Looking for all the world like a high-end audiophile stereo radio receiver as much as pro audio equipment, the shiny, new Symphony I/O has arrived from Apogee. It’s a top-of-the-range audio interface designed for low latency, high-quality digital-to-analog conversion, and quality clocking, as well as flexible input and output, coming from a company known in the category. With Pro Tools HD support, it’s also a rival to Avid’s own audio interfaces, while also working with all major Mac DAWs – even Ableton Live. You’re talking an investment of a few grand here, depending on configuration, so this isn’t likely to appeal to every bedroom producer. But pricing, starting at US$3690 with the I/O modules, also isn’t astronomical.

Another big highlight: Ethernet and USB releases planned for later in the fall mean the Symphony I/O is a viable alternative for mobile, laptop-based users, not just PCI as on Avid’s Pro Tools HD interfaces. That makes the Symphony interesting as a solution for the road. (The Symphony also works as a standalone converter, not just as an interface.)

Your best bet – check out the full specs from Apogee.
Symphony I/O

I’m mostly ignorant of high-end audio boxes; I can speculate about them a bit as I would pro baseball. I can, say, however, that the trend in converter quality has absolutely been to greater quality for dramatically lower price. It’s also notable that configuring and using converters is much easier than it used to be. The Symphony I/O makes it easy to switch DAWs (though sadly only on Mac, not other OSes), and even plans 64-bit kernel support on Mac OS later this fall. It’s a far cry from the days in the 90s when you’d spend a couple of days mucking about with Mac classic drivers and expansion chassis just to get a Power Mac to do any audio recording at all. (I’m unfortunately more knowledgeable about that than I care to be; I’d like to leave that in the 90s with memories of the Lewinsky scandal.)

What I can offer is the first-hand thoughts of a very biased – but also very interesting – source. Kevin Vanwulpen is one of the engineers at Apogee, responsible for firmware, software, and digital engineering. He was excited enough about his baby that he wrote me an extended explanation of why it’s cool and why it matters. Note that this is not an official PR line (I’m sure PR’s not going to be terribly happy to see it – blame me, not Kevin, guys). And it should be taken with a grain of salt; this device is basically family to Kevin. But taken as such, I do enjoy hearing engineers talk about their creations, so here’s what Kevin has to say.

Executive summary of the highlights from Kevin:

• The converters sound a lot better.
• “Modes” for working with a variety of DAWs makes switching Logic, Live, and Pro Tools far easier. (That’s not news for your basic audio interface, but it’s new to interfaces of this class.)
• Analog fans, this is DC capable. Route control voltage to your heart’s content.

Peter Cocteau’s NXT-606, an 8-bit, sample-based drum machine built on LEGO’s Mindstorms prototyping platforming, has already been making the geek blog rounds. But let’s consider it here as more than just novelty. First, there’s a new video which better demonstrates the instrument, how it functions, and how it was developed.

Second, there are design features of this project that I think are worth admiring beyond the sheer “because you can” achievement (which is, I’ll admit, formidable, as well).

• Brilliant, minimal design: Peter cleverly consolidates controls on two knobs, as seen in the new video, without requiring laborious menu navigation or making multiple functions of those knobs confusing. Some major manufacturers could learn something from the efficiency of the design here.
• Friendly housing: Apple’s 80s-model computer designs were a model of making case designs friendly and approachable. We’ve rarely seen that “read” as well with musical instruments. Here, a combination of slick LEGO parts and clever layout get that feeling on an instrument.
• Focused utility: Part of the reason the housing and interface don’t get overwhelming is because the NXT-606 doesn’t try to do too much. It’s just a simple, sampled drum machine and not more, which makes it more drool-worthy, not less.
• Rapid prototyping and visually-developed software. I’d be a little happier with LEGO if the Mindstorms and NXT were more open, but it’s clear to see the advantages of this solution, as well. Check out the rapid, visual programming that went into the software development. There’s plenty that more open projects could learn. (This is doubly exciting after the revelation of the new AppInventor project for Android, though we may have to wait some time before we get to play with that.

All in all, kudos to Peter. And don’t be surprised when everyone wants these.

See also the original video, which also includes detailed specs, as well as the forum post. And if you have an NXT, you can try this out yourself.

