Stylophone Beatbox booms in stage left

Promises to save you using your mouth to make music

30 January 2009 11:22 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Following the re-launch of the Stylophone last year, the company behind it has launched a new Stylophone keyboard hoping to keep the groove going.

Called the Stylophone Beatbox the new model supposedly "focuses on the unique key benefits and features of the original whilst offering new technology and more up to date sound".

The answer is it seems a circular keyboard with 13 pads that when touched play a different percussion sound created by human beatbox dude MC Zani - the winner of the 2008 Vauxhall UK Beatbox championships.

There are three different sound sets to choose from; Drum kit, Beatbox, and Bass Stylophone as well as a scratch function to keep hip and cool kids happy.

The scratch button allows you to "Mix up" your sounds, record them, change the tempo and even play sounds over the top of your beat. If that wasn't enough there is also a manual pitch control, volume control and MP3 compatibility.

When can you start making beautiful music? From June once you've parted with £19.99 of your hard earned cash.