# Help Me ID A Mystery Sound **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 16, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310 "2010-04-16T05:07:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/1 "2010-04-16T05:07:18Z")
Okay, I know that this is a long-long-shot. But I’m burning with curiosity. I work part of the time as a personal assistant to an older guy, a retired engineer. He’s really cool. Anyway, when I got to work today, he pointed out a mysterious sound that he’s been hearing frequently in his flat for about 48 hours. I heard it multiple times myself today. First of all, it is a sort of musical chime sound. It sounds a little like the sound you used to hear whenever something strange happened on “Nanny and the Professor.” It’s several notes, ascending, very pleasant, not alarming. Strangely, it is very hard to get a sense of the direction of its source, even though I have pretty good hearing. We have ruled out _nearly_ every single device in his house. (He’s got a lot of devices!) He says there is no new device that arrived around the time the sound started. It is **NOT** : \*His smoke alarm \*His CO alarm \*His alarm clock \*Any of his entertainment center apparatus \*His electronic doorbell \*His microwave \*His answering machine So, I’m hoping that maybe this description-- er, _rings a bell_ for somebody. (sorry. couldn’t help myself.) Any guesses? ---
**Author:** ![Not\_a\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Not\_a\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_a_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/2 "2010-04-16T05:19:54Z")
Does he share walls with any neighbors? I recently started hearing windows start-up music, but I’d usually hear it when I wasn’t in the office, so I figured it was one of our computers rebooting for some reason. I finally realized it wasn’t coming from our apartment, but from a neighbor’s. I still don’t know why they reboot so frequently. Very odd. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/3 "2010-04-16T05:23:41Z")
A watch with an alarm that he’s dropped somewhere and forgotten? Is there a set frequency he’s noticed? Once an hour? Four times a day? Five minutes apart? Totally random? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/4 "2010-04-16T05:31:18Z")
Try unplugging everything and see what happens. If you no longer hear it, the mystery should be solved as you systematically plug things back in. I just thought of something: Does he have Tivo? Does he hear the sound when fast-forwarding or reversing through commercials? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/5 "2010-04-16T07:18:18Z")
A cellphone sounding a voicemail reminder maybe? (if you don’t normally use voicemail, this could suddenly start happening, and be unfamiliar) A cordless conventional phone handset off its charging station, sounding a low battery warning? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/6 "2010-04-16T07:27:48Z")
Ah, it’s 14 kilohertz of glockenspiel in a flat, played down-tempo. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/7 "2010-04-16T07:46:53Z")
It’s an [Annoy-a-tron](http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/8c52/). ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/8 "2010-04-17T09:28:34Z")
Nobody is going to respond to my comment? Really? Really?! Maybe it was just such a perfect answer that it left everyone speechless. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/9 "2010-04-17T09:32:38Z")
Does it sound like [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiloZd1H4ow&feature=related)? ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/10 "2010-04-17T13:07:13Z")
Neighbor’s wind chimes? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/11 "2010-04-17T14:38:36Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Nobody is going to respond to my comment? Really? Really?! We’re all too far away to smack you. 😛 What kind of place does the gent live in? In town, out-of-town? ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/12 "2010-04-18T08:47:25Z")
**Sleeps With Butterflies:** It’s at 5-10-minute intervals; sometimes longer. Stops awhile, starts up again. **panache45:** No, no TiVo. Good guess, though. **Mangetout:** Great idea! He does have a cell he never uses; I’ll check that out next Wednesday. He has a cordless too, but he hangs it up regularly. **Autolycus:** Ach!! For shame! (hee hee) **CairoCarol:** Yikes! I hope not! **ivan astikov:** Sadly, no. **AllShookDown:** No, it’s an electronic sound for sure; although it bears a lot of resemblance to a windchime sound. (except, on a Casio) **NinetyWt:** He lives in a nice residential neighborhood in the East Bay Area. A commercial district is just far enough away to not be the source. The sound is almost definitely in the room. My apologies for tardiness here; I was out of town. Thanks everyone; if I find out what it is on Wednesday, I’ll let you know. ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/13 "2010-04-18T11:34:55Z")
Ask not for whom the bell tolls… ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/14 "2010-04-18T11:48:24Z")
I feel like Columbo asking stupid, seemingly irrelevant questions… Has he received one of those musical birthday cards or does he have a musical tie? What about the thermostat? Is it one of those digital ones or an old timey one? Is the apartment new or old? Could it be an abandoned oil tank still reminding to refill? Do any of the floor boards seem recently disturbed? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/15 "2010-04-18T14:12:57Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Ah, it’s 14 kilohertz of glockenspiel in a flat, played down-tempo. Ref your other post, I just got to this thread. Ref the quoted post - Perfect. Unfortunately, there’s an angry mob with pitchforks over there that also wants to talk to you … ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/16 "2010-04-19T03:02:47Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/17 "2010-04-19T04:58:12Z")
Could it be a neighbors instant messaging program? I know that we have had people at work who seem incapable of shutting off their AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) sounds and it rings kind of like a casio bell whenever they send or receive a message. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/18 "2010-04-19T05:53:42Z")
Good one, **nachtmusick**. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/19 "2010-04-19T05:59:34Z")
This one is famous in Tennessee, but the description doesn’t quite fit: [The Bell Witch](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Witch) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310/20 "2010-04-20T01:07:14Z")
> [@Not\_a\_Platypus](#): > > … Windows … I still don’t know why they reboot so frequently. Seems like you’ve answered your own question. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-a-mystery-sound/536310.md?page=2)