W1zzard
10-09-2005, 11:27 AM
[pagE=Introduction & Packaging]
Introduction
MDVA stands for "Mashie Design Visual Audio". It is a stereo 7-channel spectrum analyzer which is mounted in two 5.25" drive bays.
Mashie who?
Mashie is one of the most famous case modders in the world. Here is a quick selection of his work:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/three.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/doom.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/y2k.jpg
The MDVA idea originated from Project Anemone which displays the audio spectrum on its LEDs.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/anemone.jpg
The MDVA is an evolution of that. It houses and advanced microprocessor which analyzes the audio, without any CPU use. Also there is no software installation required, everything is controlled in hardware.
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/package1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/package1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/package2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/package2.jpg)
Inside the package you will find:
MDVA unit for two 5.25" drive bays
Audio splitter cable
English Installation Manual
Plastic screws
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/contents_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/contents.jpg)
[page=The MDVA]
The MDVA
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/front_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/front.jpg)
The front looks very clean, only four mounting screws and the three buttons are visible. No annoying colorful logos which could disturb your viewing experience.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/back_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/back.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/side_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/side.jpg)
The MDVA uses black tinted Plexiglas in front of the LEDs. It still lets enough light through to give the LEDs a clear brilliant shine.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/screws_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/screws.jpg)
Here we can see that modding experience pays. Mashie ships plastic screws with the MDVA. If you were to use metal screws there is a chance that the plexi breaks. Not with these "soft" screws.
Buttons
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/buttons_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/buttons.jpg)
On the front there are three buttons which control the MDVA's functions.
The first button "Pattern" allows you to select from eight different patterns.
This classic pattern originates straight from Anemone where the bars go from the center and out.
This is the dot mode for pattern 1.
Here is the inverted version of pattern 1 where the background is illuminated and "black" bars are drawn.
This pattern starts to draw from the center of the bars and out.
This pattern starts to draw from the edges of the bars and in.
This pattern draws the bars from the outer edge and in to the center.
This is the dot mode of pattern 6.
Here is the inverted version of pattern 6 where the background is illuminated and "black" bars are drawn.
Off. All LEDs are turned off, no matter what the audio input is. I find this is important, too many modding accessories can not easily be turned off.
List taken from Mashie's site
Next is the "Sensitivity" button. It does exactly that. Depending on the setting, the audio input levels are adjusted, so you can make sure you have proper visualization no matter which output volume you have set on your PC.
The third setting is "Brightness". It allows you to select the LED brightness from three different levels. I left it at the highest setting which gives best results in my opinion.
Another important fact to note is that the MDVA saves the settings in its own internal memory, so if you turn the PC off or even uninstall the unit, it will come back with the last settings, no matter what.
[page=In Action]
MDVA in action
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva3_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva3.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva4_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva4.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva5_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva5.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva6_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva6.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva7_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva7.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva8_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva8.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva9_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva9.jpg)
Videos
In order to watch the videos you must have at least Windows Media V8 codecs on your machine (Windows XP has them included by default).
The videos show different visualization settings of the MDVA with songs from The Backstreet Boys, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey and Missy Elliott.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video1.jpg
Full song (8.58 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video1.wmv) | 30 second version (1.02 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video1_short.wmv)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video2.jpg
Full song (9.49 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video2.wmv) | 30 second version (1.25 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video2_short.wmv)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video3.jpg
Full song (8.41 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video3.wmv) | 30 second version (1.58 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video3_short.wmv)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video4.jpg
Full song (8.40 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video4.wmv) | 30 second version (1.47 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video4_short.wmv)
[page=Value & Conclusion]
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
For a price of $49.99 you can get a unique modding gizmo for your system, which will make your friend's heads turn.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Unique modding accessory
Bright LEDs
No software required - no CPU usage
Wide selection of patterns
Can be easily used in your own modding projects
Good build quality
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
Not everybody needs one
</td></tr>
<tr><th>9.0</th>
<td>It is always great to see people from the community come up with an idea, and successfully turn it into a business.<br />
The MDVA uses a well-thought out concept, where attention has been given to every little detail I could think of. A completely hardware based approach is so much better than forcing the user to install a software which is often buggy and hogs your precious CPU time.<br />
A wide range of patterns is available and the LEDs shine bright. I also find it very important to note that the refresh rate is VERY fast, my guess is 70 refreshes per second.<br />
The only drawback is that not everybody plays audio on his PC and so may have little use for the unit.
