IntroductionMeet the Teenage Engineering TX-6, which I’ll just refer to as the TX6 for this post. I discovered this device earlier in 2023 after the thread about the TP-7 was started here (
https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=202354.0). You can find the general manufacturer website at
https://teenage.engineering/products/tx-6
[
Stock TX6 Picture]
The TX6 is a unique little device. I’m not kidding when I say little, you don’t really appreciate how small it is until you hold it. It’s effectively a six stereo input mixer, with some decent functions with effects + eq + compressor + etc. Inputs are 1/8” stereo inputs, which can also be routed as outputs. There are three standard outputs with a main 1/4" headphone jack, along with two customizable 1/8” jacks at the bottom. Internal power is recharged with the single USB-C port at the top, which seems to run the deck for 7-8 hours.
There are bunch of other features it has specifically related to the mixing element of the deck, but I’m going to skip on a lot of that for now. This is taperssection, so we’re all about recording! This device is not really designed for recording, although they did create a rudimentary USB stick recording ability with a later firmware update. It doesn’t have any onboard memory, or built-in recording abilities. However, it can work as a soundcard for phone or computer, which can then record.
USB Recording via external driveOne of the later firmware updates allows for recording onto a USB stick. Pretty nifty, until you realize that it only records the stereo matrix mix from the TX6, not each individual input. While that may work for some, I’ve got plenty of other ways to record stereo files, and really has no use for me.
[USB Stick with TX6]
Here’s where the TX6 shines. It can connect via USB-C to either a phone or computer and operate as a soundcard. From your DAW program, you can route the inputs to your armed recording tracks just like any other multitrack input.
Like with any phone recording option, I would highly recommend having a dedicated phone with the TX6. No need to have other applications running to affect stability or resource management. I have a phone that only gets turned on when utilizing the TX6. I uninstalled every app I could except the DAW app, disabled the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/Cell, etc. Exclusively for recording.
Phone typesI tried really hard to get it to work with Android, but no such luck. Got it to work with four of the six inputs on one specific program, and nothing else. It was infuriating one night when I was trying to get it to work with Android for hours, and then I plugged it into my girlfriend’s iPhone 6 (older phone) and I had it working on a DAW in 30 seconds. Guess it’s really only friendly with iOS.
Lightning & USB-CI’ve used the TX6 with an iPhone 12 Pro and an iPhone 15 Pro Max. One of the biggest differences is the 15 uses USB-C like the TX6, whereas every model before uses Apple’s lightning port. You can easily get lightning to USB-C cables, which do work. However, I found it to be persnickety at times, and would often have to flip the orientation of the cable when setting up. That said, once I got the connection setup between the phone and TX6, it held pretty well. In general though, I hated dealing with the lightning cables and hubs, so upgraded to the 15 with everything is native USB-C. Worked great so far on the 6-7 shows I’ve clocked on the iPhone 15 so far.
DAW AppsI’ve used three DAW iOS apps thus far: Roland’s Zentracker (free), Kymatica AUM ($20), and Steinberg’s Cubasis ($50). I have no affiliation with any of these products.
Zentracker - It does the trick, price point is great, and fully functional. I probably used it for ~10 shows and generally worked fine. I liked how you could create a mix template that would automatically open on start-up, so I created a template that had six stereo inputs preset and ready to record. Not without issues though—ran into a bit of fat finger syndrome, and easy to accidentally hit the wrong button or hard to adjust the right meter. Also, it has a very strange file numbering structure. It’ll save the individual file names as a random alphanumeric 10 digit, so you have no real idea which file corresponds with which track. You can figure it out by looking at the file name in program, but just kind of a pain. Also, it doesn’t natively allow you to transfer files to your computer via iTunes, so you have to copy the files into another folder that iTunes is able to pull from. Don’t get me started on Apple and iTunes…much prefer Android accessing the file directory with a file explorer via computer.
[Zentracker Recording Display]
AUM – Briefly played with. Did not really like the interface and did not appear to have an easy mixer display. I abandoned it quickly, but maybe it’ll work for other folks.
Cubasis – My preferred application. Helped that I did laptop multitrack recording for years using Nuendo, the sister program to Cubase. It has a nice option to switch between mixer and file view, and I particularly love the size scaling. Allows for three different size displays, which mitigated the fat finger issue of Zentracker. Also manages the screen real estate in my opinion. No issues with file names or file transfers.
