Years ago I worked for Qantas Airways and we had this system on the 747 aircraft, I would have recorded and loaded hundreds of those cartridges. The BGM (boarding music) tapes were recorded as 4 separate mono programs on a 4 track master which was then transferred to lubricated tape which we spooled on to 10.5" reels and then recorded on Akai 400GS 4 track, quarter inch machines. The tape was then wound off on to the aircraft cartridge spool by hand, using a "vinyl record" turntable and an adapter we manufactured ourselves. The announcement tapes were mastered in 2 lots of 4 tracks on the Akai 400GS and then we transferred the recordings in two passes, to an 8 track Fostex 1/4 tape recorder which we modified to run at 3.75 inches per second rather than the original 7.5 inches per second, then hand loaded the tapes the same way as the BGM tapes. If I remember correctly we had 14 different languages as well as the English emergency safety announcements. the crew had to change the cartridge to suit the flight. I enjoyed your video it brought back many memories.
There were actual records of QANTAS in-flight/boarding(?) music selections sold to the public. Drawn from the tape repertoire. I have one from the introduction of the 747, but I believe there were others.
This reminds me of the scene in "Airplane" the movie, where over the tannoy comes the message " Oh, by the way, is there anybody out there who can fly a plane?"
I was at a doctor last week and after reaching for a tool he said "Now, this will not hurt." I assume you can guess what happened next...yeah...it hurt. Why did he even say that, when we both knew it's a lie...
If and when it's a straightforward depressurization, there really is no need for concern, the pilots will get the plane fly lower within less than 10 minutes. Those that pass out from not having listened to the instructions and the crew for some reason not being able to assist them will very likely get revived by then.
Oh my God. That announcement is terrifying. I was once in an airplane that had to make an emergency landing because one of the engines caught fire (we weren't told this while we were in the air, simply that one engine was not functioning). Thankfully, this happened almost immediately after take-off and we weren't halfway across the Atlantic. However, the plane had been fueled for a trans-Atlantic flight and so we had to circle for an hour to burn off the fuel since the plane was too heavy for a safe landing on one engine. The captain made the announcement personally and I'll never forget the almost imperceptible quiver in his voice. That ever-so-slight indication of fear in the captain's voice was what got me the most. We had to learn the "brace for impact" position and the whole thing was absolutely terrifying. Families were quietly hugging each other and whispering and there was a deathly silence over the cabin. The pilots and flight attendants did an amazing job and thankfully we landed without major issue. The landing was at such high speed though, that it was downright terrifying. Even with the brace for impact position, my head still ended up smashing against the seat in front of me pretty hard. And it was pretty shocking to see all of the lights from emergency vehicles on the runway waiting for us. After we came to a complete stop, the passengers erupted in cheers for the pilots. I hope to never experience anything like that ever again.
The in-flight instructions on these tapes are now basically a modern technology Rosetta Stone, as they are basically the same instructions but in 10+ languages. For those studying a given language, these would make an interesting exercise.
That sounds like a fantastic story idea. A Rosetta Stone is found that translates dozens of lost languages, and they're all in-flight instruction tapes from a dead civilization
The interior of that announcement cartridge was quite the sight. You can tell just by looking at it that the engineer who designed it specialized in aerospace rather than consumer electronics.
Honestly, I find the long form videos with the history, context, media and the tech exposition all together to be preferable than two separate parts, each dedicated to a specific demographic. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that we come for the whole story, and that's why we're Moanies, if I may use the term.
@@UnholyTriforceDelenn It's not an error, TH-cam uses the published (made to public*) date on videos. * Well, when someone tells TH-cam that the video is public. This video was first shared publicly as an unlisted link hence the error.
@@BoshBargnani Most videos these days start out unlisted and shared with Patreon supporters a day or two early. The date indicates when it was made public.
I really prefer this format over the two separate videos. I really don't get it why you would come to this channel when you don't want to get the full story. I mean, that is the heart of Techmoan.
This is an interesting test. I am thinking of splitting up my "history" sections and my "restoration" sections into separate videos, but maybe I should keep them together?
Actually worked for one of the last companies that created updates to the audio on those. The company was AEI/DMX Music and its main business was background music for retail establishments. Our company did all types of duplication for the airlines. What memories.
Fun thing to note: I live in Canada and I've been flying within Canada since I was a child. And of course in Canada all announcements are made in both French and English. And I have heard that same exact french announcement way more times than I can count. Same voice, same inflections, everything. I don't know if it's been changed since the last time I flew 3 years ago, but it's fun to know they've been using that same recording for so long.
Was just on a Westjet flight a week ago and they use a higher feminine voice for their french recordings. Not sure if there's an industry standard that's been updated or if every company has/can have their own. It was always interesting to me how even though we're a bilingual country (on paper) there's never anyone working on the airlines who speaks french fluently
sadly YOuTube doesn't care about that, if you don't do any short crap, it literally wouldn't boost (or even basically) recommend your videos to any new (non-subbed) viewer... :(
techmoan, never change your format due to the moans of the minority. this long format is so much better, having things flow and stage and go from start to finish without a brutal cut in the middle. plus, the muppets are fun :) i guess its a case of damned if you do or damned if you dont. "never touch the tubes!" vs "skin oil wont effect the valves!" :P
Much easier for for some people to skip ahead than for everyone to have to jump around between two videos. (By the way, TH-cam suggested only part 2 to me)
Link for PART 2. TH-cam is only giving me this one. F'ing search algorithm. Trying to give me what they think I want, not the search times I'm using to get the 2nd part. Tapes like this should be preserved because the language on them act as way to preserve other languages beside other languages. One day our languages will die out or change enough that anything that actual speaks(plays) the languages together will be some digital type Rosetta Stone. I wish the channel would make all the content in 1 whole video. Additional videos when you learn a lot more and have enough content to create one , but then add a link in the description to the second part or Part 2 video.
