Waaah waaah waah wah!

August 4, 2013 1:55 PM

Fly Me to the Moon on Otamatone. What is an Otamatone? It's a cute little musical toy that sings. Also: Otamatone metal.

And, An Otamatone jam sesh of Greensleeves, Stand by Me as a duet, costume appropriate Mary Had a Little Lamb, a soulful rendition of I'm Yours (by Jason Mraz) , , an Otamatone of Otamathrones, A Uke duet on What a Wonderful World, Bohemian Rhapsody (by Queen) , a lovely couple plays Hey There Delilah (by Plain White Tees) with guitar accompaniment

posted by codacorolla (27 comments total)

Thanks, Otama!
posted by dr_dank at 1:57 PM on August 4, 2013 [16 favorites]

Jumbo Jimi!!
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:23 PM on August 4, 2013

My budgie needs this!
posted by Calzephyr at 2:32 PM on August 4, 2013

I've had one if these on my Amazon wish list for a few years. So fun!
posted by Doleful Creature at 2:34 PM on August 4, 2013

Interesting that heavy metal otamatone technique hardly uses the cheeks at all. Somebody should do a thesis on that.

I like to play the Queen of the Night Aria on mine.
posted by moonmilk at 3:28 PM on August 4, 2013

Oh, good. The nasal whine of bagpipes crossed with the tonal inaccuracy of a slide whistle.

Thanks, Japan.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:33 PM on August 4, 2013 [9 favorites]

Brazil.
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:33 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

The multi-coloured ones in the metal vid made me expect the song to be Lady of Spain.
posted by Space Coyote at 3:36 PM on August 4, 2013

> The nasal whine of bagpipes crossed with the tonal inaccuracy of a slide whistle

Reminds me of "the bewitching, remarkably harmonious marriage of a vacuum cleaner and a bumblebee" - from the NY Times' obituary of Tuvan throat-singer Kongar-ol Ondar.

Only without the remarkably harmonious part.
posted by moonmilk at 3:43 PM on August 4, 2013

So it's a magical singing sperm.

Sold!
posted by backseatpilot at 5:16 PM on August 4, 2013 [5 favorites]

You can save yourself some money and just sing through an empty toilet paper tube for the same effect.
posted by orme at 6:12 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

For some reason it's really bothering me that you move your hand higher for lower pitches and vice versa.
posted by Proofs and Refutations at 6:30 PM on August 4, 2013

Proofs and Refutations: "For some reason it's really bothering me that you move your hand higher for lower pitches and vice versa."

Never touch a violin then.
posted by pwnguin at 7:05 PM on August 4, 2013

Another product from the delightfully mad Maywa Denki (previously).
posted by scruss at 7:14 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Agh! Do not want, running away, earworm producers!
posted by antiquated at 7:32 PM on August 4, 2013

I have one of these, (original packaging too) but I've never devoted enough time to it to be able to actually use it as an instrument. I've got this idea of forming a band one day, using only Stylophones, Monotrons, Otamatones and similar. Otamatone is missing a headphone jack though - makes it harder to record.
posted by bashos_frog at 7:49 PM on August 4, 2013

That's adorrible.
posted by CrunchyFrog at 8:41 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

bashos_frog: The Otomatone DX has a line out jack.
posted by NoxAeternum at 8:46 PM on August 4, 2013

I can't stop giggling. oh good lord please let me stop giggling.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 10:29 PM on August 4, 2013

This is way more amusing to watch than it ought to be. It's like really awful karaoke, but weirdly adorable.
posted by spiderskull at 10:48 PM on August 4, 2013

These are people who appear to have used this, ahem, "instrument" before and yet they appear unable to accurately control its pitch. That's a special accomplishment - a musical instrument which cannot be used to produce a recognizable melody.
posted by 1adam12 at 10:59 PM on August 4, 2013

I sent an otamatone to my Secret Quonsee this past Christmas!
posted by IndigoRain at 11:31 PM on August 4, 2013

Come back stylophone, all is forgiven.
posted by Decani at 1:02 AM on August 5, 2013

Ah, the Otamaton! Bought one for my daughter a few years back (for *my daughter*, riiiiiight...).

Thanks for linking to my previously post on Mayway Denki (the brains behind the Otamatone and so much more) upthread, scruss, but alas, those YT links are now dead and gone, as is so often the case.

Had the pleasure of jamming with one of the Maywa Denki guys at a gig here in Tokyo about a year ago! He was playing a crazy robot contraption he controlled by finger snaps, which would trigger little mallets hitting wood blocks. Hilarious!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:56 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

This is also a fantastic recreation of the ending credits to Neon Genesis.
posted by NoraReed at 1:57 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

I think Otamatone O Fortuna is my favourite.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 2:18 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

So apparently Maywa Denki is also the source of the creepy laughing machine, Wahha Go Go
posted by RobotHero at 10:30 AM on August 8, 2013