Practical iPad Music Making: Connecting Hardware

What’s this MIDI thing about?

Creatively, music is about assembling a new whole out of lots of pieces. So it makes sense that in a music workspace, making connections is important. Like traditional computers before it, part of what makes the shiny, new iPad musically useful is its ability to work with other gear.

Enter MIDI. For the uninitiated, MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is the de facto industry standard means for communicating musical events between different hardware and software. It doesn’t transmit sound, but it does transmit information like pitch, note events, knob twists, button presses, and clock and transport information.

I’ve been working with Tekserve, an independent Apple service and sales shop in Manhattan, to help show iPad owners how they can use this protocol – now more than a quarter century old – to make all their gear work together. Tonight at an event Tekserve titled “the future of music,” then, I’m the Ghost of Music Technology Past.

In the video at top, co-produced by CDM and Tekserve, I show a hands-on with MIDI gear and the iPad. Of course, by definition, what I’m saying also applies to other computing platforms that can support MIDI, which includes Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.

MIDI and iOS: Seen in this Video

Various iOS apps let you send MIDI (or other protocols, like OpenSoundControl) wirelessly, via the WiFi connection. (Bluetooth seems not to be an option, because of how Apple provides access to that connection.)

But here, we’re using good, old-fashioned hardware connections, which means you can work with hardware from the 80s through today – and you don’t have to have your computer with you. So, we need a hardware adapter.

Apple Camera Connection Kit: Works with USB devices that support MIDI class, and USB MIDI interfaces that connect to hardware with a 5-pin MIDI DIN port. Below, here’s a demo of the CCK with the Korg iMS-20.

Line6 MIDI Mobilizer: Works with any device with a 5-pin MIDI DIN port, no additional hardware required. Also the only device that works with the iPhone and iPod touch and not just the iPad. Line6 points out that it also theoretically supports faster speeds, but the thing I like most about it is that you get little LED lights that flash when MIDI is sent or received – ideal for troubleshooting! SonicState did a great video hands-on review:

If you’re serious about MIDI, you probably won’t regret having both.

MeeBlip is an open-source, hackable synth designed by James Grahame and sold and supported in collaboration with Create Digital Music. And if you don’t necessarily want a $500 iPad, here’s a demo video of the MeeBlip “gex0008″ shot with a used Yamaha QY10, a portable MIDI sequencer.

Synthetic Bits little midi machine: A hardware-style analog step sequencer.

Edirol UM-1 EX is a USB MIDI interface that has those 5-pin MIDI DINs on one side and USB on the other. It’s now discontinued, but the UM-1 line lives on — see the UM-1G, now sold as Cakewalk by Roland. Just like its predecessors, there’s a little “advanced mode” switch that you can toggle to “OFF” for driver-free operation with the iPad.

MIDI Touch is a brilliant little app for making custom MIDI controller maps. (It works wirelessly, too.) I need to actually make a template for the MeeBlip. Check out microKORG and Shruthi-1 templates on Palm Sounds. Version 2.0 recently arrived.

Audio interfaces work, too. There are various driver-free audio gadgets out there; the $30(!) Behringer UCA-222 just happened to be sitting out Tekserve’s show floor and worked just fine.

The Akai LPK25 is a cute little music keyboard; Akai now offers a whole mess of controllers that work without drivers. That’s also true of similar, portable options like Korg’s nano series. I might opt for the Akai MPK mini, as then you get pads and encoders, too.

No iPad music demo would be complete without the insanely-deep iMS20 from Korg, which is what I use with the Akai keyboard (sorry, Korg) at the end. You could forget every other app and immerse yourself in the Korg app and probably be happy.

