for 100 years. I need more information because I'm just curious.
I guess it isn't shown too well in this video, but each of the three violins are provided with screw-tuners like a regular classical guitar... supposedly they help the violins stay in tune longer than regular violins with traditional friction tuners, but not too much! :P
To tune the violins, one simply turns on the machine, and I think moves a lever in the spoolbox which sets it at "neutral". With the pump running and the bow wheel spinning, there are three (I think) buttons in the spoolbox which actuate the "play" pneumatic for each violin (the one that pushes it into the bow), as well as simultaneously playing that tuning-note on the piano. Thus, the person in front can adjust the screw-tuners until that string is in tune with its piano note.
Of course, the sympathetic resonance strings have to be plucked manually to tune them, since they are not played by the bow, and the operator needs to manually strike the piano keys for those sympathetic string notes.
So yes it helps to have a pretty good ear to keep this in tune, since it sounds horrible otherwise :) But I don't think they need to be tuned more than once or twice a day, provided the room has good climate control. If you have perfect pitch you may wish them tuned a little more often. For an instrument that is providing background music for a restaurant or hotel something like eight hours a day (pre amplified sound), without attention other than turning it on and periodically changing the rolls, that's still pretty good.
The Mills Violano-Virtuoso (an American competitor) had a much different system, where the violin tuning pegs were entirely replaced by levers connected to heavy weights, with a screw system allowing the leverage of the weights and tension to be adjusted. (you can see this in the video "punching a hole, playing a roll" here on UA-cam) When properly set up with good strings... their violins stay in tune a LONG time.... almost as long as the piano!
+Great Pianists
Four violins; four strings, hence four violins were build in to make the sound of just one violin.
The first marble machine was amazing imo. Why was it a machanical failure?
Two words: rubber bands
TheOne TrueSausage! Because it could only play under perfect conditions, which only lasted around a few seconds, it the first M.M. broke alot
Wintergarten talks about this in a series of films.
TheOne TrueSausage! He does have a video on it.
And it was bigger than the doorway so he couldn't get it out of the room he build it without disassembly.
My Uncle, DR. Clyde N. English was a world renown organist. He would have absolutely loved this. He graduated from Notre Dame Paris. He received his doctorate from Vienna School of Music. Any form of Music is wonderful. But this is extroirdinare! Thank you.
As I realized that Lois is reading the coments, I'm gonna say...
Hi Lois!! :D
Hello there!
lois tonen How are the violins tuned? And how do you change the strings? Are those the original violins from 1910 or have they been changed? My violin is also from around 1910. 😊
lois tonen
Could you tell me the name of the waltz at 0:23?
lois tonen Wrong Lois lol
Damn it!
So basically that is like the great grandfather of the computer soundcard!!
Creative Sound Blaster v. 1.0 :P
Thats harder to invent than an automatic transmission or even the combustion engine
pfft its a whole computer, the instruments are the sound card, the mechanics the cpu, and the pianola roll the ram/hard disk. Only seems to have one program installed though. :)
@@hammerfaced420 imagine making it without any CAD software or CNC. Way harder.
What a wonderful machine. I love that you were inspired by this museum and that one of your magical creations has ended up there. 😊
I was at that museum several years ago and took the tour. Many amazing music machines. If you are near it is a very interesting place.
Of course Leonardo da Vinci somehow already thought about it 600years ago
I think about stuff too!
Like how he thought of helicopters, tanks, and all that stuff centuries before it became mainstream lol
Aaron Jaben you should put it all down on paper incase you forget , you might have a pearler 👍🏻
@@ausintune9014 well at the time his designs were pretty bad and very unreliable. So it would make sense to forget them
Newton and Einstein: Some of the most known physicists.
Vinci: Most known engineer.
That violin sound beautiful and the music its just beautiful
Germans and their engineering....
