technabob » audio

q-acoustics q-tv2 adds serious sound to flat screen tvs

technabob — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:55:25 +0000

While plenty of flat screen televisions have decent built-in sound, you really need to add on a separate speaker system if you want some real stereo separation and bass thump. The new Q-TV2 speaker system provides a unique way to improve your TV’s sound without cluttering your room with extra boxes and wires.

Created by Q Acoustics, the Q-TV2 straps onto the back of your flat-panel television, providing true 2.1 stereo sound that should beat out anything that’s built into your TV. Just snap the QT-V onto the back of your set, plug it into your TV’s optical, RCA or headphone jack, and you’re all set. The whole thing measures in at just 38mm (appx 1.5-inches) deep.

If you’re sick of your TV’s thin, tinny speakers, the Q-TV2 should blow you away. Left and right channel sound is provided by a four wide-dispersion balanced-mode radiator speakers, powered with a 25w per channel amp. For big bass boom, there’s a slim vibration-free subwoofer that hides behind your display, powered by a 50W amp (the sub uses 4 individual to fit into such a thin package). Both the left and right satellites offer swivel mounts so you can adjust the angle of the speakers too.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While the base model of the Q-TV2 is designed for TVs that are sitting on a stand, they do offer optional wall mounts (both stationary and cantilevered) for an added charge. Since the Q-TV2 is made in the UK, you’ll probably need a power adapter if you want to use it in other countries, and at this point it’s only available for TVs between 30 and 42-inches diagonal. So if you have a bigger screen than that, you’re out of luck. The system is available now from Amazon UK for £299.99 (appx. $497 USD).

sound egg chair gets full 5.1 surround upgrade

technabob — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:05:32 +0000

This egg-shaped chair may look like a serious throwback to the 1970s, but it’s actually a brand new home entertainment plaything designed to be integrated with modern media rooms. The Sound Egg chair is a completely self-contained 5.1 listening booth, perfect for a private home theater watching experience.

Acousticom’s Sound Egg is an acoustically-insulated pod, loaded up with a 5.1 surround sound system. In addition to the 5 precisely positioned satellite speakers, there’s also a hefty 10-inch subwoofer right under your seat. Talk about some serious rump-shaking. The guys at Acousticom claim the speaker system offers solid frequency response all the way from 20Hz up to 20KHz. As you can see from the photo below, you’ll still need to B.Y.O. home theater system and amp, but the chair has all of the speakers built-in.

Originally created for audio testing and home theater demonstrations, the Sound Egg is designed to provide a completely enveloping audio experience, that’ll have you never wanting to head out to the theater again. At least not when you’re by yourself, since there’s not really a good way to have multiple people share in the Sound Egg experience at the same time.

Ready to sit inside a giant egg and chill out to the latest blockbuster movies and video games? Don’t care for red and grey. No worries – the Sound Egg’s outer shell is available in 7 different colors, and you have 11 choices for the sound-deadening foam lining (a few colors cost $25 bucks extra). You can sit your butt in your very own Sound Egg for $1450 (USD) over at Acousticom’s online store.

sakasa master japan reverse voice recorder does exactly what its name says

technabob — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:50:38 +0000

This odd little gadget from Japan is perfect for placing subliminal messages in the background of epic rock albums. It’s also good for recreating disturbing and surreal scenes from Twin Peaks and The Shining.

Even though the product description over on Strapya World says “The things you can do with this machine have no limits!,” from what I can tell, Takara Tomy’s Sakasa Master Japan Reverse Voice Recorder does just one thing – it records your voice and plays it backwards on-demand. That’s it. End of story. Why? Why the heck not?

I wonder if you say “REDRUM” into this thing that it really will say “MURDER”?

[via TOKYOMANGO]

ion tape express converter: play your cassette tapes one last time

lambert v. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:58:44 +0000

Immortalize your mixtapes with the Ion Tape Express, an easy to use device that converts your favorite songs to mp3 files. Just pop in a tape, connect it to your computer via USB, and let the bundled EZ Tape Converter Software work its magic.

