Teenage Engineering, the firm slack ultra-classy synthesizers, speakers, and PC cases, has launched a brand unusual audio system: it’s known as the TX-6, and it’s a slight (in size, not heed) enviornment mixer fully festooned with knobs. Moreover letting you combine together sound from six stereo inputs and output them to a computer, speaker, or each, in accurate Teenage Engineering style, the TX-6 can moreover act as a typical synthesizer, drum sequencer, and USB-C audio interface.
We gotta discuss those knobs first even though. By default they act as controls for a 3-band equalizer, letting you tweak the highs, mids, and lows for every enter. But a survey at Teenage Engineering’s handbook finds the loads utterly different things you could presumably well be ready to elevate out with them, from controlling compressor settings to adjusting pan or show length. Whatever you make employ of them for, you’ll be doing it in vogue; the knobs are colourful and knurled at the close, which can presumably well dangle to permit you to grip one thing that’s otherwise roughly the size of a pleasant Q-Tip.
While you could presumably well be ready to trail your eyes remote from the knobs, the the relaxation of the controls are moreover fully mint. You’ve got fader sliders (which can presumably well well be arguably more crucial than the knobs because they of route allow you to mix), a bevy of buttons, in addition as a combo button / knob for navigating menus — be silent my heart. There are moreover LED volume meters, with controllable brightness.
In relation to I/O, the TX-6 has those six audio jacks for enter (Apple might presumably well never), and three output jacks; two are 3.5 mm for aux and cue out, and the considerable output is 6.35 mm, or a quarter-trail. It’s moreover got a constructed-in battery, which Teenage Engineering says is candy for round eight hours of employ, and costs via the USB-C port that moreover handles connecting the TX-6 to your instrument. That generally is a computer or an iPhone / iPad, if you happen to’ve got a suitable cable or adapter. Again, all of this, plus those gorgeous knobs, are packed into one thing that has an fully slight kit.
By the vogue, positive I’m in a position to hear the total lot of the UK snickering that I am as soon as all over again talking about my luxuriate in of knobs. You don’t must observation about it, my sides silent crash from reading the total jokes on the closing article. But advance on, staunch study them.
For positive, I don’t are seeking to sleep on the reasonably plenty of parts of this procedure — it’s got a CNC aluminum frame, an cute slight camouflage to show you menus, and synthetic leather-primarily based backing. To me, it looks to be pretty luxuriate in an mature-college Sony instrument, nonetheless taken up a notch.
Hiya, of route, Teenage Engineering says the knobs are customizable. I’m particular there’s some parameter you could presumably well be ready to manage with them that goes to 11…
Speaking of going past the upper restrict, let’s discuss the worth. The TX-6 prices — deep breath now — $1,199. That’s for the reliable unit itself, alongside with a 3.5 mm adapter for the considerable output, and a USB-C cable. Extra cables, luxuriate in a 3.5 mm to RCA or twin-TS adapter, will heed an reasonable $10 or $15.
While that heed is sort of not probably, I struggled to own about any utterly different units luxuriate in the TX-6. The $150 Yamaha MG06X is compact, nonetheless it’d be laborious to call it tiny, and it for sure doesn’t look as cool, in my realizing. The $350 Zoom H6 can even be configured to dangle the an identical number of inputs, nonetheless it’s substantially bulkier and is nowhere attain as feature-well off as the TX-6. Plus, whereas you could presumably well employ it as a mixer, it’s with out a doubt more of a enviornment recorder. The Mackie MCaster Reside is even less costly at $230 and appears to be like to be an identical size, nonetheless it doesn’t dangle a battery and handiest has four inputs (even though one in all them is XLR, which can presumably well advance in helpful if you happen to would make a choice to glide in a microphone).
While it being in a league of its fetch might presumably well moreover simply or might presumably well moreover simply not account for its heed, the TX-6’s heed is per chance going to flip away plenty of DJ wannabes or tune making casuals luxuriate in me — even though it does depend a “DJ mode” among its many extra capabilities. But if I’m entirely staunch with myself, I’d doubtlessly expend an embarrassing amount of money to play with one for a day, staunch so I’ll presumably well feel those candy, candy knobs (all over again, I for sure shouldn’t be posting this staunch as the UK is waking up).
The TX-6 is on hand on Teenage Engineering’s web save apart.
