Aug 17 2007Reactable Musical Table
The Reactable is nuts. It kinds of reminds me of that far crappier home version you can buy where you move little plastic shapes around to change the noise it makes (what was the name of that thing?). But this one is way cooler, and almost more fun to watch than to listen to. I watched several videos of it, and while it seems to sound more like space invaders than music a lot of the time, it's just...so...mesmerizing. I want one for my living room, and I want it to react to whatever I want to put on it. Maybe a cat, stapler, sock, my ding-a-ling, you know, whatever.
A video after the jump.
Reactable Musical Table [Official Site]
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Reader Comments
1. .Ben - August 17, 2007 4:48 PM
I dont see why every one was trying to use Minority Report-esque hand movements to move the things about. Surely a simple push will do?
2. Pastor Al - August 17, 2007 5:58 PM
So... this is what mosquitos dance to!
3. Pedro - August 17, 2007 6:15 PM
Yay! Lite Brite with music.
4. RandomNigel - August 17, 2007 6:16 PM
Seen it. Adored it. Built myself a crappy cardboard version of it.
And all I have to attest for it is this comment?
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
5. louley - August 17, 2007 7:10 PM
What **WAS** that shapes and sounds game called?!?!?!
6. Derek - August 17, 2007 10:34 PM
Um...
I think it hints at the complexity/not-suitable-for-home-use-ness of the thing that it takes 4 guys to make the crappiest techno music evar
7. Mark - August 17, 2007 11:22 PM
Jeez, everyone already knew about this when Bjork used it on "Declare Independence." Way to be behind the times, Geekologie.
I mean, who the hell doesn't listen to Bjork?
8. ~zeus~ - August 18, 2007 8:03 AM
"I mean, who the hell doesn't listen to Bjork?"
Former republic of Yugoslavia u idiot! B.t.w. did they beat u up in school when they found out that you listen to Bjork??
9. Tap - August 18, 2007 9:25 AM
I think you're thinking of the game "Simon."
10. meppers - August 18, 2007 3:08 PM
sharper image made a cheap ass version of this and it failed.
11. andy - August 18, 2007 6:15 PM
zounds!
12. guate6 - August 18, 2007 10:47 PM
I saw that Bjork video, as well as other videos with the Reactable...There are people who actually make good catchy techno music out of this thing, but mostly people play around with the shapes and what not. I'd like to find a video of someone making good beats/music.
13. Ed Said - August 19, 2007 5:40 AM
There was a thing called CHAOS PAD that djs used to mess around with the sound. I had one for fun to add extra weirdness to any music. It was tiny though, but basically did have a touch screen and strange lights and patterns would appear on it and moving your finger around it changed and created sounds.
14. nominus - August 19, 2007 6:03 PM
I think I speak for Joe Momma when I say "I would blow the guy who made this".
15. uruwai - August 20, 2007 8:12 AM
Is it me or the changes in the music were pretty unrelated to whatever these meganerds did?
16. JaHo - August 28, 2007 5:37 PM
Are you thinking of the NEUROSMITH musical blocks? It has 5 different colored blocks with different shapes on each side. Depending on how you insert the blocks into the base it would play different parts of a song. Put the blocks in the proper order and it would play the entire song. There were different cartridges you could buy for different music, opera, nursery rhymes, etc. My kids have one and love it.