More Essential MIDI Apps

I’m not a believer in the notion of loading up your iPad with a zillion apps – I learned that lesson the hard way long ago loading up my computer with a zillion plug-ins. For me personally, I’d rather have a few good apps I depend on. For MIDI, here’s what’s on my machine:

• StepPolyArp is the other MIDI sequencer I use, aside from little midi machine. It supports wireless DSMidiWifi and Line 6 Midi Mobilizer, and it’s utterly brilliant – you get to just focus in on editing a MIDI pattern with some truly powerful tools. I actually wanted to fit it into the video, but just didn’t really get it in.
• Midi Monitor from iOSMIDI is a must-have app for heavy MIDI users: it’s perfect for diagnosing hardware support, messages in and out, and even comes with a layout for testing gear, modeled after Midi Touch from the same developer.
• MidiVision is a simpler monitor app; this is an iPad story, but MidiVision is your best bet for an iPhone or iPod touch (and doing MIDI monitoring fits a handheld nicely).
• S1 MIDI Trigger works really nicely with hardware MIDI. Like MidiTouch, it’s a custom layout app; it started out wireless-only but added hardware support. I haven’t yet decided which I prefer; stay tuned.
• AC-7 Core is easily the most powerful controller app out there. It’s primarily for controlling your DAW on your computer, but it has MIDI support for hardware, too.
• Synthetic Bits’ FunkBox is a fun little drum machine, focusing on simple, finger-friendly, hardware-style interaction like the awesome aforementioned little midi machine. Bonus here: it will send MIDI clock in version 2.0, which will allow tempo-synced fun. (That means you could use this with an iPad and something like an old Yamaha QY10, as seen above, and have it all clocking together.) Must-download. Get it. I wish there were more desktop apps this simple and fun.
• One Red Dog Media’s Molten is similarly excellent. It also has MIDI clock support. As with FunkBox, it’s a standalone drum machine, too, but the fun part is that you can also use it as a controller or sync other devices (or your computer) via MIDI clock.

S1 was spotted this week on Synthtopia, demonstrating how you can use an iPad to extend tangible controllers you already have:

Here’s FunkBox in action, using MIDI clock:

And while it’s at the very end of the video, at around :50 you can watch Molten synced up to a MacBook Pro running Apple’s UltraBeat drum machine. This video does not show hardware MIDI, but that’s possible, too, via Core MIDI, the Camera Connection Kit, and a MIDI adapter.

What I really desperately wish had hardware MIDI / Core MIDI support: Shiverware Musix, a hexagonal music grid, and Audanika SoundPrism, which aligns music to a sophisticated pitch array.

Caveats

There are some details to be aware, lest this seem that I’m simply advocating the iPad – I’m not; I’m really advocating using MIDI to keep everything compatible.

MIDI clock is pretty rare. Molten is the only app I know of at the moment that both transmits and receives MIDI clock over a hardware connection for synchronizing tempo. The MIDI Mobilizer evidently only recently added clock as a feature, so that could have something to do with the delay.

Bluetooth isn’t yet, as far as I and developers can tell, possible — too bad, as it’s a good option for wireless MIDI.

For hardware support, power is a consideration – a lot of gear has to be externally powered. Here’s one good write-up on that.

Let’s say that again: if you expect anything other than a very simple MIDI input device or adapter to be powered by the iPad, you’ll be disappointed. Even on desktop computers, we often find issues with power availability. Imagine that an order of magnitude worse on iPad; most devices beyond things like that portable MIDI keyboard above will require external power. We had a hub handy while we were shooting this. I like Richard Lawler’s idea of hacking together a battery-powered hub as a workaround for this (and other mobile devices likely to suffer the same issue).

There’s some serious fragmentation. Core MIDI works via a camera adapter – an unrelated device – but a lot of developers haven’t added it to their apps, and it doesn’t work on the iPhone. The Line6 MIDI Mobilizer is great, but it requires using a proprietary set of APIs (though some developers do say they prefer its simplicity). Apps tend to support one or the other, but not both – and a lot of apps don’t support hardware MIDI, period.

One thing I found in the demo that I can’t stress enough is that that tiny 30-pin dock connector is very, very delicate. The iPad seems a little precious to use in a gig. Sweat and multi-touch don’t mix, some people have told me, and the dock connector has a tendency to pop out. Akai’s dock might be a good solution, but I haven’t tested it yet. And using up the dock connector means you have to plan ahead and power up your battery, since the iPad doesn’t have a separate power jack. (That makes docks appealing, but then you may wind up spending more than you intended on your tablet.)

Maybe it’s so obvious that people forget to say it, but because MIDI has been around so long, traditional computers, netbooks (at half the price), and even used MIDI hardware are very competitive options. If you’re in the market for an iPad and trying to use this to justify the purchase, you’ll probably need some added reason – like, for instance, you love these apps or have other uses for the iPad.

