Technabob » recording

Philips Desktop Microphone: Looks Like a UFO or a Frisbee

Range — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:00:32 +0000

If you ever have the need to record what people are saying in a conference room, here’s a cool looking microphone which might help you capture better quality sound than you might get from traditional microphones.

This unobtrusive desktop mic from Philips was designed by GP Designpartners. It’s designed specifically to be used for recording meetings and conferences, but can also be used as a microphone for phone conferences if your phone system can accept an external mic.

The slightly-sloped disk has been designed to guide sound waves bouncing off of the table into the mic, and it can capture audio in a full 360-degree circle around the table. The mic’s bottom surface has been rubberized, so it will stay in place. There is also an integrated cable management system underneath it, so excess cable can be neatly tucked away.

All in all, if you need a desktop mic and don’t want anything too big, then this might be the way to go. You can get your hands on one over at Amazon for $145 (USD).

[via designboom]

Sonoma GuitarJack for iPhone: A Recording Studio in Your Pocket

Range — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:00:58 +0000

If you’re a music artist, and you tend to find yourself far away from home, then the Sonoma GuitarJack will allow you to transform your iPhone into a mobile recording studio. This is perfect when you get a few tunes in your head and you want to hammer something down before you lose it.

This is Sonoma’s second model of this add-on, and it plugs directly into your iOS devices. It’s got inputs for microphones, guitar cables, and stereo mic/line inputs. There are multiple apps available to modify the tone and sound of your instruments, and naturally, you can record everything as well.

You can pre-order the Sonoma GuitarJack for $149 (USD) right now, and it will ship in 4 to 6 weeks. The older model is on sale now for just $49 but is NOT compatible with the latest iDevices.

[via Ubergizmo]

Anna Chapman Spy Glasses: 007 or 00-Sexy?

Range — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:57:14 +0000

You might have thought that spies didn’t need all those fancy gadgets anymore, but you’d be wrong. These fancy glasses are a little less geeky than the other spy glasses we’ve seen (but not too much so). Naturally, the Anna Chapman moniker comes from the sultry Russian spy who was busted wearing specs like these.

Truth or fantasy, we’ll never know, but these specs will allow you to look stylish while you’re spying. Although they’re not exactly inconspicuous.

They’ve got 4GB of internal storage, which allows you to store up to one hour of continuous video in high resolution (1,280×720, 30fps). On top of that, they also have a built-in microphone. A handy USB port allows you to download all of your missions.

Given the bad Photoshop job below, I’m sure that Anna Chapman had nothing to do with the making of these. But you’ll still make Q proud if you wear these stylish spy glasses. They’re available over at Chinavasion for about $114 (USD).

(Cheesy image below slightly NSFW…)

[via GeekAlerts]

Duet 2 Lets Mac Heads Record Pro-Quality Music

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:57:40 +0000

If you are a Mac user that likes to record things like live music or podcasts, a new device has surfaced from Apogee called the Duet 2. This is the follow up to the original Duet and is designed specifically for Mac users. It is a high quality recording device that promises to make your Mac into a professional recording studio.

The device is an audio recording box that connects to a Mac via a USB port. It has four outputs with independent speaker and headphone outs and those outputs are balanced. It can record audio at 24-bit/192kHz and has a full color OLED display.

The Duet 2 also has a pair of touchpad’s that are reconfigurable and it works with Maestro 2 software. Buyers can opt for an optional breakout box and the breakout cable has been redesigned.

The device also makes for better audio quality than the professional tracks in your MP3 collection. The Duet 2 sells for $595 (USD) and will ship this month.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

TinyVox iPhone App Helps You Break Out of the E-mail and Text Message Rut

Technabob — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 03:05:07 +0000

I get dozens of iPhone app announcements every day, but this one actually made me prick up my ears and listen. That’s because instead of sending text messages, Tinyvox sends voice messages.

The cool thing about the little app is that it makes it stupid simple to record personalized voice messages and send them to your friends or post them to social networking sites. All you do is click the “Record” button, then the “Share” button when you’re ready to send your audio message. You can choose to send your message to either your own e-mail box or to friends, as well as to share it on Twitter, Facebook or even Tumblr. E-mailed sounds are simply sent as an MP3 that you can play back right then and there. Sure, the iPhone already has its voice memo recorder that can send via E-mail or SMS, but it only sends .M4A files, and can’t post and share them online, and TinyVox’s interface beats Apple’s too. Sounds shared online are are stored on the TinyVox website, which is sort of like TwitPic, but for audio snippets. The only thing I don’t like is the lack of privacy controls on shared online messages, and I couldn’t find a way to delete them once they’re posted to the TinyVox site. Hopefully, they’ll add that feature at some point.

