The sound of a dial-up modem like you’ve never heard it before

July 1, 2011 by  
Filed under Patrick's Blog

Back in 1996, you were hot stuff if you logged on to the Internet using 56K dial-up modem. It was, for a time, the fastest “onramp” to the World Wide Interwebs. We’re all familiar with the quaint, old-fashioned sound of a dial-up modem.
Hearing that old familiar electronic melody again now, in the era of Broadband, may trigger in some of you a Pavlovian drool response that coincides with a subconscious expectation of hearing “You’ve got mail!” bleated at the end of it.

Anyway, you might find this audio clip interesting. It’s a recording of the sounds produced by a dial-up modem, sounds you’ve heard countless times before in your life, though never like this. It’s been slowed wayyyyy down and sounds both dreamily futuristic, fascinating, and darkly ominous as it progresses. You know, kind of like the Internet.