Those things said, what is great about MIDI and enduring standards is that it means technology isn’t disposable, and isn’t cut off from other technology. You can have a synth you’ve loved for 25 years that works with something you’ve just bought. That’s pretty great.

Where to Find Resources

At top, a hands-on video with iSequence by Hank Lepstein on Noisepages.

Compatible device round-ups:
Synthtopia has reader reports with the Camera Connection Kit

Midi Touch and Midi Monitor developer has a nice round-up of other apps with CoreMIDI support

Notably, SyntheFX and Luminair are your choice if you use DMX and lighting.

iosaudio is keeping a running list of apps with support for different MIDI (and even OSC) features. You can see some of the fragmentation that’s happened, but you certainly don’t lack options.

Akai is the first company to offer integrated docks for MIDI support. The SynthStation49 is a big keyboard. More useful, at least from my perspective, is the Alesis iO Dock. (At the NAMM show, Alesis called it “StudioDock” but seems to have changed branding.) It helps alleviate some of the issues I had, with spaghetti cables and easily-disconnected dock connectors. But pricing and availability are uncertain, and since it’s not done, no one has yet tested how good it is.

If there’s interest, one developer suggested starting a spreadsheet on which readers could collaborate; I’d happily start one.

See also our Noisepages iPad/iPod musician group.

Lastly, iConnectMIDI is a high-end MIDI interface box. It looks pricey at nearly US$200, but it also works as a standalone MIDI box and with computers as a 2-port MIDI interface. That plus dedicated USB and power connections for an iPad means that for serious users, you could probably justify the purchase, especially since you can use it with your computer. It also works with the iPhone and iPod touch, so it will be a direct competitor with the Midi Mobilizer (albeit not nearly as portable). I hope to review it, because apparently I’m a MIDI fanboy. (Who knew?)

Want wireless support and compatibility with hardware? See our previous story:
The Missing Link OSC/MIDI Translator Makes Your Electronic Music Gear Wireless

Developers? Android?

If you’re a developer and want to talk more about this stuff, we have two excellent running groups:

There’s an epic thread running about using the open source Pure Data (Pd) environment on iOS.

We also have the mobile music + visual hack group for developers.

Pete Goodliffe has some terrific, open source sample code for using CoreMIDI in iOS. I’d love to see more.

Android developers, the future looks a bit murkier as far as hardware MIDI support, though most everything else is possible on Android (and even, increasingly, in mobile and desktop browsers). But if you’re curious to play around with Bluetooth MIDI – something you can’t do on iOS – Peter Brinkmann just shared some sample code with Pd and has it available open source on Gitorious.

iOS and Android developers may both want to check out libpd; see my previous write-up.

Will MIDI be available on mobile devices that aren’t on iOS? Signs point to yes. MIDI is (conceptually, at least) about the age I am, which is an eternity in computing, but it appears to be going strong.

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers

I hope this guide can evolve to be a comprehensive starting point for people wanting to integrate their iPad with their MIDI rig. So if you have questions, ideas, tips, apps of your own, sample code, sample apps, templates, or … you know, music, let us know!

Huge thanks to our friends at Tekserve for co-producing this video, especially to Chad Carino for shooting and editing.

http://www.tekserve.com/

How much can you do with a suitcase full of soundmakers? Quite a lot, as it happens.

The 20th Century gave sound two great achievements. One was the successful modeling of filtering in digital software form. The other was the production of the electronic filter, first in quartz crystal form. Today, all of those advancements are available in cheap, often battery-powered devices that fit in the palm of your hand. Spurred by yesterday’s discussion of sonic mobility and battery power, Sasa Rasa points us to the recent work of Chris Carter (of Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey fame).

Chris has built out a set he calls “Chris Carter’s Chemistry Lessons,” featuring a suitcase rig of noisemaking gadgets. Among other devices, this includes a new experimental, DIY noisemaker kit that came out of a collaboration with Dirty Electronics / John Richards. The setup, and accompanying performance, were recently the featured item at an event at Amsterdam’s STEIM, a hub for experimental sound. The contents comprise a veritable guide to what’s useful in mobile music making, without resorting to mobile phones or similar devices, and without, even, any use of MIDI.

Below, one of the setups, combining specialized and custom electronics with some familiar sound objects.

