Hello everyone! I'm trying to identify this mystery noise for a contest at work. I'd love to win bragging rights by getting this right. Any ideas on what this sound is? Thanks for sharing any guesses that you may have!

Mystery Sound Link

Thanks,
James

Not familiar but can only say there are three musical notes and clearly hitting metal to make them, possibly testing them or forging them from scratch. The musical tones are pretty exact so maybe making steel drums or bells?

It's definitely not a bell, but it does sound like a metal of some sort.

Sounds like the bells from the San Francisco Trollies where one stroke (forward push of the cord) is weaker than the other (backwards pull of the cord) then repeats, which in SF I believe tells the number of the stop on the route. (2 rings for stop one, 4 rings for stop 2...) The clangs are definitely in pairs of one weak and one strong. There is the sound of rustling newspapers in the background which one would hear on public transportation in many cases.

interesting ideas...thanks.

Is the trolley the same as the electric buses? I tried to find a youtube video or website to hear the sound but couldn't find one that was similar. can u?
Thanks again!!!

I recieved a hint. Below are 20 incorrect guesses. However, one is just 1 word off.
any ideas?

Bouncing a red kick ball.
A flagpole on a windy day.
A tetherball game.
A kid's puncking ball w/rubber band.
Bouncing a kid's rubber ball.
A bouy bell.
A beach ball bouncing on a beach trampoline.
Bouncing a soccer ball on your knee.
Pounding in horseshoe posts.
A metal bat hitting a baseball.
Bouncing a basketball.
Hitting a kickball with a bat.
Pounding in dock posts.
Hitting a pan with your palm.
Tapping a pan in a sink while the water is running.
Playing racketball.
Railroad warning lights and bells.
Soomone jumoing on a pogo stick.
Bouncing a spare tire on the ground.
Bouncing a golf ball on the end of the iron.

Here's the bell, I've tried this and another one and both only had a single note so not sure it's that. San Francisco trolleys

I'm surprised so few of the guesses are musical, you don't get three separate clear notes without an instrument of some sort, clearly metal and percussion. Also it's always hard to know with mystery sounds whether the background noise is relevant or not. But whatever you guess I'd stick with a percussion instrument in there somewhere as I can't think of anything else that makes those sounds (and I used to sell a comprehensive range of them in the family shop although none quite like that!).

I think it's a blacksmith MAKING (pounding on an anvil) shoes for horses.

It sounds to me like water dripping into a saucepan from a leaky tap. Maybe that relates to the clue above dealing with "tapping a pan in the sink.." I think the water is dripping rather than running though. Is there a prize other than bragging rights? Good luck!

Correct answer or not, this page on Wikipedia notes that the conductors have a bell ringing contest each year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_cable_car_system

I think whatever it is, it's an older recording. The rustling sound like papers in the background sounds like the crackling on an old phonograph record or vinyl album.

There's a definite 'hollow' sound to it. It really does sound like someone using a post driver to install a fence post.

Post driver

I'm just hoping that James will eventually tell us what the correct answer is lol

I surely will let you know. thanks for the ideas. Keep them comin!

Pounding railroad spikes?

Using a gas station air (tire) pump?

well it's not a blacksmith forging metal or a trolley bell. good guesses though!

Here is another clue?
"Down to the wire...HOT like the fire...the sound gets higher...don't be a liar"


Any new ideas? Thanks!!!

Whisking an egg in a frying pan was the answer. Thanks everyone for you ideas. I appeciate it!

Wow! I usually whisk my eggs much faster. They must have slowed down the recording because that sounded like stirring, then.

LOL I agree with you ClaraS. That's DEFinitely not "whisking". More like banging the fork on the side of the frypan lol.

It also doesn't fit the "one word off the correct answer" clue either, but thanks for the answer, hawsr : )

I'm still waiting for my eggs! Slow service in this cafe and now we know why

If everyone whisked eggs at that speed, meringue would never have been invented!

Sounds like Wishbone outside his San Francisco Rawhide Cantina whisking eggs as a streetcar goes by and the city crew uses a post pounder to install a new "Caution - steep grade" sign on the corner. I can hear little Billy banging on his wrought iron railing in the background. Also sounds like someone likes paper mixed in with the eggs on their special order.

lol at mehaul !