As you may have guessed from its looks, the Tape Express is also a portable cassette tape player. So if you just can’t let go of your tapes even after recording their contents, you can still use them with the Tape Express. Pop in a couple of AA batteries and take it with you wherever you go, just like old times.

You can get the Ion Tape Express at Firebox for £50 (approx. $80 USD). Nostalgia guaranteed.

[via popgadget]

hp dreamscreen 100 and 130: digital picture frames on steroids

technabob — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:26:10 +0000

HP’s new DreamScreen devices straddle the fine line between computer and digital picture frame. Like other digi-frames, you can view pictures without a computer. But with the DreamScreen, you can also wirelessly stream music, videos and photos from your PC or the Internet.

Each DreamScreen features a bright, high-resolution LCD color screen, and has built in speakers so it’s a completely self-contained media playback device. And if you don’t want to bother streaming media from your PC, the DreamScreen has a built in 6-in-2 media card reader and a pair of USB ports too. Video formats supported include MPEG 1, 2, 4 and H.264, while you can listen to audio in MP3, AAC, WMA and WAV formats.

In addition to media playback, you can access Facebook and view updates without getting up from your chair. There’s also a slideshow integration with Snapfish, so you can upload photos to their site and view them on the DreamScreen. HP has also been kind enough to provide access to streaming digital music via Pandora, and HP’s own “SmartRadio” which aggregates Internet radio from around the globe. There’s also a built in calendar and alarm clock, so you might want one of these on your bedside table instead of a traditional alarm. There’s no word on future plans to roll out additional Internet services, but I’m hopeful HP will release more integrations in future.

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The only major downside I can see to the DreamScreen is that it’s crying out for a touchscreen surface. For now, you have to navigate using the buttons along the sides of the screen, or using the included wireless remote. Hopefully, HP will make a touch-enabled version in the future. I also wish there were an open standard for widgets like there is with the Chumby.

The DreamScreen 100 features a 13.3″ display, while the DreamScreen 130 has a 10.2″ screen. Both devices have 800×480 screen resolution, so the smaller display just has smaller pixels. The DreamScreen 100 lists for $249.99 (USD) and the DreamScreen 130 is $299.99, but you can find both models over at Amazon for a few dollars less.

touch dj puts a complete dj mixer in your iphone or ipod touch

technabob — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:32:56 +0000

Touch DJ is a soon-to-be-released iPhone app that lets you mix music in real time, just like you would with professional DJ equipment.

Created by Amidio – the same folks who brought us the amazing noise.io iphone synth. According to the Amidio guys, Touch DJ is a serious live performance tool, and not just an audio toy like many other iPhone apps.

The app not only can mix two MP3 tracks, it lets you apply audio effects, pitch-bending, equalization and looping without ever leaving the intuitive visual interface. Each track is automatically color coded to correspond to its frequencies to make it even easier to match beats. Check out the video clips below to see (and hear) a sneak preview of Touch DJ in action.

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Once released, Touch DJ will ship with 25 dance tracks from DanceMusicHub that you can immediately create music with, and I assume that additional tracks will be available for download in the future. Amidio also plans on releasing a Touch DJ sync application that lets you send your own MP3s to your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Keep in mind that the audio processing is very processor intensive so Amidio recommends using Touch DJ only on the iPhone 3GS or newer iPod Touch models with faster CPUs. There’s no word yet on when Touch DJ will hit the app store. All Amidio says on their site is “ESTIMATED AVAILABILITY DATE: ??? (ASK APPLE!)”. Hopefully, that means soon. For now, follow them over on Twitter to be notified when Touch DJ is released.

table of sound integrates speakers into its legs

technabob — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:52:33 +0000

Everyone has surely heard of bookshelf speakers. But have you ever heard of coffee table speakers? Well now you can say you have.

The innovative Table of Sound (ToS) coffee table was created by designers Wout Fierens and Miquell van Meelen of Wondering Boys for a recent competition over on designboom. The ToS provides a new way to enjoy your music right in the middle of your living room. Instead of pushing speakers out to the corners of your room, they’re mounted conveniently in the legs of the table.

