So you’re back from holidays spent somewhere in a hot and sunny place, enjoying the a hotel or beach resort with organized activities like morning aerobics in the swimming pool and loud parties at night and where you karaokeed your lungs out of your body, and now you are missing that festive ambience? Then it is time to build this great all-analog, all-through-hole microphone amplifier and impress your friends and family once again with your vocal capabilities.

You think a CRT oscilloscope, 100% analog, is not made for “looking at music”? Well, you’re wrong: here a good old oscilloscope draws elegant animated geometric images on its screen, synchronized with music specially created for this. It’s the well-known principle of Lissajous figures, elevated here to the realms of art, matched with an amazing soundtrack. Fascinating!

We are pleased to let you know that the Elektor Store now has the 13th edition of the ever popular Linear Audio series now available for your enjoyment. This issue boasts the usual format of a series of bookzines dedicated to technical and audio perception. 

Amidst the torrent of publications released by Elektor on microcontrollers, software, programming, and embedded platforms, suddenly there is book for an audience keen on working with not so modern electronics. Paul Hetrelezis in his recent publication Retro Audio – a Good Service Guide has the wherewithal to organize and spell out the wonderful world of repairing audio equipment of the analogue variety, like tuners, turntables, cassette decks and non-class-D amplifiers with discrete parts like transistors that burn your fingers.

Putting together a stand-alone digital audio player is remarkably easy using today's small single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi in combination with a specialized Linux distribution to match. But what if you want high-end audio specifications? To meet audiophile requirements and expectations, we assembled a Raspberry Pi, a high-end a high-end PCM 1794A DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter) with excellent analogue filters, a Volume Control Unit and a touch display.

For those who want to adjust the volume of the music they listen to with analog hardware but do not want to invest in servo-controlled potentiometers here is a compromise in the shape of a so-called ‘Digitally-Controlled Analog Volume Control’. It has a serial control interface, selectable zero crossing detection and a mute function. This design was intended for use with a Raspberry Pi running Volumio, but it can be used with virtually any audio source. It even adds RC control.

Among the starter kits offered by Elektor, there are very few which are dedicated to sound production, an area of electronics which is developing rapidly. The mini synthesizer kit examined here is a product from the big German publisher Franzis, specialising in publications on electronics applications and micro computing. This full kit, partially assembled, comes with case, keyboard and loudspeaker. How do they do it for this price?

In a series of videos, Marco Reps invites you to follow his Elektor Formant Modular Synthesizer Overhaul. His opening commitment says 'I'm gonna refurbish this old electronic music instrument in several episodes'. Six have been published so far. While reconditioning, repairing, rebuilding and even redesigning, Marco recounts the resurrection of his almost 30 years old analog synthesizer.

IMS Electronics Desktop Valve Amplifier now on Kickstarter is built around Raytheon 6418 vacuum tubes (Br. E: valves) for that mellow sound, a Savi Audio SA9227 audio streaming controller (reportedly compatible with all Windows operating systems and Apple OS), and the Texas Instruments PCM5102A audio stereo DAC. Not forgetting Burr Brown OPA2134s for the vinyl preamp and headphone amp. An aluminum casing and Gorilla Glass complete the 140 x 120 x 25 mm package.

In 1991 Sennheiser built the best headphones in the world: the Orpeus. Only 350 where ever made – exclusivity at its best. To prove that they still have it, Sennheiser has now introduced the successor to the Orpheus: the HE-1. This is what could rightfully be called a piece of technology with out any compromises – made from the most noble materials, with a unique design and above all an unrivalled sound quality…