The Red Ferret Journal

The iRecord Pro is a simple way of recording almost anything and cramming it onto your iPhone/iPod/Zune/Blackberry/AppleTV/PSP or PC. It can do most resolutions all the way up to SD (720×480/576) at either 25 or 30fps. You can plug almost anything into it including; turntables, VCRs, CD players, DVD players, cable box or radio. You can even leave it to record programs without you being around and it can time-shift video and radio, encode video and transcode MPEG2 into H.264, have a look here for more information. Sounds very handy. US$259.99

iRecord Pro new features include direct recording to iPhone, iPod Touch, and Blackberry, plus direct recording to a PC or Mac. All this plus new timer recordings and a remote control! You simply connect iRecord Pro to your TV, DVD player, VCR, cable/satellite set-top box or any audio source, and then press one button to record directly onto your iPhone, iPod, Blackberry, USB storage device or your computer. iRecord Pro charges your iPod while connected.

Tags: gadget, irecord+pro, video+recoder, analog+to+digital+encoder

For some reason the idea of carrying around this Briefcase USB Turntable tickles our funny bits. Of course we’re easily amused, so that’s not a great help, but you can see it can’t you? Just you, the mean looking bodyguard and $69.99 worth of 3 speed, adjustable tone-arm, full range speakers marching up to the glistening Lear on the tarmac. Yeah.

 The built in speakers allow self contained playback of all the vinyl you can shake a stick at… and that’s quite a bit. What’s more however is the integrated USB port, which allows you to plug the turntable directly into your laptop and convert your oldfangled vinyl into newfangled digital audio files perfect for burning on CD or transferring to your iPod or iPhone.

The Photosimile 5000 is billed as the world’s first office photography machine, but they should also have tagged it the ‘most expensive’ light box in the universe. Sure it’s got cool remote PC controlled camera positioning in two axes, zoom and tilt, turntable, controllable lighting and cool software which will output Flash, 360 degree and watermarked images. But good grief, is that worth $18,999.00? Answers on a piece of white card with some string and halogen lights please. [Thanks Matthew]

  Place items in the light box * Use Photosimile software to: * ‘Preview’ items on your monitor screen in real time * Set camera position and tilt angle * Compose pictures with Zoom and Crop commands (Advanced camera controls are also available for Aperture, Shutter Speed, White Balance and more) * Click Snap * Pictures are automatically sent from camera to PC via USB for viewing, annotation, editing, sending and batch saving. Images can be sent via email. Recipients can download free viewing software with expressive collaboration features. (optional)

Look I’m no audiophile, and I’m sure the Clearaudio people and their Emotion SE turntable with it’s high-mass motor damping base, aluminum arm base and near silent silicon belt are all very nice. I just happen to think that a perspex turntable looks very classy, like something from Superman’s fortress of solitude. It’s a bargain too, just �1790 (US$2953) and it comes in blue, red or black versions as well. [Via AudioJunkies]

The multi-award winning Clearaudio Emotion is in a class of its own! It is the benchmark in its price point and we’re proud and happy to reach this standard. Listen to it, compare it, and believe it!

Tags: gadget, clearaudio+emotion+se, emotion+se+turntable

The Montegiro Lusso Turntable offers living proof that you can never make something too weird or expensive. The whole cone shaped ensemble is supposed to minimise any distortion from vibration and just happens to look pretty flash at the same time. Of course this sort of bizarreness costs, so you’ll need to dig deep behind the sofa cushions for the $31,000 or so. What, you want speakers too? Tsk.

 Sonically, the lusso carries you into a perfect world of sound: Between precise, crystal- line highs and weighty bass is a generous, softly melting midrange that helps produce an ideal, musically balanced turntable. Both the base version lusso singolo with three cones and one tonearm and the top-of-the-line model lusso doppio with four cones and two tonearms provide the perfect symbiosis of technique and design!

Mixxx is a free open source program for DJ mixing. It supports MP3, OGG, Wave, and FLAC, vinyl emulation (you can even mix using your vinyl deck) and supports Hercules mix hardware out of the box. BPM detection, adjustable pitch range…it’s all here dude, so go for it. All you need are the earz and the skillz. Oh and some soundz.