In addition, all of your messages can be stored on your iPhone on virtual “cassettes” for later playback, or shared again. Best part of TinyVox is that it comes in a free (ad-supported) version, which actually does everything that the paid “Pro” version does. And with the Pro version selling for a pricey $19.99 (USD), I imagine they really are betting on the free version taking off. On the other hand, if you really do love the app, I’m sure the developers won’t mind you buying the full version to help cover their hosting and development costs.

You can grab TinyVox over at the App Store now.

Samson Meteor Mic is Retro Cool

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:26:47 +0000

There are all kinds of uses for a good USB microphone connected to your computer. You can use it to play games with speakers rather than having to use a headset with a mic, for making podcasts, and you can even use it to record your own music. Samson has a new mic that is perfect for any digital audio recording need and it is called the Meteor Mic.

The mic is really cool looking and reminds me of something you would see hanging in the studio of a 50′s radio station. The mic is chrome plated and has a really cool integrated stand that can position the mic at different angles for your need. The mic is USB powered and comes with a soft carry bag.

The Meteor Mic has a 25mm diaphragm, cardioid pickup design, a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz. It can record CD quality audio in 16-bit 44.1/48kHz resolution audio. It needs no drivers to work and even has a headphone input for monitoring. The Meteor Mic will be available on April 15 for $99 (USD).

Soundracer V12 Makes Your Putt-Mobile Sound Like a Ferrari

Technabob — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:18:56 +0000

Is your car a beater? Do you drive one of those stupid little Smart cars? I bet you wish you had a V12 engine under the hood, don’t you. Well with this fun little contraption, you can’t have that, but you can at least make your car sound like a sports car.

The SoundRacer V12 edition plugs into your car’s 12-volt outlet and emits revving sounds as you speed up and slow down. The gadget automatically detects your cars engine speed from electrical variances from your car’s alternator, and uses those impulses to match your driving with authentic sounds from a Ferrari V12. To be precise, the audio was recorded from a 1980 Ferrari 512BBLM, with a booming 500hp engine.

If you don’t believe me, check it out in action in the video below:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Pretty cool, no? To amp up the sounds, the SoundRacer transmits to your car’s radio via an open FM station. The only problem of course is that you can’t listen to the radio or your MP3 player while this thing is on, but you really want to listen to the roar of your new-found fake engine anyhow, don’t you?

You can grab the SoundRacer V12 from one of these online merchants for about $50 bucks. I can assure you that’s way cheaper than a Ferrari.

[Thanks for the tip, Justin!]

Zoom Q3hd Video Recorder is Perfect for Concert Bootleggers

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:26:13 +0000

If you are the sort that goes to a lot of concerts and records them, you have probably noticed that the audio on most camcorders is far from as good as the quality of the video. A company called Zoom has been making some very nice dual microphone audio recorders for a long time for recording music and speech along with any other spoken word thing a geek might want to record.

The company took the mics and audio circuitry from that audio recorder, crammed them inside a video camera back in October, and offered up most of the details on the thing at the time. The recorder is called the Q3HD Handy Video Recorder and it has 1080p resolution at 30 fps recording. It can also record 720p at both 30fps and 60fps. The video resolutions are common today on all sorts of camcorders, but the Q3HD has impressive sound. The microphones record sound in 24-bit/96KHz quality. The device has three aperture settings for different lighting conditions and has an integrated USB cable and HDMI output.

Here’s an example clip shot with the Q3HD:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Clearly, the audio is much better than your cellphone can shoot, but the video seems about average. You can see more example footage shot with the device here. It is available to buy right now and will cost you $299.99 (USD) over on Amazon.

Directv Answers My Dvr Prayers With Whole Home Dvr

Shane McGlaun — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:42:58 +0000

If you’re a guy, you can admit it – having to watch girl shows can really suck. Every time a guy has to sit and watch The Bachelorette or Real Housewives with their significant other, somewhere a kitten dies. My wife likes to crowd our DVR with shows like that and soap operas and she always wants to save them for months and months until there is like 57 episodes saved up and good stuff like Burn Notice won’t fit.

Luckily, I have her convinced that the DVR randomly deletes stuff when it needs more space and she hasn’t caught on that it’s always her stuff that is deleted. I have wished on more than one occasion that I could play recorded shows from my DirecTV DVR on other TVs in the home, allowing me to escape such un-macho programs. Today DirecTV announced Whole Home DVR and answered my wishes.

The Whole Home DVR service adds $3 per month to the bill and you need one of their HD DVRs to use it. If you lack the DVR it will set you back $199 (USD). You can watch recorded shows in up to 15 other rooms and each room can control and manage recordings. The system even supports multiple DVRs. If I could get a DVR in each room allowing me to record 10 shows at once I’d never leave the house again. Thanks, DirecTV!

