{“form_type”:”exhibit”,”maker_faire”:”2014_bayarea”,”uid”:”8c51b1c55c444657bfc718d5bfacbcda”,”tags”:”toys”,”cats”:”electronics, music, open-source-hardware, raspberry-pi”,”project_name”:”Lil DJ: where toddlers become turntablists”,”private_description”:”Lil DJ is a musical toy that is being invented by several friends living in Berkeley. It gives kids the chance to create music on the fly by playing loops and combining melodies to create songs. It takes the form of a DJ station with two toy turntables and eight buttons. Kids will be able to lay down beats and layer them with musical phrases in a variety of different styles.rnrnThe project is based on the Raspberry Pi mini computer. Our prototypes are built from off the shelf parts and both the hardware and software will be released under open source licenses. We\’ve been having a lot of fun creating this project and are super excited to be able to share it with the world.rnrnWe\’re frantically working to get our prototypes in working order and hope to have three ready for people to sit down and play. Our booth will provide people with information about the project and let them try it out. We\’re looking forward to letting people see what we made. And getting this project in front of so many makers will give us a chance to get community feedback and input from other open source/open hardware enthusiasts.rnrnHere\’s the concept behind Lil DJ and what differentiates it from other toys:rnrnMost musical toys on the market for small children are rather offensive to the discerning adult sensibilities. The sound quality is poor, the musical content pedestrian, and the visual design unappealing. At best, these toys hold kids\’ interest for a few minutes; at worst, they make any grown-up within earshot want to hurl the toy (sparing the child of course) out the window. This is a real shame because exposing young people to high-quality music is important, and giving kids a chance to interact with and manipulate musical beats and phrases is SUPER FUN.rnrnThat\’s why we are creating Lil DJ. It is a compelling, engaging, and interactive toy that gives kids a chance to get behind the \’\'wheels of steel\’\’ to manipulate beats and loops themselves. Kids (and the grown ups who love them) get the chance to create their own music by triggering loops and effects in a number of musical styles. This toy is engineered to be aurally pleasurable for people of all ages. In other words, this toy is engineered so that kids cannot employ it to create a cacophonous mess that drives everyone crazy.rnrnThe set-up is a nod to the classic two-turntable DJ booth. Lil DJ\’s can \’\'scratch\’\’ the \’\'records\’\’ to trigger sounds, as well as pressing buttons to activate eight unique loops and effects for each song. Since variety is the spice of life and no one wants to be around monotonous music, this toy includes a variety of songs (comprised of interrelated loops and effects) in many different musical styles, including reggae/dub, hip hop, electronic, ambient, jazz, soul/R&B, latin, and even classical.rnrnHacker moms and dads will love the ability to program new sounds and functions to the trigger pads. Musician moms and dads will love the ability to record their own songs and loops with their families to later manipulate with the Lil DJ buttons. Maker moms and dads will enjoy this Raspberry Pi-based electronics project.”,”public_description”:”Lil DJ is an interactive toy that puts kids in the DJ booth where they can create their own music by layering beats and loops. Lil DJ is designed to enable kids to make music that is pleasing to them and their parents. “,”project_photo”:”http://makerfaire.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/oliver-at-lil-dj.jpg”,”project_photo_thumb”:”http://makerfaire.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/oliver-at-lil-dj-500×373.jpg”,”project_website”:”http://www.lildj.me”,”project_video”:”",”food”:”No”,”food_details”:”",”org_type”:”None of the above”,”large_non_profit”:”",”sales”:”No”,”sales_details”:”",”crowdsource_funding”:”Yes”,”cf_details”:”It\’s possible that we\’ll be trying to crowdfund the first round of prototypes by Maker Faire, but we don\’t know.”,”booth_size”:”10×10″,”booth_size_details”:”",”tables_chairs”:”Special”,”tables_chairs_details”:”8 chairs and 1 table. We plan on having three Lil DJ prototypes that will fit on the table, and we\’ll need places for people to sit while they are playing. “,”layout”:”",”activity”:”Yes”,”placement”:”Next to the Glovetopus booth. rnrn(One of the Lil DJ makers is also the founder of Glovetopus.)”,”booth_location”:”Inside”,”booth_options”:”",”lighting”:”Normal”,”noise”:”Amplified – adjustable level of amplification”,”power”:”Yes”,”what_are_you_powering”:”Three Raspberry Pi-based Lil DJ prototypes.”,”amps”:”10 amp circuit (501-1000 watts, 120V)”,”amps_details”:”I\’m not an expert, but I think having three Raspberry Pis would be less than 5 amps.”,”internet”:”No internet access needed”,”radio”:”No”,”radio_frequency”:”",”radio_details”:”",”fire”:”No”,”hands_on”:”No”,”safety_details”:”",”email”:”jason.keppe.mft@gmail.com”,”name”:”Jason Keppe”,”maker”:”A list of makers”,”maker_name”:”jason keppe”,”maker_email”:”jason.keppe.mft@gmail.com”,”maker_bio”:”",”maker_twitter”:”",”maker_photo”:”",”maker_photo_thumb”:”",”m_maker_name”:["Jason Keppe","Peter Gardner"],”m_maker_email”:["jason.keppe.mft@gmail.com","peter@lildj.com"],”m_maker_photo”:["http://makerfaire.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/oliver-at-lil-dj1.jpg","http://makerfaire.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/oliver-at-lil-dj1.jpg"],”m_maker_photo_thumb”:”http://makerfaire.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/oliver-at-lil-dj1-500×373.jpg”,”m_maker_twitter”:”, @pxg”,”m_maker_bio”:["Jason is a musician and father who has been deeply dissatisfied with the schlocky mass-produced musical toys available on the market and is thrilled to present Lil DJ to the world.","Peter Gardner is a programmer, electronics enthusiast, and Gentleman Adventurer. He is also the inventor of the Glovetopus."],”m_maker_gigyaid”:["8c51b1c55c444657bfc718d5bfacbcda",""],”group_name”:”",”group_bio”:”",”group_twitter”:”",”group_photo”:”",”group_photo_thumb”:”",”group_website”:”",”phone1″:”510-898-8102″,”phone1_type”:”mobile”,”phone2″:”510-725-8115″,”phone2_type”:”home”,”private_address”:”3208 Boise St”,”private_address2″:”",”private_city”:”Berkeley”,”private_state”:”CA”,”private_zip”:”94702″,”private_country”:”US”,”supporting_documents”:”",”references”:”Peter Gardner has been an exhibitor at Maker Faire for the past two years. His popular Glovetopus booth thrills and delights children of all ages. He has experience creating a compelling booth and figuring out how to get people engaged with the project. “,”referrals”:”",”hear_about”:”",”first_time”:”Yes”,”anything_else”:”We LOVE Maker Faire. The sheer numbers of fascinating ideas is stunning. Thanks for putting this together and thanks for considering our application.”}
