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The Blipblox - A Synthesizer Designed for Kids

A fully functional synthesizer that promotes electronic music learning for kids (and kids at heart).

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The Blipblox - A Synthesizer Designed for Kids

The Blipblox - A Synthesizer Designed for Kids

The Blipblox - A Synthesizer Designed for Kids

The Blipblox - A Synthesizer Designed for Kids

The Blipblox - A Synthesizer Designed for Kids

A fully functional synthesizer that promotes electronic music learning for kids (and kids at heart).

A fully functional synthesizer that promotes electronic music learning for kids (and kids at heart).

A fully functional synthesizer that promotes electronic music learning for kids (and kids at heart).

A fully functional synthesizer that promotes electronic music learning for kids (and kids at heart).

Playtime Engineering
Playtime Engineering
Playtime Engineering
Playtime Engineering
2 Campaigns |
San Francisco, United States
$236,949 USD by 1,582 backers
$217,221 USD by 1,470 backers on Jul 26, 2018
Production
The project team has begun turning their prototype into the final product. Their ability to ship the products may be affected by product development or financial challenges.
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Overview
Meet the Blipblox - a synthesizer and beatbox designed to promote creativity and audio exploration. Its unique design is easy-to-use and safe for children as young as 3 years old. Its professional features and nearly endless ability to create new sounds make it fun and captivating for everyone! The Blipblox. Synthesis for all.

Introducing the Blipblox Audio Exploration Module. Not your typical music toy, but a fully functional synthesizer that has been safety tested for children as young as 3 years old.

The Blipblox's kid-friendly design features colorful knobs and buttons plus an interactive LED light show, while the professional synthesis engine and other studio features promote music-making on a whole new level.

No need to connect a phone.  No software to download.  No music experience necessary. 

Just turn it on and start exploring electronic music in a completely new way.

The Blipblox is production ready.  We have completed two rounds of prototypes using tooled injected molded plastic at our factory.  These prototypes have allowed us to fine-tune the look, feel and sound of the Blipblox, so we move into mass production with confidence.  The Blipblox is already electrically certified to FCC (US) and CE (European) consumer product standards.  Full safety compliance will be completed by the end of June.

The Playtime Engineering Team's skill set and background make it fully qualified to bring the Blipblox to market.  

Troy Sheets has a 20 year track record of delivering advanced data center products for some of largest companies in the Silicon Valley.  As a Distinguished Engineer who leads teams producing billion dollar product lines, Troy has a complete understanding of the electronic product design, qualification, manufacturing and support process.  These skills combined with his lifelong passion for music production and synthesizer design, mean Troy is uniquely qualified to lead Playtime Engineering and deliver the Blipblox to market.

For 15 years, Kate Sheets lead sales, customer relationship management, product development, marketing, strategic planning and recruiting as Director of Operations for an independent software firm.  Most recently, Kate co-founded a home decor company where she expanded her product development skills into manufacturing, from the design stage to bringing a finished product to the online market.

What do kids think of the Blipblox? 
The Blipblox has been tested by hundreds of kids from a variety of backgrounds and ages.  Starting with its debut at the NAMM Show (National Association of Music Merchants), and continuing through Maker’s Faire just last month, as well as many smaller events in between, we’ve witnessed first hand the number of kids who love playing with the Blipblox.  Many kids, even those with no music experience, take to the Blipblox quickly and continue a focused play for an extended period of time.

What age group is the Blipblox target market?
While every kid is different, these are our general observations for what aspects of the Blipblox will attract which age groups:

Under 3
The Blipblox will come safety certified for kids 3 years and older.  While some children under 3 may enjoy the Blipblox with close parental participation, we have found that the device is a little advanced for them and many tend to lose interest quickly.

3-4 years
Younger kids are attracted to the Blipblox light show and its brightly colored knobs and buttons.  But the most popular controllers are the vibrant red levers.  Many kids love to incorporate the Blipblox into imagination play, so it becomes a spaceship controller or lava flow meter.  We have seen some more musically-oriented kids at this age start to twist the knobs in a more deliberate way and able to get some really cool sounds from the Blipblox.

5-8 years
Kids at this age still like the lights and levers, but many are also starting to understand that they are controlling and creating sound.  As kids start to use the Blipblox more, they develop the skills to follow the signal flow lines and connect them to the sound they are hearing. They also love the kick and snare drum beatbox controls.

9-12 years
While the kids at the older end of this age range may at first think the Blipblox looks like a little kid’s toy, it doesn’t take much for them to realize it is a real musical instrument.  This is also the age where you can think about breathing new life into that old MIDI keyboard so kids can start playing their own melodies.  Kids who already have experience with a DAW will soon realize that the Blipblox is a fully functional synthesizer that can be used for music production.  

13 years-Adult
Teens and adults that are into electronic music or music production are attracted to the Blipblox because it looks fun but they also see it as a legitimate tool.  The Blipblox becomes a studio device used to create new synthesized sounds that can be incorporated into a more layered song.  MIDI In means you can connect the Blipblox to any studio setup.  And Audio Out means kids can record, layer and manipulate the sounds into their next hit track.

Educational opportunities
The Blipblox is currently being reviewed by early childhood development and special needs professionals to see what possible use it could have as a teaching tool.  The Blipblox was the winner of the SBO Best Teaching Tool for Pre-School students. We look forward to partnering with academic and non-profit groups as the Blipblox goes into mass production.

