Software developer/musician Chris Randall has announced a new hardware venture, Audio Damage Modular branded synthesizer modules:

Audio Damage is about to wade hip-deep in to the Euro Rack modular market. The reason for this is that we wanted to start releasing hardware as the next logical step in the progression of the company, and the infrastructure provided by the existing Euro-Rack market makes an entrance in to hardware releasing less risky than, say, making a Jupiter 80.

We’ve designated a new catalog line, adm (which is obviously “Audio Damage Modular”), and the first product released will be adm02, the 2io module. This is a USB1.1 class-compliant audio interface with two inputs and two DC-coupled outputs. Its main claim to fame is that it will be fully compatible with the iPad, enabling you to use any CoreAudio-compliant iPad app in a Euro-Rack modular environment.

Next, our reasoning was that in a Euro live performance rig, you might want to use plug-ins as send effects, and this would enable you to use a netbook or whatever, and a simple ASIO host, and have low latency insert effects or audio sources with your modular. (We might have a plug-in or two to recommend in that context.)

And finally, with DC-coupled outputs it can work with Volta or Silent Way as a method of controlling a modular. With only two I/O, this isn’t its prime directive, but it’ll work in that context, should you need it to.

The Audio Damage Modular adm02 sounds like a good choice for a first module, because it fills a need that a lot of modular synthesists are just discovering that they have.

The Audio Damage Modular adm02 is a work in progress, so availability and pricing are to be announced.