He describes a sample set using the rig on his blog, proudly entitling it no MIDI no keyboards:

I generated some rhythms using two [KORG] Kaossilators – going through two mini KPs, and manipulated some bass loops with a Korg KP3 pad. I had a Chimera BC16 synth (the LFO and the ADSR) voltage controlling a BC9 synth and two Eventide stompboxes. I synced and beat matched on the fly using ‘tap-tempo’ buttons on the Korgs and Eventides.

Equipment shown:
Two Kaossilators, two mini Kaoss pads, a KP3 Kaoss pad, a Tom Bugs WOM synth, Chimera BC8, BC9 and BC16 synths, two Zoom PFX-9003 effects, an Eventide Modfactor, an Eventide Timefactor, a Dirty-Carter E.S.G.I synth, a portable Edirol mixer and a Zoom H2 for recording.
No MIDI, keyboards, laptops or desktop computers were used.

Here’s that set recorded to his Zoom H2 mobile recorder:

no MIDI no keyboards by chris_carter

Is there an advantage to working this way as opposed to assembling a similar arsenal of tools in a computer? Not necessarily. But maybe that’s part of the point: whether you assemble a set of hardware sound boxes, some custom circuits and DSP processing in hardware, a Pd or Max patch on a computer, or a set of effects, you’re engaging in what is fundamentally the same process. The fact that you have all of these choices means there’s really no excuse for not finding some set of tools with which you feel comfortable, and with which you can push the envelope of your own performance style.

Not only that, but even the most die-hard computer lover is likely to find something here – the mobile recorder, one or two of the effects boxes – that would nicely complement their rig.

And what I like about Chris’ examples is that, within the “experimental” aesthetic paradigm he’s set out, there are rich compositional and sonic ideas, modeled in the flow of signal betwixt his noise gadgetry.

Lots of great ideas for useful hardware came up in comments on the battery-powered story, so watch for a further compilation.

Score one for standards. According to second-hand sources and a post to a public mailing list, the upcoming Apple iPad accessory adapter for cameras, the iPad Camera Connection Kit, will support audio interfaces that are compatible with the USB Audio Class. I don’t have official confirmation from Apple, and the adapter itself appears not to be shipping until later this month, so file this as “likely, but unconfirmed.” But it’s one to watch, and comes as a surprise to me. (Generally, camera accessory kits aren’t a way of providing audio expansion.)

Let’s assume, as these sources suggest, that USB audio devices were available via the standard stereo output (or even input) for the public Apple APIs for audio I/O. In that case, the other good news is that iPad apps would be able to support your third-party hardware without special modification of the software, or a signed hardware license agreement.

Most pro audio interfaces are not class-compliant; it’s more common to use custom drivers, even for USB 1.x-compliant interfaces. Custom drivers would be out of the question. But there are a number of interfaces that do provide class compliance, like the M-Audio Fast Track or Edirol UA-25. (I have a Cakewalk-branded, Roland-manufactured SPS-25 that works as a class-compliant device with the “advanced” mode on the back switched off.)

Incidentally, devices that support this spec will also easily work with Linux, and possibly upcoming updates to Android, if the latter adds similar USB host support. That means there’s now ample incentive for audio interface vendors to investigate providing class support, as it could mean more customers not only from iPad owners, but owners of other slates and tablets, too – including those we don’t yet know about. (Google tablet, anyone?) That further illustrates why up-to-date class descriptions for hardware are so badly needed (though it also, sadly, reminds us how much isn’t covered by these generic classes).

Before you get excited about connecting a MIDI keyboard to your iPad, I don’t know that this will mean support for the MIDI device class. But it’s nothing if not a reminder of the power of standards. (See also the Nintendo Wii remote, which enterprising musicians have used as a controller on multiple operating systems, thanks to its support for the Bluetooth spec.)

And yes, this means the prospects of the iPad becoming an all-in-one, live performance machine are looking brighter. DJs are still likely to be unsatisfied, as I doubt that this will allow separate audio cuing, but given that I didn’t see this coming, who knows?

Supporting evidence:
Re: iPad USB Audio Class 1 and Update on OSX Class 2 [Apple Core Audio API Mailing List]

Thanks to Art Gillespie for pointing this out. He’s got a connection kit coming, so expect a full test.

