Latest news with #ShigeichiNegishi
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Advancing Technology For The Pursuit Of Happiness
Back side of Tom Coughlin's IEEE Coin 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. Dr. Tomohiro Hase and the Sparko Box, the first commercial karaoke machine 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. 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 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 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 systems handle digital audio signals, including things like compressing and decompressing audio data, as well as managing the separation of voice and instrumental software and algorithms behind karaoke systems also contribute to the user interface and experience, making sure it's intuitive and easy to 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 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.
Japan Today
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
First karaoke machine recognized as entertainment tech 'milestone'
The world's first karaoke machine was honored Thursday as a "milestone" that created a new brand of entertainment by a U.S. organization dedicated to promoting technological advancement. At a ceremony in Tokyo, a plaque was handed to the family of Shigeichi Negishi, who invented the machine that was manufactured and sold as the "Music Box" in 1967. Negishi died last year at age 100. "He was very grateful for people enjoying karaoke around the world, although he didn't imagine it to spread globally when he created it," said Akihiro Negishi, the inventor's son, at the ceremony. The original karaoke machine was a cube measuring 30 centimeters on each side. It had a microphone, tape player, and coin box for payment. The honor, named the IEEE Milestone, is bestowed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on technologies that have made significant contributions to advance society and industry. Items become eligible to receive the award 25 years or more after they were developed. © KYODO
Kyodo News
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
First karaoke machine recognized as entertainment tech "milestone"
KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 17:50 | Arts, All The world's first karaoke machine was honored Thursday as a "milestone" that created a new brand of entertainment by a U.S. organization dedicated to promoting technological advancement. At a ceremony in Tokyo, a plaque was handed to the family of Shigeichi Negishi, who invented the machine that was manufactured and sold as the "Music Box" in 1967. Negishi died last year at age 100. "He was very grateful for people enjoying karaoke around the world, although he didn't imagine it to spread globally when he created it," said Akihiro Negishi, the inventor's son, at the ceremony. The original karaoke machine was a cube measuring 30 centimeters on each side. It had a microphone, tape player, and coin box for payment. The honor, named the IEEE Milestone, is bestowed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on technologies that have made significant contributions to advance society and industry. Items become eligible to receive the award 25 years or more after they were developed. Related coverage: Japanese idol group Arashi to disband after spring tour next year Unreleased song of late Taiwan singer Teresa Teng discovered in Japan
The Mainichi
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
First karaoke machine recognized as entertainment tech 'milestone'
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The world's first karaoke machine was honored Thursday as a "milestone" that created a new brand of entertainment by a U.S. organization dedicated to promoting technological advancement. At a ceremony in Tokyo, a plaque was handed to the family of Shigeichi Negishi, who invented the machine that was manufactured and sold as the "Music Box" in 1967. Negishi died last year at age 100. "He was very grateful for people enjoying karaoke around the world, although he didn't imagine it to spread globally when he created it," said Akihiro Negishi, the inventor's son, at the ceremony. The original karaoke machine was a cube measuring 30 centimeters on each side. It had a microphone, tape player, and coin box for payment. The honor, named the IEEE Milestone, is bestowed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on technologies that have made significant contributions to advance society and industry. Items become eligible to receive the award 25 years or more after they were developed.
Kyodo News
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
First karaoke machine recognized as entertainment tech "milestone"
KYODO NEWS - 7 minutes ago - 17:50 | Arts, All The world's first karaoke machine was honored Thursday as a "milestone" that created a new brand of entertainment by a U.S. organization dedicated to promoting technological advancement. At a ceremony in Tokyo, a plaque was handed to the family of Shigeichi Negishi, who invented the machine that was manufactured and sold as the "Music Box" in 1967. Negishi died last year at age 100. "He was very grateful for people enjoying karaoke around the world, although he didn't imagine it to spread globally when he created it," said Akihiro Negishi, the inventor's son, at the ceremony. The original karaoke machine was a cube measuring 30 centimeters on each side. It had a microphone, tape player, and coin box for payment. The honor, named the IEEE Milestone, is bestowed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on technologies that have made significant contributions to advance society and industry. Items become eligible to receive the award 25 years or more after they were developed. Related coverage: Japanese idol group Arashi to disband after spring tour next year Unreleased song of late Taiwan singer Teresa Teng discovered in Japan
