Blue Man Group Keyboard
by Manley
|
Our Price: $169.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $119.99 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
|---|
Toys and Games Reviews of Blue Man Group Keyboard
Customer Review: Great fun!
Summary: 5 Stars
My 7 year-old daughter has been begging me for a keyboard for a couple aof months now in preparation for Christmas, which drives me crazy, because the truth is, she doesn't know how to play one. She has never had musical lessons and I have no idea why she would want a keyboard. But I had one as a kid (which I also could not play) and it was the most important thing on her list, so I picked this one. I have not been disappointed!
I think it is really important to insert here that this is more of a toy than a musical intrument in my opinion. That was just fine with me, but if you are looking for a serious keyboard for a child taking lessons, this may not be the best choice. The actual keys are small and it definitely has a toy appearance.
Now for the good stuff - this keyboard is a lot of fun. The tubes allow you to control things like volume, tempo, and background music by placing your hands over them. We have had no problems with sensitivity and it has worked exactly as the directions describe. It has some great background sounds, enough instruments to make it interesting but not confusing, and includes a DVD of the Blue Man Group for inspiration. My daughter's favorite feature is that she can plug her MP3 player into it and "play along" with her favorite songs. The sound is great and she absolutely loves it. This is the perfect choice for someone who is looking for a musical toy that lets their child play around with sound, mixing, and music. And lets be honest, I also love it (when she lets me play with it). I am very pleased with my purchase and am seriously looking at the percussion tubes for her birthday in the spring!
Customer Review: Son loves it for now
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this for my 11 year old son. It was one of this year's Chanukah presents. He is an aspiring guitarist who is also interested in keyboards/piano. He loves this and has played with it for a quite a few hours already even though he hasn't had much time yet.
It's a great concept. I'm not sure it's actually a great TOY or instrument, though, even though it actually can keep one's interest for quite a while.
The video shows the boys making music with Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Actually, that's the most fun feature on there, yet it's not really making music-- it's using the sensors to create the preprogrammed music that is already on there. I think there are 10 demo songs and this is one of them. Demo mode is fun.
Using all the features together while trying to create your own music is definitely a little more difficult. I think the tools are there, though. It will just take a lot of practice.
The little iPod drawer is only big enough to hold iPods. Not zunes, for instance. And, the included speaker that plays your own music is not good. It can plug into another speaker source, though-- either your own headphones or some other speaker system, so this is a good option.
I think this is a great gift yet at the same time I have reservations about this. Since my son (who is 11 and hard to please) likes it and since it really can keep your interest for quite a while, I'm rating this four stars. Personally, I would rate it about 3 stars, but I see how much my son (and my other children) like it, so I'm giving it four stars.
Customer Review: Fun
Summary: 3 Stars
I can't really speak to this as a toy. I bought it on impulse (on eBay), and my intention was to hack it up and use the keyboard in another project. But I've been showing it off around work and to friends and people really, really have fun playing with it.
First off, it's very cool looking, and pretty solid. Second, the sensors are not easy to play properly, but they are a hoot to work with. Thirdly, the pre-programmed melodies are very amusing but only for a few minutes. After that, you are left with a clunky keyboard, average voices, and trying to play proper drums on the touchy sensors.
As a conversation piece or Christmas toy, great. As a functional musical instrument -- well, I'm finding it a good challenge to play the sensors properly, so there's some value there. Educational? Well, the pre-programmed stuff does let you switch in and out parts and I suppose that gives you some insight as to how a symphonic work is constructed. But that end would be better served with different software.
Summing up, it's really a grab-bag of ideas that was never properly target-tested. But it is geeky fun enough, for long enough, to be worth a few bucks.
Customer Review: We liked it!
Summary: 4 Stars
This item was a very good purchase for our family.My son was asking for this for Christmas and I was having second thoughts because he seemed too young for an item like this.But let me tell you HE LOVES IT, and so do my other 3 kids.My kids are ages 6,8,12,and 14-(2 boys and 2 girls) so boy or girl doesn`t matter they will love it.It hooks to the kids mp3 players and they just love that idea!They play for a long time with this keyboard and always come back to it.It is a little heavy for the younger kids but that doesn`t seem to bother anyone.Oh and make sure you have lots of batteries because my kids play this so much I change the batteries like every week (but they play alot)and it`s because I have 4 of them taking turns playing this so batteries tend to go a little faster that way!But Overall I think it was well worth my money!Hope your kids have as much fun as mine do,Oh and it gets them away from the video games for awhile too.(which is really great!)Customer Review: Blue Man Group Keyboard
Summary: 5 Stars
The item works well, although its use is not intuitive. The instruction manual is adequate, however, to overcome this. The only problem I had was in the packaging and shipping of the product. Although the item was packaged with plenty of cushioning material in a sturdy box, the packager did not press down on the packing tape to ensure that it adhered to the box. As a result, the package arrived partially opened at the lengthwise seam of the box. In addition, the item arrived on a misty day, and the shipper did not leave the box in a secure manner; as a result, the package fell off the step and under the roof overhang, and the rain ran directly into the box via the opening created by the unsecurely taped seam. The product box showed pock marks created by the rain drops and the cardboard was soaking wet. Incredibly, however, the keyboard itself was not harmed and plays beautifull. My son and his friends very much enjoy playing with it.