Barry Wood's NAMM Oddities 2012 Edition

 Packrat Barry

Techno Geek Toys

Oddity of the Year 2012

The Hymnotron

This instrument is designed to appeal to the devotée of spiritual music who is also familiar with binary math. In other words, it's a niche product.

The chords and inversions are selected by using combinations of the eight keys. When you select a chord the Hymnotron changes each note in the chord into just temperament to create intervals that are always perfectly in tune.

Leon Dewan and I spent about ten minutes geeking out about the Hymnotron's tuning system and about a microtonal piece I composed for The Hutchins Consort. I think we were both delighted to talk to someone who immediately understood what the other was going on about.

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The Hymnotron

Chinese Checkers for Beats

You can think of Ball Beats as a semi-analog version of a Tenori-on.

The device senses the marbles and that information is transmitted to software. A sound is triggered for that row when the beat gets the corresponding column. Check out the videos on the Alkex site to get a better understanding of how it works.

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Ball Beats

Ovoid Transducers

Yeah, they look odd (why do you think you're seeing them here?) but there are some definite sonic benefits to eliminating parallel surfaces within a monitor.

These are the next logical step beyond the Tannoy Eclipse monitors that I covered in 2002.

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Fingerprint Audio monitors

Everyone Thinks This is a Good Idea

The QuNeo touch controller is one of KickStarter's success stories by raising $165,000 dollars when they only had a $15,000 goal.

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QuNeo touch controller

Weapons of Mass Distortion

Someone call GW, we finally found them!

Their Geiger Counter bit-crusher pedal was simply beautiful in its digital brutality.

They displayed their standard model, a compact model, and an early (unpainted) version of a deluxe model.

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WMD pedals

Enter the Launch Codes, Mr. Bond

These guys turn Windows laptops into briefcases for the fast-paced life of the modern DJ.

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Valeway DJ laptop briefcase

The X Factor

I've got quite a collection of iOS music software, so I found it odd that I had somehow missed SynthX.

It's got multiple playing interface options, some of which are similar to Mugician, but SynthX takes them a couple of steps further.

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A Lighter Touch

I named full-sized stand-up version of the Emulator the 2011 Oddity of the Year. This year they were showing a tabletop version of their touchscreen interface.

This is nice but I really love its larger sibling.

  • Smithson Martin, Inc.
  • 283 Argentia Rd. Unit #22
  • Mississauga, ON L5N 5Z2, Canada
  • (888) 770-0757
  • www.smithsonmartin.com

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Smithson Martin Emulator

The Missing Link

There is some impressive audio analysis software available for iOS devices. The problem is that the built-in mic has a frequency response that's far from being flat.

The sensitivity of these small diaphragm omni-directional mics are measured at the factory. Before using them, you enter the calibration data into the analysis software. Their software also compensates for the nonlinearity of the Apple A/D convertors.

All in all, this is an impressive step forward in using iOS devices for professional measuring situations.

  • MicW Audio
  • Unit 1003, North Ring Center No.18 Yumin Road
  • Xicheng District, Beijing 100029, China
  • www.mic-w.com

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MicW Audio measurement mic

Expressway To Yr. Skull

The Palindrome PD-1 isn't picky, you can either feed it a signal or it will just generate buckets of vile noise and distortion all on its own.

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Palindrome PD-1

8-Bit Video Wall

This would have been state of the art for video projection circa 1969. This one sports about 0.08 pixels per inch.

  • If you know who makes
  • this, drop me an email

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CLU's Groovebox

Maybe the Beat Thang started life as a prop made for Daft Punk's role in "Tron: Legacy," but ended up on the cutting room floor.

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Beat Thang

When Worlds Collide

The iOS software world and modular synth world rarely intersect, but when they do, it can be impressive.

This product is quad-surround panner in a eurorack module that's controller by an iPad. Using just one iPad, you can control multiple modules for even more fun.

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Surfin Kangaroo quad-surround panner

The Tailgate Party Will Not Be Televised

…or maybe it will.

This is nice little proof of concept project to outfit the back of a car with a complete live video production rig.

  • NewTek, Inc.
  • 5131 Beckwith Blvd.
  • San Antonio, TX 78249
  • www.newtek.com

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NewTek

Aren't They Cute?

Just look at those cute little Moog knobs on their 500-series ladder filter. They're just adorable.

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Moog 500-series ladder filter

When The Earth Was Young

Stefan Schmidt has created a monster.

Amongst the dinosaurs of analog synths, this would have been the Allosaurus. While not as big as the T-Rex, it'd still be dangerous nonetheless.

This beast sports 4-oscillators for each of its 8 voices, plus a generous helping of envelopes and filters.

  • There are no web sites for this product, so here
    are a couple of write-ups I that found from its
    Music Messe showing:
  • matrixsynth
  • synthtopia

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Stefan Schmidt analog synth

You've Got To Be Kidding

Just the idea that you can do a 48 track mix, complete with effects, on an iPad is simply amazing.

Auria puts all the other products that use the catchphrase "tomorrow's technology today" to shame.

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Auria

Faux Guitar

And now something for an iPad that's a little less amazing.

The wooden guitar (for iPad) and ukulele (for iPhone) really have no function at all. They're just an ineffectual attempt to make you look less ridiculous while pretending to be a musician.

Think of this as a Hobby Horse. Except that the horse, in this case, is a guitar.

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gPad Music

It's Magic

I don't know how they did it, but this display at the DPA booth was very intriguing.

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Next Up: You Figure It Out

©2012 Barry Wood