Miselu Neiro Android-powered synth hands-on at SXSW (video)

This is the Miselu Neiro, a "portable, net-enabled social music device" which was announced this weekend at SXSW. We were able see and handle the first-ever prototype fresh off the lab bench at the SoundCloud Open House in Austin. The app-based, Android-powered synth features a two octave velocity and pressure-sensitive keyboard, a capacitive multitouch widescreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and even a webcam. Battery life is expected to be in the five to six hour range. The laptop-sized instrument features audio I/O, MIDI I/O, two USB ports, an HDMI port and an SD card slot. It currently runs Gingerbread on a dual-core TI OMAP processor -- although those aren't the final specs.

While the silicon valley startup is mum on pricing and availability, it's teamed up with Yamaha to outfit the device with an NSX-1 DSP chip (for high-quality synthesis and effects) and with Retronyms to create a powerful suite of touch-controlled, cloud-enabled musical apps in time for launch. The instrument also includes a dock area for accessories (such as a speaker bar) and the company plans to license the interface to third-party manufacturers.

Beyond the Neiro prototype, Miselu also showcased its older, larger, proof-of-concept device (controlling Ableton Live via MIDI / OSC over WiFi) and a USB-powered digital speaker cabinet built in partnership with Onkyo that integrates Trigence's Dnote technology for high-quality audio reproduction using only 500mA of power. Check out the pictures in our gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video -- complete with a walkthrough by CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa and a drum-machine demo.

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Miselu to Showcase its Net-Enabled Social Music Device "Neiro" Featuring Yamaha Technology at SXSW 2012

Mountain View, CA - March 8, 2012 - Miselu, a Silicon Valley startup designing innovative musical solutions, announced today that early samples of the upcoming Miselu "neiro" device will be shown at this year's SXSW in Austin, Texas and that it features technology from Yamaha.

The Miselu "neiro" is a portable, net-enabled social music device with a musical keyboard and a wide multi-touch display, and a variety of musical apps and cloud services. This Android-based mobile companion invites users to perform, create, learn, discover and share - from anyplace they go. Social is integral to the Miselu "neiro" and permeates through all applications. The open platform environment will also enable developers and users to build their own custom apps and solutions.

Yamaha is providing the upcoming "neiro" with the Yamaha AudioEngine (TM) Series Sound Chip NSX-1. This powerful synthesizer engine delivers a quality that almost matches the sound of real musical instruments. The DSP chip offers a larger variety of sound effects such as reverb, chorus and EQs that create a rich sound experience.

"The capabilities of the NSX-1 will make our device even more exceptional and give its users endless possibilities in music performance and creation," said Miselu CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa. "Overall, we are extremely excited to be part of SXSW this year. It is the perfect event to show the prototype of 'neiro' for the first time."


Miselu Teams with Onkyo and Trigence to Deliver Powerful, Energy-Efficient Digital Speakers for its Upcoming Net-enabled Social Music Device

Mountain View, CA - March 8, 2012 - Miselu, a Silicon Valley startup designing innovative musical solutions to connect people in new ways, Onkyo Corporation, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio/video products and home theater systems, and Trigence Semiconductor, the inventor of Dnote™ full digital audio signal processing technology, today announced that they are forging a partnership to deliver the world's first full digital speaker system for electronic musical instruments.

Onkyo is integrating Trigence's Dnote full digital signal-to-speaker processor to manufacture a compact, powerful and low-power consuming digital speaker for the upcoming Miselu neiro, a portable, net-enabled social music device with a musical keyboard and a wide multi-touch display, and a variety of musical apps and cloud services. This innovative full digital speaker reproduces all the information present in digital audio sources to their fullest.

Adding and reproducing digital signals directly from digital sources such as MP3, MP4 and MKV audio/video files and MIDI encoded music make it possible to play the sound from these sources with all the quality they possess, without loss. In addition to delivering powerful sound quality, the jointly developed digital speakers are highly energy efficient. Requiring only a fraction of power consumed by conventional analog speakers, Miselu is able to deliver a powerful sound experience in its small and portable entertainment devices.

"We are very proud to announce our partnerships with leading companies in the audio and digital speaker space," said Miselu CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa. "Onkyo and Trigence are synonymous with stellar sound and exceptional audio performance. They will enhance the users experience for the upcoming Miselu 'neiro' by helping us save energy for mobility and provide longer battery life."

Retronyms Developing Music Software for Revolutionary "neiro" from Miselu

San Francisco - March 9, 2012 - Today Retronyms, creators of the innovative iPad music-studio app, Tabletop, is thrilled to announce their partnership with Miselu, in support of the Miselu "neiro," the first net-enabled social musical instrument with wide-touch display. The "neiro" combines best-in-class components from a number of industry partners and a custom-built distribution of the Android OS, tailored specifically for the needs of music & other media-centric apps.

Retronyms co-founder Dan Walton says, "The 'neiro' device fits in perfectly with our company's mission to put everyone in touch with their inner musician and we couldn't be happier to work with Miselu on this truly ground-breaking new device."

Having spent the last several years harnessing the new possibilities of the iPhone & iPad for music composition & performance, Retronyms will be bringing their expertise in designing intuitive touch-based music software to the "neiro" by creating a suite of powerful apps designed to help users start writing & playing full, pro-quality songs within minutes after first touching the device. These apps emulate tools found in professional recording studios & software packages, but even users without any existing knowledge of music production will find them expressive, playable and fun.

Miselu CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa says, "We are excited to work with Retronyms as they have been part of the touch-based music software movement since the very beginning and have proven time after time that they are among the best in this category."

The Retronyms apps will be included with the device at launch.