On Thursday, June 12, IEEE celebrated an IEEE Engineering Milestone for the first Karaoke Machine in Tokyo. The event included a press conference and a commemorative celebration at the Karaoke rooms connected to the Shinagawa Prince Hotel.
In attendance were the family of the Karaoke inventor, Shigeichi Negishi, representatives from the Japanese Karaoke industry as well as IEEE Past President Toshio Fukuda and IEEE volunteer Dr. Tomohiro Hase, who submitted the Karaoke milestone proposal. I attended as immediate IEEE Past President. The following paragraphs are extracted and edited from my talk at the Karaoke event.
Shigeichi Negishi, who invented the earliest prototype of the karaoke machine, originally called it the Music Box. Known to start his mornings with a sing-along radio show titled “Pop Songs without Lyrics,” Shigeichi found inspiration one day in 1967 while at the offices of Nichiden Kogyo, his electronics assembly firm located in the suburbs of Tokyo.
The story goes that when his chief engineer overheard him that day and told him jokingly that he was not very tuneful, Shigeichi had the idea of attaching a microphone to a tape deck so he could hear himself over a recording of the radio show.
“Piece of cake, boss,” the engineer replied, and delivered a simple prototype three days later. Shigeichi tested it by crooning a popular ballad called Mujo no Yume or the Heartless Dream.
Over time, they expounded on the design to create the coin-operated “Sparko Box,” an 18-inch cube with chrome fittings and multi-colored flashing lights that played selected instrumental recordings on 8-track tape cartridge, with printed lyrics provided.
The picture below shows Dr. Hase-sensei holding an 8-track tape cartridge next to an operating Sparko Box that the family brought to the event.
Despite never seeking patents or recognition, Shigeichi’s impact on popular culture is undeniable. As karaoke has transcended borders and became a global phenomenon – and in what has been estimated as a more than $10 billion global industry – Shigeichi’s vision of bringing people together through music endures. The image below shows the Negishi family with me and the IEEE Karaoke Engineering Milestone plaque.
So, why does something like Karaoke deserve an IEEE Engineering Milestone?
Karaoke machines, whether basic or sophisticated, are essentially audio processing systems that rely on electrical engineering principles. Karaoke systems rely heavily on computer science for their functionality, from the processing of audio and video to the software that manages song selection and display.
Karaoke systems use microphones and speakers, which require analog-to-digital converters to digitize the sound. Digital filters analyze the sound, and the system compares the user’s singing to the original track, often displayed on a screen alongside the lyrics.
Karaoke machines often utilize software for managing the song library, displaying lyrics, and potentially adjusting the music to fit the user’s vocal range. These systems can incorporate algorithms for analyzing vocal performance, recommending songs, and even generating lyrics.
Many modern karaoke systems are online, allowing users to stream music and lyrics through the internet. This requires networking technologies and cloud computing for efficient data transfer and storage.
The systems handle digital audio signals, including things like compressing and decompressing audio data, as well as managing the separation of voice and instrumental tracks.
The software and algorithms behind karaoke systems also contribute to the user interface and experience, making sure it’s intuitive and easy to use.
As the world’s largest technical professional organization, it is an important part of IEEE’s mission to preserve the legacy and heritage of our professions, to recognize great achievements, and to promote the importance and impact of engineering.
Furthermore, Karaoke represents the use of technology to bring people together to celebrate, at a time when some other technologies seem to isolate us. I believe that Karaoke advances technology to pursue human happiness.