The mobile recording space keeps rolling along. Alesis is the latest company to try to turn the iPod into a usable digital recorder. With up to 160 GB of storage, the fact that the iPod is a mobile hard drive you may already own certainly has some appeal. But what about quality?

The Alesis ProTrack attempts to bridge that input divide with internal mics and XLR inputs:

• XY pattern stereo condenser mics (they look a lot like the mics on the Zoom H4)
• XLR and 1/4″ inputs (line/mic) with 48V phantom power
• 1/4″ stereo output, making this interesting as a playback device, too
• LEDs onboard (nice!), limiter
• Tripod mount, universal iPod dock

Recording is limited to 16-bit, 44.1kHz; the lack of 48kHz means a big downside for anyone doing video production. Our friend and roving podcaster / NPR reporter Brad Linder has the full story on his blog:
Alesis ProTrack turns your iPod into a pro audio recorder [Brad Linder's blog]

This does look quite like the Belkin Podcast Studio. I’m not totally sold on Alesis’ quality control of late, but I’m more sold on them than on Belkin, so we’ll see.

Edirol R-09 with more storage

If there’s one mobile recorder to rule them all, it may be Edirol’s trusty R-09. The big news there: support for bigger storage, in the form of firmware updates for the R-09 and new, higher-quality R-09HR. The updates add support for Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) cards, for up to 32GB in storage. The 32GB drives are still mighty pricey, but 16GB isn’t a bad sweet spot.

I hadn’t actually paid attention to the HR model, but it has some nice extras: dedicated analog input control, low-cut filter, limiter/AGC (Auto Gain Control), gain boost, and even a remote.

R-09 HR Product Page [Roland/Edirol]

The Edirol has only an 1/8″ mic jack, but I know people who’ve been very happy with it. It may not work as a primary recorder — for that you may be willing to sacrifice something bigger and pricier. But for quick and dirty jobs and internal mic use, it does look quite nice. I sometimes think I should’ve gotten it instead of the Zoom H4 I bought, but I’ll just save up for a real mic pre for the Zoom and go home happy.

Review: Tascam DR-1

The last bit of news from Brad: a quick review of Tascam’s entry to the increasingly-overcrowded handheld recorder market. Brad writes us:

Seems like a decent, but not great device for recording music and interviews. A friend of mine took one for a spin for a little while and ultimately decided to return it and get an Marantz PMD660. I’ve heard good things about the Olympus LS-10 though, and I might pick one up myself eventually as a backup for my trusty Sony PCM-D50.

Got all those models straight, kids?

The DR-1 does have a 1/4″ jack, though no XLR. Downsides: preamps sound a little disappointing (weak levels), there’s no real mono recording, and, well, a lot of competition. Here’s Brad’s review with sound samples:

A short review of the Tascam DR-1 [Brad Linder's blog]

Edirol V-8 Mixer: 8 Ins, 3 Outs, Computer Ins Mean V-4, The Next Generation

With this arriving this month and the boutique Vixid mixer to play with, it could be a great year for audiovisualists.

Edirol announced today they have drivers ready for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, available for immediate download. What’s covered? Edirol says they’ve got updates “for their entire range of controller keyboards, field recorders and audio interfaces, including the ground-breaking M-16DX digital audio mixer.” Okay, I can’t personally vouch for whether the M-16DX is ground-breaking or not, but I expect owners of it will be very pleased the latest-and-greatest from Apple is supported.

Other driver updates, anyone? So far, we’ve heard people are doing pretty well with most of their equipment, whether it’s officially “supported” on Leopard or not — though I have heard about issues with M-Audio. Anyone else? (Updated: Wait, strike that — M-Audio hardware sounds like it’s working reasonably well for most, as is PreSonus. I should get to test my Focusrite soon. The one big troublemaker: Alesis. And we’re still seeing some isolated interface bugs. I still say wait for a few more weeks before leaping, but that said, most people are having a pretty smooth experience.)

Previously:
Leopard Early Installers, How’s it Going?
Leopard Reports: Native Instruments, MOTU, Why Tiger Still Rocks, Java
Native Instruments Posts Installer Patch for Mac OS X Leopard

Roland has published a compatibility list for all its current relevant hardware, under the BOSS, Roland, and Edirol brands.

