# Special software: Make your computer sound like a typewriter **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2013, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606 "2013-11-23T08:13:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/1 "2013-11-23T08:13:14Z")
I’ve wondered if this is possible. It would be interesting to see if software could be produced to create the sound of an old-fashioned typewriter key when you hit an ordinary key on the computer keyboard; as well as the subdued sound of the space bar, and a little bell ringing when the Enter key is pushed or the text wrapped around. Has anyone ever tried this? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/2 "2013-11-23T09:44:08Z")
I don’t know if it has been done (I would guess that it has), but I can’t imagine it would be at all difficult to make sounds like typewriter sounds come out of the speakers as keys were struck. (I would not know quite where to start on a PC, myself, but I think I could have done it on my old BBC Micro, and I have no doubt a PC programmer could do it easily). The only real problem with getting verisimilitude wold be the sounds made by the actual keyboard itself. The illusion would be greatest if the actual keyboard were very quiet. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/3 "2013-11-23T11:28:10Z")
[LMGTFY](http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=make+computer+keyboard+sound+like+typewriter). ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/4 "2013-11-23T11:37:21Z")
My fiend had a Monty Python game that installed a feature that would turn each key into a different fart or burp sound. Very funny if you’re a stoner student watching your roommate attempting to write an essay. Otherwise a bit ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/5 "2013-11-23T13:06:40Z")
Reproducing the sound wouldn’t be too difficult, but getting a PC to shake the desk would require major modifications. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/6 "2013-11-23T15:47:20Z")
You could always type along with [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlqDFPLUhig). (Don’t forget the “yank out the paper” gesture at the end.) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/7 "2013-11-23T15:53:33Z")
A zillion years ago there was a System Extension for the Mac that did just this. It worked great (the sounds were digitized from an actual typewriter), but it got old really fast. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/8 "2013-11-23T16:04:49Z")
P.S. The bell rings when you reach the right margin, not when you activate the carriage return, which made a much richer sound. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/9 "2013-11-23T16:53:00Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > Reproducing the sound wouldn’t be too difficult, but getting a PC to shake the desk would require major modifications. you would also keep having to pick up the monitor off the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/10 "2013-11-23T22:11:13Z")
Sounds like it could be a fun gag, but not enough that I’d want to pay money for it. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/11 "2015-10-24T04:30:30Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > My fiend had a Monty Python game that installed a feature that would turn each key into a different fart or burp sound. Very funny if you’re a stoner student watching your roommate attempting to write an essay. Otherwise a bit ridiculous. Sounds almost as fun as replacing a ribbon on a regular typewriter with a roll of toy pistol caps! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/12 "2015-10-24T06:02:20Z")
You can get a mechanical keyboard with MX Blue or MX Green switches. It doesn’t have quite as full of a “clack” sound, because it’s not moving any pieces of type, but they’re preeeeeetty clacky. Clacky enough that you will annoy anyone around you. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/13 "2015-10-24T06:38:26Z")
I’ve got a keyboard with Cherry MX Blue switches. It sounds _nothing_ like a typewriter. It does sound fairly similar to an IBM buckling-spring keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/14 "2015-10-24T07:10:55Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > [LMGTFY](http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=make+computer+keyboard+sound+like+typewriter). Nearly reported a two year old post. Darn Zombies! ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/15 "2015-10-24T10:53:46Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > You could always type along with [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlqDFPLUhig). (Don’t forget the “yank out the paper” gesture at the end.) Zombie Lewis! [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxm0TN5WDQI) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/16 "2015-10-24T11:22:15Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > Zombie Lewis! > [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxm0TN5WDQI](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxm0TN5WDQI) In that clip Jerry makes the common mistake of doing the carriage return with his right hand. I don’t imagine he is using an Arabic script. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/17 "2015-10-24T13:02:51Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > A zillion years ago there was a System Extension for the Mac that did just this. It worked great (the sounds were digitized from an actual typewriter), but it got old really fast. Came in here to say the same. Macintosh System 4 or 6 era. TappyType. Mentioned on this page about 2/3 of the way down Click clack click as you typed and a kaCHUNK-bing!! when you hit the Return key. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/18 "2015-10-24T14:06:13Z")
I have Qwertick on my PC. It’s free download, basic typewriter sounds. Some of the young folk have no idea what that sound it. For those of you missing the sounds of something more technologically advanced than a typewriter [here’s an on-line keypunch machine](http://www.masswerk.at/keypunch/). ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/19 "2015-10-24T20:00:45Z")
Tom Hanks was on some talk show recently plugging an phone app that made typewriter sounds. IIRC he might have had something to do with financing its creation. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-software-make-your-computer-sound-like-a-typewriter/674606/20 "2015-10-25T06:07:36Z")
Not exactly the same thing, but I have seen a smart phone app that installs a (virtual) rotary dialer on the touch screen of your phone. Dowloaded it, used it, was mildly amused, then deleted it.