Turn Google Translate into a Beatbox

[Diego440]

For reasons inexplicable, a “Today I Learned” thread on Reddit has turned into a treatise on how to make Google Translate beatbox for you, among other things. It must have taken some intense experimentation to get here but the result somehow turned into the following combination of steps:

1) Go to Google Translate
2) Set the translator to translate German to German
3) Copy + paste the following into the translate box: pv zk pv pv zk pv zk kz zk pv pv pv zk pv zk zk pzk pzk pvzkpkzvpvzk kkkkkk bsch
4) Click “listen”
5) Be amazed

Since the original post both the thread and meme have expanded into slight tweaks and variations, including Technocopter, Helicopter and Dubstep. YCombinator user iamdave actually posted a guide to making your own beats:

zk = suspended cymbal
bschk = snare
pv = brush
bk = bass
tk = flam1
vk = roll tap
kt = flam2
kttp = flam tap
krp = hi hat tap
pv = short roll
th = better hi hat
thp, ds = instant rimshot.

While I’m not 100% sure how exactly this is working, it seems like a peculiarity of the German translation setup in Google Translate is allowing for playing consonants in a way that sounds like drums. Or, more specifically, a delightful way that sounds like drums.

 

[lbsf1]

That is awsome, I love it, lets make some toons.

Try this bad boy from the streetz. http://translate.google.com/#de|de|pch%20psh%20bch%20bch%20bchh%20bch%20bch%20sh%20sh%20sh%20sch%20bach%20bch

 

[boiltheocean]

Ha! German to Albanian beatboxing sounds more like a translation to Steven Hawking.

 

[Sparty_McFly]

I wonder if Google will figure this out or just capitalize on it. Probably the latter. Either way, this turns out to be fun, and I'm experimenting with my own combos of beatwords as I type this.

 

[TB]

Take that, P. Diddy.

That's right - my rhymes come pre-punctuated.

 

[Omnis]

This is brilliant.

 

[Speedy Samurai]

The internet just reached a whole new level of awesome.

 

[Vince_Fiero]

Real fun, but you are limited in lenght:
kz kz pzk pv zk zk pv zk pv zk kz pvzkpkzvpvzk kz zk zk pv zk zk pv zk zk pv zk zk kkk bschschsch

 

[Slick Rick]

lol the dubstep one is awesome!
Thanks for sharing 👍

 

[Omnis]

qvqvqvqv sounds like a diesel engine.

 

[Apok]

qvqvqvqv sounds like a diesel engine.

Sort of reminds me of a steam locomotive.

 

[GT_Prologue5]

This is incredible. Wow.

I made one that sounds just weird:

pv pv bvk bvk gvd gvd gvd gvd gvd rvt pv pv pvk xk xk xk st st st st

And put ov in there; it'll sound like a seal.

Also try it in Russian. Creepy.

 

[dylansan]

Sorry for reviving this thread. I somhow created something interesting just by randomly typing combinations of consonants. Maybe I just have a talent for sick beats.

 

[Terronium-12]

I have no idea what I'm doing (and I basically altered what dylan had already done), but here's my n00b beat - n00b

 

[Eric.]

Apparently Google is fully aware of this, given the "Listen" button turns into "Beatbox".

 

[Luminis]

Apparently Google is fully aware of this, given the "Listen" button turns into "Beatbox".

That actually awesome 👍

 

[Azure Flare]

That is awesome.

 

[Alex.]

Thoroughly impressed.

 

[motortrend]

Change from german to german to german to latin.

 

[AOS-]

german to latin.

kappa kappa kappa kappa!

 

[The Bman]

Try - qvqvqvqv tk tk bk gvd gvd tk tk bk tk tk vk kttp pvpvkzzk krp krp pv th thp, ds. German to Czech.