Updated: I asked creator Peter about his work. Here’s what he has to say about a design that has been a childhood dream — literally:

As they did with their previous Kontrol X1, Native Instruments is using a live appearance to tease new hardware before they make details public. (And believe me, I asked for more detail – this is all we’ve got.) In contrast to the diminutive Kontrol X1, though, this is a fully-integrated controller capable of providing tangible access to everything in Traktor. As is clearly visible in the video, that includes not only mixing and effects (and presumably looping and browsing) controls, but also two impressive-looking virtual turntable platters (jog wheels) – something that could perhaps finally threaten devices like the Pioneer CDJ.

This time, it’s Dubfire at Ibiza’s Space Lounge. (That’s right; you don’t have to be in Germany to see NI hardware early after all.)

Clarification – quadruple your enjoyment: There are two jog wheels, so two “decks” in the sense of platters you can control physically at once. There indeed appear to be mix controls for up to four decks, which makes perfect sense for Traktor’s up-to-four-deck controls. We’ll get official details from NI once they start talking. Thanks to readers for the feedback (and I can see that four decks matters to someone, at least here among CDM readers).

DJs have some choices when it comes to controller hardware for Traktor; NI themselves have pushed compatibility with a variety of hardware, and we’ve recently covered boutique options from Faderfox and Livid, to name just a couple of examples. But if NI has nailed the jog wheel component, this could be interesting. I’m hopeful, too, that like controllers like the integrated device for Maschine, NI will support MIDI, as that could open up fun applications well beyond just Traktor.

Stay tuned, and if you have questions, let us know now and I hope NI will answer them when they launch. NI promises more news next month. (NI PR in a note to me wondered if CDM covers DJ tech; I say it’s fair game and we’ve broken an occasional storiy over the years, largely thanks to tips from you readers. So bring on the tough questions.)

Operating small runs out of his basement, Justin Owen is on a mission to bring his idiosyncratic, all-analog sounds to musicians in affordable, portable form.

“Affordable” and “portable” often aren’t associated with analog, though even players as big as KORG have gotten in on the game recently, with KORG’s monotron. Now that musicians are spoiled for choice in “things making noise with numbers or electricity,” though, I think there’s added pressure. For lack of a better way to put it, you have to be interesting.

And Justin’s circuits are indeed interesting. The latest addition is entitled “Kicker,” a 100%-analog “low frequency percussion synth” that’s as specialized as it sounds. At GBP95, I don’t doubt that some of the few dozen of these that will ever be made will find their way into digital workflows. For my part, I’ve hidden my wallet in the other room and placed a block filter on eBay. (Don’t ask about the other evening when James Grahame of Retro Thing and I narrowly avoided investing in multi-port MIDI merge racks.) But I have got some details on this gear for you, and some thoughts from Justin about his approach.

Livid Instruments has just revealed their next hardware controller. Well, sort of revealed – this evening on Twitter, they declared that it was a “Top secret sneak peek of our new controller.” Top secret – you know, just on the Internet. No one will see it there. It’s full of encoders, if that’s your thing. It’s called, cleverly, the “Code.” In addition to accompanying Livid’s own grid controllers, put this next to a monome, and you can manipulate continuous parameters alongside triggers. I could imagine someone doing some insane granular patch with an absurd number of parameters using this. Update: those encoders are both pushbuttons and encoders, says Livid, opening up still more possibilities.

Update – yep, judging from reactions so far, people like them some encoders.

But it’s doubly worth posting early partly because of this:

Boulier by Yann Girard was one of the nicer entries to our musical future competition with Portugal’s Digitopia at Casa da Musica. Unbeknownst to Yann, Livid was already working on such a design before his entry. At the same time, I prefer his mock-up, entirely made of encoders with nothing else, and with LEDs embedded in the cap. (Knobnome, anyone?) Of course, the Code has one significant advantage — it’s real. But who knows, maybe someone will realize this alternative design, too.

Hint: Livid’s own Builder platform would be one option, as it’s got guts related to the Code and is wired for just this sort of array o’ stuff.

For more pictures:
Code First Looks [Livid Instruments @ Livid]
Via Livid Instruments

Just remember, don’t tell anyone.