Just plug your iPod into the table’s built-in dock, and crank up the tunes while you sip your coffee and read the morning paper.

The Table of Sound appears to be just a one-of-a-kind concept design, but I’d definitely buy one if I were in the market for a new coffee table… and a new stereo at the same time.

[via Hemfeber]

wire recorder lets you record your voice on random metal surfaces

technabob — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:24:48 +0000

Building on some of the same basic principles that eventually gave way to the cassette recorder, this kit lets you transcribe the sound of your voice into magnetic charges and play them back with a swipe of your hand.

Inspired by the 19th-century designs of Valdemar Poulsen’s wire recorder, this kit from Gakken Japan looks like it could be fun to play with. Once you put it together, you set the recording head on top of any metal surface that will hold a magnetic charge, drag the control across the surface and speak into the microphone. You can use anything from a metal tabletop to a common kitchen knife to store your secret messages. Once recorded, flip the playback switch and you’ll hear your scratchy voice played back as you move the magnetic head. The video below shows how it works. Feel free to jump ahead to around 50 seconds in to get to the interesting bits.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Keep in mind that the instructions for assembling this kit are entirely in Japanese. But they do seem to have enough visual detail that you should be able to build the wire recorder successfully. Want one? You can order the wire recorder kit over at the Maker Shed for $38.99 (USD). Just don’t try putting this anywhere near your old VHS tape collection.

sony soundville ad fills icelandic town with speakers & music, serenades citizens & sheep

lambert v. — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:20:36 +0000

Directed by Juan Cabral, Sony’s Soundville campaign turned Seydisfjordur village in Iceland into one large sound system for a week.

Some of the songs that the sometimes bewildered citizens heard were from Bob Dylan, Death in Vegas and the Guillemots. And some Mastodon in the morning. I’m kidding. I don’t think any of the music was heavy or aggressive, what with the sheep and snow.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Did you watch it? Which is more awesome – the concept of the ad or Seydisfjordur? I want to live there. Seems like a laidback, sleepy town.

[via swissmiss]

ugliest speakers yet: (evil) clown sounds!

technabob — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:24:35 +0000

We’ve featured some weird and ugly speakers here over the years, but this is definitely the one to buy if you’re looking for something really hideous to listen to your tunes on.

I feel like the only thing you should be playing through these awful looking clown speakers is some sort of disturbing, scratchy carnival music that might be playing in the background of one of those circus horror movies.While some of you may think these puffy-cheeked, red-nosed speakers are cute, I’ve officially filed these under “evil clown” in my database. Ok, maybe not quite as evil as this clown.

Still, it’s definitely one UGLY clown. If you just have to have one of these, head on over to UXSight, and plunk down your $8.69 (USD). Just don’t blame me when it arrives and you immediately regret your purchase.

talking piano speaks in english: says it’s mad as hell about the environment, and is not going to take it anymore

technabob — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:26:52 +0000

File this under “weirdest use for a piano. ever.”. This amazing bit of programming and mechanical engineering has created what is probably the first and only classical piano that can speak in English.

The “Speaking Piano” has been programmed to recite The Proclamation of the European Environmental Criminal Court World Venice Forum 2009, for all to hear. Artist/composer Peter Ablinger transcoded the voice of an elementary student into data that could then be interpreted by a computer and mapped to servos that play the piano keys. Why? Something to do with an artistic and political statement.

And while the humans in the video clip below are speaking in German, the piano speaks its truth in plain English. Turn up your volume, watch, and enjoy…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Weird, wild stuff indeed. Alles klar, herr kommissar?

[via adafruit industries, hack-a-day and matrixsynth]

flexpeaker: paper-thin speakers could mean your e-newspaper might one day read itself to you

technabob — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:58:47 +0000

Wouldn’t it be cool if your could get some speakers that are even thinner than that ultra-slim flat TV you’ve got hanging on the wall? Well you might not have to wait long thanks to this new technology that produces speakers that are as thick as a sheet of paper. And did I happen to mention, they’re flexible too?

