sound on technabob...

I always thought analog synthesizers were inherently retro. Just not quite this retro.

This unbelievable steampunk modular synthesizer features tons of dials and intricate brass etching throughout. All of the buttons and knobs were hand lathed, and the synth includes a number of antique parts as well.

With all those wires, buttons and knobs, the whole thing reminds me of some…

This application for the iPhone lets you create cool vocal/guitar sound mash-ups that sound like something off of Frampton Comes Alive or Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet.

LoL Software’s TALKBOX app for the iPhone lets you manipulate sounds with your mouth, creating that classic 1970s guitar wah-wah sound.

You manipulate the tone by changing the shape of your mouth while the…

Sure, you may have loved J.J. Abrams updated take on Star Trek, but it just didn’t have enough tribbles for my taste. Thankfully, there’s a solution for the recent tribble shortage.

Now you can be the proud owner of your own roomful of the little purring furrballs.

These interactive replicas of the original TV critters not only look just like…

Remember Tengu? You know, the little LED guy who moves his pixel block mouth to the sounds it hears?
Well Tengu is back, and this time, he’s got some new looks. Tengu Allstars are Crispin Jones’ latest creation. These new members of the Tengu family get some serious attitude thanks to the addition of hair and little accessories. There are…

With the warm weather season finally upon us (sorry Australian and New Zealand readers), you’re probably hoping to spend lots of time in the pool this Summer. But just because you’re floating around on an inflatable raft with a piña colada in hand doesn’t mean you have to be separated from your digital music collection.

This floating wireless speaker from…

After he made himself a delicious omelet (I made that part up), Modder Gomhi managed to turn a couple of brown chicken eggs into a pair of miniature speakers.

Each one is loaded with a tiny 1-inch diameter Hi-Vi B1S driver. While Gomhi says the sound they produce is “narrow” (I’m assuming he means “tinny”), he’s still pleased with the…

MIT engineers Joe Paradiso and Yasuhiro Ono want to patent what they’re calling “Distributed Acoustic Conversation Shielding”. Yup, it’s like Get Smart’s Cone of Silence, except that it actually works. I hope. Paradiso and Ono’s acoustic shielding makes use of a network of transducers – speakers and sensors – that can distinguish the people having a conversation from those who might…

Looking to start up an iPhone or iPod Touch-based band? Here’s the latest musical instrument to make its way to Apple’s portable wonder-device.

Seung yi Lee’s Drum Meister lets you use your fingertips to play drum sounds on little tiny pads that look just like their real-world counterparts. The app includes sampled sounds of a variety of snares, cymbals, a…

Can’t get enough of the retro beeps and blips of old-school video games? Then today must be your lucky day. There’s a new online radio station that’s just for you.

8-Bit FM is a new Internet radio station that plays everything from classic video game soundtracks to modern day electronic music played on old gaming hardware. The format includes everything…

Designer Philippe Starck is known for creating goods with style, panache and a clean modern sensibility. Now the iconic designer has put his stamp on a home sound system designed specifically for iPod, iPhone and other digital audio sources .

Created in collaboration with audio manufacturer Parrot, the oddly-named Zikmu (bless you!) speaker system features a pair of 2.5-foot tall…

These nifty little speaker systems look just like classic electric guitar amps, only a whole lot smaller. Modeled after classic amps by musical greats Marshall and US Blues, these teensy little amps are perfect for the rocker in your house.

Measuring in between 5 and 8 inches tall, they’re perfect scale replicas of their larger brethren, and great for listening…

Wacom, known almost solely for their pen-based graphic tablets and touchscreens has made the jump into an entirely new market – DJs. Maybe dance clubs are more recession-proof than graphic designers? Who knows?

The new Wacom nextbeat is a music controller which lets both professional and casual digital dee-jays finesse their tunes in about any way imaginable – even from…

Are you constantly missing the UPS guy because you didn’t hear them knock on the door? Or maybe you’re just sick of the old “ding-dong” of your doorbell. Well this doorbell is most certainly going to get your attention – or at least annoy the crap out of you.

With a push of its wireless button, the Nuclear Doorbell blinks…

Remember the AT-AT Walker ghetto blaster? Well apparently not only the Empire gets its own boom box. This R2-D2 sound system is part of the Hype Hustle Rip-Off exhibition by artist Bill McMullen over at LA’s The Constant Gallery.

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…