Gadgets

Google Honours Robert Moog’s Birthday with Minimoog Synth Emulator

May 22, 2012 by kevin 2 Comments

To celebrate and commemorate the 78th birthday of electronic music pioneer and inventor Robert Moog (May 23 2012), Google has created one of its most amazing “doodles” yet: a full-blown, live-playable emulation of a Moog 3-oscillator analog synthesizer, embedded on the Google home page.

Permalink: Google’s Moog Doodle (play it online)

Think this couldn’t possibly be a serious piece of music tech? Check out the downloadable quick-start manual for the Moog Doodle, available from Moog Music’s site (click the image below to get the PDF):

As you can see, this Moog synth emulation provides 3 oscillators, with control over waveform as well as tuning for each oscillator; a full-featured low-pass filter with a simple dedicated envelope; and a sweet pitch-glide control to give you those distinctive 70s swooping effects.

The Moog Doodle is playable on Google’s home page, using your mouse or your computer’s keyboard (the qwerty row is mapped to the “white keys”, and the number row covers the “black keys”). You can even record what you play, using the simulated 4-track reel-to-reel tape deck.

Filed Under: Events, Featured, Gadgets, Pro Audio, Tech Tagged With: analog synth, Animoog, Robert Moog, synthesizer

New Ultrasone Beatmaster Headphones Safely Deliver High Output Level and Focused Lows for Studio Drummers and Bass Players

August 27, 2003 by kevin Leave a Comment

German headphone maker Ultrasone is offering a new model for professional musicians and recording engineers. The Ultrasone HFI-550 Beatmaster (price TBA) is now available in the North American market (United States, Canada, and Mexico) through EARS Audio Distribution.

The Beatmaster is designed to satisfy the needs of studio engineers and musicians alike through its focused low frequency response, precise and detailed instrument placement, and impressive power handling.

EARS Audio proprietor Linda Albright notes that the Ultrasone HFI-550 will be particularly suitable useful for bass players and drummers laying down tracks in the studio. It specs out with frequency response of 15Hz – 22kHz, impedance of 32 ohms, and it can deliver sound pressure levels up to 100dB.

The HFI-550 Beatmaster is a foldable, closed-back, circum-aural studio headphone featuring Ultrasone’s patented S-Logic(tm) Natural Surround Sound technology. It is available in reduced magnetic field emissions versions, incorporating ULE(tm) Ultra Low Emissions technology.

Ultrasone’s unique S-Logic technology uses decentralized transducer positioning to create a natural three-dimensional sensation, without the use of processing. These headphones produce a broad, stereophonic surround soundfield that is located in front of the listener.

An added benefit of the S-Logic system is that listeners perceive the same volume with sound pressure levels at the eardrum reduced by up to 40 percent. This reduces the risk of hearing damage, while also ensuring hours of fatigue-free listening.

Ultrasone also employs patented ULE™ (Ultra Low Emission) technology to protect users from low frequency EMF emissions. All Ultrasone headphones are available in versions that offer two levels of shielding against EMF radiation, in accordance with international and German standards. Ultrasone LE Low Emissions versions offer a reduction of up to 60 percent while ULE Ultra Low Emissions models reduce EMF radiation by as much as 98 percent.

Based near Munich, Germany, Ultrasone AG has been manufacturing headphones for the professional audio market for over 12 years, during which time the company has developed and applied for more than 60 patents for its innovative technology. The company’s unique, patented S-Logic™ technology creates natural surround sound without the use of additional electronic devices. Ultrasone headphones additionally represent a safer listening experience, not only by generating a 40 percent lower SPL for the same perceived loudness but also by offering reduced EMF radiation through the use of patented ULE(tm) (Ultra Low Emissions) technology.

