recording

While it's definitely not a good idea to record a phone call without the other person's permission, there certainly are times when doing so with their permission could come in handy. The Magmo lets iPhone users do so in what looks like a quick and easy fashion.

Last month, Teenage Engineering launched the first in a new line of portable audio products, the gorgeous but expensive TX-6 mixer. Now the company has revealed the second member of the field family, a modern reworking of its iconic OP-1 synth.

IK Multimedia has added something of a Swiss Army knife audio interface to its iRig line. The 4-in/2-out Pro Quattro I/O is aimed at musicians and digital content creators, and promises broadcast quality results in the studio or out in the field.

Japan's Sonicware has developed a hand-held groove machine for folks who create music using sounds from the world around them. The SmplTrek is a sonic sampler with a built-in sequencer that can also serve as an audio interface for live streaming.

Guitarists who want to take a six-string buddy along for a trip have plenty of options, but compromises usually need to be made. The Mogabi smart guitar travels a different path by cramming all manner of useful functionality into a portable package.

Musicians can use computer-based music production platforms to record, mix and produce songs, but some prefer the more tactile experience afforded by dedicated hardware. That's what the R20 from Japan's Zoom Corporation provides.

Whether you're an engineer at a recording studio or a musician producing your own tracks on a laptop, you need to be able to hear all the uncolored details. The latest open-back reference headphones from Sennheiser are designed for just that.

Beijing-based Mobvoi has launched a digital dictation machine called the AI Recorder that taps into artificial intelligence to automatically transcribe audio, making it a useful addition to the travel bag of journalists, students and business folk.

Vienna's Austrian Audio has announced its first open-back circumaural headphones, which have been designed for the mixing and mastering workflows of studio professionals but could also find themselves wrapped around the heads of audiophiles.

Audio gear maker M-Audio has launched two USB interfaces geared at folks who are looking to break into computer-based recording, podcasting, live streaming and more, without emptying their bank accounts.

Korg has today unleashed the Nautilus performance synthesizer and workstation, which harnesses the power of its flagship Kronos system, but is presented in a more streamlined packaged designed for musicians, songwriters and producers.

IK Multimedia's Axe I/O guitar interface now has a baby brother. The Solo is a cheaper, more compact bus-powered version of its impressive sibling, with two inputs and three outputs, instrument tone shaping and music production software bundled in.