#not even sure if that still counts as a fanbot. we strayed so far from the path 😭 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ramenwithbroccoli · 1 month

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guess who finally made a fanbot after 2 years in the musical robot fandom

meet Janka!

above: Janka in to versions - a bare mechanism and a 'friendlier' folk attire

created in 1921 and commercialy released in 1936, named after a character in a famous song, Janka was intended to be the first fully inteligent record-playing machine for personal use. With her creator, Stanisław Lasota, basing its design on popular barrel organs, she was equipped with many different accesories to make her blend in with the enviroment. The most popular one was a folk-based look, inspired by traditional clothing of people of Łowicz, but many different options were available, with some owners even sewing it clothes of its own.

above: bare mechanisms, the mask sold to make Janka less 'intimidating', the most popular folk variant, a "night out" variant personally crafted by one of the owners

Although the company producing record players promised all of them would be able to change the songs by the voice command, it seems that only the original prototype of Janka retained that function. That's why, while the other copies went on to become just a fancy gimmick, Janka's value skyrocketed, providing Lasota with a great sum of money that allowed him to retire early and comfortably. After his death in 1937, the original designs were found. It seemed that there were no differences between the commercial versions and the prototype - except for the material that the top of the table was made of. In the original, an undefinable green matter has been used, that studies have not been able to replicate. It is suspected that the substance, mixed in with molten glass, was a gift Lasota brought back from one of his travels.

above: diagram of the functions of certain parts

Once an unique antique, original Janka lost value over time. The amazement over her ability to change music at request and memorising entire symphonies after playing them once disappeared, replaced with annoyance, and sometimes even horror, as it seemed the machine gained a mind of its own.

Owners reported music playing in the middle of the night, suspicious movement and the needle skipping over certain words in song, forming a new message altogether. After the last owner, Jerzy Sójka, claimed "the goddamn machine, [it] has a mind of its own, [it's] the devil! devil is speaking to me!", the fate of Janka had become unknown. Many suspect that it has been abandoned in a basement or an attic, with some even claiming they still hear her song being played at night.

#when oc lore in your head so good it gives you the ability to draw #the story of janka has been conveyed with one smartphone a pen with a touchscreen tip and a dream #not even sure if that still counts as a fanbot. we strayed so far from the path 😭#BUT SHE DOES PLAY MUSIC! just not her own #she also technically can only speak by compiling the words from the songs she played so she really likes word-heavy ones with lotsa lyrics #also technicaly can't see? but she does get acces to camera later so she's not that disadvantaged. at least she can hear alright #spg fanbot #my art #original character #oc #janka #fanbot

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