Reactual Lab Reviews

Review: Laser Star Projectors

cephoe — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:47:11 +0000

I’ve been testing a new Laser Star Projector from China. This projector packs a lot of impressive features into a single device (priced around $100). It has two lasers — one red laser (660 nanometer wavelength) and one green laser (532 nanometer wavelength). (...)
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Review: Digital Stethoscope by ThinkLabs

cephoe — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:16:08 +0000

Digital Stethoscope By Thinklabs

I’ve been testing this Digital Stethoscope by Thinklabs. Unlike most digital stethoscope, this one has an audio out port, which allows you to connect it to a computer or MP3 recording device. (...)
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New Amon Tobin Album Underway

cephoe — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:53:49 +0000

Amon Tobin is hunkered down in his studio deep in the redwoods of Northern Californian and has begun work on a new album. In addition to researching and developing new production tools and techniques of his own, he’s ensconced himself in a whole new array of gadgetry from the past and the future.

Tour dates and outside projects have been put on the back burner for now – Amon recently tuned down a lucrative high profile scoring opportunity — in order to focus solely on studio recording.

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Electrocompaniet Meastro – Every Component In One Box

benjamin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:41:50 +0000

Electrocompaniet Maestro (image: Electrocompaniet AS)

It’s almost as if someone announced a contest to see who could pack as much functionality as possible into one single A/V component. Norwegian audio firm Electrocompaniet would certainly be a frontrunner to win with their Maestro system, an unassuming white box that single-handedly does the work of a whole rack of electronics gear.
(...)
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Uncommon – Custom iPhone Case

benjamin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:51:04 +0000

Uncommon iPhone Cases (image: GetUncommon.com)

Why can’t a protective case for your iPhone add some style along with protection? Upload your own custom artwork and Uncommon will integrate it into a sleek, one-of-a-kind case.
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Tactile Sound: The Overlooked Gateway

cephoe — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:54:47 +0000

One of the main investigative areas here is tactile sound. So what is tactile sound exactly? It is the sensation of sound transmitted directly to the human body by contact, rather than by sound waves through the ears (or via tympatic sensation).

More specifically, it is sound perceived through bone conduction, through muscles and deep tissue, and via skin sensation. We perceive the vibrations through our haptic senses which include both kinesthetic (muscle) and touch (cutaneous) senses. We feel both inaudible (infrasonic frequencies) and audible frequencies. Thus, tactile sound is not just brute rumbles and shock waves. Tactile sound can be perceived in high fidelity up to the mid-range frequencies. According to NASA research we perceive 0-1 kHz through the sense of touch, 0-30 kHz through kinesthesia (the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body), and 0.20 kHz to 20 kHz through our ears. Note there’s an overlap — in the 0.02-1kHz range. (...)
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The Best Audio Visualizer of 2010

cephoe — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:54:48 +0000

The best audio visualizer is WhiteCap by SoundSpectrum.

I consider this piece of software a breakthrough in terms of its ability to translate audio into reactive geometrics. Excellent synchronization.

You can download a trail version for free. There are two paid versions: a $20 version called WhiteCap Gold, and a $30 version called WhiteCap Platinum. The Platinum version includes a WhiteCap screen saver and support for multiple media players.

Overall Rating: ***** (five stars)

This review was Reactual Independent Evaluation.

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Welcome To Reactual Labs

cephoe — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:18:23 +0000

Foldable Fractal by Marius Watz

Welcome to Reactual Labs. We specialize in designing automated, reactive tactile-visual systems. We design our systems using simple components and techniques. During this series, we will cover the following:

Optimizing Tactile Sound Systems
Advanced Reactual Theory
The Making Of A Phoenix Room
Minimalist Sound Rooms
A Guide To High-Fidelity Tactile Sound Reproduction
Transducer and Actuators
Isolation Capsules and Chambers
Exotic Sub-frequency Effects
The Art Of Overdrive

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Koetsu Phono Cartridges: High Tech Design Meets Old-School Artistry

benjamin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:49:17 +0000

Koetsu Urushi Vermillion Cartridge (photo: Dagogo)

Vinyl aficionados are a special brand of audiophile, combining their love of music with a love of the unique equipment that produces it. Nothing represents this more than the exquisitely designed (and expensive) cartridges produced by Koetsu.
(...)
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Best Car iPod Adapters

benjamin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:14:38 +0000

Best Car iPod Adapters

When it comes to sound quality and convenience, not all iPod car adapters are created equal. Dedicated 3.5mm input jacks are increasingly common in automobiles these days, and provide clear & direct sound transmission. But for vehicles that don’t offer auxiliary inputs, users can also play an iPod through the FM radio tuner, or even through an iPod cassette adapter. Read on to learn about five of the best car iPod adapters on the market.

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