TEAC Selects ADI Blackfin Processor for New Chromatic Tuner/Recorder

“Because of our previous success working with ADI’s SHARC processors, we knew that we’d be able to deliver a new category of product in a short period of time. The PT-7 is a smaller sized, portable tuner with advanced recording features and low-power consumption,” said Shinya Yoshino, General Manager of TASCAM Development Management Department, TEAC Corporation. “The reason we selected Blackfin was because this low-power processor provides all the necessary features in one chip while also delivering sufficient performance for our future TASCAM products.”

TASCAM’s PT-7, a unique combination chromatic tuner, metronome and memo recorder, features a high-speed chromatic tuner, adjustable to eight alternate scales, making it ideal for students to use when tuning their wind and string instruments. An oscillator tone is also available for pitch reference. The metronome plays out from the built-in speakers or headphones at rates of 30 to 300 BPM in eight different time signatures and four special beat patterns. The PT-7 also includes a visual display to keep track of the pitch of the musical notes. Another innovative feature of this new device is a monophonic recorder that employs an internal microphone, which provides 20 minutes of recording time for song ideas or practice playback. Recorded musical notes can be looped or slowed down without changing the pitch, so that students can learn to play along with the instructor’s example.

The Blackfin BF523C is at the heart of the system, enabling robust digital signal processing, including detection/analysis, signal conversion and recorder functions, as well as user interface control. Because the Blackfin BF523C provides an integrated audio codec, it helped TEAC to reduce board space and BOM cost. The PT-7 also uses Analog Devices’ power management ADP2102 DC-to-DC Converter and the SSM2305 Class-D Audio Amplifier.

“ADI is pleased to once again have the opportunity to work with TEAC on the introduction of an innovative product,” said Colin Duggan, Industrial and Instrumentation Product Line Director for ADI’s General Purpose Digital Signal Processing Division. “Blackfin is ideally suited for this application because of its ability to process high quality audio while executing microprocessor- type tasks at a great price/performance point. All of these factors allow TEAC to provide superior products to its customers.”

A Convergent Future Demands Blackfin-Class Processing

Analog Devices’ Blackfin 16/32-bit embedded processors enable engineers to advance the intelligence, functionality and connectivity of any application that benefits from a convergence of digital signal processing and control processing in a unified architecture. Delivering exceptional price/performance and energy efficiency, and complemented by a rich ecosystem of development tools, applications and third-party support, Blackfin is the processor of choice for a wide range of innovative applications including industrial, medical, automotive, security, digital home entertainment and portable devices. Blackfin can be found on Twitter: @Blackfin and/or the LinkedIn Group: Analog Devices Blackfin.