Just come across this. Don't know how I missed it before, but I thought you might like a little additional info: Generally, on units which required both 115Vac (400Hz) and 28Vdc, the 115Vac was used to power the unit and 28Vdc was used for the control circuitry. Within BA, these units were often referred to as PRAMs (Pre-Recorded Announcement Machines). Sundstrand also made other tape-based units, including cockpit voice and flight data recorders (so-called ‘black boxes’ which are actually international safety orange, not black!)
It's partially the Boeing engineers' trickery too, I'm sure they designed their format to be compatible with the production equipment used for normal 8-track tapes, for ease of manufacture. No reason to reinvent the wheel.
"BRACE, BRACE!" "Now read the Safety Instruction card." I always wonder who the people recording those are. Those voices should be credited in the tapes.
@@fxshlein this emergency landing message was brought to you today by NordVPN. NordVPN, the plane didn't get you to the country you wanted to go to, but your computer can pretend you're there for you anyway.
@@leopoldbluesky I think for this type of work, they would be paid for the recording session, not per play. The same thing would apply for voice actors making railway announcements and so on.
Ah the good ole days of Analog Electronics. I started my career as an Electrical Engineer in 1984 so i worked on many analog electronic circuit designs on aircraft over the years. It wasn't until the mid 90s that the digital revolution fully took hold. Tuning circuits with a wooden tool with a slot on the end, turning potentiometers and other tunable analog circuits. Fun memories.
Perhaps the reason they have these emergency messages recorded is because, in an actual emergency, where an actual human being (with such pumped up adrenaline) had to read the announcement live, there would likely be such terror in their voice that they might not be able to get through it. They might also insert "extra" words like "...and if we survive the water landing" you should move to the nearest exits. PS- Thanks for the all-in-one video. I like your videos just the way they are... and you too, my brother. Thank you for all you do and are! (Especially loved the ending!) PPS -I really love it whenever I get to see one or more of your muppets in one of your videos. You have a wonderful sense of humor and I especially enjoy seeing it in the sketches you do. PPPS - I'm profoundly grateful for your continued lightheartedness during the pandemic. May you and yours enjoy the blessings of good health, peace, joy and love always, my brother. Take care.
I don't think so, more likely they are prepared in the event that the pilots' hands are already full (controlling the plane plus contacting both the current and would-be-final ATCs (if the would-be-final ATC is reachable) and the airlines (on a frequency that tends to garble voices)) and the flight attendants cannot move for safety reasons (if the problem is indeed a major depressurisation).
"...and if we survive the water landing" you should move to the nearest exits" Words and how they are said makes a huge difference in how people behave in a panic situation. It infuriates me whenever I see a fight, and women are there shrieking in high, shrill voices in fear. It makes a violent situation even more violent, potentialy leading to fatalities.
@@gacelperfinian as this is one of the periods where the captain and copilot need to communicate with each other the most, I think it's both. (or a passenger could be 'ordered' to "turn left" into the galley when in fact the captain interrupted his emergency announcement with an instruction to the copilot)
The main reason is depressurization. At maximum altitude, the time of useful consciousness, which you can stay functional without an oxygen mask is around 10 seconds. The flight attendant would have to take the mask off, read 5 seconds, put the mask back on, and repeat, and if they mis-timed it, they'd faint. This still happens today in depressurizations, a flight attendant thinks they can hold their breath and make it to a different seat, and they end up fainting.
@@straightpipediesel This explained the decompression situation, but not the emergency landing recording. I just imagine there would be too much in hands to the crews already, a recording would be much helpful
@@bansheemania1692 I always heard that you're not supposed to inflate them right away because if the plane crashes, as soon as it starts to flood, you could be caught in an air pocket. Sometimes you need to go down (into the water) to find an opening to get out. So you don't want to float right away, you want to sink, get out clear of the plane, and then float
It must be stated that I'm impressed by the high technical quality of these recordings, especially considering the age of the tapes. I expected to hear excessive hiss and crackling, assuming you didn't remove these in post-production.
I pulled this box and swapped the tapes on a 757 once when I worked for a large airline in the late 90s. I was blown away when i learned we were still using tape technology for announcements because we were just talking about the next big thing; something called MP3, which I thought was dumb idea. ( Yeah, I never said I was a genius) Good memories.
I also love this style over separate videos.. I mean not everyone have to like every "segment", but that's why there exist chapters, skips and time bar...
More proof that magnetic tape is one of the great unsung MVPs of the 20th century. Great video/videos as always. While I do prefer this longer all-in-one format, the multi-part one was also great, just slightly less convenient to watch (assuming you want to watch the whole thing like I do. The multi-part setup did accomplish what you wanted it to do quite nicely).