 Mixxx is a complete package for amateur and professional DJs alike, providing everything you need to create live mixes…Mixxx can run without any extra hardware, and is fully functional replacement for a traditional “turntables and mixer” DJ setup…Mixxx supports advanced features like comprehensive MIDI controller support, vinyl control, and multi-core CPU support.

The Real-View 3D Scanner looks like fun. The website is very sparse, but it seems as though it comes with twin stereoscopic cameras and a small turntable. Stick your product on the turntable and swivel and voila, a 3D shot in all its glory. We just have to hope that the product is better than the pathetic website they’ve put up. No price as yet.

 Real-View Corporation is proud to announce its first desktop 3D scanner. Derived from 3D image capture technology that has been developed for use in medical cameras used for non-evasive surgery, this first ever low cost 3D desktop scanner provides the consumer with the ability to scan and capture objects in full topographical 360 3D.

ART USB Phono Plus. Phono preamp and USB interface gives you the perfect way to connect old stuff like turntables or cassette decks to the computer to digitise your attic chattels. Powered from an external AC adapter or from the USB port, and look, it’s got a lovely friendly knob on it. For twiddling and stuff. Be still my audiophiliac heart. $99.00.

 The USBPhonoPlus v2 from ART is the perfect solution for connecting a turntable to a computer, to archive vinyl records or for recording the source to CD. The unit connects to the computer via USB 1.1 for the ultimate in convenience, but can also function as a stand-alone phono preamp for use in any home music situation. v2 adds better pre or post monitor source selection and a dedicated volume control for the headphone output.

Music Center with Horn. So here’s the thing. You can either switch on the working retro horn speaker option and bathe yourself in some real old fashioned scratch and growl, or admit defeat and activate the bass boost stereo speakers for that full on modern listening experience. There’s an old and painful joke about nostalgia not being what it used to be in there somewhere, but we’re not biting, OK? $199.98.

  It’s fully loaded – there’s a three-speed turntable, a full recording cassette tape system, CD player, and an AM/FM radio. It’s solid wood, too. Enjoy today’s music or a blast from the past on this super collectable. This is not just a great collectable – it’s also great sound. Whether you use the dual speakers and bass boost or push the button that activates the horn speaker, you’ll be pleased with the sound you get, ragtime to rap.

The new Numark PT01USB Portable Turntable provides an innovative solution to an age old problem. How are you going to convert all those shiny vinyl disks to digital MP3 glory while on a picnic? Yes, believe it or not, a huge percentage of the population need to do such conversion while out and about enjoying everyday life. And now they cans. Oh yess. Three speed deck, battery powered (6 D cells), USB cable included. $99.95.

 PT-01USB has an RCA line input so you can connect other sound sources such as tape decks and convert them to digital files too! RCA line outputs enable connection to your DJ system or home stereo so you can use PT-01USB as a standard record-player. In addition to the internal speaker and RCA outputs, you can also listen with headphones. With 33, 45, and 78 RPM speeds, PT-01USB works with your entire record collection. There’s even a ±10% pitch control to help you optimize your tracks for whatever need you have.

Billed as the smallest portable turntable around, this dinky little thing comes complete with twin stereo 5 watt speakers, a three speed turntable and a nice looking wood type case with sturdy clasps. Perfect for your travelling road show perhaps? $99.95.

 This is the smallest portable turntable available, capable of playing full-sized LPs through two 5-watt, full-range speakers built into the front of the hardwood case. Its three-speed belt-driven mechanism can play 33 1/3, 45, and 78-speed LPs. The diamond stylus picks up all the nuances of vinyl records, and the speakers deliver clear sound with volume and tone controls. The case’s top removes completely; both halves secure with sturdy clasps for storage or transit.

The iConverter Turntable with Radio marks a new high point in retro style geek tech. Tears of nostalgia will flow, nay flood, down your cheeks as you gently place your Loving Spoonful album on the deck for conversion to the digital universe. A lump will come to your throat as you twiddle the plastic silver knobs. Oh such happy happy times… 73.17 Euros.

Simply playback all your records through the mains powered iConverter Turntable and coupled with the software supplied, manage your music on your computer – including music restoration, shuffling songs to your liking and the compilation of your most favourite songs all into one playlist/album. Better still, the iConverter Turntable w/ Radio features an amplifier and two built-in speakers, 3 speed turntable (33, 45 & 78 rpm), AM/FM radio and 3.5mm headphone output as well as left/right RCA output.