Remember what these sound like? Source: TechCrunch

Technology is such a dynamic thing. Every year it seems to advance a step further. Most of us grew around different tech from what we have today. There were devices that looking back now would seem so backward. But we still loved them and we will continue to remember them with nostalgic fondness even as we use the more advanced gadgets today.

Despite these emotional memories, are you able to recall the sound that these old devices used to make? Think of your first Casio keyboard. We’re sure you can vividly remember how it looked but can you remember how it sounded? What about the rotary phone? Well, in case you haven’t noticed, there’s one website that might just be able to help you.

Old fashioned typewriters. Source: Caserta Web

Conserve the Sound is a new website that’s looking to conserve the sounds of old tech gadgets so that future generations will know how it sounded to slide in a cartridge in the NES. Although the website was actually founded in 2013, it’s only recently that its service has started to gain momentum. The website was created by Chunderksen and funded directly by Film & Medienstiftung, a German art institution.

The Conserve the Sound website is very minimalist, and it’s designed to look like an actual museum. You can use its search feature to find specific objects or browse through many old tech gadgets. Once you click the gadget you want, you will be able to see a few images of it and hear its sound.

Although it sounds a little bit crazy, listening to these sounds, especially for people who grew up around these devices, is quite addictive. The sounds trigger fond memories and in some cases utter surprise. For us, it was very surprising to listen to the sound of an old Nintendo. It sounded squeakier than we remembered it but then again, it’s been a long time since.

How to record a rotary phone. Source: Geek Folk

The website wants to develop a big collection of old gadget sounds. So far it has managed to build a good catalog of old devices but there are still many gadget sounds that aren’t yet uploaded. The website has welcomed suggestions from its visitors. If there’s something you are looking for but can’t find it, you can always leave a message asking the website to add it.

Personally, I loved most sounds on the site but I would love to see and hear the old modems. I know the modems didn’t actually make pleasant noises. But if we are going back down the memory lane, it wouldn’t hurt to listen to the sound again. Dial-up modems have since been replaced by broadband. Although there were awfully slow compared to their new and advanced successors, ten to fifteen years back they seemed like the most advanced technology on the planet. Conserve the Sound is also welcoming people to leave comments on the sounds they hear, the memories those sounds have brought or anything else they think is relevant towards making the website better.