Yak Bak
Encyclopedia
Yak Bak is the general name given to a series of handheld electronic
voice-recording line of toy
s developed by Ralph Osterhout
at Team Machina for Yes! Gear (a.k.a. Yes! Entertainment) in the mid-to-late 1990s. Several versions of the toy were developed which include the Yak Bak, Yak Bak 2, Yak Bak WarpR, Yak Wakky, Yak Bak SFX, and the Yak Bakwards. Some of these models also came in pen form as part of the "Power Penz" series. Geared toward six-year olds, the Yak Bak was intended to be a compact, more affordable competitor to the Talkboy
introduced by Tiger Electronics
in 1993.
and two buttons. One button was marked "Say" and the other, "Play." By holding down the "Say" button, a person could record six seconds of sound
, during which a light would shine to indicate that the Yak Bak was recording. Afterwards, the "Play" button would enable the person to hear what was just recorded. This was the basic premise for all subsequent models of the toy, each one adding a slight variance to the original. The television commercial for it showed a boy sitting in a living room recliner while his sister came by and started fussing at him. Then he kept playing his "Is not!" quote using the Yak Bak at his sister, while his sister kept saying "Is too!".
Following encouraging sales of its 1995 line of minirecorders, YES! introduced four new Yak Bak products for 1996 and lowered the products' prices to a more affordable range. The original Yak Bak would be re-released in 1997 as Yak Bak Classic and again in 2000 as Yak Bak 2k.
dial that would speed up or slow down the sound, thereby making the voice sound higher or deeper. This model was more popular than previous ones as the novelty of voice recording
became more enticing once users could "warp" their voices. This "warping" option also became a staple of all future models. As was the case with the Yak Bak 2, the Yak Bak WarpR also contained a lockout mechanism which disabled the Say button.
The Yak Maniak enabled the user to cause their recordings to stutter, echo or warble. These effects were activated by a trigger on the left hand side of the toy.
A three-position dial was turned either all the way to the right for stutter, to the central position for echo, or to the left for warble. During playback, the trigger had to be held down to activate the stutter, held down for a certain length of the recording then released to enable the echo or held down to activate the warble effect. Hitting play mid-way through the echo effect could delete the remainder of the recording.
pens
with the Yak Bak toy. Marketed for children in school, the Power Penz came in both the Yak Write SFX and the Yak Bak 2 models. It was made to compete against the Talkboy FX Plus by Tiger Electronics
.
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
voice-recording line of toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s developed by Ralph Osterhout
Ralph Osterhout
Ralph Osterhout is an inventor, designer and entrepreneur. During his 40+ year career he has developed a range of products spanning toys, consumer electronics, dive equipment, furniture to devices for the Department of Defense.-Early life:...
at Team Machina for Yes! Gear (a.k.a. Yes! Entertainment) in the mid-to-late 1990s. Several versions of the toy were developed which include the Yak Bak, Yak Bak 2, Yak Bak WarpR, Yak Wakky, Yak Bak SFX, and the Yak Bakwards. Some of these models also came in pen form as part of the "Power Penz" series. Geared toward six-year olds, the Yak Bak was intended to be a compact, more affordable competitor to the Talkboy
Talkboy
The Talkboy was a portable variable speed cassette player and recorder manufactured by Tiger Electronics in the early 1990s. Much like other Tiger Electronics devices of the era, this device was primarily marketed to children and teens....
introduced by Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics is an American toy manufacturer, best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, and Giga Pets. When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois....
in 1993.
History
In December 1994, YES! launched its YES! Gear product line with the introduction of Yak Bak, a simple device consisting of a single speakerLoudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
and two buttons. One button was marked "Say" and the other, "Play." By holding down the "Say" button, a person could record six seconds of sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
, during which a light would shine to indicate that the Yak Bak was recording. Afterwards, the "Play" button would enable the person to hear what was just recorded. This was the basic premise for all subsequent models of the toy, each one adding a slight variance to the original. The television commercial for it showed a boy sitting in a living room recliner while his sister came by and started fussing at him. Then he kept playing his "Is not!" quote using the Yak Bak at his sister, while his sister kept saying "Is too!".
Following encouraging sales of its 1995 line of minirecorders, YES! introduced four new Yak Bak products for 1996 and lowered the products' prices to a more affordable range. The original Yak Bak would be re-released in 1997 as Yak Bak Classic and again in 2000 as Yak Bak 2k.
Yak Bak 2
This was identical to the original, but added a locking mechanism which prevented the user from accidentally hitting the "Say" button and thereby erasing the stored recording. This locking mechanism became a staple of some of the future models. The most notable function of this version is the WarpR, which changes the pitch of the recording. Later models of this series had incorporated the WarpR design and function. It came in many colors. One of the toys of the year during the Sixth Annual CBS This Morning Toy Test and the Seventh Annual Sesame Street Parents' Toy Test.Yak Bak WarpR
The Yak Bak WarpR provided users with the ability to alter the recording via a pitchPitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
dial that would speed up or slow down the sound, thereby making the voice sound higher or deeper. This model was more popular than previous ones as the novelty of voice recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
became more enticing once users could "warp" their voices. This "warping" option also became a staple of all future models. As was the case with the Yak Bak 2, the Yak Bak WarpR also contained a lockout mechanism which disabled the Say button.
Yak Guard
The Yak Guard was a motion-triggered device capable of guarding rooms and belongings, or to "pull gags on friends and family members," as suggested in company advertisements. A personally recorded "alarm" could be placed on door knobs or drawers, for example, alerting the owner of trespass.Yak Wakky
The Yak Wakky allowed users to change the pitch and speed of the recording by way of light sensitive sensors on the body of the device. When activated by a switch on the right hand side of the toy, the sensors would, depending on how much light shone on them, increase the pitch of the recording. By using the palm of his/her hand, the user could alter the pitch of the recordings dramatically.Yak Bak SFX
The Yak Bak SFX provided the same function as the Yak Bak WarpR but with additional buttons that added six sound effects before or after the recording.Yak Bakwards
Retail priced at $19.99, the Yak Bakwards was essentially the Yak Bak WarpR with an additional "Yalp" button. This button literally reversed the "Play" function, causing the recording to be reversed.Yak Bak Ball
Yak Bak Ball is in the shape of a small football. You hold down the button and record; toss it and after you catch it, squeeze or hit it and hear the message. The grips are designed to be easy to catch. It was made to get children active outdoors.Yak Maniak
The Yak Maniak allowed the user to alter the pitch of the recording as was the case with past models. It also included five sound effects, not too dissimilar to the previous Yak Baks, but the most notable difference between this model and others in the series were its three extra voice effects.The Yak Maniak enabled the user to cause their recordings to stutter, echo or warble. These effects were activated by a trigger on the left hand side of the toy.
A three-position dial was turned either all the way to the right for stutter, to the central position for echo, or to the left for warble. During playback, the trigger had to be held down to activate the stutter, held down for a certain length of the recording then released to enable the echo or held down to activate the warble effect. Hitting play mid-way through the echo effect could delete the remainder of the recording.
Yak Bak Power Penz
The Yak Bak Power Pens combined working inkInk
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
pens
Pens
Pens may refer to:* plural of pen, Fountain pens - writing instruments* Pens * a nickname for the Pittsburgh PenguinsPENS may refer to:* Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, commonly referred to as electroacupuncture...
with the Yak Bak toy. Marketed for children in school, the Power Penz came in both the Yak Write SFX and the Yak Bak 2 models. It was made to compete against the Talkboy FX Plus by Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics is an American toy manufacturer, best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, and Giga Pets. When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois....
.