Windows Vista Compatibility Release

The table setup is a bit unusual. “Yes” means “will be compatible” in the future tense, but that apparently translates to “it works now”; links are included to 32-bit and 64-bit drivers. A dash means compatibility is unconfirmed one way or another, as you’re on your own with current drivers. A “No” means “We are sorry but we have no plan to realese the compatible software with Windows Vista.”

In other words, Roland/Edirol/BOSS have basically finished drivers for most of the devices they plan to support, and a lot of what isn’t supported now won’t be supported, ever.

Winners: USB, USB2 audio and MIDI hardware.
Losers: Older gear, bundled software, and editing apps.
Undetermined: FireWire (as of 1/31; I expect we’ll either learn it works or see an update).

The good news is, there’s a lot on the list: nearly all USB and USB2 audio and MIDI devices are supported, with only a handful of “legacy” devices excluded. The bad news is, FireWire devices are currently unconfirmed, and a surprising number of synths are on the “No” list. The original V-Synth (though not the newer XT) and Fantom-Xa and S (though not the X6, X7, and X8), and the SH-201, introduced less than a year ago, is being “evaluated” for compatibility with the internal editor, one of the major selling points of that synth. I’m assuming “incompatible” means the editor software is unsupported, though I’m unclear on why.

Overall, I’d say the Roland/Edirol compatibility picture is pretty good, and with dozens of devices on here, it’s certainly not fair to say “there are no drivers yet for Vista.” This is far more compatibility than the Mac had when the first Intel Macs appeared. But, that said, watch closely for what isn’t compatible before you get stung — there are some popular devices on the incompatible or unconfirmed list.

I’ll try to get more information, but otherwise, you should consult the Roland page for the latest information rather than CDM; only major announcements will appear here since Roland has it covered.

One of the most sought-after devices this year is the R-09 portable recorder from Edirol. It’s got what everyone’s been looking for in an audio recording device: integrated mics, a gorgeous silver case with iPod-like, pocketable dimensions, SD cards for recording, rechargeable batteries you can actually replace when you need to, and some nice extras. The key question: will it fit people’s needs? You don’t want just one review; you want a whole bunch of reviews. And we’ve got them, from readers and authors all around the world who have been testing these recorders on sources ranging from acoustic music to barking dogs to interviews to ambient sound:

Full Reviews

OReilly.com: Acoustic musician and author Mark Nelson is back doing field recordings in Hawaii for his O’Reilly Digital Media review, this time with the R-09. (Last time he used the R-09′s main rival, M-Audio’s MicroTrack 24/96; the similarity between the two suggest it’s worth your time to read both reviews. See our previous mention of the Hawaii MicroTrack test for further comments.)

Mark really sums up the device as what it is — a great, portable bargain, with some slight trade-offs in audio fidelity and pro features:

Review: Edirol R-09 Pocket Digital Recorder (Thanks, David!)

The Edirol R-09 is a handy field recorder with some surprisingly sophisticated file-maintenance features. It is profoundly easy to use (once you suss out the buttons), it records to inexpensive media, and the onboard mics do a decent job. Battery life is outstanding. It looks cool, too … It’s not for everyone. Professionals will want higher sample rates, enhanced metering, and more robust mics. But they’ll have to pay a lot more.

Gizmodo: Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds got to take on the R-09 for the gadget mega-blog. You can make NPR-quality recordings, but can you master the soft-spoken, deep intonations? (The time is now thirteen minutes past the hour.)

Edirol R-09 Audio Recorder: Hands On By Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds

Still, if you’re willing to spend in the neighborhood of four hundred bucks, you can make NPR-quality recordings for podcasts or radio shows, or quality concert bootlegs. Not bad for a gadget that fits in a shirt pocket.

F7sound: Michael Oster has an extensive R-09 review, with both internal mic and external “stealth” mic tests (go, bootleggers!), at F7 sound and vision. (Thanks, Sascha!) He’s mostly happy with it, and Edirol quickly replaced a faulty unit when it failed:

It’s tiny (smaller than a microcassette – see below) and records 24 bit digital audio with a sound quality that surprised me in a good way. It’s light even with batteries and should easily fit in a shirt or pants pocket. The only gripe I have so far, and it’s been mentioned on the net via group lists and the like, is the battery cover. The cover, located at the bottom of the device is very hard to deal with and seems like it’s going to break long before anything on the rest of the unit.