Monitoring inputsAudio flows from the TX6 to the Phone, which is controlled by the DAW of your choice. The DAW records the individual files however you set it up. The main stereo output mix from the DAW gets routed back to the main headphone out on the TX6. You can adjust the individual track levels, panning, and so forth, which is then reflected in your headphone out.
Phone & HeatWe have run into some occasional issues related to heat. Friend of mine did an outside show one time with heat up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and the iPhone 12 struggled a bit, losing some packets. Not a good thing. I ran into an issue one summer show with heat about 105 degrees. No packet loss, but got an error that the phone wouldn’t charge the battery due to heat. Ended up getting a case that has holes in the back optimized for heat dissipation. In general, just keep heat in mind if it’s particularly hot.
[Phone case with heat vents & clips]
I have a paranoia about battery life and power for recording. Not as much of a big deal for something like a Tascam 2D…if you notice the battery died, you can (in theory) just swap out the AA batteries. If your phone or TX6 internal power dies during the show, there’s no easy way for you to recharge while using it. I spent a fair amount of time figuring out ways to insert power, which included inserting a USB hub into the connection.
For the lightning, I used a 4-in-1 USB hub. The hub plugs into the phone, and then you can power it via lightning port from a battery pack. It will also power the TX6 in the chain. I bought mine off Amazon at
https://a.co/d/5cQxsdB
[Stock Lightning Hub]
[iPhone 12 running Zentracker with USB-Hub & External Power]
When I switched to USB-C, I bought something comparable at
https://a.co/d/h57saYF. I’m sure plenty others will work, just make sure it has an input that is clearly marked for power insert. Also an interesting tidbit, the iPhone 15 will power the TX6 via USB-C (even if not connected to a hub). Of course, if the phone dies, your whole rig dies.
[Stock picture of USB-C Hub]
The jacks for the 1/8” inputs are spaced VERY closely. Most 1/8” cables won’t fit. Teenage Engineering offers narrow 1/8” cables that fit nicely. However, I found the Amazon Basics 1/8” cables fit just fine, even with a little bit of tape to number the inputs. Just know that a regular 1/8” will probably not fine neatly in there, before you try plugging in a battery box right before a show.
[TX6 with Labeled Audio Cables]
This is more of a modular rig as opposed to an all-in-one. Therefore, it’s essential for the connections between the modules to steady. I mentioned early about using a USB Hub…which isn’t a great idea to plug directly into the phone, as the additional weight could easily pull it out. I’ve mitigated the risk of a physical disconnect with using a USB extension cord, which is then secured with some clips on the back of the phone case. Another friend of mine uses a bunch of a tape, same idea. I usually try to keep the TX6 + battery in something like a fanny pack, which never gets opened back up once I’m setup for a show. Then the extension cord runs out of the fanny pack into the phone, which I keep in a pocket on my hoodie.
Potential Issues – AppsThese are computer programs, which can be unstable. Risk you take. I haven’t had a DAW crash on me yet, although a friend of mine had that experience (although I think it was tied to connection & bad cables).
WishlistIn case Teenage Engineer is reading this and is open to future suggestions, I’d love to see a TX-9 with:
⦁ 9 Stereo 1/8” I/O
⦁ Built-in memory for onboard recording (could be an SD card)
⦁ Cell phone controller app via Bluetooth or WIFI – device could be controlled via phone, but still record and operate internally. Additional perk would be power options via USB-C without needing to put a USB hub in the mix.
SummaryAt roughly $1,200, it’s not a cheap little device. Factoring in the peripherals, which includes the phone, you’re probably looking at a minimum $2,000 for this rig. Mine crept up to $3,000 once I splurged on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which was more expensive that the TX6 itself. However, there is nothing else on the market at that tiny size with that many inputs. I used to stealth into shows a Zoom F8 (with big & heavy 1/4" cables) and a 2D for six inputs…now I can get all of that on one rig with a slight fraction of the weight and size. It’s easy to stealth in—no security will balk at an extra phone, and the TX6 just looks like a toy. Just all around easy to stealth unlike anything else I’ve used.
[Entire Rig Ready to Go]
Topic: Teenage Engineer TX-6 (Multitrack Cell Phone Rig) (Read 1713 times)