Mini organs

August 3, 2005 7:54 AM

Do you have a small one, a really mini organ? Attempts to make it bigger won't work, and could damage it. You aren't alone. Here is a collection of mini organ photos. Some people have some pretty bizarre obsessions.
posted by caddis (27 comments total)

Sorry.
I repent.
posted by caddis at 7:54 AM on August 3, 2005

It's not the size, it's what you do with it.
posted by ColdChef at 8:01 AM on August 3, 2005

I would like to tote a tune.

If I had one of these as a kid, I would have played "Ode to Joy" constantly 24/7 until my parents smashed it with a hammer.
posted by selfnoise at 8:10 AM on August 3, 2005

Eh... WOW.

What a great site, thanks for sharing.
posted by fire&wings at 8:13 AM on August 3, 2005

I think jonmc once admitted to having a mini organ here on MetaFilter. I'm not sure he was talking about a musical instrument.
posted by nofundy at 8:20 AM on August 3, 2005

Ugh. My sister had one of these, picked up from a yard sale, that slowly died. It started out by making slightly annoying MIDI beeps, but over the course of the next two years declined into godawful sour electronic belches and scratchy squeals, yet she wouldn't stop playing the damn thing until it finally, mercifully, would make noise no more. I still suspect that my dad opened it and snipped a wire.
posted by caution live frogs at 8:21 AM on August 3, 2005

"Yeah, one of my hottest and cutest machines."
posted by loquacious at 8:26 AM on August 3, 2005

Just because you have a mini organ doesn't mean you can't still play with it.
posted by Robot Johnny at 8:31 AM on August 3, 2005

You still can't sell organs on eBay, right?
posted by Smart Dalek at 8:34 AM on August 3, 2005

selfnoise writes "If I had one of these as a kid, I would have played 'Ode to Joy' constantly 24/7 until my parents smashed it with a hammer."

Yes, parents aren't comfortable with the idea of a son spending tons of time all by himself playing with his organ. /rimshot
posted by clevershark at 8:39 AM on August 3, 2005

Aren't mini organs called organelles?
posted by nofundy at 8:43 AM on August 3, 2005

Whoever thought to name theirs a "Stylophone" was inspired.
posted by maxsparber at 8:43 AM on August 3, 2005

Curse those hello kitty things, they're everywhere!
posted by clevershark at 8:47 AM on August 3, 2005

When I was a kid, there was an eerie, whining noise that came from the play room occasionally. My sister and I couldn't tell what it was and it was quite the mystery for awhile, until we found this in the bottom of the toybox. When the toys were aligned, a button was held in, and produced the mysterynoise. Then we fell in love with the once forgotten machine all over again! Good times!
posted by leapingsheep at 8:47 AM on August 3, 2005

I have an organ donor sticker on my driver's license, but I don't think I have any organs like these. Is that false advertising? Maybe I should buy one of these to carry around just in case.
posted by davy at 8:50 AM on August 3, 2005

That Voice Corder is pretty darn cool. I loved the Stylophone, though. Neat post, caddis!
posted by LeeJay at 8:50 AM on August 3, 2005

Maybe you remember some from your own childhood, but I'm sure you haven't seen most of them in your life.

True, but mine keeps me busy.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:51 AM on August 3, 2005

Great site. It should get an award. Some of those early electronic toys were genius. Anyone remember the amazingly cool Fisher Price video camera that recorded on cassette tape??
posted by Skygazer at 8:58 AM on August 3, 2005

"You cannot play melodies, but you can create sounds varying from masturbating aliens, exploding space guns and flying trains. How many children in the world would have recognized all the possibilities..."

I used to have a magical musical thing, I gotta find it again.

I got an el cheapo Casio keyboard at a sale recently and it is the coolest thing I have ever had. Something is wrong with it and it starts making all these far out noises and beats on it's own. I have to record it in case starts working properly again.
posted by nathanos at 9:30 AM on August 3, 2005

I'm still using valuable brain-space to hold that damnable Casio SK-1 demo song. Remember when you sampled a dog barking, then played the demo song with it?

Ruff,
ruff-ruff-ruff,
ruff-ruff-ruff,
ruff-ruff ruff-ruff-ruff,
ruff, ruf-ruf-ruf, ruff RUFF.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 10:05 AM on August 3, 2005

I have a stylophone, and I must say the companion record is fantastic! May I also note there was a early nineties (I believe) techno track featuring samples from from the record. I tried cleaning it with steel wool and now it just makes horrible warbling noises. oops.
posted by imaswinger at 10:12 AM on August 3, 2005

Mine is bigger than yours!
posted by nostrada at 10:28 AM on August 3, 2005

I'm still using valuable brain-space to hold that damnable Casio SK-1 demo song. Remember when you sampled a dog barking, then played the demo song with it?

Yes! Oh man, that demo song (mp3)! I loved my SK-1 even though all I ever did with was hit "rhumba" and then mash random keys to the beat.
posted by LeeJay at 11:04 AM on August 3, 2005

Man. I want all of these. (Though I already have this one; it sounds kind of cool hooked up to an amp. And it's a calculator!)
posted by Tlogmer at 12:19 PM on August 3, 2005

I should also say that this is the apex of human achievement.
posted by Tlogmer at 12:23 PM on August 3, 2005

Oh wow. I had a Little Maestro, too; I completely forgot about that.
posted by Tlogmer at 12:26 PM on August 3, 2005

I would kill for a Casio C-200.

Great post!
posted by mr.marx at 3:17 PM on August 3, 2005