Ok maybe im a geek but ive got to say id actually really enjoy hanging out watching as you are making the videos and taking the devices apart and winding and rewinding the tapes on spools. I think its because i miss doing stuff like that myself. Having lost my home and Everything i ever had in my life .being with no workshops and no more thing of the sort to engage my daily life im super appreciative your videos and the efforts and attention to details that you put in to making them. Is it weird that i find these videos rather comforting ? Maybe one day i will have a home once again and if i am lucky enough i will have workshops and maybe even another radio station . but untill then i will watch your channel as you do the things i used to live to do. And as always, thanks for filming . 🤘😎👍
@@ohmygoditisspider7953 unfortunately things have gotten worse at least on the awake side of things. As long as i can keep myself asleep at least 19 hours a day then I basically live my life in the dream world. but unfortunately even on the other side tech is not what it used to be. Good thing time travel has always been a thing in the "dream world"
I don't know why but the background music really freaks me out. Sounds like some creepy movie soundtrack. Hearing it on a plane would make me read the safety instructions reeeally thoroughly
Back in the day, there were also "black box" tape recorders that used a custom tape format built into a nigh indestructible boxes. They moved to digital very early, but there were a few tape ones back in the day.
The best recreation of a disaster that didn't happen. The plane animation looked amazingly real, top notch production. Great work, I am impressed at how you recover audio from these unusual formats.
Now that made me remember...the original variant CF-6 jet engines used on the planes were recently retired (2021, after almost 50 years), though the later models are apparently still flying cargo to this day. And yes, the planes (and the engines) had commercial airliner service before being used to haul goods. Most airliners are converted to cargo use after passenger service anyway, perhaps a few for parts and backups. Cheaper than new planes with proven flight track records.
I once opened an overhead bin and found the same Sony Hi-8 deck I was using for duplication at work showing the in-flight movie. I bet they used all sorts of formats on the planes. I figured it was mostly about what didn't take up much space, had a decent lifespan and could be had cheaply.
Amazing video! The tech part, the audio part, the "b-roll"! Honestly, that disaster audio would have been very creepy without your awesome "b-roll" art. The two clips belong together but you know your youtube stats better and i will watch with pleasure even if you decide to split them up in the future.
Hands down this is the best channel on TH-cam. Thank you for your excellent content Matt! Keep doing what you are doing. Every Saturday I eagerly await the next video. I have learnt so much from your videos.
I really hope that the announcements played at a higher volume than the live cabin announcements. When they make in-flight announcements, if I even hear that they're happening, I have to strain to hear them. Also, this format is superior.
Inside the machine there were separate controls for the BGM, normal, and emergency announcement volumes. I'd expect the emergency ones to be pretty loud and maybe even have the volume adjusted for cabin pressure.
I like how the background music at the beginning of the tape is pleasant, but quite neutral, not suggesting a specific country or culture of origin. It's like the final form of the "Human Music" from Rick and Morty.
Wow, hearing that music gave me the weirdest feeling. It's as if I had some vague dream about being in an airplane as a kid and this music was a part of it. I bet I heard that kind of music on airplanes so often as a kid that my unconscious associated it with the experience without ever consciously paying attention to it. I can't stop playing it back. That is eerie.
Very cool! Thank you. I have heard many recordings in my many overseas travels but hearing all of these is fascinating to me. In the States it seems they are still using almost identical background music.
I have a degree in Professional Flight and 4 pilots licenses. I took several classes on commercial aircraft systems. There are very few systems I have not seen...this is one of them. Great video.
Probably the most reliable 8 track player ever made. Most 8 track players I had experience with as a teenager tend to stretch their tapes or allow the tape to get wrapped around the capstan
Hi @techmoan, This is the best version of the bunch. I really like the not-so-technical approach of these videos with mixed in goodies like the puppets. I thinkbthis is whx this channel works so well for many people - there are tons of "engineers", but only one true techmoan! Nonetheless to be a true techmoan video, i expected some: - belt replacements - another belt replacement because the first replacement is a bloody milimeter to tight - make the machine look great again by cleaning its insides with pressured air - "bad" soldering Thanks for you work!
I've just noticed you're now over a million subscribers! Congratulations. I think when normality resumes you should do a tour/holiday in Japan (rummaging around flea markets etc). You should speak to TH-cam about them funding it as an original series.
The selector knob on the front of the tape reproducer is usually only for maintance. As an engineer, I used to periodically test the emergency announcements. The automatic oxygen (mask) drop announcements were not selectable on the remote control panel used by the flight attendants on our airline. I don't recall our airline even had a manually selectable oxygen drop announcement. If the automatic announcement failed, the cabin crew would have to make an announcement manually using one of the cabin interphone handsets (telephones). The emergency oxygen drop announcement had a certain passenger address priority. It would override manual announcement selections and, of course, boarding music. It could, however, be easily overridden by using the cabin attendant handset PA selection. From time to time there was a glitch in the automatics and the emergency announcement would be played. Sometimes the crew would be a little slow to override it, but as the announcement was played repeatedly, at least they could stop it from repeating. If you're wondering what the panel looked like, it was just as clunky as the player. Eventually, these metal-cased tapes were replaced with common plastic cassette tapes, then digital recordings on EPROMs.
Thank you for archiving things people would have never thought to archive like the recordings of these tapes. We need archivist like there is no tomorrow.
I almost never fly in planes, so I had no idea what kind of background music they'd play.. my guess would've been something akin to elevator music. Definitely not this. It sounds kinda.. futuristic. I actually like it.
A spirit flight I took in September 2022 had boarding music- it was the first time I'd ever heard music on a plane but the flight had been delayed due to weather- so I thought it was meant to be soothing.
What an amazing video, I love old tech and I've travelled many a plane and flight over the years. Always been fascinated by the cool tech they use to distribute media, audio and software in these kinds of unique settings
The Swiss German one would be interesting. I never heard a recorded message in a plane in Swiss German. I can't even imagine it because we have several Swiss German dialects in the country. Is there a way you could provide that audio file?
