btn_scrollLeft
btn_scrollRight

Musical Calculator

Musical Calculator

Meme
Status:
submission
Origin: Casio
Year: 1979
Type: Viral Video

Added 3 years ago by Matt.

Updated about a year ago by andcallmeshirley.

Read Edit History
ADVERTISEMENT

About

Musical Calculator refers to a series of videos and songs featuring a calculator being used a synthesizer keyboard piano.

ADVERTISEMENT
Top entries this week

Origin

The practice of using a calculator as a synthesizer has existed since before the internet. In 1978, the Casio electronics company released a calculator that could be re-programmed to play music and record to cassette tape.[1] On May 10th, 1981, the German electronic music band Kraftwerk released the album Computer World. The album's second track, "Pocket Calculator," made use of the Casio FX-502P (song below).[2][3]



ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Spread

While touring on the Computer World album, Kraftwerk manufactured customized Casio VL-80 calculators that contained sheet music to play their songs.[4] Fans could then play songs from the record on the synthesizer calculator.



On April 27th, 2007, YouTuber[8] matanica uploaded a video of the Casio mini keyboard calculator combo electronic piano. The video (shown below) received more than 21,000 views and is the earliest available example of the musical caluclator on the site.



Later that year, YouTuber[9] ccruzado released a pair of videos. On June 17th, they posted a video of Tetris music being played on a Casio ML-81. The video (shown below, left) received more than 171,000 views in 10 years. Three months later, they uploaded a video of the theme to The Simpsons and received more than 28,000 views in 10 years.



On August 25th, YouTuber [5] It's a small world posted a video of a person playing the Justin Bieber song "Friends" on two calculators. Within three months, the video has been viewed more than 17,000 times.



Several days later, on September 1st, the account published a video of a person playing "Despacito" on two calculators. The post (shown below, left) received more than 3 million views and was featured on NPR[6] and the Verge.[7] That week, they published a video of the person playing "All Star" on a calculator, receiving more than 2.9 million views.



ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Various Examples




ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Search Interest

External References

Latest Editorial And News
ADVERTISEMENT

Recent Videos (9)

Recent Images (2)

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Tags

Entry Editors (2)

Request Editorship

Secretary of Memes

Digital Archaeologist & Treasurer & Collection Butler

Comments

ADVERTISEMENT

The latest from KYM

Photo
Photo
Apr 21st, 2021 09:54 AM
Meme

The famously outspoken manager has had a few memes over the years, and this one works very well as a reaction image.

Apr 21st, 2021 03:31 PM
Editorial

Since the dawn of the internet, gamers have made wild predictions about the future of consoles, but no predictions were as memorable as generation eight's. We spoke with the maker of the most viral eighth-gen prediction video to get the inside scoop on an honest video turned epic shitpost.

Apr 21st, 2021 01:19 PM
Person

Steve1989MREInfo, known in person as Steven Andrew Thomas, is a YouTuber that specializes in trying out and tasting vintage MREs. He is well known for his soothing voice, and has jokingly been stated as being "The Bob Ross of MREs".

Apr 21st, 2021 04:31 PM
Meme

The age of men is over. The time of the Mark Johnson… has come.

Apr 21st, 2021 02:04 PM
ADVERTISEMENT
See more