Troy Sheets began making music at age 15 in his home studio with a keyboard synthesizer, drum machine and four-track cassette player — an impressive setup for a high school sophomore. However, it’s rare for young, up-and-coming musicians to have access to advanced equipment (other than a free app on their phone). And most teenagers can’t afford it. Additionally, for someone just starting out, using a synthesizer can be confusing.
That’s why Sheets decided to develop the $199 blipblox, an affordable kid-friendly synthesizer designed for ages three and up.
“I thought there was an opportunity to create a toy-like device that was simplified so more people could have fun using these tools that were previously reserved for professional musicians because of their cost and complexity,” Sheets told TechCrunch.
Now, Playtime Engineering — the parent company of Blipblox — is ready to release its latest product. Called MyTracks, the new “toy-like instrument” (as the company calls it) is essentially a groovebox or electronic music production device fully equipped with a drum machine, synthesizer, built-in microphone for audio sampling and sequencer, all in one device. With chunky control knobs and sticks and an easy-to-use shuffle function, MyTracks aims to encourage musical exploration and simplify beatmaking for kids. The company announced Tuesday that its Kickstarter campaign for MyTracks will open on April 9 with an expected price of $249 to $299 for backers, with the first round of products expected in November. Expected retail price is $349.
The product is designed first and foremost to be child-friendly. According to the company, all Blipblox devices undergo “rigorous” testing to ensure they are BPA-free and comply with toy safety standards. To avoid choking hazards, the plastic knobs are locked to the device so that children cannot remove them. In addition, the batteries are secured inside a screw case.
The company says its products are the only synthesizers on the market that are fully certified to international child safety standards.
As for its design, the flashy lights and colorful buttons are meant to appeal to kids. Sheets adds that the levers are one of the most popular features, as they look like a “spaceship control panel.”
But Blipblox wants adult musicians to take it seriously, too.
“These are real musical instruments, and not just ones that look like a [toy] guitar that you press a button and it plays the same sound every time. It really appeals to adults the same way it appeals to kids,” says co-founder Kate Sheets.
The layout of the MyTracks machine looks like a traditional groovebox or MPC (music production center) with two effects (FX) processors, five tracks, 25 pads and over 50 acoustic, electronic and percussion sounds. In addition, it has the ability to layer, record and save songs.
On the back of the MyTracks device is a MIDI output, so professional musicians who want to play with a fun new toy can use it in the studio with their other gear. It also includes stereo audio output and USB-C for adding more tracks. Future updates will include more sound packs to provide new music styles such as classical, hip-hop and EDM.
Image Credits: Playtime Engineering
Over $300 is indeed a steep price for a kid’s toy, and many parents aren’t willing to cough up that much money. However, the company claims it can be a great tool for kids to learn how to create music, manipulate sounds and experiment. Blipblox has even been used by music teachers, including helping children with special needs express their creativity in a non-verbal way.
“[Blipblox devices] they are adjustable so you can adjust [the volume] for different sensitivities. So the neurodiverse students really enjoy using our products,” Kate Sheets tells us.
The company previously won the SBO (School Band and Orchestra) Best Teaching Tool for preschool students.
Image Credits: Playtime Engineering
“We got a lot of weird looks from parents,” says Kate Sheets, describing how people reacted to the first Blipblox synthesizer in 2018. “The music industry looked at us and thought we were a toy, and the toy industry looked at us and thought, ‘ We don’t even know what that is.” We went through both markets for a while. And now, all these years later, we see that there really is a market for our type of products.”
Despite the initial backlash, Blipblox has managed to sell 15,000 products and has raised more than $300,000 in crowdfunding to date.
