Intempo Digital Rebel Black Records A-List FM Radio Music, Cuts Out Talking Automatically [DJ & Jingle Busting Digital Recorder]

Back when I was knee high to a giraffe (I was unnaturally tall for my age) I recall sitting for hours recording the radio to compact cassette whilst doing my best to cut out the DJs with all too liberal, pre-emptive use of the pause button - now this inspired device from Intempo, known as the Rebel Black, will do it all ‘automagically’ (that’s progress for you).

Using what’s known as Popcatcher technology – developed by the Swedish – the Rebel Black’s seemingly magical abilities stem from the use of a Blackfin Analog Devices 16/32-bit processor capable of detecting when music has given way to speech, at which point the device steps in to cease recording until the music starts again.

The Rebel Black comes with 40 track memory and, once left to its own devices, will begin amassing tracks according to those most played on the station you’ve tuned the device into by, in essence, counting the number of plays each song gets as the device listens in and, as if that’s not clever enough, should one of the tracks be interrupted by talking or a jingle the Rebel Black will re-record another version of more duration over the first, repeatedly if necessary, thus ensuring that you get the best and most complete copy of each song.

Having completed its task, and having filled up its internal 40 track memory with 192Kb/s MP3 recordings of the most complete, most popular tracks the Rebel Black subsequently makes them available for you to transfer to an external storage device such as an MP3 player, USB flash memory drive of even SD card.

It’s undoubtedly extremely clever stuff and, interesting, though the device sports an analogue tuner (non DAB) it does come with an inline jack allowing you to hook up external sources such as DAB devices or even computers playing internet radio stations and, yes, it’ll work its DJ/jingle busting magic with those too.

Intempo Digital’s Rebel Black is, without doubt, a seriously cool piece of kit and is ideal for those looking to gain (record) a particular radio station’s A-list without having to sit hunched over a pause button (as we had to in our youth) and is due to retail for around £70, though we still cannot quite believe that there aren’t little men contained within its glossy black exterior doing all the work.

We wait we baited breath to how the music industry reacts to the Rebel Black though we suggest the reaction will be less than ecstatic (i.e., predictably hostile).

Update 21/06/08 - Intempo’s Digital Rebel Black is now available see: Intempo Digital Rebel Black Intelligent FM Radio/MP3 Recorder Available [Records ‘Best Version’ Radio Tracks, Cuts Out Adverts & DJs].