Thank you for this video. It was very well done. It would be nice to be able to download the background music. I know you have already addressed it but if this music is 40 years old at some point it will enter the public domain (not anytime soon if Disney has any say). Either way, this was a very nice informative and entertaining video. Keep up the good work. Cheers, Ringo
I wonder how that depressurization clip passed any reality checks when the average person knows how hard it is to hear when your ears pop, and with everyone likely to be expressing how they feel about the current developments outloud.
Videos should always be like this, never split. don't listen to the vocal minority that complain about certain parts of your videos, listen to the Silent Majority who are responsible for and make up the bulk of your 1.01M subscribers and watch whatever content you post regardless of the portions that the vocal minority complain about.
Years ago I worked for Qantas Airways and we had this system on the 747 aircraft, I would have recorded and loaded hundreds of those cartridges. The BGM (boarding music) tapes were recorded as 4 separate mono programs on a 4 track master which was then transferred to lubricated tape which we spooled on to 10.5" reels and then recorded on Akai 400GS 4 track, quarter inch machines. The tape was then wound off on to the aircraft cartridge spool by hand, using a "vinyl record" turntable and an adapter we manufactured ourselves. The announcement tapes were mastered in 2 lots of 4 tracks on the Akai 400GS and then we transferred the recordings in two passes, to an 8 track Fostex 1/4 tape recorder which we modified to run at 3.75 inches per second rather than the original 7.5 inches per second, then hand loaded the tapes the same way as the BGM tapes. If I remember correctly we had 14 different languages as well as the English emergency safety announcements. the crew had to change the cartridge to suit the flight. I enjoyed your video it brought back many memories.
Most enjoyable comment on TH-cam . Thank you for sharing !
Wow! Lubricated tape! :D
Thanks for sharing!
Funny that he mentioned that same Fostex 8-track.
You had to MAKE your own adapter??? 😮
There were actual records of QANTAS in-flight/boarding(?) music selections sold to the public. Drawn from the tape repertoire. I have one from the introduction of the 747, but I believe there were others.
Thanks, finally I have something to listen to in my newly acquired 757.
Did you take advantage of the financing deal?
I do hope you're not going to drive it on any Autoroutes in France - the tolls would be extortionately expensive!
@@saveddijon That 86,000$ per month deal cracked me up. Seems like it's for normal consumers :D
LOL
I hope this isn't FedEx's 757 they recently landed with no landing gear in Chattanooga...
"There is no cause for alarm" is the most alarming thing it could say.
This reminds me of the scene in "Airplane" the movie, where over the tannoy comes the message " Oh, by the way, is there anybody out there who can fly a plane?"
What else should they be saying in an alarming situation? "Prepare to meet your maker"? Cause some mass panic to make things even worse?
I was at a doctor last week and after reaching for a tool he said "Now, this will not hurt." I assume you can guess what happened next...yeah...it hurt. Why did he even say that, when we both knew it's a lie...
@@moos5221I think that's cuz anticipation of pain will make it hurt even worse. Something along those lines
If and when it's a straightforward depressurization, there really is no need for concern, the pilots will get the plane fly lower within less than 10 minutes. Those that pass out from not having listened to the instructions and the crew for some reason not being able to assist them will very likely get revived by then.
Oh my God. That announcement is terrifying. I was once in an airplane that had to make an emergency landing because one of the engines caught fire (we weren't told this while we were in the air, simply that one engine was not functioning). Thankfully, this happened almost immediately after take-off and we weren't halfway across the Atlantic. However, the plane had been fueled for a trans-Atlantic flight and so we had to circle for an hour to burn off the fuel since the plane was too heavy for a safe landing on one engine. The captain made the announcement personally and I'll never forget the almost imperceptible quiver in his voice. That ever-so-slight indication of fear in the captain's voice was what got me the most. We had to learn the "brace for impact" position and the whole thing was absolutely terrifying. Families were quietly hugging each other and whispering and there was a deathly silence over the cabin. The pilots and flight attendants did an amazing job and thankfully we landed without major issue. The landing was at such high speed though, that it was downright terrifying. Even with the brace for impact position, my head still ended up smashing against the seat in front of me pretty hard. And it was pretty shocking to see all of the lights from emergency vehicles on the runway waiting for us. After we came to a complete stop, the passengers erupted in cheers for the pilots. I hope to never experience anything like that ever again.
And thats why I take my sleeping pills and alcohol before the plane even takes off
8:16 "Unfortunately that something is supposed to be a Boeing 757. And I dont't have one." :D
Better level up your patreon game!
The financing option gave me a laugh
We gotta make a GoFundMe bois
Well he could have simply gotten financing from as low as almost $86,000 per month!
That's what makes him funny and a joy to watch. The unexpected things he says. Especially when he made the Square Off chess board video.
Imagine how absolutely chuffed the designers of this box would be to find a relatively glowing review on TH-cam, decades later.
Debatable but I agree
The in-flight instructions on these tapes are now basically a modern technology Rosetta Stone, as they are basically the same instructions but in 10+ languages. For those studying a given language, these would make an interesting exercise.
Never thought about that
That sounds like a fantastic story idea. A Rosetta Stone is found that translates dozens of lost languages, and they're all in-flight instruction tapes from a dead civilization
@@psilobom ....found by aliens 500,000 years into the future, after landing on an uninhabited planet.
@@psilobom IIRC the rosetta stone is basically tax paperwork
The issue tho is that different languages have different structures and contextual usages for words
That little "pling" of the latch closing really is a most satisfying sound. I'd probably just be sat there playing with it over and over.
200 LIKES!
I AM THE ONE!
