broken hard drives make cool noises

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Uploaded by: clickersound

Upload date: 1/5/2025

Description:

A couple months ago, I took a Toshiba 250gb laptop hard drive from 2009 out of its misery after it lost its data connector. After removing the head assembly, I was left with a platter, which I proceeded to remove. It turns out that if you put your finger to the motor and allow it to spin just a little, the load is too high for the motor to pass the slow spin, and the result is quite musical, creating a note-by-note e minor chord, if that is even a thing.
Over the years of messing around with dead hard drives, I have acquired my fair share of recordings of launching platters and motor controllers freaking out. I might upload those some day, but for now, enjoy this little recording.

it's actually the subharmonic series

Heheh. It was an e minor as well. 

What pick up coil do you use or recommend?

I just got the cheapest thing on Amazon three years ago. It's mono so only the left side but what can you expect for $5 and being shipped in a plastic bag.