According to Fatboy Slim, everybody needs a 303, but since they’re no longer manufactured and hard to come by, not everyone can find or afford a Roland TB-303 sequencer. There are software-based alternatives, but who doesn’t prefer the hands-on approach when it comes to making music? Researchers at the University of Southampton certainly do, so they created the d-touch sequencer and drum machine which can be simply printed and easily assembled at home.
You’ll still need access to a PC to download, install and run the Audio d-touch software suite, and a mountable webcam so the apps can see your paper timeline laid out. But even someone with basic origami skills can assemble the ‘sample’ cubes, and even if you have no musical capabilities whatsoever, you’ll be creating fresh beats in no time.
At this point the Audio d-touch software is robust enough to let you import samples as WAV files, or record and assign your own sounds or audio bits to a specific cube. And even though you have to register and the software requires an occasional internet connection to send usage reports back to the researchers, the d-touch system is completely free! And technically, even recyclable, once you realize you will never be any real competition for Mr. Slim.
Royal Philips Electronics is Obsessed With Sound. Seriously. I know this because they’ve told me and they’ve shown me and now, six months after this episode started, I finally get it. I get their message. I get what they’re on about. The pieces of the puzzle have fallen in place.
And I like it.
Back in March, I told you’d I’d soon be talking about my trip to Amsterdam to check out the Metropole Orchestra. It took quite a while longer than expected, but here we are. In this article, I’d like you to come with me behind the scenes of a Philips production of a musical piece called I’m No Prototype. In the process you’ll be introduced to an awesome musical visualization technique they developed and you’ll also hear about an ambitious musical talent competition Philips is sponsoring.
Yesterday Jawbone updated their compact ICON Bluetooth headset with ‘HD’ status, reflecting the fact that it now boasts a 10mm speaker driver which is about 25% larger than the regular ICON. A nice improvement indeed, bringing its performance and sound quality more in line with its bigger brother, the ERA. But the more interesting revelation was the company’s new PC accessory affectionately called THE NERD; a plug and play, driverless USB dongle that allows the headset to stream music and sound from a computer, as well as work with VoIP software. The ICON HD can even be connected to your phone and PC at the same time, interrupting your music or movie so that you can still take calls when they come in. Available now for $139.99.
You may not realize it, but one thing that sets apart the ‘good’ YouTube videos from the crappy ones (or 99% of YouTube’s content from 99% of Vimeo’s) is the sound quality. The built-in mic on the iPhone, Flip or even digital camera that’s often used just isn’t up to snuff when compared to a full-sized camcorder. But, if you’re damned that you’re going to give up your iPhone 4 as your main content capture tool, please consider the Fostex AR-4i housing.
It’s a fairly hefty add-on for the phone that interface with the device’s dock connector, adding 3 stereo inputs for connecting multiple microphones or even a line-in source. It comes with 2 powered condenser cardioid mics that can be positioned side-by-side for creating a stereo recording, or pointing in 2 different directions for capturing a two-person interview. A basic, but functional, 4 LED meter lets you monitor sound levels as they’re being captured, and a simple gain wheel lets you dial things back if they get too loud. And the whole thing’s powered by a set of 2xAAA batteries good for 8-10 hours, so it’s not a drain on your iPhone 4′s own battery. With a price tag of ~$150 though, it’s clearly designed at professionals who are using their iPhone 4 to make a living. Not a parent looking to capture baby’s first steps.
When it comes to naturally enhancing the sound of the iPhone’s built in speaker, the Wave Cradle is certainly one of the more simpler and subtler designs we’ve come across. But it also makes you wonder if it’s just too simple to even be considered a serious product. As you can see, the cradle, which is made from aircraft grade aluminum, features a “built-in acoustic curvature” that’s designed to redirect the sound coming from the iPhone’s own speaker towards the listener. Because it’s then not being directed into a desk or floor where it can get muffled, the sound is apparently crisper and louder. I’m inclined to believe it does work as advertised to a degree, but am finding it hard to justify the $26.50 price tag when a gently curled piece of card stock would probably be just as effective.
The iPad isn’t loud enough to compete with your average home stereo setup, but I think it’s adequate enough for personal use, or even with a small group. Logitech doesn’t think so though. In fact they feel that all tablets are severely lacking in the sound department, and so have created a clip on speaker to significantly improve their oomph.
Powered by a built-in rechargeable battery that’s good for up to 8 hours of use in optimal conditions, the Tablet Speaker attaches to any tablet with a rubberized clip. So while all the product shots show it in use with an iPad 2, it should also work with its competition. To maximize battery life it forgoes the popular wireless Bluetooth connection option in favor of a simple 3.5mm audio cable that connects to your device’s headphone jack. It looks like it’s going to add a bit of weight to whichever tablet you use, not to mention some unnecessary bulk. And with a price tag of ~$60(EUR 39.99) it will cost you roughly as much as a pair of low-end, over the ear headphones. Which might be a better investment.
Altec Lansing, a name almost synonymous with speakers, has unveiled yet another compact pair of USB speakers, the Orbit. A perfect companion for netbooks, trying to eke every extra cubic inch of space to make the tiniest device, these speakers pack a whole lot of oomph into what is still a very compact package. They are exclusively USB powered and sourced. You won’t be able to use these with anything but a computer due to the singular USB input. They are meant to travel conveniently alongside your laptop and unpacked only when needed for fuller sound or more immersive movies.
A simple twist separates the two speakers and reveals the cabling needed for connectivity. Even though the USB cords can be tucked into special compartments in between jam sessions, Orbit would be even better if the cables were retractable. Initial opinions show that they might exceed the normally limited volume found in USB powered speakers. There’s a complete review at Everything USB that talks about exactly how much thump you can get from these and whether they deserve to carry the Altec Lansing label.
Good news everyone! You know that sad feeling when one of your iDevices is docked to a stereo system, while the others lie about unused, lacking a place of their own to dock? Actually no one probably ever has that feeling. And thanks to JVC, no one ever will! Their new UX-VJ5 dock features not one, not one and a half, but two docks allowing you to play multimedia content from an iPad and an iPhone/iPod Touch at the same time! Well, not at the same time, but you can select which source you’d like to play from.
It’s got a couple of 15W speakers which should provide ample sound to fill a room, but there’s also AV out connections if you’d prefer to play your music through a larger setup, or send video from either device to a TV. Tucked away behind where the iPad sits is something JVC refers to as a ‘CD’ player. And the dock is capable of automatically ripping your music stored on this archaic digital media to MP3s, and copy them to an external USB device. The UX-VJ5 will be available in Japan in mid-July for ~$370 (¥30,000) in your choice of six different colors.
The RIAA might try and do everything in their power to stop you from sharing your music collection digitally, but their hands are tied when it comes to old-school analog methods. So if you happen to find yourself on the beach with some friends today, Kikkerland’s branching headphone splitter will let you share that 4th of July playlist you spent all weekend making with up to 2 other people. You read that right! While most splitters only let a couple of people use their headphones with a single device, this one pushes the limits to 3 listeners at the same time! And it’s available in 3 colors right now for just $10 from Kikkerland. You don’t have to wait almost an entire year for the designer to work out the kinks on the white version.
Related Tags: Audio, DIY, Instruments
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