The story
This is my Thorens Music Box made in Switzerland. I found it at the City Wide Garage Sale in Austin, TX sometime around 2007 before I relocated to Portland Or. It came with a dozen or so discs that played little tunes which was fun for a while but it wasn’t long before I decided to sample it so I could have more control over the music that came out. These are charming little music makers, and I decided to keep the mechanical noises that go along with it for a more authentic sound.
Recorded with an AKG 414 into an AKAI 4000DS reel to reel tape machine and then dumped into Ableton Live. I hope you enjoy!
Reviews for Thorens Swiss Music Box
- Sound
- Character
- Playability
- Inspiration
- GUI
Leave a review to let others know what you thought of the instrument!
Noisy music box
This music box includes the mechanical noise from the spinning mechanism. This is really unique and something i haven't heard on pianobook. The noise really adds alot of interest and character but it would be nice to be able to adjust this on the GUI as its pretty loud and you might not always want this in. The recording sounds very vintage and seems to have a tape quality to it. Its pretty clear but has a slight degree of washiness and isn't as dry as other music boxes ive heard. Its cool to have this one with the extra mechanical noise.
A cute mechanical music box
The main characteristic of this lovely music box is that the samples include the mechanical noises that come with it. While this is indeed a very unique trait, I generally prefer all noises be an additive feature instead of a fixed one, because the noise can be built up and therefore change the overall volume of the mix depending on how many notes you are playing, and how hard. I recommend keeping it simple and adjusting the length of each note in a legato fashion so the noise can stay natural and continious.
Beautiful and Authentic Sounding
This music box is really authentic sounding, and I personally don't mind the mechanical noises in the background. They add to the authenticity as I see it. Very fun and novel sound!
