Singer’s 1970s multimedia brief-case
It’s been a week plagued by interruptions and unpleasant procedures - however in-between all this I’ve managed to assemble a simple video. I’ll likely need to sort out the thumbnail and perhaps the title, but the remainder should be ready to show.
If you happen to notice any issues with this video, e.g. the audio is a bit odd at times - that’s how it’s going to have to stay as I really need to move on to making my next video ASAP. This one doesn’t have to be perfect…it was intended to be a quickie 'show n tell'.
I might also try and make a short Patreon video over the next few days, showing the updates to the new studio and for anyone who is interested I’ll explain how I’ve been getting on with the unpleasant medical stuff.
Take care.
UPDATE: I’ve re-uploaded the video to snip out a few bits of nonsense as well as add a couple of explanatory overlays and fix the cut off audio at the end.
Comments (72)
Oh my gosh! I remember those things from elementary school! I also had one years later that I got from a surplus school auction.
I wonder what happened to that deep calm American accent that older media used to have.
At elementary and middle school in the 1970s, I vaguely recall such machines in the “multimedia lab” (of the day). We certainly had a ton of “film strip” presentations using a projector-with-integrated-cassette contraption.
Great presentation as always, on a wonderfully weird item from yesteryear. Sounds like you're back firing on all cylinders 👍
Great video and glad to see you are your feet again.
It's good to see you looking and sounding closer to normal again. I was happy to hear mention of one of my most favourite films, Silent Running. I agree about the wonderful 70s aesthetic!
Whenever I hear that intonation and reading style, it reminds me of this: https://youtu.be/q11oxUGvi8g
Great video, good to see you looking so much better and sounding better. I'm sure when I was in junior school in the 80s we had something similar style to this, but maybe not the exact one. I can imagine it could have been used for language learning?
Can't wait to see any studio update videos too.
I'd say Space 1999 https://catacombs.space1999.net/main/cguide/umcompost.html
Great video!
Nice updates; a completed closing causes the closing to be completed. 😌
Looking and sounding great, Mat! What a fascinating device.
Thanks for this video, such a nice system. Now I want to secure money on a savings account. Since it works with traditional 35mm film, why not use you own film and create a soundtrack for the next Techmoan video?
Space 1999 ?
Time Team?
Mat, great video once again. The final “thanks for watching” is truncated. Good to see and hear your ever increasing health getting better!
Wow. I remember these from elementary school in the mid to late 80s. You could sign them out from the library with different films/tapes overnight. Cool video and glad to see you’re getting better.
That's not just normal film that's half frame!
Such a positive change from the fella who introduced the Card Radio videos! Here's to some good news! I'm reminded more of Chock-A-Block than Star Trek though!
Man! Don't mean this back handed; you sound Soooo much better. Good for you! I think you've always said you make videos you like and if we like them, that's OK too. I like them! Glad to have you back.
Maybe it uses subaudible tones, either 25hz or 35hz maybe?
I could hear them faintly
This made me remember I used something similar back in the early 80's in school to watch all those School House Rock filmstrips- but I found that the model I used was the Dukane A-V Matic Filmstrip Viewer. Worked the same but had a larger screen which was great at the time. Cutting edge tech it was. Not quite as advanced as using a tape cartridge in a computer... but close.
We had one in the mid to late-80s that was a projector with a cassette player on it that did much the same thing with 16mm film
And it's infinitely better than the JD-Vance
Your comment amused me; he hasn't advanced much of anything. 😂
Did a proper double take when I first hit play and had to stop to check that you hadn’t found an old video in the archive somewhere. You’re sounding so much better. To top it all a classic Techmoan video, interesting old tech I’ve never seen, a repair (of sorts), laughs along the way and some self effacing commentary. I truly hope and wish that your health news is positive and look forward to the update soon. Take care and great to see you back!
Seems the videos made quickly and in-between the "real" ones are usually the ones featuring the cool vintage tech I actually like the most 😆 Not a critique, just a funny observation.
Your voice sounds better today, Mat. Less shaky, much faster delivery, far more back to the Mat we know and love. Keep improving! :-) S.
Let me add that my wife, not a viewer, actually commented on the lack of nasal sounds! Sounds (literally) like you're on the mend.
Another commenter may well have mentioned this. But it seems there is an attachment point for a film pickup on the rear of the machine. I found a picture of a different Singer model with the same mount and what looks like a film collection canister attached to it: https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images4/1/0517/14/huge-lot-vintage-educational_1_94ae2c534f7080103b92c450b2a4034c.jpg Maybe this was included with some film strips or an attachment that was easily lost.
Another picture of a pickup type attachment: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ApEAAOSwhhxkSYuY/s-l1200.jpg
Is it conceivable that any 35mm film strip could be fed through that machine? It would've made a great visual update of the read-a-long books for kids back in day. I specifically mean ones based on Film and Tv shows, where they took the plot of E.T. or The A-Team and condensed it to a 10 page book with a cassette. Apply that to this and add in a film strip of stills from the movie/Tv episode it would've been amazing.
You're looking and sounding good again. So glad!
The non working advancing function could also be due to the lose belt, since the detector does not get the correct frequency. But this would also mean a lot of flutter which I don't hear really.
You're looking a lot better - great to see! I loved my Sinclair Pocket TV. Wish I still had it. One thing's missing from the video - how can I become rich? Don't leave us hanging...
