A New Class of Audio Control: Dynamic Re-Tuning of Concert Pitch

October 6, 2017, Denver, CO. Today at RMAF, Schiit Audio previewed The Gadget, the first of a new class of "Music Signal Processors," intended to enhance the experience of recorded music. The Gadget dynamically re-tunes music to C=256Hz without altering tempo, and allows the user to change the re-tuning frequency and A/B the result. The result, many listeners report, is greater satisfaction with their recorded music.

"The Gadget has been described as a 'digital joint,' an 'aaaahhh box,' and a 'music immersion processor,'" said Mike Moffat, Schiit's Co-Founder and head of digital development. "Many listeners want to listen longer, and enjoy listening more, with The Gadget."

The Gadget is the first product of a years-long research project into tuning and subjective effects, Schiit's "Manhattan Project." This research began when Mike Moffat began wondering why some older instruments—specifically banjos and mandolins—sounded better than their newer counterparts. This led to the discovery of “tap tuning,” and the increase in tuning frequency over time. After primitive pitch- and tempo-shifting versions were first developed in Summer 2015, Mike brought on a full-time Ph.D to develop new, proprietary, high-quality and efficient algorithms for pure pitch-shifting. "This is not about mumbo-jumbo, mysticism, or conspiracy theories," said Mike Moffat. "The Gadget uses a 100% proprietary algorithm implemented on an Analog Devices SHARC processor, and it's unlike anything that's ever been offered before." Unlike some recent attempts to improve recorded music, The Gadget is 100% single-sided and does not require any encoding or decoding. It does not incorporate DRM of any form, including phone-homes, selective degradation, or device serialization and deauthorization. It does not require licensing fees from recording studios, artists, or end-users.

The Gadget being previewed at RMAF is a single-purpose, digital-in and digital-out device. Commercially available versions with multiple inputs are expected to be available in Q1 2018 at a cost of about $200.

About Schiit Audio

Founded in June 2010 by Jason Stoddard and Mike Moffat, Schiit has grown into a leader in affordable high-end audio, with a wide range of products spanning DACs, preamps, power amps, and headphone amplifiers from $49 to $2299.