A thread about--test pattern instrumentals.

Self | 5/30/'08 | Zionist Conspirator

[Zionist Conspirator]

Maybe you have knowledge on this subject?

[Cyber Liberty]

It's a sign that we, as a society, have arrived is when we become nostalgic for Test Patterns.

:^)

[Delta 21]

[doodad]

I only vaguely remember those from early childhood as the stations went to different formats quickly afterwards to the color bars.

I used to get up on Saturdays mornings very early because the first thing that came on was the Creature Feature. I would set the TV right, get some cereal and juice and curl up with the dog ready for Boris or Lon or Godzilla.

[Zionist Conspirator]

::Stares in an entranced state::

But where is the music? I want my music!

[i_dont_chat]

I’m 66 and I recall staring at the TV and at this exact test pattern for long periods of time, waiting for the Houston TV station to come online with a program from the “network”.

[FourtySeven]

Is THAT what the test pattern was for? I never knew till now, thanks.

I always thought they were as the name implied, to “test” that the broadcast equipment was working; I never thought that it was to fine tune the TV.

[i_dont_chat]

Pluck your magic twanger, Froggy

http://michelesworld.net/dmm/frog/gremlin/memory.htm

[Zionist Conspirator]

You people are missing the point! This thread is about the instrumentals, not the patterns themselves!

Here is a YouTube video set to Kaempfert's That Happy Feeling, the greatest test pattern instrumental of them all. Does anyone out there know any of the titles or performers of others?

[weegee]

Babalu?

[weegee]

I’m not nostalgic for test patterns but I do miss local television.

People bemoan the end of local radio and local newspapers.

But local television came to an end first.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Believe it or not, Smilin’ Ed (and even Andy) were before my time.

[i_dont_chat]

Well, excuuuuuuuse me.

(smile)

[Zionist Conspirator]

Babalu?

No. I think it was in the episode where Lucy gave birth to Little Ricky and Ricky came to the hospital in full costume, but I'm not sure.

[weegee]

You could calibrate your tv picture tube to a black and white test pattern.

Few people ever color calibrate to the color test patterns.

But I got one of David Lynch’s self-released DVDs and he had several screens of calibration settings so you could get your equipment close to the calibration he intended.

Criterion laserdiscs used to also come with color calibration test patterns at the end of the disc (I think a green contrast/sharpness screen as well as the color bars).

[Cyber Liberty]

The music could be literally anything. I’m quite sure the music was simply selected by somebody at each local TV station, so there are as many answers to your question as there are TV stations in the US.

[Bigg Red]

I did not know that that was the purpose of the test patterns. Thanks, I learned something.

BTW, I don’t remember an Indian. I just remember one bid circle with lines forming a kind of cross. Also, I never remember hearing music — just an annoying, electronic whine. (I grew up in Maryland, and our TV stations were in Baltimore.)

[wideawake]

I believe most of the test pattern music was generated by ballroom bands in the Southern California area who would play smooth jazz/easy-listening hits composed by people like Kaempfert and Mancini.

I would guess that a lot of this music wound up on compilations by now-defunct labels like Pacific Jazz.

There is a UK reissue house called Proper that is taking advantage of the disparities between US and UK intellectual property law to pronounce lots of 50+ year old music as "public domain" and to sell it at a very low price (US$14.99-19.99 for a 4 disc set).

They have, for example, a cheap box set of more than 120 recordings by Artie Shaw's orchestra.

[Deaf Smith]

"I do miss local television."

Slam Bam Theater?