iKnow
Jason Palter
Effect
A spectator is invited to listen to as many songs as they'd like from your favorite playlist (a folder that contains a compilation of 60-70 songs) on your iPod or MP3 player. They are all different. The spectator is asked to scroll through and randomly stop at any song in the playlist, while the iPod is out of site-behind their back or under the table. They are now encouraged to remove the headphones and sing the tune in their mind. You can be in another room as this happens. Now for the mind-blowing climax: You bring your ear close to theirs. You explain that you are listening for the beat and melody of the tune that is still reverberating off their eardrums, and vibrating in their head. To the absolute disbelief of the spectator, bit by bit you start to hum the tune they are thinking of, and then suddenly you name the selected song!
Some cool points:
- Easy to do.
- Always ready to go.
- Instantly repeatable.
- Nothing is added or taken away during the performance-it's completely self-contained within the iPod itself!
- Your iPod is not gimmicked, and can function as a regular playing unit at all times.
- Full instructional DVD guides you through every step of the preparation, including full presentation and bonus ideas.
- Use your own music & playlists.
- Works with iPods and most other MP3 players, that have display screens.
Includes a FREE unlimited access pass code to the exclusive iKnow online forum, with downloads!
TESTIMONIALS:
"Jason has created a wonderful mystery involving our love of music and our fascination with all things iPod...A devious effect involving technology that feels totally organic."
>- Andrew Mayne
"A fresh, hip mind reading miracle. If you own an MP3 player then you have to own iKnow !"
- Richard Sanders
"I think this is great! You have to HEAR it to believe it!"
- Daniel Garcia
"iKnow is without a question the best thing you can do with your iPod...It's as if iPods were made just for iKnow."
- Justin Miller
Running Time Approximately 55min
Reviews
(Top ▲)
It's true that it is self contained and that the MP3 player can be used as your everyday player. There are no apps to add but there is a big one time set up. It is fairly intense and when you are done it may change the way your MP3 player works when you play it on shuffle. You have to take a couple big chances when you perform as well, it is fairly easy for a spectator to make a mistake during the effect or reveal the method unkowingly. You may also run the risk that they will not know the music you have on your MP3 player.
So while iKnow is an okay method for a nice effect there have been various other methods for the same type of effect that are a lot more flexible. Fate by Gerraint Clarke comes to mind. At the time of this review Fate is available as a free download from Theory11 on the Wire. Using this method you can use any Ipod and most other MP3 players. There are no gimmicks involved and it can instantly be repeated with differing results. Clarke has also put out a DVD with various Ipod effects that can be done before or after you perform Fate.
With this type of magic trick you are already working up hill to some extent. People know that you can modify MP3 players and technology so the more that you can do to take the focus away from the MP3 player, perhaps by using a borrowed Ipod, the better. With the other options available now when compared with iKnow my advice would be to stay away from this effect and go with one of the newer alternatives.
(Top ▲)
A randomly chosen song on your iPod/iPhone/MP3 Player is selected by the spectator and heard by only the spectator. You then "hear" it in their mind and reveal the One and Only (thank you Adele) song that they heard in their head.
The effect is clever and the method is simple. This is one of those deals where it's purely a presentational piece. The method is virtually foolproof and will take minimal practice. There is a minor downside, in my opinion. The effect must be done with your iPod. It will not work on the spectator's. I only point it out on the off chance that a spectator asks you to do it on their iPod.
Although Palter does not address this issue directly, his presentation and many of the ideas he shared really should prevent the question from ever coming up. One other thing you should be aware of is the fact that the DVD is 5 years old, and basically the information on the DVD is pretty out-dated, which matters because you need more current information to do this effect. Palter mentions that you can go to the forum and ask questions about the effect. however, the forum is a ghost town. Other than a post I made today (1/20/13), the last post was in 2011, and before that, the last post was in 2008.
There are questions asked that never received answers. However, there is enough info on the forum that I think you'll be able to figure out what you need to do. Further, if you're a computer savvy person, then this won't be a big deal. Further further, the concept is simple enough, and after learning Palter's method, with a little work, you'll be able to figure out what you need to do. Further further further, it works with most (as of 2008) MP3 players. If the MP3 player has a screen that allows you to scroll through the play list and see the song titles scroll by, then you should be good. The DVD quality is pretty low, but it doesn't hinder the learning experience.
The price isn't too bad, $19.95. However, for the poor quality of the DVD and the fact that you are only getting one effect, it might be a little steep. Also, I would like to have seen a full uncut performance of the effect, but instead, all we get is Jason Palter explaining the performance. Even though his presentational idea and script is good, it's a bit dull to listen to him describe how he performs it. I would have rather seen it.
When all is said and done, if you like the effect that you see in the performance demo and you're ok with the fact that you have to use your own music player then it's worth it, and you'll be happy you bought this. I was particularly happy with the bonus idea for repeating the effect. I love the idea and it's very powerful. Keep in mind too - and this is pretty huge - you can repeat this effect immediately for the same audience. That's very powerful. Also, though the posts on the forum are few and far between, they are mostly really good posts with some good tips and ideas.
Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
(Top ▲)
There's a big movement to combine magic with technology (cell phones, iPods, etc.). I've written articles about how this is usually a futile effort. The problem is that magic works because we think we know how reality works. With most technologies, the average user is completely clueless about how it works. So there's no firm foundation from which to venture into the realm of the "impossible." It's all a mystery to most people.
This effect, however, starts with a piece of ubiquitous technology. It seems that everyone, from children to grandparents has an iPod or some similar MP3 player (this effect works with most MP3 players).
So we've got a foundation in reality from which we can move into the unreal.
The effect is very simple to do, but it's going to take some work up-front. Luckily, you don't need a recording studio or even a copy of ProTools. If you've got an iPod, you can just use the free iTunes player. You'll need to have some additional basic skills with your computer, but the procedures are covered in detail on the DVD, both for Mac and PC. There's also a section of the DVD that covers setting up other MP3 players with a PC and Windows Media Player 10.
The bottom line: it's an amazing effect, using a piece of technology almost everyone knows, and it's easy to do. What more can I say?