Computer Hardware

At the Winter NAMM Show, Line 6 introduced the ToneCore DSP Developer Kit, a programmable stomp box effects development platform that lets anyone with a PC and an interest in Digital Signal Processing become a hardware effects developer and distributor.
For the first time, anyone with an interest in DSP software development can write, develop, test, [...]

Winter NAMM Show Update: MOTU introduced the 828mk3 ($795), a cross-platform FireWire audio interface with on-board effects and mixing.
New features include a 32-bit floating point DSP for digital mixing and effects processing, more I/O, 192 kHz operation, true hi-Z guitar inputs, signal overload protection, digitally controlled analog input trims on all inputs, two banks of [...]

Winter NAMM Show: Alesis introduced their USB Pro Drum Kit, which combines the Trigger|iO interface with drum kit controller hardware to give you a complete, computer-friendly electronic percussion kit.
Everything has a USB connector on it now - but this could be the biggest USB gadget ever.
All of the pads in the USB Pro Drum Kit [...]

NAMM Update: Alesis intro’d the M1 Active 320 USB speaker system.
Features include:

USB 1.1 audio interface
16-Bit / 44.1-48 kHz recording and playback
Pro-grade 1/4″ plugs and standard RCA jacks
TRS headphone output
Two 1/4″ phone jack inputs
Stereo 1/8″ TRS mini-jack input
Stereo RCA inputs
1/8″ TS output to passive speaker
Switchable power supply
Magnetically shielded for safe placement near TV and computer monitors

M1 [...]

Soundware and software distributor ILIO has announced a interesting program with hard drive maker Glyph Technologies to offer hard disk pre-installed with virtual instruments.
ILIO’s G-TIP (Glyph–Turnkey Installation Program) packages will include virtual instrument software from Vienna Symphonic Library and Synthogy pre-installed on Glyph hard drives. Purchasers of these packages may register their software with the [...]

NAMM Show Update: Stanton DJ announced the SC System, the company’s new set of digital controllers for the professional DJ.
This was one of the nicer pieces of DJ gear introduced at the Winter NAMM Show.
The Stanton SC System is comprised of the SCS.1d deck and the SCS.1m mixer; both advanced control surfaces that preserve the [...]

At the NAMM 2008 Winter Show, Novation launched Nocturn, their most affordable hardware controller to date,.
Featuring the latest Automap Universal 2.0 software, exclusive to Novation controllers, Nocturn provides automatic, instant and intelligent control of all automatable plug-ins within every major sequencer, including Pro Tools.
Nocturn features eight touch-sensitive rotary encoders, each equipped with a bright eleven-LED [...]

NAMM Update: The MPD32 is Akai Professional’s latest pad controller for musicians and DJs. Using a USB cable to connect to a PC or Mac, the MPD32 is designed for hardware control of programs like Reason, Ableton Live and GarageBand.
The MPD32 is the only pad controller on the market to feature the MPC Note Repeat [...]

Mick Grierson offers this video of his brain-controlled music interface in action:

“This video shows me demoing my initial Brain Computer Music Interface. There are many ways that I can improve this system (it’s still a bit slow at the moment), but I think it demonstrates the potential of the idea well enough. This video was [...]

Rain Recording, creator of purpose-built computer systems for audio production, has introduced an new mobile audio workstations - the LiveBook Zephyr mobile songwriter laptop.
While Apple systems have become the first choice of many audio producers, the LiveBook Zephyr looks like a great alternative for those that prefer Windows or have to work on Windows.
LiveBook Zephyr [...]

The One Laptop Per Child project is shipping computer now, and they’re offering a deal where you can buy a laptop for $400 and they will donate another laptop to a needy child.
The OLPC laptop is pretty stripped-down hardware-wise, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it to make music. It comes with several music-making [...]

Fairlight has launched the Xynergi digital production center, a new type of computer interface that, at least according to the company, not only fundamentally alters the way that media professionals interact with content but is also offering the global computing industry a new transformational keyboard technology.
The keyboard changes its interface on the fly. Check it [...]

Digidesign is now shipping the new Digidesign C|24 mid-format control surface for Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools LE systems.
Shown publicly for the first time last month at the AES (Audio Engineering Society) convention in New York, the new C|24 draws upon the legacy of the acclaimed Digidesign Control|24, offering a professional, powerful, and affordable solution [...]

PreSonus has dropped the prices for the PreSonus Inspire 1394 and FaderPort to $149 (estimated street price in the US).

The INSPIRE 1394 is a FireWire Recording System featuring professional quality 24-bit/96k analog to digital conversion rate, four simultaneous inputs, software control panel as well as audio recording and production software.
The microphone and instrument preamplifiers loaded [...]

Rain Recording has introduced the LiveBook Diablo, a laptop designed for digital audio use. The portable computer is available with a 2.93Ghz Core 2 Extreme desktop processor from Intel, 3 Gigabytes of RAM and a 200 Gigabyte, 16mb buffer hard drive,
Other features include a built-in biometric fingerprint scanner; 2 Megapixel webcam with face tracking technology; [...]