Products you'd like, that don't exist

[Count Arthur]

I thought it would be fun to see what sort audio products people might like that don't currently exist. Maybe a some manufacturers might take notice and make them.

I'll kick off.

1. A DAC, with built in PEQ and room correction that has an input for a measuring microphone and a semi automated process, similar to IK Multimedia ARC Studio: https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/arcstudio/?pkey=arc-studio, but without the need for a separate box, or an audio interface.

2. Digital active monitors and sub-woofers. Adjacent to my previous wish, given that many active monitors used DSP, so they effectively take an analogue input, digitize it, do some digital signal processing, then convert it back to analogue: AD -> DSP -> DA. It would nice if we could do something like this:

As such, the signal is stored digitally, transmitted between the components digitally, all the processing is done in the digital domain and only converted to analogue a single time, at the final stage within the monitors or sub-woofers. Ideally this would use standardized digital connections, USB or Ethernet, maybe, and an open source protocol, so that you could mix and match brands.

3. VU meters just for show. I'd like a small box with a VU meter, that I can place on or near my monitors, preferably rechargeable, and using a built in microphone, so that no physical connections are necessary. Not practical in any sense, just decorative.

Similar things exist, but not quite what I had in mind:

Douk Audio 16-Bit MIC Sound Level Meter Music Spectrum Visualizer Analyzer Car Audio Display

Features 【Visualizing Dynamic Music】With 16 vivid blue LED lamp beads, highly sensitive microphone pickup and noise filtering function, AK_DB16L_MIC provides different display modes and all items are adjustable, incomparably and perfectly make music alive. 【Advanced and Powerful Function】The AGC...

doukaudio.com

 

[solderdude]

Holographic audio... directional audio true to each instrument as if each instrument were actually present in the living room.
Nice to have .. each instrument can be freely allocated in the listening room.

Now that would be nice... would like that but does not exist.

 

[JeremyFife]

Consistently great recordings ...

 

[Philipp]

1. A DAC, with built in PEQ and room correction

Storm Audio ISP Core 16 with Dirac Live ART

Like that?

 

[staticV3]

2. Digital active monitors and sub-woofers. Adjacent to my previous wish, given that many active monitors used DSP, so they effectively take an analogue input, digitize it, do some digital signal processing, then convert it back to analogue: AD -> DSP -> DA. It would nice if we could do something like this:

As such, the signal is stored digitally, transmitted between the components digitally, all the processing is done in the digital domain and only converted to analogue a single time, at the final stage within the monitors or sub-woofers. Ideally this would use standardized digital connections, USB or Ethernet, maybe, and an open source protocol, so that you could mix and match brands.

That's essentially the Genelec 9320A.

 

[Count Arthur]

That's essentially the Genelec 9320A.

Yes, I'm aware that there are proprietary systems along these lines, Neumann and IK Multemeda both have active monitors with measuring microphones and room correction. However, they require an all Genelec, Nuemann or IK Multimedia set-up, what I'm proposing is a universal standard.

 

[Count Arthur]

Storm Audio ISP Core 16 with Dirac Live ART

Like that?

Kind of, but hopefully a lot cheaper.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

1. A DAC, with built in PEQ and room correction that has an input for a measuring microphone and a semi automated process, similar to IK Multimedia ARC Studio: https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/arcstudio/?pkey=arc-studio, but without the need for a separate box, or an audio interface.

Merging Technology Anubis

 

[Jim Taylor]

I thought it would be fun to see what sort audio products people might like that don't currently exist

For those of us who have had hearing damage, a truly wide-band high fidelity personal listening system based on bone conduction (BAHA) would be nice. It doesn't seem to be far off, but a little nudge might be helpful.

 

[Philipp]

Kind of, but hopefully a lot cheaper.

Yeah, its funny, I was looking for such a device too, TODAY.

Thought the same thing. Get rid of a null and I order this beauty today, who wouldn‘t?

 

[boxerfan88]

A very high quality analog crossover with user selectable XO point & slope, high SINAD at a reasonable price. Kinda like a souped up dbx234XL.

 

[Koeitje]

Small 5.2 or 7.2 surround processor with only digital inputs and room correction. Can add more channels or Atmos if that is needed to bring it to market, all I care about is that is small (cd-player size).

 

[Power Pop 23]

A new, solidly-built, 3-head cassette deck. One designed with tight tolerances and the ability to ENCODE tapes with Noise Reduction.

A young relation received a stocking stuffer of a "mix tape". I am now "under contract" to record and deliver mix tapes in 2025 using a Marantz PMD 430 portable "field" recorder. The Sony model below was my primary source of music (recorded vinyl) for many years.