Danial Ghofrani this is Dutch
Eva gonzalez Read the description lady. Place of Manufacture: Leipzig, Germany
Danial Ghofrani He is Swedish I think
Some of the best 19th Century and early 20th Century mechanical instruments were made by Italian builders, such as the Gavioli company, Marenghi, Bacigalupo, Griffigna, Frati, Chiappa, the Varetto brothers, and others. They made their instruments in France, Holland, Germany, England, and even in the U/S. Why? Because of economic reasons, and the excellent supplies of suitable woods and leather, coupled with some of the craftsman skills which were around in those lands. They passed on their knowledge to local people, whilst also learning skills from them. The first patent for a book organ keyframe was granted by France to A. Gavioli in Paris in 1892, as was a patent for the frein harmonique which was a great aid in making an organ string tone using one low-cost organ pipe. Their ideas are still in use by mechanical organ builders around the world today. Many builders gravitated to the Black Forest area, notably Waldkirch im Breisgau, mainly because of the wood and the climate. From there, skills spread to Holland and Belgium, also places such as Czechoslovakia, Russia, Spain, and later Mexico and South America. One's nationality is largely irrelevant, if you have useful skills, and if you are prepared to work hard, to learn , and invest in training others to carry on and develop those skills.
Everyone in the English-speaking world, and much of the Spanish and French speaking world, is the descendant of immigrants somewhere along the line. Nationality is a label which is very often misused badly in our world.
Wait,I thought it was the Chinese that we're supposed to be brilliant!
I was at the music museum in Utrecht in the 80’s and was super awed at all the instruments there. Would love to go back again.
That's so cool...I want one
i bet they sell it for 2 million euros
The originals (of which I think around 60 exist), when they (rarely) come up for sale, typically sell for in the mid 6 figures (USD).
The replicas made by the MMM are more "affordable" and sell in the low 6 figures I think.
"Affordable"... hee hee.
This is why I collect foot pumped player pianos.
But of course these are awesome if you can afford one.
If you can't, there are just enough in public museums in the USA, Europe, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and I think a few other places, to hopefully visit and see and hear one in person.
Skip to 5:10. You're welcome.
This is masterful mechanical engineering. It’s sad this is a dying art. Everything is electronic and even interest in quality mechanical watches is fading. My watch has a clear back, to watch and appreciate the works inside. No, it’s not as accurate as quartz, but there’s little pride in owning a Casio. Thanks for sharing !
Just watched the movie" Of Mice and Men" from 1939 and they had one of these playing in a scene and I had never seen one before, I'm glad I found more information here about it so thanks for the video
Ohh nice I’m reading that book for English class do you think I should also watch the movie?😊
@@build_itnow it's. A nice addition ,but definitely continue the book as well 😊
@@brucecampo6543 ok thanks 😀
Incredible ... and all designed without computers, CAD or cellphones!
It was built in 1914 and premiered in 1910... 4 years before it was built? How does that add up?
Probably an earlier version that didn't survive.
There was an original version that didnt survive.
funkwurm it said it was built in 1910 not 1914 I think he did his timeline wrong. The people at the museum would probably know more. Just saying
The one that is demonstrated was built in 1914. But the first one was built around 1910!
In the museum we have 2 for example, there are around 100 aprox. Working violina's around the world!
I have no idea how you would go about building this. There must be about a dozen engineering and musical disciplines involved. It's more complicated than a modern car!
Wow. I'm amazed. Cause i am from Leipzig Germany, and i drive by the Ludwig Hupfeld Center an the Ludwig Hupfeld Street on my way to work every day. But i didn't know he built such mechanical instruments.
Greetings from Leipzig :D
You sir, are a musical genius, i envy your skill.
This machine creeps me out for some reason. Almost like a torture chamber for violins
It probably had the sweat and tears of hundreds of engineers and powered by money from eccentric millionaires. (In a time when this wasn't a common thing to do!)
Everything is amazing, but the fact he's touching everything with his bare hands bothers me sooooo much
why?
Aerobug our skin is covered with a natural acid which mantains the skin soft and elastic, if you touch something you'll leave fingerprints, right? That's because of your skin acid. So he's leaving corrosive acidic fingerprints all over a precious and old instrument, the girl from the museum has gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints while he's just touching everything without a care in the world
He doesn't touch anything but the entirely cosmetic guardrail; notice how he goes in at 2:53 but then adjusts so his sleeve is on the guardrail, and the vertical post means that his hand wouldn't have been touching the cabinet front at that point. He does position his hand back on it later but still only on the guardrail, which I really wouldn't call a sin considering he knows better than to try to touch anything further in.
