Who Hooked Up a Laptop to a 1930s Dance Hall Machine?
Source: Hacker News
A Visit to Utrecht
In 2023 I traveled to the Netherlands. While Amsterdam and Rotterdam are great cities, Utrecht holds a unique attraction: the Speelkok Museum (Self‑playing Instrument Museum) – https://www.museumspeelklok.nl/en/.
The museum showcases a variety of mechanical music devices: automata, the only self‑playing violin, clocks, and draaiorgels (street organs). Among the collection, one exhibit stood out.
The 1930s Dance‑Hall Machine
The machine dates back to the 1930s and uses a cardboard book with punched holes to store music. Each hole corresponds to a note on the staff, allowing the device to play melodies without the need for traditional music barrels or metal pins that strike the combs of a music box. This method made it possible to program songs dynamically.
Photo by Richard Ash – IMG_2136, CC BY‑SA 2.0
A Laptop Connection
Somehow, someone has connected a laptop to the machine, enabling it to play MP3 files directly instead of using the punched‑paper books. The details—how it was done, why, and who performed the modification—remain a mystery.
I have contacted the museum for more information and expect a reply within about 14 business days.
Call for Information
If you have any knowledge about this laptop integration—technical details, the person or group responsible, or related documentation—please get in touch. Your insights could help uncover the story behind this intriguing hybrid of vintage mechanics and modern technology.
— Chris