EARS Audio Distribution Web Site

Filed Under: Gadgets

Yamaha’s 01V96 Brings Top-of-the-Line Digital Mixer Features to Home & Project Studios

January 31, 2003 by kevin Leave a Comment

Yamaha’s digital mixing consoles have won widespread acceptance throughout the professional audio world. At Winter NAMM, Yamaha showed the new 01V96 mixer, which aims to provide the same kind of performance as its more-expensive ancestors like the DM2000 and 02R96, in a more affordable format suitable for the home or smaller professional production studio.

The suggested retail price of the 01V96 is $2,499 (US).

The new model offers 24 analog and digital channel inputs, expandable on-board to 40 channels, and units can be cascaded for applications that require more. Every input channel provides independent compression and gating/ducking processors for dynamics control, 4-band parametric channel EQs that are fully sweepable from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with bandwidth variable from 0.1 to 10 and a +/-18dB gain range, and channel delays with a maximum delay of 452 milliseconds (96 kHz mode). The stereo bus, eight mix buses, and eight aux buses each have individual compression and EQ, as well.

24-bit/96-kHz operation is standard in the 01V96. You can also work at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz and 88.2 kHz, depending on the needs of each individual project.

The 01V96 comes with a comprehensive range of on-board effects, 96-kHz compatible, stereo, with 32-bit internal processing. There is enough processing power to run two effects simultaneously at 88.2/96-kHz, and up to four effects at lower sampling frequencies.

Automation on the new mixer is scene-based. There are 99 scene memory slots for complete console setups that can be memorized and called up via mixer panel controls, or recalled remotely via MIDI program change messages.

Like the DM2000, the 01V96 has been designed to integrate tightly with leading digital audio workstations to create a complete production and mixing environment. Extensive support is provided for Digidesign’s Pro Tools® system as well as Steinberg’s Nuendo® DAW – full control of mixing and processing parameters, as well as transport/track-arming control and access to editing functions – directly from the 01V96 control surface.

There’s also a “General DAW” mode that provides compatibility with other workstations.

Yamaha U.S.A. Web Site

More Yamaha at NAMM

More Winter NAMM Coverage

Filed Under: Featured, Gadgets

Fostex Intros Compact PM0.5 2-Way Powered Monitor

January 31, 2003 by kevin Leave a Comment

Fostex America has announced the introduction of a compact, self-powered monitor system. The new model follows the successful design of the company’s model PM-1, a larger version now selling at Fostex Dealers.

“We’re very positive about the PM0.5.” comments Fostex product manager Derek Badala. “It fills a price/performance niche requested both by our dealers and our customers. There is a definite place in the market for this kind of compact, high performance monitor.”

The 5″ low frequency driver has been designed to deliver extremely pure music reproduction by employing the latest technology in cone material. The cone uses a mixture of cut and milled fibers that are made from aromatic polyamide. It is then impregnated with resins to simultaneously achieve high rigidity and optimum damping.

An olefin film is thermally adhered to the surface of the cone to control frequency response and to establish long-term reliability. The center dust cap is made of non wood cellulose material and is also impregnated with resin. Finally, the voice coil is made of super high purity copper wire to achieve very low distortion.

The .75″ soft dome tweeter employs the Fostex UFLC technology (Poly Urethane Film Laminated Cloth). It is both lightweight and highly stable. Both drivers are powered by specifically matched amplifiers-40 Watts RMS for the woofer and 30 Watts RMS for the tweeter.

The compact PM0.5 measures 7-1/8″ H x 11″ H x 10-1/4″ D (w/heat sink) and weighs 14.3 lbs. each.

“The PM0.5 is ideal for small project studios or even remote recording applications.” Badala explains. “It’s amazingly powerful, despite its size. For example, it generates 105dB SPL at 1 meter across the critical midrange bandwidth from 80Hz to 3kHz.”

Free field response is 50Hz ~ 20kHz +/- 2dB.

Performance is tailored further by the use of cut-off filters: 40 Hz for the woofer and 22kHz for the tweeter. These safeguards prevent the drivers from attempting to reproduce frequencies outside of their performance specifications.

The Fostex PMO.5 will be priced at a suggested retail price of $349 per pair (US).

Fostex Web Site