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Cool-looking "Buddha Machine"

Merlin Mann | Feb 11 2007

FM3 BUDDHA MACHINE

Buddha Machine home page

I've been hearing about the $25 Buddha Machine for a while (I recall Leo mentioning it once) and was tempted enough to go ahead and order my own today over on Forced Exposure (probably not least because of the amazing exploded drawing they use as a logo).

From the FAQ (which comes from a Pop Matters review):

The Buddha Machine is a little plastic box that plays music.

Specifically, FM3 constructed nine drones, varying from two seconds to 42 seconds, which repeat endlessly in the listener’s ear until the “track” is switched to the next drone (or the two AA batteries run out).

Sean notes that the manufacturers will also let you download uncompressed versions of the 9 included drones for free, so you could presumably emulate some of the functionality on your iPod. Friendly.

Anybody out there got one of these? How you enjoying it?

38 Comments
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TOPICS: Gadgets, iPod, Links, Personal Productivity
Michael Langford's picture

I got one of these...

Submitted by Michael Langford (not verified) on February 12, 2007 - 5:04am.

I got one of these in 1998 from a dude at college who had a box of them. I paid $6 for it.

Top five things to do with the Zen Box (what we called it): 1. Drop behind people's chairs when the tv was on and loud. When they turned off tv, left them listening to eerie chanting.

  1. Turn it on when construction work is going on outside. This changes the perception of the slams into gongs.

  2. Turn in on when roomies are droning on about something. Get's the point across

  3. Turn in on while someone is playing a video game in another room but you don't want to hear that. Turns it into techno-budda chants.

  4. Just sitting in a quiet house with the chants on.

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