In 1978, I introduced a self-developed digital pitch transposer with delay, sound sampling, and sequencer functionality to a large audience for the first time at the Tonmeistertagung in Berlin. Thanks to its great success, a licensing agreement was made with Barth KG, which produced 50 units of the Barth AUDIOS in the early 1980s, incorporating my patented “glitch-free audio loop.” Conny Plank and Nikolaus Heyduck contributed key additional features: the “vibrato-delay” (Conny) and “step sequencer” (Niko). Peter Leunig (developer of the first Kraftwerk vocoder) established my connection to this Hamburg company and later helped bring the AUDIOS into production.

Its sounds shaped the pop and film music of the 1980s and have since been featured on an estimated 100 million records. Depending on memory configuration, the device cost up to 15,000 DM. The Barth AUDIOS is still used in current music productions and continues to grow in popularity, especially since word has spread that “my baby” can now be retrofitted with numerous modular interfaces. I look forward to presenting its new features and sounds!

From the start, the AUDIOS was 40 years ahead of its time, and that’s how it’s going to stay!

REVIVAL

An Upgrade of Superlatives as of May 2019!

Following extensive functional expansions, the AUDIOS now enters the modular world. It retains its much-loved signature sound and, above all, its wonderfully intuitive handling.

This was made possible by the open device architecture originally designed to be perfect for future upgrades.

Custom requirements can be implemented. Feel free to inquire.

Photo: © Klaus Fischer

SOUND EXAMPLES

In its basic setting, the AUDIOS provides top-notch, clear stereo pitch transposing in real time with extremely low latency. When needed, however, it can also take on a life of its own, as in the following example: a film composer used it in feedback mode without any input signal to create an intensely monstrous sound. How exactly he achieved this remains his personal expertise (we can only guess). He gave us permission to share the result here:

More examples will follow (we’re working on it).