Why even is this a conversation lmao
Because some people are very judgmental and OCD.
Content, style, and editing, can’t get enough of this channel
This machine is truly amazing...i can't imagine how long it took
I'd like to see how rosin is applied to the bow, how the violins in the back are tuned, general maintenance, etc.
3:52-4:24 Let me get this straight. It was built in 1914, and then it premiered at the 1910 world exhibition? That truly IS an amazing machine!
Maybe the first machine debuted and a later incarnation was built in 14.
Had the pleasure of visiting the Speelklok museum while visiting the Netherlands. Absolutely amazing place.
There’s nothing sacrilegious about this machine. It’s one of the best machines ever. This comes as close to heaven as it gets.
Well, now I have to watch the marble machine video again.
German built an over-complicated machine which has seen limited use but when it does, it's pure gold.
Ｓ Ｏ Ｕ Ｎ Ｄ Ｓ Ｆ Ａ Ｍ Ｉ Ｌ Ｉ Ａ Ｒ
Supposedly there were between 2,000 and 10,000 Phonoliszt-Violinas originally built... not counting the thousands of Hupfeld Helios orchestrions and of course other types of orchestrion built by other makers. So this instrument was actually quite popular in its heyday, if difficult to maintain due to its complicated design.
Wunderbar das Meisterwerk was für ein wunderbar coole erfinhrung für es ist zeit
makes no sense to me why people are saying "he put his grubby bare hands all over it," when all he ever did was lean on the side rail... Everybody has to be an expert.
Alex Funkhouser he put his hand on it !!!!!
@@liliannguyen6475 and? It's on display, they most likely get touched all the time. That's why they get... Wait for it... Cleaned daily.
Alex Funkhouser and?? When you go to a museum do you touch everything on display?
Alex Funkhouser the worker is also wearing gloves which shows how it’s supposed to be handled :/ if it’s supposed to be “touched all the time” then why would the worker bother wearing gloves am I right
@@liliannguyen6475 You insignificant fool! Calm down! Martin was only blessing the contraption with his superior God like hands!
And if someone made this today it would come with a 90 day warranty, break down after 91 days, and cost a fortune to repair. I mean just imagine this was playing over and over and over and over to audiences at a worlds fair. And it STILL works today. The quality and workmanship in this beauty is not likely to be reproduced in the modern world. A real shame.
Well said!
Engineering at the highest level.
The pic. Of the Violin with arm playing it self was so funny to me. 🤣🤣🤣 I lo e this stuff. The Marble Machine is a Wonder of the world. 🌎
LOVE THIS VIDEO!!!
I'M ABOUT START WORK ON MY SELF-PLAYING *SAXOPHONE ORCHESTRATO*!!!
I find it maybe a little rude she's wearing gloves and he's just touching and leaning on it
Read the other comments dude, they explain al of it.
Austin Diggs he never actually touches the instrument tho
That's because he is more hands on. Shouldn't, but does it anyway.
What can i say „it’s one of the 8th wonders of the world“ you cannot leave a fingerprint to a valuable artifact.
@Ethan Shaw giving him gloves is liked saying "you can touch it but in gloves", but actually you can't touch it.
Damn I wanna play piano and violin that good.
I saw one of these in Ocean Grove New Jersey.A guy from Pennsylvania brought it to town.I spent the whole afternoon listening to it.Fantastic.
i hoped that the marble machine X would become the X'th wonder
TheCludo Me too!
Wait, I'm hearing a song in the outro I haven't heard before. I DEMAND A FULL VERSION MARTIN
Oh lemme guess, you're going to keep making these videos about fascinating mechanical music-producing machines, while continuously teasing us about the Marble Machine X until we're absolutely drooling to hear it in action, aren't you?
Sounds good to me!
(Also this makes me want to go watch Hugo again.)
The amount of comments not recognizing how freaking impressive this is is infuriating.