</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/recommended.gif</td></tr>
</table>
Introduction
MDVA stands for "Mashie Design Visual Audio". It is a stereo 7-channel spectrum analyzer which is mounted in two 5.25" drive bays.
Mashie who?
Mashie is one of the most famous case modders in the world. Here is a quick selection of his work:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/three.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/doom.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/y2k.jpg
The MDVA idea originated from Project Anemone which displays the audio spectrum on its LEDs.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/anemone.jpg
The MDVA is an evolution of that. It houses and advanced microprocessor which analyzes the audio, without any CPU use. Also there is no software installation required, everything is controlled in hardware.
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/package1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/package1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/package2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/package2.jpg)
Inside the package you will find:
MDVA unit for two 5.25" drive bays
Audio splitter cable
English Installation Manual
Plastic screws
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/contents_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/contents.jpg)
[page=The MDVA]
The MDVA
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/front_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/front.jpg)
The front looks very clean, only four mounting screws and the three buttons are visible. No annoying colorful logos which could disturb your viewing experience.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/back_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/back.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/side_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/side.jpg)
The MDVA uses black tinted Plexiglas in front of the LEDs. It still lets enough light through to give the LEDs a clear brilliant shine.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/screws_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/screws.jpg)
Here we can see that modding experience pays. Mashie ships plastic screws with the MDVA. If you were to use metal screws there is a chance that the plexi breaks. Not with these "soft" screws.
Buttons
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/buttons_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/buttons.jpg)
On the front there are three buttons which control the MDVA's functions.
The first button "Pattern" allows you to select from eight different patterns.
This classic pattern originates straight from Anemone where the bars go from the center and out.
This is the dot mode for pattern 1.
Here is the inverted version of pattern 1 where the background is illuminated and "black" bars are drawn.
This pattern starts to draw from the center of the bars and out.
This pattern starts to draw from the edges of the bars and in.
This pattern draws the bars from the outer edge and in to the center.
This is the dot mode of pattern 6.
Here is the inverted version of pattern 6 where the background is illuminated and "black" bars are drawn.
Off. All LEDs are turned off, no matter what the audio input is. I find this is important, too many modding accessories can not easily be turned off.
List taken from Mashie's site
Next is the "Sensitivity" button. It does exactly that. Depending on the setting, the audio input levels are adjusted, so you can make sure you have proper visualization no matter which output volume you have set on your PC.
The third setting is "Brightness". It allows you to select the LED brightness from three different levels. I left it at the highest setting which gives best results in my opinion.
Another important fact to note is that the MDVA saves the settings in its own internal memory, so if you turn the PC off or even uninstall the unit, it will come back with the last settings, no matter what.
[page=In Action]
MDVA in action
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva3_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva3.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva4_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva4.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva5_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva5.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva6_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva6.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva7_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva7.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva8_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva8.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva9_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/mdva9.jpg)
Videos
In order to watch the videos you must have at least Windows Media V8 codecs on your machine (Windows XP has them included by default).
The videos show different visualization settings of the MDVA with songs from The Backstreet Boys, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey and Missy Elliott.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video1.jpg
Full song (8.58 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video1.wmv) | 30 second version (1.02 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video1_short.wmv)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video2.jpg
Full song (9.49 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video2.wmv) | 30 second version (1.25 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video2_short.wmv)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video3.jpg
Full song (8.41 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video3.wmv) | 30 second version (1.58 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video3_short.wmv)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video4.jpg
Full song (8.40 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video4.wmv) | 30 second version (1.47 MB) (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mashie/MDVA/images/video4_short.wmv)
[page=Value & Conclusion]
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
For a price of $49.99 you can get a unique modding gizmo for your system, which will make your friend's heads turn.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Unique modding accessory
Bright LEDs
No software required - no CPU usage
Wide selection of patterns
Can be easily used in your own modding projects
Good build quality
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
Not everybody needs one
</td></tr>
<tr><th>9.0</th>
<td>It is always great to see people from the community come up with an idea, and successfully turn it into a business.<br />
The MDVA uses a well-thought out concept, where attention has been given to every little detail I could think of. A completely hardware based approach is so much better than forcing the user to install a software which is often buggy and hogs your precious CPU time.<br />
A wide range of patterns is available and the LEDs shine bright. I also find it very important to note that the refresh rate is VERY fast, my guess is 70 refreshes per second.<br />
The only drawback is that not everybody plays audio on his PC and so may have little use for the unit.
</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/recommended.gif</td></tr>
</table>