Korg Nano USB Midi Controllers Let You Make Beautiful Music

Technabob — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:45:29 +0000

These little USB controllers let you build out a full-fledged recording studio anywhere you go. The Korg nanoSeries of controllers are small enough to throw in a backpack or briefcase, but when connected to your computer let you set up a robust studio on the road.

For starters, there’s the nanoKEY, which offers a 25-key velocity-sensitive piano keyboard, that can control your music creation software. There’s even the ability to quickly switch between octaves, so you can access the entire range of a full-size keyboard if you want.

Next up is the nanoPAD, which is great for playing digital percussion or other sound effects. The nanoPAD has a dozen trigger pads, each of which can send up to eight notes or MIDI control messages. There’s also an X/Y touchpad which can use for pitch-bending or other MIDI control messages. You can even set up individual pads to trigger chords.

Last, but certainly not least is the nanoKONTROL, which lets you easily control your mixing board software, providing 9 faders, 9 knobs, 18 switches, playback and recording controls.

The entire Nano series is available over at ProSound and Stage Lighting, with the nanoKEY selling for $49.99 (USD), and the nanoPAD and nanoKONTROL retailing for $59.99.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

If you have any interest in electronic music, you owe it to yourself to check out these mini-marvels.

Jazzmutant Lemur Multi-Touch Control for Musicians

Technabob — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:22:56 +0000

The other day, I told you about a tabletop multi-touch interface for creating music sequences. While I was researching that story, I came across an interesting touchscreen interactive music controller device that you can actually get your hands on for yourself.

The Jazzmutant Lemur is a fully-programmable multi-touch input device for controlling music sequencing, mixing, or anything else you’d like to apply a finger-controlled interface to.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The $3000 Lemur provides a modular interface editor (for MacOSX or Windows) which lets you build your own custom graphical control panels, including sliders, faders, dials, buttons, keyboards and more.

Out of the box, it can control any MIDI recording software (such as Logic, ProTools, Ableton, Cubase, etc.), but is also compatible with the emerging OpenSoundControl standard. Plus, it uses Ethernet to connect with your network, meaning it can handle much more data throughput than traditional MIDI devices.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The device ships with numerous templates to help you get started, but there’s also an active user community that’s cranking out cool new interfaces all the time. If you’re into electronic music or recording, the Lemur is definitely worth a look.

[additional video footage]

Sound Lab Teaches Kids Circuit Bending

Technabob — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 20:43:50 +0000

Whether your child is an aspiring audio engineer or just likes to make weird noises, this educational toy looks pretty cool.

The GeoSafari Digital Recording Lab lets kids (and kids at heart) experiment and create their own electronic sound effects. There are 59 different projects they can build, creating everything from an alarm clock, to a robotic voice, to an “electronic parrot” that records and plays back whatever they say.

All projects are done by connecting wires to spring-loaded terminals, so no soldering is required. I’m sure if you decide to go “off book” and do some circuit bending, you’ll get some really interesting sounds.

[Order from Amazon]

Samson Zoom H2: Surround Sound Recording in the Palm of Your Hand

Technabob — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:38:56 +0000

This nifty device is a self-contained surround sound recording studio. The Samson Zoom H2 Handy Recorder uses a set of three directional microphones to record high quality stereo and surround imaging to its built-in digital recorder.

Thanks to its microphone configuration, the recorder can accurately capture stereo positioning as well as 5.1 surround positioning when you record in 360° 48kHz/24-bit mode. The device can record 16-bit or 24-bit WAV files at up to 96kHz, and MP3 files at up to 320kbps. When equipped with a 4GB SD memory card, it can capture up to 2 hours of the 96kHz WAV files, or up to 138 hours in MP3 format. You can record for about 4 hours on a single set of AA batteries, or plug it into the included AC adapter for longer sessions.

The H2 includes a 512MB SD memory card, USB cable and a handy tripod stand. It should be available later this Spring for around $200.

[via PopSci via OhGizmo!]

Belkin Tunestudio: iPod Recording Studio

Technabob — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 14:47:06 +0000

Belkin has introduced a new gadget which should be a godsend for musicians on a budget. The Belkin TuneStudion is a four-channel mixing board which features a dock for 5G iPods. The system records directly from the mixing board into the iPod at CD-quality.

Priced at just $179.99, the board features some bells and whistles normally reserved for higher-end audio gear, such as XLR inputs with phantom power. Each of the four mixing channels has a 3-band equalizer, pan and gain controls. LED indicators show input, peaking and compression levels. You can also move tracks from the board directly to your PC using the integrated USB port, if you don’t feel like undocking your iPod. The TuneStudio should hit the streets sometime this Summer.

[via CrunchGear]