Issue 30 - Jan. 10
Instant Radio
Available from: www.magigadgets.com
Price: £28.00 + £1.50 P&P worldwide or for two the
cost is £48.00 + £3.00 P&P worldwide
Magigadgets is a new business set up by illusionist Shahid
Malik (our cover star from issue
The concept is not new of course, as an earlier version of
this idea was around in the 1980s. But with the advances in technology now
available, Shahid has, by dint of a huge amount of research and development,
manage to create a set up which is not only practical enough to actually use,
but also reliable enough to work in nearly every venue and situation worldwide.
So what do you receive for your money? Well, first of all
you get a miniature radio receiver which will auto-tune to a local FM radio
station almost irrespective of where you are. Of course, it is just possible
that you may be in a venue which suffers from poor reception or, very
occasionally, no reception at all, but 99% of the time the little radio receiver
will very quickly find a station. The receiver is not designed to be used as a
radio walkman - the quality of the reception, while perfectly adequate for a
quick on/off play, is not going to rival your iPod - but in order to get the
unit itself as small as possible, some compromises have to be made and you have
to understand that you are buying a magic accessory here and not a portable
sound system!
As well as the radio receiver itself you also get a range
of other bits and pieces which enable you to hook yourself up ready to perform.
Shahid has put a lot of thought into making the set up as convenient and easy as
possible - he knows that working magicians will not want something that is
either complex or physically restricting. By exercising plenty of attention to
detail he has done a very good job in this regard and as a result I believe that
a very large number of those who purchase this will be sufficiently encouraged
by what they receive to actually give it a go rather than just store it in the
drawer.
To learn how to use Instant Radio you get a nicely produced
12 page glossy A5 size instruction booklet which takes you through everything
you need to know in great detail. Shahid is honest with the purchaser in
explaining exactly what the product will and will not do, and he gives several
ideas for presentation angles too which will help you get going in performance.
Instant Radio has already been a hugely successful seller,
and it's easy to see why. It provides all working close up magicians with a well
thought out and commercial prop which enables them to create unusual and funny
magical situations. The versatility of the potential presentations means that it
can be used almost ad lib when a suitable situation arises, and provided that as
a performer you don't over-use the idea with a group of spectators, the novelty
and surprise that it generates will be hugely rewarding. And at the price, it is
extremely good value, especially if, as I did, you go for the offer to buy two
sets at the one time. ML
What's Hot: fantastic prop which has been well thought out
and engineered
What's Not: you need self-restraint not to use it all the time and overdo it
because it's such fun!
Star Rating: *****
To find a specific review, just click on the relevant letter for the product name
0-9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
RETURN to the magicseen homepage