Sonic Studios: This manufacturer of surround mics, portable mics, and portable preamps (among other accessories), has written its own extensive review. If you like lots of charts and graphs in your purchasing decision, this is the review for you:

Sonic Studios R-09 Review

Additional good news is both mic/line R-09 inputs have tested adequately quiet and of sufficient bandwidth for at least 16bit depth recording requirements. However, audible improvement for 24 bit depth recording is likely with the addition of high quality external mic preamplifier for lowest noise/distortion requirements.

DAT-Heads Edirol/Marantz/M-Audio comparison: The one tricky bit to sort out is the age-old “which recorder should I buy” question, particularly with M-Audio’s competing MicroTrack posessing such a similar feature set. Stephen Bezruchka, one of the portable recording gurus on the DAT-Heads mailing list, takes his R-09 head-to-head with the MicroTrack and Marantz PMD-660. His major beef with the MicroTrack is poor reliability (in his experience) and the inability to replace the battery yourself; the latter issue sounds like a deal-killer for many, especially since the MicroTrack’s higher digital recording sample rates aren’t really critical in this kind of device.

Edirol R-09 review with comparisons to Microtrack and Marantz

The Roland R-09 is compact, featured, easy to use and may become the one I use the most. It is becoming accessorized to get with the iPod mania, so there is a carrying case with a tripod on the way as well as a microphone stand adaptor to put the unit in its case on a stand to use it as a complete microphone-recorder combo. We are blessed with good recorders to choose from.

Reader Reviews

Our first reader impressions have received a number of responses from other R-09 early-adopters, with sound samples linked from comments. (More impressions and sounds from the impromptu mini-blog r09.ocbka.org.)

Here are some typical responses:

I’ve used mine for 3 days, recording nature sounds, interviews, â€Å“testâ€Â? soundbytes of traffic, aircraft, sirens, and a live concert in the park. I am AMAZED at the quality, and the sensitivity of the internal mics. -Jim Flannery

I’ve been trying it out for a couple of days, and it’s really nice sounding. The display is also very bright and easy to read. Too bad it lacks phantom powered tele ins though. The M-Audio Microtrack 2496 offers that. -Matt

For more reader reviews, ranging from the informal three-line response to an extensive list of pros and cons, see the 55 comments on the original R-09 story.

Lessons Learned

Reliability is an issue on all of these devices, presumably because of the size and some readers being early-adopters. Edirol seems to have the best track record, though, both in terms of reliability and speedy replacements, and has the added advantage of being able to replace the battery yourself if there’s a problem (something you can’t do, notably, on Apple’s iPod line).

One important note: be very careful when buying memory cards. My current preferred brand is SanDisk; their cards have been extremely reliable and are available at some still-fantastic bargain prices.

Some readers have complained about a slight hiss when recording low levels. This seems to be related to the internal mic, so your best bet is to plug in a better external mic.

48v phantom power is not available on this unit. I was erroneously told it would be on the show floor at NAMM by someone from Roland (can’t remember if it was a product specialist or PR, so I won’t cast blame), before the unit began shipping. But if you’re really serious about plugging in external mics, a preamp seems like the way to go anyway. While I can’t vouch for quality, Sonic Studios has a fascinating portable pre that looks like it’d be perfect for the R-09 and other small recorders:

Sonic Studios portable mic amps

Thanks to everyone who sent in that barrage of tips, questions, and comments. Keep them coming, on this and other products you care about!

Edirol R-09 product page

Ever since I first spotted the Edirol R-09 SD-based flash recorder at the NAMM show, it’s been an absurdly hot item. There are some 50 comments going on that item, largely from people wanting to know how it is. Only problem: I don’t have one. While I talk to Edirol about that, here’s an early reader report.

Via the CDM forums, our friend masterslave (guessing that’s not his real name), sends a detailed first impressions report, complete with sound samples. It’s not a full review, but the sound samples are impressive; the built-in mics sound great. (Never knock lowly electret-condensers; they’re cheap, reliable, rugged, and have a nice, warm sound.)

Edirol R-09 First Impressions [r09.ocbka.org]

Anyone else who’s gotten a hold of this or other gear and wants to share the results, don’t be shy!