Forget about getting rich from old filmstrips. Everyone knows that the best way to get rich in the modern era is to just start a YouTube channel and you'll see wealth beyond your wildest dreams!😉
When I look at the circuit then there is the LM380 speaker amplifier and the other ICs contain 8 operational amplifiers in total. You don't need that many just for amplifying the audio signal unless there is a circuit that detects a control tone to generate a switching signal for the advance mechanism. The number of foil capacitors is also too high. I think there is a bandpass filter and a detector circuit.
It looks like it was made around 1979, the date codes on the ICs start with 9. I think there's supposed to be something to attach to the back side to catch the film. Good to hear your original "unremixed" voice again, Mat! Thanks for posting.
13:03: You are right on the date code. However, this is a resistor. It says ion the top: 28 Ohms 5%. There will be loads of comments on Youtube.
"quick show n tell" Looks at runtime. Seems about right, no disapointments there!
The date codes and the looks of the IC's are hinting to the year 1979. in 1989 the chips caseing and print already looked different. I just checked with the same type of chips I have here.
Nice video Mat, it's an interesting device. I also like the word 'sprocket'. We should have more sprockets.
This was a good wa* 😊
Very interesting device and I agree that it would have looked very impressive back when it came out. I did notice the cassette had 50Hz written on it so if it was going to work, it would have done before you tried the 60Hz power supply. Thanks for showing it.
It definitely has a 70s sci-fi vibe about it, I can imagine Dr Russell using it in Space 1999. Also you are looking and sounding better with each new video.
It just looks so cool, those small rear-projection screens 😃. Those films remind me of an old projector ("Magic Lantern") my grandmother had and used to play with as a little kid, I guess it's standard half-frame 35 mm, which, if you manage to find an old half-frame still camera, should make it possible to create your own rolls quite easily.
Good video. This thing has a much more educational look, as much as a sales aid, despite the subject matter of the media. It's a little late for my remembering it, (my go-to system when I was in school was a film strip combined with a record), but I do remember something similar when I was young, and there were a number of audio/video devices with "Singer" on them in my school. BTW, you've now given me my epigraph that sums up my life: 12:35 - "I think what I can do here, the usual: Spray things with a bit of contact cleaner and hope for the best."
Awesome, another installment of interesting things in cases. Glad to see your finally on the mend Mat!!!
Good to hear that your voice is returning. Nice video.
Love this device, and I wonder if the original owner took advantage of the retirement he was selling as he'd be well into that by now aged about 70-80. Continued good vibes for your health, I hope all is well with that.
Glad to see the improvements continue! I’m sure I speak for a lot of us by saying if you want to share the medical stuff I’d be interested, but totally understand if not. Regards
What a charmingly odd little device. Thanks for sharing, Mat - great to see you back in action.
• Hey there... you're as fit as a fiddle, young gentleman. • This thing brings me right back to my childhood - Educational slideshow projections powered by cassette. Funny that my teachers always seem to have problems getting the auto-advance to work correctly. 😂 • Looks like Singer didn't stray too far from their roots with the plastic aesthetic of the era. https://www.ebay.com/itm/126693342611 Incidentally I have a modern all-metal Singer 4423 sewing machine, so they are going strong. • Your repair woes continue, but at least they're amusing. "Eat the film, you git." 😂 • You've probably gotten comments about your closing cutting short. It's an enjoyable video even if it's 'simple.' Nice video. Young'uns will have likely never seen anything like this. Take care 🤍.
I fiddled around with a thumbnail idea: https://ibb.co/m5qZwQPH
You're looking and sounding good, Mat! 😊👍👍
Am I the only one that wants to know what dark corporate rebadging secret is hidden under that strip of brown tape below the cassette controls? Probably. I’d be so tempted to put an LCD and a Raspberry Pi in that thing, then load it up with exciting audio-cued film strips from my elementary school days. “Your Friend, Bismuth”, “Pavement Striping: The Road To Safety!” Did you notice if there were any extra wires on the playback head that would indicate if it might have an extra pickup in there? It would be interesting if they buried the trigger tone between the two audio tracks. Or maybe they developed a very sensitive detector that could spot a low level tone embedded in the regular track?
Unfortunately there is no black tape - that's where a sticker was with the phone number of the original supplier - I removed it because there's always a few psychopaths who try to dial any old irrelevant phone number that's shown in a video.
Very 1970s beige. Very reminiscent of the device you showed years ago of a filmstrip player that used a 45 record spinning on top. Haven't you shown us all of your miniature TV devices by now?
Pretty cool device. Thanks for showing us Mat.
Is it me or does the 'thanks for watching' cut too early before the outro?
Yup, "Thanks for wa... "
Looking better and sounding strong again. Love these machines. “Thanks for watching” was a bit cut off. Enjoyed this one very much
You're looking and sounding more like your old self. This is good news.
Break out the puppets and put them together in the same hospital room tossing jibes and insults at each other about being sick, wishing each other to get well soon in order to get one or the other out of the hospital room. Pretty sure you could make quite a script of it.
I'd watch it.
I'm so happy to see you like this, Mat. You seem to have some of your old pep back. Thankful to have you back.
Looking good Mat 😎
Ah… 😊 now it’s a Saturday
Something to watch after the pub, eh?
The eternal dilemma of getting videos early, do I watch it now or save it for later?