Groove Thing Is the World’s First “Internal Music Player” – Do You Dare to Feel the Vibes?
by
Adam Douglas

The vibrating musical sex toy Groove Thing that pretty much broke Kickstarter is showing at NAMM as part of the Music Innovation Hub. Warning: definitely not safe for work!
Groove Thing

We all know that vibrations are a big part of music. Anyone who’s ever been to a rave or club and stood near the bass bins (or crawled inside like yours truly – and I wonder why I have tinnitus) will know that sound affects your body just as much as your mind. Musicians have taken advantage of this too. Maryanne Amacher made unique music that vibrated the inside of your ear, while others are exploring extreme low frequencies to create music that’s more of a somatic experience than a listening one.

And then there’s Groove Thing. Part sex toy, part next-level music experience, Groove Thing is a specialized music playing device that is designed to stimulate your, um, special regions. It had an explosively successful campaign on Kickstarter last year, and now it’s showing at NAMM. Does this mean it’s heading to retail soon?
Vibing

So what is it? The company calls it the world’s first internal music player. You get a Bluetooth speaker that also houses the special resonator controls, which get transmitted wirelessly to a resonator puck. To this puck you attach the resonator shape, and it’s this part that goes inside your body (or outside if you prefer). There are three shapes for both men and women, with more coming in the future. There’s also an optional adapter for attaching your own toys.

Groove Thing says the vibrations go beyond the usual kind, “and actually PLAYS music as physical sensation. With enough fidelity that you can feel the difference between high vs low notes, and guitar thrum vs bass shake. You even feel key changes.”

Suddenly practicing your scales doesn’t sound so boring.
Showing at NAMM, Coming to Stores Soon?

The pleasure-focused company is displaying its wares at NAMM right now as part of the Music Innovation Hub booth, which also includes companies like boutique MIDI controller outfit Dog Paw.

The package has heretofore only been available as part of a Kickstarter campaign, and I believe you can still buy it from the site if you’re so inclined. But since the company is showing at NAMM, that could mean it’s hoping to go wider and move into retail.

Is Groove Thing the next SubPac? Soon we may all be testing our mixes not only in the car but in the body. Or not.

gearnews.com/groove-thing-tech…