Now it’s Edirol’s turn again with the R-09. It’s got a small, curvy form factor like the MicroTrack, costs $450 list, and includes an excellent built-in mic. How do these units compare (on paper, anyway)?

Storage medium: The R-09 uses SD cards instead of CF. I happen to have lots of high-volume SD cards around, so I like that; they’re also smaller than CF. When I last checked, 1 GB SD cards were going for as little as $75 — very cool. (Though if you’re doing a lot of field recordings and don’t want to have to keep unloading to your computer, MiniDisc remains a much cheaper way to go.)

File format: Like a numebr of new recorders, the R-09 lets you choose between uncompressed linear WAV and MP3, with MP3 bitrates up to 320 kbps. For the record, the R-09, R-1 and MicroTrack support up to 24-bit, though only the MicroTrack can record up to 96 kHz. I seriously doubt anyone would want a sampling rate that high on this recorder, though, so that’s unlikely to be a deal-breaker.

Form factor: I believe the R-09 is actually slightly smaller than the MicroTrack. It’s certainly much prettier, and the silver case is a delight to hold. I also like the extremely friendly controls on the R-09; one button gives you recording on both, but the Edirol more nearly apes the controls on an MP3 player.

Display: Here’s the best thing about the R-09: the reverse-colored LCD screen is simply gorgeous. It’s easier to read, and it’s easier on battery life (you’re only backlighting characters, not the whole screen).

Mic: Both units come with a stereo electret mic. On the MicroTrack, it’s an add-on you plug into the top. On the R-09, the mic is integrated with the device. The latter is slightly more convenient, and because this is a solid-state device, noise from the device isn’t much of an issue. Roland reps I talked to at the show said they thought this might actually be a slightly better mic than what was on the R-01, which already had impressive recording fidelity. (Stereo electret mics, while very cheap, are often underrated — while they’re not going to give you a flat recording, they can do a decent job.) The R-09 also has some nice recording options: dedicated input control, mono/stereo selector, low-cut filter, and gain boost.

Phantom power: A controversial element of the MicroTrack was its inability to put out a full 48V phantom power for mics. Not a huge issue given the target market, but Edirol said they have true 48V phantom power on the R-09. That spec isn’t on the Roland website, though, so the jury’s still out.

I/O: M-Audio retains the slight edge here, because it has balanced TRS inputs and optical inputs. The R-09 has mic and line ins (minijack), and USB. The headphone jack doubles as optical out. That’s too bad: I think there’s more of a market for optical in recording than optical out, because most of us are going to use the USB to off-load audio. Then again, if you’re not planning to do digital-in recording, the R-09 is fine.

Battery: The MicroTrack uses a rechargable Lithium-Ion battery. The R-1 and R-09 both use AA batteries (rechargeable AA’s work, too). I much prefer the latter setup, and battery life should be roughly comparable — a few hours of record time mean you’ll probably run out of storage space before you run out of juice.

Effects and Extra Features: Here’s the one remaining reason to get an R-1 over the R-09 or MicroTrack: the R-1 has 13 built-in effects (microphone simulator, noise suppressor, hum-cut, EQ, reverb, center canceller), a metronome, and a tuner. The R-09 has a reverb only. The MicroTrack has none of the above.

Conclusions: So there you have it. What we really need now is a recording run-off between the R-09 and MicroTrack, because their features and form factor are otherwise nearly identical. The MicroTrack is your choice if you want optical in, and the R-09 if you prefer a truly integrated mic and real phantom power, but the other features are so close I’d want to see extended hands-on reports with each before buying. I expect we’ll see some reviews of each soon — CDM will have to battle with every other reviewer on the planet, but if I don’t get one, I’ll point you to someone reputable who has.

What about the R-1? Edirol says they’re continuing to sell the R-1, and with good reason: the effects, metronome, and tuner remain unique. I have to admit, I like the idea of having a do-all musician’s tool, even if the R-1 is chunkier looking. I do have one of these on test, and will offer my review soon, complete with sound samples.

R-09
Pricing: $450 list, $400 street
Availability: Spring 2006

Related:

Which Portable Recorder to Buy?

iPod Nano Still Not a Recorder; Portable Recording Alternatives

O’Reilly Reviews MicroTrack USB Recorder, In Depth, In Maui