It looks like a funnel that you can use to pour liquids from one container to another without making a mess. Except, it’s tethered to a cable with an earpiece at the end, so you can tell after a bit of observation that isn’t meant for the kitchen, garden, or garage. That’s because the Proidea Utaet is a karaoke tool – one that you can use to practice your singing without making a ruckus.
Billed as a “silent karaoke mic,” the contraption allows you to belt out your favorite karaoke tunes without regard for how loud you are, how bad you sound, and how many times you butcher the lyrics. That’s because this thing will take in all the sound, sparing your roommates, family, and other household members from having to listen, all while still allowing you to hear how well you’re doing.
The Proidea Utaet consists of a funnel-shaped microphone that covers your entire mouth that’s hooked up to a single earpiece, so you can still hear every poignant syllable, elegant note, and melody-breaking croak that comes out of your mouth. To use, simply put the earpiece on your ear, making sure to hook it in securely, and put the wide section of the mic over your mouth. From there, just start singing. Whether you feel like ripping into a little rock song from the 90s, a rap hit from the 2000s, or that Celine Dion song from Titanic, this thing will let you do that without disturbing your sister, annoying your spouse, or scaring the family dog.
Granted, the mic won’t render your singing completely inaudible. Instead, it’s designed to muffle around 70 percent of the sound, which should be enough to make it undisruptive, even though someone can probably still hear if they put their ear to your door. Do note, the mic will only muffle your voice, so if you’re playing backing music on a speaker, people can still hear that pretty loud. Alternatively, you can put an earpiece on the other ear, so you can listen to the backing music silenty.
The Proidea Utaet has a microphone that measures 8 x 3.5 inches (height x diameter), so you should be able to keep it next to your bed or any random shelf in whichever room you frequently find yourself getting the itch to start singing. It has a removable mouthpiece that you can easily detach for cleaning (just wash it in a sink by hand), which is very important considering how funky this thing can get, as it becomes a landing patch for your spit every single time out.
While designed for practicing your karaoke chops, the device can also muffle the sound of your voice for any other purpose. Want to vent and scream inanities after a stressful day? Use this thing. Want to rehearse a pitch you’ve been working on to get the boss to give you a raise? Sure, lock yourself in the supply room at the office and use this thing to get a last-minute practice run.
The Proidea Utaet is available now, priced at $70. Yes, that’s steep, but that’s par for the course with Japan Trend Shop. Alternatively, you can check out various eBay sellers who also bring this in from Japan, in case some of them have some lower prices.