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Jonty Regular user England, UK 177 Posts 
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Hi all
This is probably a question I should ask my grandkids! (if I had any...) I'm not a technical expert so would love some ideas if anyone out there knows of such a device. I'm after something that I can plug into my PA system that will allow me to control and record an intro for my kids show. Basically it will introduce me as the wrong person etc and I'll end up having a quick 'argument' with it ending up with it blowing me a raspberry. So I would need to record about four or five voice snippets but I would need to be able to control when each snippet starts using a remote or something. I don't want to record it in one long go with pauses in between as then I would have to rely on timing and that wouldn't always be easy depending on the feedback the kids are giving me. I also don't really want to have a button or device on my table that I have to press to start each snippet as that would look way too obvious. Does my question makes some kind of sense? Does anyone know of such a device or use something similar in their show? Any thoughts much appreciated! Jonty |
Amazing Magic Co Inner circle 1833 Posts
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There are numerous devious that you can use to record a soundtrack to and initiate with a remote. Remotes can be affixed to a prop, magic want, table, etc. You can easily record a lead so you have 5 seconds of silence before initiating your track. You can also program your remote to pause at a key point before triggering the next block of dialogue. I've been happy with MediaStar Pro from Promystic. It also plays all of my music and sound affect cues.
You could also look at Scott Alexander's Shoe Business - Alexa prop where you can have your conversation with an mock Alexa device. Dan. |
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Jonty Regular user England, UK 177 Posts
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Thank you Dan. Wow, the MediaStar Pro is a small thing! I was expecting some kind of mini sound desk!
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Amazing Magic Co Inner circle 1833 Posts
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My pleasure. MSP has been great. It has been very versatile when you book aa show and the venue is far larger than they reported when hiring you ... I easily just plug into their PA or DJ setup and have my whole soundtrack ready as needed with a great signal range. I've been using 2 remotes but might add a few more so I can have triggers buried in a number of different props.
Dan. |
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Jonty Regular user England, UK 177 Posts
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I'm just a bit put off by the price. It may be something I can purchase further down the line of course as it looks absolutely amazing. Do you know of any cheaper alternatives? I've been exploring the use of voice notes on my iPhone which I can connect to my PA system and controlling them from my Apple Watch, but using the watch as a remote doesn't seem to be a thing at the moment
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Donald Dunphy.jpg "View Profile") Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7467 Posts
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Assuming you're using a compatible device (like an iPhone), what about buying something like a Flic Button, and programming that to play and pause? The button can be attached to a piece of plastic in your pocket, and you can click the button through your clothing. More subtle than having a device / remote on your table.
You can buy Flic Buttons on Amazon and on their own website. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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Jonty Regular user England, UK 177 Posts
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Quote:
On Jun 15, 2026, Donald Dunphy wrote: Thanks Donald, I’ve not heard of those before, I shall look into them |
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Jonty Regular user England, UK 177 Posts
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[quote]On Jun 15, 2026, Jonty wrote:
Quote:
On Jun 15, 2026, Donald Dunphy wrote: Thanks again Donald. I've looked into the Flic Button a little bit more and it does seem to be an excellent and cheaper solution to what I want to achieve. There a lots of equivalents out there on the market and I've ordered a cheaper version to try it out. I shall update this thread when I've given it a try. Thanks again! |
thehackleguy Regular user 122 Posts
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I use Audio Ape which is great but it is about $200 more than MSP. But with these systems you get basically perfect reliability which can be challenging sometimes with Bluetooth devices.
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Jonty Regular user England, UK 177 Posts
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So just as an update to my original post, I bought this fab little device from eBay for £6.99. It's a bluetooth controller made for cyclists or motorcyclists to stick to their handlebars and allows them to remotely control music on their phone. It works brilliantly for what I need, I can start/stop or move through the tracks on my phone enabling me to play the segments of my show intro as I need them. Perfect.
Thanks for your input folks! Click here to view attached image. |
Daniel Ulzen.jpg "View Profile") Special user Berlin/Germany 599 Posts
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„So I would need to record about four or five voice snippets“
In case you didn't know: There are recording studios and people who, for example, produce professional-quality recordings that sound great for as little as $100. |
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Jonty Regular user England, UK 177 Posts
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Quote:
On Jul 21, 2026, Daniel Ulzen wrote: Thanks Daniel, I shall look into that |
danfreed Inner circle West Chester PA 1422 Posts
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I use an iphone with a bluetooth remote called Chubby Buttons to turn specific music on and off at will for comedic effects. I'm not sure I'd reccomend that specific remote, It's OK, but I've had 2 and they are finicky and a bit unpredictable, the button gets stuck or whatever, etc. I just hold the remote and use it while standing behind my table, so the kids don't see it. You can also get bluetooth remotes used by musicians that you put on the floor and are operated by your foot. I tried that - you have to attach it to a board or something so it doesn't move around, but it was more trouble than it's worth. I have one song that I edited and added various sound effects(which I downloaded for free from online), etc, using a free audio editing app. You can use a microphone and record yourself, and just change your voice or accent, or get a friend to do it, or use AI to change your voice, or I'm sure their are apps that will change your voice after you record it. I am going to try other Bluetooth remotes though.
Dan Freed
AKA The Amazing Spaghetti https://www.magiciandanfreed.com/birthday-party-magician-for-kids http://thecaricatureartist.com http://magiciandanfreed.com |
| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The little darlings » » Show intro device/machine/contraption/system? (2 Likes) | |
Posted: Jun 15, 2026 08:42 am 
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