Instant Radio by Magic Gadget
Greetings to all. My son and I got diagnosed yesterday with
Swine Flu. So I am spending some time playing with my new Instant
Radio from Magic Gadgets in the UK.
Over my many years in magic, I have frequently seen a trick
described in a magic catalog and mentally added it to my wish
list. Sometimes I buy them, and other times I wait too long and
the trick is no longer available. Such is the case with Al
Cohen's trick where he draws a radio the back of his business
card and then plays music from it. The card may then be given
away as a keepsake. I always thought this was the best way to
give away a business card. Unfortunately, when I eventually got
around to wanting to buy this effect, it was no longer available.
Shahid Malik has released Instant Radio and admitted it was
heavily influenced by Al Cohen's original effect. Shahid has
updated things by using a custom made miniature radio gimmick
that works very well. It runs around $45.00 US.
You receive the radio gimmick, a set of extra clips and velcro
to fasten the gimmick to your jacket, and a booklet of
instructions. A few things need improvement. First, the pairs of
wires leading to the on/off switch and the speaker are not twisted
together. This makes it easier for the wires to get caught or
otherwise tangled. I'm tempted to twist them myself and fasten
black electrical tape every few inches just to make it easier to
use. I also found the on/off switch to be a little noisy. It
makes a prominent clicking sound when switched on/off. Inserting
the two AAA batteries was harder than expected. It took me a few
tries to seat them correctly. I was afraid I was going to break
the casing.
Lastly, the instructions were a little lacking in diagrams.
Considering the many one trick DVDs out there selling for $29.95,
I think Instant Radio would greatly benefit from either a
companion DVD showing set-up and handling for various effects, or
simply adding pictures to the instructions. While there are 4
small diagrams on the back of the instruction booklet, they
really are not as clear as they could be. Adding a DVD would not
be very cost-prohibitive.
Now Instant Radio is not an effect or a routine. It is a gadget
that allows you to create a magical moment. This could easily
become the next squeaker. If you remember when squeakers became
all the rage, you also can remember seeing magicians overuse the
gimmick and making everything they touched squeak. Likewise,
that's the danger with Instant Radio. You might become tempted to
make everything play music. That would be a bad move. The key is
to look for moments where you can catch a spectator off guard and
make a lasting impression.
For instance, when I was vacationing in St. Martin in 1984, I
plucked a flower from the vase on the cafe's table, and I tore
off the flower and made it float for the waiter. Then I plucked
the petals and gave them to the waiter. It was an unexpected
moment, took him completely by surprise, and baffled him.
So with Instant Radio, while there are a number of ideas for
performances included, you really need to show some restraint and
choose the moment. I could see borrowing a stick of gum and
wrapping the tin foil wrapper around a pencil and sliding it back
and forth to create a make shift radio, play a few seconds of
music, and then take it apart and hand it back to the spectator.
The same could be done with dining utensils. You simply need to
look for an opportunity to use it, and then not use it again.
Anyway, I just wanted to share my early thoughts about Instant
Radio. It does appear to be well made, and I am sure I will use
it once I do some modifications to it.
Until next time,
Steven
Swine Flu. So I am spending some time playing with my new Instant
Radio from Magic Gadgets in the UK.
Over my many years in magic, I have frequently seen a trick
described in a magic catalog and mentally added it to my wish
list. Sometimes I buy them, and other times I wait too long and
the trick is no longer available. Such is the case with Al
Cohen's trick where he draws a radio the back of his business
card and then plays music from it. The card may then be given
away as a keepsake. I always thought this was the best way to
give away a business card. Unfortunately, when I eventually got
around to wanting to buy this effect, it was no longer available.
Shahid Malik has released Instant Radio and admitted it was
heavily influenced by Al Cohen's original effect. Shahid has
updated things by using a custom made miniature radio gimmick
that works very well. It runs around $45.00 US.
You receive the radio gimmick, a set of extra clips and velcro
to fasten the gimmick to your jacket, and a booklet of
instructions. A few things need improvement. First, the pairs of
wires leading to the on/off switch and the speaker are not twisted
together. This makes it easier for the wires to get caught or
otherwise tangled. I'm tempted to twist them myself and fasten
black electrical tape every few inches just to make it easier to
use. I also found the on/off switch to be a little noisy. It
makes a prominent clicking sound when switched on/off. Inserting
the two AAA batteries was harder than expected. It took me a few
tries to seat them correctly. I was afraid I was going to break
the casing.
Lastly, the instructions were a little lacking in diagrams.
Considering the many one trick DVDs out there selling for $29.95,
I think Instant Radio would greatly benefit from either a
companion DVD showing set-up and handling for various effects, or
simply adding pictures to the instructions. While there are 4
small diagrams on the back of the instruction booklet, they
really are not as clear as they could be. Adding a DVD would not
be very cost-prohibitive.
Now Instant Radio is not an effect or a routine. It is a gadget
that allows you to create a magical moment. This could easily
become the next squeaker. If you remember when squeakers became
all the rage, you also can remember seeing magicians overuse the
gimmick and making everything they touched squeak. Likewise,
that's the danger with Instant Radio. You might become tempted to
make everything play music. That would be a bad move. The key is
to look for moments where you can catch a spectator off guard and
make a lasting impression.
For instance, when I was vacationing in St. Martin in 1984, I
plucked a flower from the vase on the cafe's table, and I tore
off the flower and made it float for the waiter. Then I plucked
the petals and gave them to the waiter. It was an unexpected
moment, took him completely by surprise, and baffled him.
So with Instant Radio, while there are a number of ideas for
performances included, you really need to show some restraint and
choose the moment. I could see borrowing a stick of gum and
wrapping the tin foil wrapper around a pencil and sliding it back
and forth to create a make shift radio, play a few seconds of
music, and then take it apart and hand it back to the spectator.
The same could be done with dining utensils. You simply need to
look for an opportunity to use it, and then not use it again.
Anyway, I just wanted to share my early thoughts about Instant
Radio. It does appear to be well made, and I am sure I will use
it once I do some modifications to it.
Until next time,
Steven
posted by Steven at
12:03 PM