Man, just wait until you get your hands on an M1 Garand.
I was just about to comment that! 😅😆
You'd be totally amazed if you'd ever get your hand on a guitar.
The interior of that announcement cartridge was quite the sight. You can tell just by looking at it that the engineer who designed it specialized in aerospace rather than consumer electronics.
If you open a kickstarter to make a disaster film with the puppets, I'll put $100 on it.
That, or an Airport re-make, Techmoan puppet edition." "Dad" could play Patroni.
The more dry and forced the voice acting is the better!
Thunderbirds
I'd pay to see a remake of "Airplane!" done by the Techmoan puppet troupe.
"Surely you can't be serious"
"I am serious and stop calling me 'Shirley'"
I would totally chip in on a longer version of his puppets. I think they're hilarious
Honestly, I find the long form videos with the history, context, media and the tech exposition all together to be preferable than two separate parts, each dedicated to a specific demographic. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that we come for the whole story, and that's why we're Moanies, if I may use the term.
How is this comment 2 days old when this video was uploaded 2 hours ago?
@@BoshBargnani Because this video is 2 days old. It's an error that it says the video is 2 hours old.
@@UnholyTriforceDelenn It's not an error, TH-cam uses the published (made to public*) date on videos.
* Well, when someone tells TH-cam that the video is public. This video was first shared publicly as an unlisted link hence the error.
@@gacelperfinian Thanks for the correction. :)
@@BoshBargnani Most videos these days start out unlisted and shared with Patreon supporters a day or two early. The date indicates when it was made public.
That is the cutest latch I've ever heard
Literally thinking those exact words
It also sounded surprised.
“Ting”
ping!
8:02 wow I actually like that background music it’s really cool ambient sounding
I wonder if he plans on releasing the full track somewhere
It's very 90's, I love it!
I really prefer this format over the two separate videos. I really don't get it why you would come to this channel when you don't want to get the full story. I mean, that is the heart of Techmoan.
This is an interesting test. I am thinking of splitting up my "history" sections and my "restoration" sections into separate videos, but maybe I should keep them together?
Techmoan using the TechMuppet to help give context for which the cartridges would be used is probably my favorite thing in this video
I'm from Switzerland (the French speaking part) and I'm truly amazed that they featured Swiss German on these tapes!
Actually worked for one of the last companies that created updates to the audio on those. The company was AEI/DMX Music and its main business was background music for retail establishments. Our company did all types of duplication for the airlines. What memories.
That actually sounds like a cool job. I've wondered since I was a kid who made elevator and airliner music.
Fun thing to note: I live in Canada and I've been flying within Canada since I was a child. And of course in Canada all announcements are made in both French and English. And I have heard that same exact french announcement way more times than I can count. Same voice, same inflections, everything. I don't know if it's been changed since the last time I flew 3 years ago, but it's fun to know they've been using that same recording for so long.
Was just on a Westjet flight a week ago and they use a higher feminine voice for their french recordings. Not sure if there's an industry standard that's been updated or if every company has/can have their own. It was always interesting to me how even though we're a bilingual country (on paper) there's never anyone working on the airlines who speaks french fluently
I strongly prefer your traditional long form videos like this tbh.
True Chris me too
Me2. The view count unfortunately tells a different overall story. Especially that 1>2>All.
This video is very short, I don't understand.
sadly YOuTube doesn't care about that, if you don't do any short crap, it literally wouldn't boost (or even basically) recommend your videos to any new (non-subbed) viewer... :(
I've heard that on a rare occasion the crew have accidentally played the emergency pre-recorded messages much to the brief horror of the passengers.
techmoan, never change your format due to the moans of the minority. this long format is so much better, having things flow and stage and go from start to finish without a brutal cut in the middle.
plus, the muppets are fun :)
i guess its a case of damned if you do or damned if you dont. "never touch the tubes!" vs "skin oil wont effect the valves!" :P
Thank you for flying Techmoan Airways, where getting halfway there is all the fun.
Much easier for for some people to skip ahead than for everyone to have to jump around between two videos. (By the way, TH-cam suggested only part 2 to me)
"(By the way, TH-cam suggested only part 2 to me)
"
same
It only suggested part 1 for me, I had to go find the other half...
@@legoman8960 same here :-(
hard agree pengo, and same but part 1
Link for PART 2. TH-cam is only giving me this one. F'ing search algorithm. Trying to give me what they think I want, not the search times I'm using to get the 2nd part.
Tapes like this should be preserved because the language on them act as way to preserve other languages beside other languages. One day our languages will die out or change enough that anything that actual speaks(plays) the languages together will be some digital type Rosetta Stone.
I wish the channel would make all the content in 1 whole video. Additional videos when you learn a lot more and have enough content to create one , but then add a link in the description to the second part or Part 2 video.
Just come across this. Don't know how I missed it before, but I thought you might like a little additional info:
Generally, on units which required both 115Vac (400Hz) and 28Vdc, the 115Vac was used to power the unit and 28Vdc was used for the control circuitry.
Within BA, these units were often referred to as PRAMs (Pre-Recorded Announcement Machines).
Sundstrand also made other tape-based units, including cockpit voice and flight data recorders (so-called ‘black boxes’ which are actually international safety orange, not black!)
I’ve always wondered why they’re called “black” boxes though I’m not complaining because bright orange is far better.
@@mikoto7693 Strangely enough because all the other avionic boxes are black. It's the generic term for an item of electronic aircraft equipment.
The 115v ac was used to run the drive motor. The 28v dc was powering the rest of the electronics.