Why the Blipblox?
Learning a musical instrument is an opportunity that provides a lifetime of enjoyment.  While today’s music increasingly relies on synthesizers to create new and exciting sounds, the complexity of these tools makes them hard to get into the hands of children.  The Blipblox aims to change that by making synthesizers fun, easy and safe for all ages. We feel that if intrigued and entertained, children have the ability to understand the complexity of synthesis, inspiring them to create the music of tomorrow.

Can you really make a song with the Blipblox?
Yes!  Below you'll find two examples of tracks made with the Blipblox.  Both by professional producer Ben Messelbeck.

  

 

Is the Blipblox shipping outside the US?  Am I responsible for taxes and duties?
Yes!  The Blipblox is shipping worldwide.  We'll try our best to avoid duty and VAT but cannot assure you 100% that you won't have to pay additional duties if your country requires it.

Is the Blipblox really safe for children as young as 3 years old?
The Blipblox will ship in compliance with toy safety standards set forth by the USA, Canada and the European Union, including: ASTM F963 (USA), EN 71 (EU) and SOR/2011-17 (Canada).  

Can I interface the Blipblox with my phone?
The Blipblox was designed to give kids and adults time away from a screen and can be thoroughly enjoyed as a stand alone product.  More experienced users will utilize the MIDI interface to connect to a computer for music production.  

Is the software upgradable?
Playtime Engineering does not sell development platforms.  Our products are full featured and fully tested on the day your receive it.  However, it is possible to upgrade the Blipblox firmware over the MIDI port with a sysex file if ever necessary.  

How long do the batteries last?
The Blipblox is designed to play for at least 12 hours on three fresh AA batteries.  The Blipblox automatically powers off if untouched for 30 minutes. 

Don't synthesizers usually have keyboards?
The Blipblox has a sequencer that plays hundreds of built-in melodies, so the user can focus on exploring the tone and textures of the sound, not just play individual notes.  You can use the MIDI Input port to connect an external keyboard.

Why aren’t the buttons or knobs labeled?
The Blipblox was designed to be inviting and accessible to people of all ages.  Those interested in learning more can refer to our in-depth Learning Toolbox Instruction Manual that outlines the Blipblox controls and signal flow for each of the buttons, knobs and levers.

Can I program or load my own sequences into the Blipblox?
The Blipblox comes pre-loaded with hundreds of fun melodies.  The MIDI input port allows an external sequencer or keyboard to play the sounds instead of the internal sequencer.

Are samples used to make the sounds?
All sounds in the Blipblox come from synthesized algorithms instead of samples.  This allows for an unlimited range of sounds to be explored and is the primary difference between the Blipblox and other music toys.

Does the Blipblox time-sync to other MIDI gear?
Yes.  The Blipblox responds to MIDI start, stop and time sync commands.

Can I play the drums via MIDI?
Yes.  The synthesizer is played using Channel 1, the drums with Channel 2.

Can I control sound parameters via MIDI?
No, only note on/off/pitch and MIDI sync are supported.

Is the Blipblox in tune?  When I play it from a keyboard, are the notes matched to the correct frequency?
Yes.  As crazy as some of the sounds can get, they are still frequency matched and in tune.  You can incorporate almost any Blipblox sound into a music track.

Where are all the controls for the two envelope generators?  
The Amplifier Envelope has only a Release control knob.  The Modulation Envelope has only an Attack control knob. The envelopes automatically adjust some parameters based on tempo and other factors to keep them fun and usable.

How do I select the LFO waveform?​
The two LFO waveforms are automatically randomized.

How does the Blipblox select modes such as Oscillator Sync, or Pulse Width Modulation, or De-tune?  How does it select oscillator waves?
There are 8 Oscillator Modulation Schemes.  Each scheme takes two Modulation inputs. Different Modulation schemes automatically assign the Modulation inputs to parameters such as Sync, PWM, Detune, etc.  Some modulation inputs use non-traditional sound warping to insure a there is a wide range of sounds to explore. Different waveforms are hard-wired into the different Oscillator Schemes.

How can this work like a real synthesizer with so few buttons?
There are several special modes accessed by pressing multiple combinations of buttons.  These include turning off the sequencer, changing the LED mode and editing drum sounds. The manual describes these in detail.

How do the control signals work?
There 3 modulation sources: LFO1, LFO2 and Modulation Envelope.  Any 3 of these can be routed to Oscillator Modulation 1, Oscillator Modulation 2, and Low Pass Filter Modulation.  This forms a 3x3 modulation matrix. There is also the Amplifier Envelope dedicated to controlling the release time of each note.

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Blipblox Indiegogo Special
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Blipblox Indiegogo Special

$149 USD $169 USD (11% off)
Back us to get ONE (1) Blipblox Audio Exploration Module for $20 off the MSRP with an expected October 2018 product delivery. Explore music like never before with this fully functional synthesizer designed for kids, but fun for everyone. The number of units at this price is limited, so get yours today! Shipping worldwide.
Included Items
  • Blipblox
  • Learning Toolbox Manual
  • 3 AA Batteries & 1 AC Adapter
Estimated Shipping
October 2018
101 out of 150 of claimed
Ships worldwide.

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