Ai remember reading about the concept that sound could be recorded using clay that was mentioned in “transition tech: the game”. Ai’m very interested in this and wonder why there wasnt more discussion about it? Does anyone have more information and or first-hand (or even third hand would be fine) experiences with this? The internet searches ai tried only came up with skeptics and the band Jars of Clay. Mostly the latter. Has this been disproven, or simply not investigated enough?
i found this clip on youtube from a myth busters episode. i think they ended up busting it.
[quote=“thunder thighs, post:2, topic:1238”]i found this clip on youtube from a myth busters episode. i think they ended up busting it.
Say it with me: “TV is not reality. TV is not reality…”
Just because Mythbusters says its so, doesnt mean it is. Whatever methods they used, may be the wrong ones. Or maybe they are just not potters. Thanks for bringing that to mai attention, but it may not be usefull. As you may have guessed, ai have very little faith in what is done on camara.
“I am the bearded, cow-like sea beast!!!”
Mythbusters always have problems. They get ripped apart by people with specific knowledge on a number of things. I hate their air cannon, because I know how to build a good one. I remember archers being angry about some of the archery myths…in some cases having personally experienced the “myth”. The cannon myths are crap, because of a more/bigger/faster mentality. They used a high power civil war cannon to bust a myth about lethal splinters in ship attacks, when there were Carronades at the time… cannons specifically designed with a low muzzle velocity in order to cause more of said splinters. Their reasoning was “if a powerful one can’t do it, a weak one definitely can’t”
As someone who has dealt with recording equipment, I see they fell into the more/bigger/faster problem right off the bat. Screaming, the way they were, would get you white noise on some modern equipment, let alone using materials not designed for the purpose.
They never tried normal talking level, and they used a brush instead of a stylus to make the grooves.
Given that recordings can be made on wax cylinders, I suspect it may be possible to do so on clay, although changes in surface structure during drying would certainly be an issue. Either way, the MB didn’t have a clue.
[quote=“chase, post:3, topic:1238”][quote author=thunder thighs link=topic=1316.msg13970#msg13970 date=1229109186]
i found this clip on youtube from a myth busters episode. i think they ended up busting it.
[/quote]
Say it with me: “TV is not reality. TV is not reality…”
Just because Mythbusters says its so, doesnt mean it is. Whatever methods they used, may be the wrong ones. Or maybe they are just not potters. Thanks for bringing that to mai attention, but it may not be usefull. As you may have guessed, ai have very little faith in what is done on camara.[/quote]
thanks for bursting my bubble chase.
and to think all this time i believed whatever i saw on tv…
oh well.
Thanks Kveldulf! Some interesting things to ponder. Would you think that the grooves would become smaller when the clay dried, or just degrade? What kind of a stylus do you recommend for making recordings? (ie. hard or soft, smooth or sharp, flexible or rigid, etc.) Could bone or wooden styla work?
@ Thunderthighs - lol
I seem to have overlooked this thread. :-[
Would you think that the grooves would become smaller when the clay dried, or just degrade?I'm not sure. They would likely change in some way, though. This could cause some distortion/warbling/etc. of the sound, even if it does work.
What kind of a stylus do you recommend for making recordings? (ie. hard or soft, smooth or sharp, flexible or rigid, etc.) Could bone or wooden styla work?Something hard and rigid would likely transmit the vibration best. I know hard gems(diamond, etc.) are used for playback stylus, currently. Glass or quartz is an older material.
Apparently, paper cones can be used to play a record. I know a cone attached to a sewing needle can play a record.
Bone, horn, etc… something dense and uniform seems good, though wood is great for transmitting vibration. :-\
Perhaps a composite stylus: wood shaft with a bone tip? Bone with a stone tip? Something like that, with the harder stuff as the tip.
Something I found to consider:
The ambient sound must somehow couple with the tool to a high enough level (e.g., the vibrational amplitude must be greater than the size of particles used in the clay.)
As for sharp/smooth…um, both? 
Pointed, but smooth, I guess. A dull knife edge, or rounded sewing needle would be an example.
I have to say that I don’t have any specialized knowledge of record making, just stuff I picked up here and there, and some related knowledge that seems to apply. Hopefully it’s helpful, or at least offered some fresh angles to pursue.