It never ceases to amaze me the clever trickery you come up with to get audio from weird formats. LOL That 8-track trick was slick. :)
It's partially the Boeing engineers' trickery too, I'm sure they designed their format to be compatible with the production equipment used for normal 8-track tapes, for ease of manufacture. No reason to reinvent the wheel.
"BRACE, BRACE!" "Now read the Safety Instruction card."
I always wonder who the people recording those are. Those voices should be credited in the tapes.
Should put a "This emergency landing was presented to you by [name]" at the end
@@fxshlein this emergency landing message was brought to you today by NordVPN.
NordVPN, the plane didn't get you to the country you wanted to go to, but your computer can pretend you're there for you anyway.
I doubt they would make much money on royalties if they only got paid for every time it was played
@@leopoldbluesky sometimes, things are about more than money
@@leopoldbluesky I think for this type of work, they would be paid for the recording session, not per play. The same thing would apply for voice actors making railway announcements and so on.
I just love how calmly he says to please prepare for an emergency landing, it probably helps calm the passengers but I think it is a little too calm.
They should've been yelling it
Ah the good ole days of Analog Electronics. I started my career as an Electrical Engineer in 1984 so i worked on many analog electronic circuit designs on aircraft over the years. It wasn't until the mid 90s that the digital revolution fully took hold. Tuning circuits with a wooden tool with a slot on the end, turning potentiometers and other tunable analog circuits. Fun memories.
8:03 awesome vaporwave vibes from the background music, we need a full upload of it!
Yessssss please
Shazam it?
Perhaps the reason they have these emergency messages recorded is because, in an actual emergency, where an actual human being (with such pumped up adrenaline) had to read the announcement live, there would likely be such terror in their voice that they might not be able to get through it. They might also insert "extra" words like "...and if we survive the water landing" you should move to the nearest exits.
PS- Thanks for the all-in-one video. I like your videos just the way they are... and you too, my brother. Thank you for all you do and are! (Especially loved the ending!)
PPS -I really love it whenever I get to see one or more of your muppets in one of your videos. You have a wonderful sense of humor and I especially enjoy seeing it in the sketches you do.
PPPS - I'm profoundly grateful for your continued lightheartedness during the pandemic. May you and yours enjoy the blessings of good health, peace, joy and love always, my brother. Take care.
I don't think so, more likely they are prepared in the event that the pilots' hands are already full (controlling the plane plus contacting both the current and would-be-final ATCs (if the would-be-final ATC is reachable) and the airlines (on a frequency that tends to garble voices)) and the flight attendants cannot move for safety reasons (if the problem is indeed a major depressurisation).
"...and if we survive the water landing" you should move to the nearest exits"
Words and how they are said makes a huge difference in how people behave in a panic situation.
It infuriates me whenever I see a fight, and women are there shrieking in high, shrill voices in fear. It makes a violent situation even more violent, potentialy leading to fatalities.
@@gacelperfinian as this is one of the periods where the captain and copilot need to communicate with each other the most, I think it's both. (or a passenger could be 'ordered' to "turn left" into the galley when in fact the captain interrupted his emergency announcement with an instruction to the copilot)
The main reason is depressurization. At maximum altitude, the time of useful consciousness, which you can stay functional without an oxygen mask is around 10 seconds. The flight attendant would have to take the mask off, read 5 seconds, put the mask back on, and repeat, and if they mis-timed it, they'd faint. This still happens today in depressurizations, a flight attendant thinks they can hold their breath and make it to a different seat, and they end up fainting.
@@straightpipediesel This explained the decompression situation, but not the emergency landing recording. I just imagine there would be too much in hands to the crews already, a recording would be much helpful
I don't know how I missed this video years ago. I really love the aesthetic of the voices all talking at once.
The poor puppet is going to get trapped in the plane because he inflated his lifejacket too early. 😭
How is he still conscious when puting on the Life vest
Na. When he Hits the Water, it break his Neck. That's why you Inflate When In Water. Peace😎
@@bansheemania1692 I always heard that you're not supposed to inflate them right away because if the plane crashes, as soon as it starts to flood, you could be caught in an air pocket. Sometimes you need to go down (into the water) to find an opening to get out. So you don't want to float right away, you want to sink, get out clear of the plane, and then float
@@TransCanadaPhil that is indeed why you should never inflate or wear a lifepreserver inside.
Neither plane or boat.
@bansheemania That is _literally_ what the "brace position" is there to help prevent.
Techmoan viewers Type A: Watches for the tech / Type B: Watches for the audio / Me: watches for the snarky British humor.
MiniMe: Watches for the puppets with snarky British humor.
See also Abroad in Japan, if you haven't already
listening to the emergency audio legit gave me anxiety, I'm glad there was the puppet lightening up the mood
It must be stated that I'm impressed by the high technical quality of these recordings, especially considering the age of the tapes. I expected to hear excessive hiss and crackling, assuming you didn't remove these in post-production.
hiss and crackling results from either a low quality recording, a degraded medium, or lofi playback device. Neither of these is the case.
Only the true techmoanamaniacs are here, let’s appreciate that big ol’ capacitor, boys
Big Blue
May it never be replaced!
I _just_ did. Can you wait a minute?
@@tremorist And may it get reformed over and over into eternity.
This sounds somewhat erotic
That bgm at 8:00 is awesome. It's legitimately really good. I wish we knew the composer/performer to get a clean version of it.
I pulled this box and swapped the tapes on a 757 once when I worked for a large airline in the late 90s. I was blown away when i learned we were still using tape technology for announcements because we were just talking about the next big thing; something called MP3, which I thought was dumb idea. ( Yeah, I never said I was a genius) Good memories.
