Products of Interest

ProRemote Control Surface Software for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch

ProRemote is marketed by its developers, Far Out Labs, as the world's first professional touch-sensitive control surface that can fit in the palm of your hand. The application offers the user 32 channels of remote wireless control of audio applications using the users existing Wi-Fi network. The ProRemote features touch-sensitive virtual faders and real-time color metering (see Figure 1). The fader size ranges from 40 mm on an iPhone to 100 mm on an iPad. The user can simultaneously control up to 16 faders with an iPad using ProRemote. A dedicated transport window is provided with scrub/shuttle and set markers functions, along with play, record, and return to zero controls. Free updates and free online support are included.

Figure 1.

Far Out Labs' ProRemote control surface for iPad.

ProRemoteServer must be downloaded from the developer Web site for operation of the ProRemote software. This application is compatible with all versions of ProTools on Mac OS X. Apple Logic, Ableton Live, and Soundtrack Pro are also officially supported. The Windows version of the server is at the beta level and currently does not support ProTools for Windows. Host applications that support HUI or Mackie Control surfaces are compatible. Interested readers are advised to consult the developer Web site for up-to-date compatibility information.

The ProRemote Light Edition (LE) is a version of the application designed for use with iPhone and iPod Touch devices. It is an eight-channel version of the full edition with a cross fader for use with software such as Ableton Live. It is currently compatibly with Mac OS X only.

ProPads and Pro XY are included with the ProRemote. ProPads is a customizable virtual MIDI pad surface for which the user can determine the configuration of the pads to display any number of pads up to 8 × 8. Any note or continuous controller message can be assigned to any pad and the velocity of the pads can be controlled by tilting the device. Each pad can be named and assigned note or pad numbers. The pads are multi-touch, supporting up to five fingers at once. Three default layouts for drums, bass, and keys are pre-defined for the application and three scenes of pad layouts can be used. Copy and paste settings, a pad latch/hold mode, and hide control options are also available. The developer reports virtually no latency for the pads.

Pro XY is a customizable x-y MIDI controller that allows the user to control two parameters simultaneously using an x-y interface. The user can choose between continuous controller and pitch bend messages, and can select the range of the x and y parameters. The axis can easily be inverted to switch orientation from minimum-maximum to maximum-minimum. The x and y axes can also be swapped around at the touch of a button. An accelerometer can also be assigned to an axis to allow movements of the device to control MIDI messages.

Figure 2.

The AC-7 Pro control surface for iPad.

ProRemote is listed for US$ 99.99 and ProRemote LE for US$ 19.99. Both applications are available on iTunes App Store. Contact: Far Out Labs; electronic mail support@folabs.com; Web www.folabs.com/.

Saikara Software AC-7 Pro Control Surface for iPad

The AC-7 Pro from Saikara Software is a control surface application for the iPad that provides wireless remote control of recording and mixing software (see Figure 2). The application uses Mackie Control Universal protocol and supports most DAW software on both Macintosh and PC platforms. Dedicated modes are provided for Logic Pro, Digital Performer, and Pro Tools, with basic functionality for the latter. A general Mackie Control mode provides support for most other recording software.

The AC-7 Pro features two-way Wi-Fi communication to give the user visual feedback on settings and metering, as well as using the control surface to set parameters on the main DAW application. The faders are multi-touch with...