Sony TC-K555 Stereo Cassette Deck

Sony,TC-K555 Stereo Cassette Deck,3 Heads,Dolby-C NR,Full Logic Control,Metal Tape,Dual Capstan,Stereo,Digital Meters

www.cassettedeck.org

 

[Esprit]

2. Digital active monitors and sub-woofers. Adjacent to my previous wish, given that many active monitors used DSP, so they effectively take an analogue input, digitize it, do some digital signal processing, then convert it back to analogue: AD -> DSP -> DA. It would nice if we could do something like this:

How is this different from a Genelec SAM connected digitally (AES/EBU) and using GLM for calibration?

 

[EERecordist]

I thought it would be fun to see what sort audio products people might like that don't currently exist. Maybe a some manufacturers might take notice and make them.

I'll kick off.

1. A DAC, with built in PEQ and room correction that has an input for a measuring microphone and a semi automated process, similar to IK Multimedia ARC Studio: https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/arcstudio/?pkey=arc-studio, but without the need for a separate box, or an audio interface.

2. Digital active monitors and sub-woofers. Adjacent to my previous wish, given that many active monitors used DSP, so they effectively take an analogue input, digitize it, do some digital signal processing, then convert it back to analogue: AD -> DSP -> DA. It would nice if we could do something like this:

View attachment 430258
As such, the signal is stored digitally, transmitted between the components digitally, all the processing is done in the digital domain and only converted to analogue a single time, at the final stage within the monitors or sub-woofers. Ideally this would use standardized digital connections, USB or Ethernet, maybe, and an open source protocol, so that you could mix and match brands.

I have something like that in my system in the form of the DBX Driverack PA2. It is designed to go in the rack between the mixer and a PA or concert amplifier or active speakers. They are not expensive, easily available used and they probably are rentable.

The DBX is configurable, so it can be used as the crossover between the sub and the mains, and can act as an active crossover for biamping the mains.
It has a pad app that improves the user interface. It has a microphone input and auto EQ. I don't use its limiter, but that is essential for the DJs who keep turning up the output volume on the mixer. Any sound person will tell you, that control should simply be bypassed internally. The Driverack has the proprietary DBX subsonic synthesizer, though I think today there are others who have designed around the patents.

What I would like to see added is the ability to add software plugins in a user interface on a pad you can walk around the room with. The FabFilter has a great user interface.

Add, more speakers without ports. With DSP and low cost power, there is no need for ports.

 

[DVDdoug]

3. VU meters just for show. I'd like a small box with a VU meter, that I can place on or near my monitors, preferably rechargeable, and using a built in microphone, so that no physical connections are necessary. Not practical in any sense, just decorative.

I built a pair of "giant LED VU meters" which is almost like a regular LED VU meter but with the LEDs spaced 3-4 inches apart and built-into 8-foot black PVC pipe. It's not any kind of useful meter... It's a meter effect. It continuously self-calibrates based on a moving averages so top LED is activated by the current peaks. The scale is also "compressed" to cover a smaller dB range than a regular meter for lots of "LED action" with loud & quiet sounds.

I used an Arduino microcontroller so that allowed several features and functions so it doesn't get too boring - It can randomly reverse so it goes down instead of up, it can invert so louder turns more LEDs off, and it can "mirror", so it goes from the center-out. All of these functions can be randomly mixed-and-matched. Then, it's got 6 more blinking-sequencing effects, all with the same invert/reverse/mirror variations, and some effects have other variations. It's got switches to lock-in an effect, with or without the variations, or can randomly switch effects every 90 seconds or so.

 

[RHO]

Storm Audio ISP Core 16 with Dirac Live ART

Like that?

The stereo version would be great. Like a 2.1 or 2.2 version.

 

[Philipp]

Yo!

would be great

2.2, I‘m in.
If only I had a ton of money!

… and the other channels I would use to shoot nulls out, get Dirac live ART something to work with.

 

[jcarys]

For years I've wanted noise canceling devices that you can place on windows. So when some idiot goes rumbling down the street with all the fenders vibrating from his subs, the magic device will nullify what I hear in the house. It doesn't have to be perfect, I'd take a 60db reduction. Something transparent that you can stick on the window and not obscure the view would be optimal. I've got cash in hand to buy one for every window in the house.

 

[xaxxon]

Yes, I'm aware that there are proprietary systems along these lines, Neumann and IK Multemeda both have active monitors with measuring microphones and room correction. However, they require an all Genelec, Nuemann or IK Multimedia set-up, what I'm proposing is a universal standard.

Standards

xkcd.com