Developed by Taiwan’s ITRI, fleXpeaker technology produces arrays of tiny speakers that can be joined together to make high-quality speakers of almost any size – meaning they could be the perfect companion for that unlimited-size OLED display you just covered your entire house with. While its frequency response doesn’t go below 500Hz, at least the fleXpeaker can reach highs up to 20 KHz.

The technology is designed to allow embedding of speaker elements into anything from everyday consumer electronics devices to massive posters and banner ads with built-in sound. fleXpeakers also consume very little power so could be perfect for other portable applications. Check out the video clip below to see (and hear) an early prototype of the fleXpeaker in action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Now if only they made some flat subwoofers to go with these…

splitterbot headphone sharing robot: for generous music-loving sadists

lambert v. — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:40:17 +0000

Sure, headphone splitters are nothing new, but how many toy keychain headphone splitter robots that you decapitate and stab in the eyes to use have you seen? Did you even understand that previous sentence? I didn’t.

Whoever designed Splitterbot has some wicked, Brando-style imagination.

Ouch. You can get your own Splitterbot for only $8 (USD) at ThinkGeek.com. But know this: our actions won’t go unpunished.

[via Notcot]

ableton novation launchpad controls music with lots of lights and buttons

technabob — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:45:55 +0000

For digital musicians who have longed for a performance controller for Ableton Live, you’ll be totally stoked to check out this cool new control pod that lets you interact with Ableton Live in real time.

Designed as a collaboration between Ableton and Novation, the new Launchpad is a dedicated controller that offers a 64-button grid of backlit buttons which can be used to create and display music sequences using the same sort of interactive interface you might find in a Monome or a Tenori-On.

What I really love about the Launchpad is its easy-to-understand layout, along with bright, colorfully-lit LED control buttons to make it perfect for either a studio or live performance setting. It’s also nice and portable, measuring in at just 9.4″ x 9.4″ and less than an inch thick.

The portable controller lets you easily launch musical “scenes” which are basically groups of presets within Ableton. Each light on the interface of the Launchpad provides an indication of the status of that particular track. Orange means a sound is loaded, green means a sound is playing, and red means sounds being recorded. And the compact Launchpad can be switched between modes that either control audio clips, or act as a virtual mixing board too.

Check out the videos below to see the Launchpad in all it’s glory…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

As an added bonus, you can string up to six Launchpads together and use them with a single computer for over 400 assignable control buttons. Sweet! And if you don’t already have Ableton Live, that’s okay, the Launchpad ships with a special version of Ableton Live 8, tailored for Launchpad users. Sure it’s a bit stripped down from the full version, but still a great way for budding electronic musicians and DJs to get into the scene.

Expect the Launchpad to hit stores in early November, with a retail price of just $199 (USD) / $149 (EUR). For more information, head on over to Novation’s Launchpad page.

[via fubiz]

lacie sound2 usb speakers look like giant earphones

lambert v. — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:20:11 +0000

LaCie’s Sound² speakers are perfect for ogres, ents and Michael Clarke Duncan. Designed by Neil Poulton, the Sound² kinda look like flattened earphones. Huge flattened earphones.

Each speaker measures 7.87 x 5.51 in. LaCie backs up Poulton’s design with French audio company Cabasse’s technology. Sound² speakers are equipped with a Class D digital amplifier, magnetic shielding and a peak output of 30 W (15 x 2), as well as Cabasse’s Wide Band ICF Driver with a frequency response of 80Hz – 20kHz. Not that I understand any of that. Here’s more technobabble! Maximum Acoustic Level : 95.5dB@1m! And did you know Signal Processing & Frequency was 16-bit / 48kHz?

The Sound² comes with a power adapter, but if for some reason you don’t want to bring the adapter with you, the speakers can also run off the power that it gets from your computer via the built-in USB cord. You can buy the Sound² at LaCie’s online shop for $100 (USD).

[via Everything USB]