I also love this style over separate videos.. I mean not everyone have to like every "segment", but that's why there exist chapters, skips and time bar...
More proof that magnetic tape is one of the great unsung MVPs of the 20th century. Great video/videos as always. While I do prefer this longer all-in-one format, the multi-part one was also great, just slightly less convenient to watch (assuming you want to watch the whole thing like I do. The multi-part setup did accomplish what you wanted it to do quite nicely).
Ok maybe im a geek but ive got to say id actually really enjoy hanging out watching as you are making the videos and taking the devices apart and winding and rewinding the tapes on spools.
I think its because i miss doing stuff like that myself.
Having lost my home and Everything i ever had in my life .being with no workshops and no more thing of the sort to engage my daily life im super appreciative your videos and the efforts and attention to details that you put in to making them.
Is it weird that i find these videos rather comforting ?
Maybe one day i will have a home once again and if i am lucky enough i will have workshops and maybe even another radio station . but untill then i will watch your channel as you do the things i used to live to do. And as always, thanks for filming . 🤘😎👍
I hope things improved.
@@ohmygoditisspider7953 unfortunately things have gotten worse at least on the awake side of things. As long as i can keep myself asleep at least 19 hours a day then I basically live my life in the dream world. but unfortunately even on the other side tech is not what it used to be. Good thing time travel has always been a thing in the "dream world"
I like the calm voice giving announcements of likely death
I don't know why but the background music really freaks me out. Sounds like some creepy movie soundtrack. Hearing it on a plane would make me read the safety instructions reeeally thoroughly
It sounded worse on the planes themselves. The planes cost so darn much to build, only for them to slap in walkie-talkie-style speakers!
Back in the day, there were also "black box" tape recorders that used a custom tape format built into a nigh indestructible boxes. They moved to digital very early, but there were a few tape ones back in the day.
Your fabrication of the tapes almost had me.. on top of the puppet, it felt like real life sesame street plane emergency.
that BGM from the endless loop is Ａｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃ
The best recreation of a disaster that didn't happen. The plane animation looked amazingly real, top notch production. Great work, I am impressed at how you recover audio from these unusual formats.
It is amazing how simple, yet durable, the main latch is. Pity that style never caught on.
Very cool how he switched the background music to the Tape's Background music
7:18 "Welcome aboard the plane, now get out"
8:41 The flight attendants appear to be having a stroke of some sort
Thanks for taking the extra time to put the full version together for us. Cheers.
Many of the 757's were converted to cargo ships and serve with FedEx, UPS and DHL.
Now that made me remember...the original variant CF-6 jet engines used on the planes were recently retired (2021, after almost 50 years), though the later models are apparently still flying cargo to this day. And yes, the planes (and the engines) had commercial airliner service before being used to haul goods. Most airliners are converted to cargo use after passenger service anyway, perhaps a few for parts and backups. Cheaper than new planes with proven flight track records.
I once opened an overhead bin and found the same Sony Hi-8 deck I was using for duplication at work showing the in-flight movie. I bet they used all sorts of formats on the planes. I figured it was mostly about what didn't take up much space, had a decent lifespan and could be had cheaply.
The latch *ping* at the end... Solid!
mais tonto impossível.
Amazing video! The tech part, the audio part, the "b-roll"! Honestly, that disaster audio would have been very creepy without your awesome "b-roll" art. The two clips belong together but you know your youtube stats better and i will watch with pleasure even if you decide to split them up in the future.
Love the puppet reactions and the dodgy B-roll.
It really is a very nice latch. If I ever have to make a custom latch for something, I'm using that design.
Aeronautics is one of those industries where absolutely everything is over-engineered. I love it.
Hands down this is the best channel on TH-cam. Thank you for your excellent content Matt! Keep doing what you are doing. Every Saturday I eagerly await the next video. I have learnt so much from your videos.
I like this version best, makes more sense having the context and technology on the same video
I really hope that the announcements played at a higher volume than the live cabin announcements. When they make in-flight announcements, if I even hear that they're happening, I have to strain to hear them.
Also, this format is superior.
Inside the machine there were separate controls for the BGM, normal, and emergency announcement volumes. I'd expect the emergency ones to be pretty loud and maybe even have the volume adjusted for cabin pressure.
I like how the background music at the beginning of the tape is pleasant, but quite neutral, not suggesting a specific country or culture of origin.
It's like the final form of the "Human Music" from Rick and Morty.
One part, two parts or 50 parts - I'm not fussed. Love your work!
Wow, hearing that music gave me the weirdest feeling. It's as if I had some vague dream about being in an airplane as a kid and this music was a part of it. I bet I heard that kind of music on airplanes so often as a kid that my unconscious associated it with the experience without ever consciously paying attention to it. I can't stop playing it back. That is eerie.
Whenever Techmoan produces multiple videos about one topic for different audiences I just watch all of them.
Only 85.725.11$ a month? That's a steal! lol
Great video, it was quite interesting seeing this piece of gear.
Very cool! Thank you. I have heard many recordings in my many overseas travels but hearing all of these is fascinating to me. In the States it seems they are still using almost identical background music.
I have a degree in Professional Flight and 4 pilots licenses. I took several classes on commercial aircraft systems. There are very few systems I have not seen...this is one of them.
Great video.
This (especially the second half) is pure gold! Very enjoyable!
How did I miss this vid?! Has two of my favorite things. 3 if you count the puppets!
The background music is really nice. I feel very welcome and peaceful.
