SCP-260

Item #: SCP-260

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-260 is held in the Site 17 Safe SCP Object Vault. SCP-260 is to be stored in an empty box with a paper bag, to prevent movement through air. Electronic monitors and any source of sound within 500 cm of the SCP is to be disabled or covered with tape.

Description: SCP-260 is a portable cassette recorder, approximately 12 cm x 6 cm. SCP-260 does not appear to be electrical or magnetic in nature, and any attempts to analyze the object's components by conventional means produce no results. SCP-260 displays no signs of wear or tear and can be used up to 30 days without any apparent effect on its effectiveness. When used to record sound, SCP-260 will function indefinitely unless physically damaged.

All sounds recorded while the device is operational will have an unusual quality to them, creating an effect which has been likened to a "memory of silence". As the object is used, this effect becomes more pronounced, and significantly affects communication over distances longer than approximately 10 meters. Attempts to use the object for interviews within this range have proven unsuccessful, as all subjects react negatively to the recording by continually laughing and joking in what are considered to be unproductive manners.

SCP-260 can also be utilized as a metronome; when placed in close proximity with any analog audio source (such as a CD player), the device's tone output is harmonized with that of the source. This process continues until SCP-260 is removed from the vicinity.

Addendum 260-1: SCP-260 can be used to record sounds that do not originate from the human ear. Examples include:

SCP-260 is capable of recording any sound with a frequency greater than approximately 20\xa0Hz, and has no effect on sounds with frequencies below this limit. Additionally, the device does not affect sounds originating from within the human body, such as speech or heartbeats.