Clear glass speaker magically displays animated lyrics to match nearly any song

BY YVETTE TAN From Mashable

Just calling this a visual speaker doesn’t quite do it justice.

Japanese firm, Cotodama’s gorgeous work of art displays song lyrics on a 22-inch transparent LCD screen, in time with the music.

This means you can get a lyric video generated to pretty much any song you play.

The real magic is how the device claims it can analyse a song’s “mood and structure,” before generating the type of animation that will be played with the lyrics.

The result is quite astounding.

According to The Verge, there are two speakers on the front of the device with a volume knob, and a circular disc on the back that holds the computer that generates the graphics.

The device uses technology developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan, to match each song to the appropriate graphics.

A ballad for example, would be accompanied by “soft fonts,” with rock songs instead having “strong” movements.

The Cotodama, which relies on Wi-Fi connectivity, is compatible with certain apps, so if you’ve got Apple Music, Spotify or iTunes, you’re good to go.

There is one catch however.

The lyric speaker obtains its lyrics from SyncPower Corporation, a lyrics distribution company with two million songs in its database.

But if your song isn’t available on SyncPower, then your song lyrics won’t appear — so chances are that indie band you like might not be available.

The device was actually released in Japan last year, but has only now made it onto U.S. and UK shores, at $4,500 each.

Only 15 units of these are made every month — handcrafted no less — so if you want to get your hands on these babies, you better act quick.

IMAGE: LYRIC SPEAKER/YOUTUBE/SCREENSHOT

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