Probably the most reliable 8 track player ever made. Most 8 track players I had experience with as a teenager tend to stretch their tapes or allow the tape to get wrapped around the capstan
This is the version I would have liked to watch at the first place, but I only read description after finishing both videos :P
The construction reminds me of old (pre-historic) IT equipment, that I still probably have somewhere.
Hi @techmoan,
This is the best version of the bunch. I really like the not-so-technical approach of these videos with mixed in goodies like the puppets. I thinkbthis is whx this channel works so well for many people - there are tons of "engineers", but only one true techmoan!
Nonetheless to be a true techmoan video, i expected some:
- belt replacements
- another belt replacement because the first replacement is a bloody milimeter to tight
- make the machine look great again by cleaning its insides with pressured air
- "bad" soldering
Thanks for you work!
The announcement of the plane about to land on water is soooo calm.
I've just noticed you're now over a million subscribers! Congratulations. I think when normality resumes you should do a tour/holiday in Japan (rummaging around flea markets etc). You should speak to TH-cam about them funding it as an original series.
The selector knob on the front of the tape reproducer is usually only for maintance.
As an engineer, I used to periodically test the emergency announcements. The automatic oxygen (mask) drop announcements were not selectable on the remote control panel used by the flight attendants on our airline. I don't recall our airline even had a manually selectable oxygen drop announcement. If the automatic announcement failed, the cabin crew would have to make an announcement manually using one of the cabin interphone handsets (telephones).
The emergency oxygen drop announcement had a certain passenger address priority. It would override manual announcement selections and, of course, boarding music. It could, however, be easily overridden by using the cabin attendant handset PA selection. From time to time there was a glitch in the automatics and the emergency announcement would be played. Sometimes the crew would be a little slow to override it, but as the announcement was played repeatedly, at least they could stop it from repeating.
If you're wondering what the panel looked like, it was just as clunky as the player.
Eventually, these metal-cased tapes were replaced with common plastic cassette tapes, then digital recordings on EPROMs.
"Yeah, remember when we said that your seat cushion can serve as a floatation device and everyone laughed?"
Thank you for archiving things people would have never thought to archive like the recordings of these tapes. We need archivist like there is no tomorrow.
I almost never fly in planes, so I had no idea what kind of background music they'd play.. my guess would've been something akin to elevator music. Definitely not this. It sounds kinda.. futuristic. I actually like it.
@@asbestosfibers1325 Uhh, yes they do?
@@asbestosfibers1325 Turkish at least still continues to play, or at least it did when I last flew a week ago.
A spirit flight I took in September 2022 had boarding music- it was the first time I'd ever heard music on a plane but the flight had been delayed due to weather- so I thought it was meant to be soothing.
The background music has some real vaporwave vibes to it for sure
Posted just in time for the Microsoft Flightsim 2020
What an amazing video, I love old tech and I've travelled many a plane and flight over the years. Always been fascinated by the cool tech they use to distribute media, audio and software in these kinds of unique settings
The Swiss German one would be interesting. I never heard a recorded message in a plane in Swiss German. I can't even imagine it because we have several Swiss German dialects in the country. Is there a way you could provide that audio file?
Thomas Retro Games I was thinking the same thing... I guess Zürich dialect Swiss German for flights to Zurich. Would indeed love to hear it,
It's Swiss German with an English accent. Very funny.
There's also Belgian French, Flemish, and Catalan. I'm really impressed at the variety on offer, they were very thorough.
The puppet is so funny. I knew as soon as the tape said don't inflate yet, he would.
Thank you for this video. It was very well done.
It would be nice to be able to download the background music. I know you have already addressed it but if this music is 40 years old at some point it will enter the public domain (not anytime soon if Disney has any say).
Either way, this was a very nice informative and entertaining video. Keep up the good work.
Cheers, Ringo
Bear in mind I had some 1930s 78's hit the auto-content match - I'd say we have a while to wait yet.
Agreed, I’d love to listen to the background music in full, just as a curiosity. Please!
@@NJRoadfan I'd certainly buy "Before Landing (German Mix) feat. Cueing Tones".
Why would you ever need an old 8-track player if you're not that much into 8-track tapes? Well, to digitize old inflight-announcements 🤣🤣
@@Techmoan I once hit the content match on a record from 1915.
The sound on that latch was extremely satisfying..
I very much prefer having both parts in one video.
Amazing video, very interesting. And you did much more to recover the info of the tapes than I expected one to do.
Finally! The director's cut of this video /s
I love the puppet performances! Poor guy just wanted a nice holiday...
I'd love if you uploaded the entire BGM tape, if it's not copyright. It's relaxing to listen to.
This video did not show up in my notifications, subscription feed or in the recommendations. I had to go to your TH-cam page directly. Loved the video
So glad the 'Flippin Heck' muppets are back!
(and there's still no loading on the white zone)
No there's no loading in the *RED* zone!
found this on accident while having my dinner after work, this is surprisingly interesting and not something I thought I'd enjoy watching
I wonder how that depressurization clip passed any reality checks when the average person knows how hard it is to hear when your ears pop, and with everyone likely to be expressing how they feel about the current developments outloud.
Personally I'm perfectly fine with either of the formats, but I clicked the link anyway just to appreciate the extra effort.
Videos should always be like this, never split. don't listen to the vocal minority that complain about certain parts of your videos, listen to the Silent Majority who are responsible for and make up the bulk of your 1.01M subscribers and watch whatever content you post regardless of the portions that the vocal minority complain about.
Mat should've bought the plane. He would be the real MVP of retro tech youtubers 😂😂