M-Audio Releases iControl for GarageBand Users
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(Click for a close-up) |
June 27, 2005
New from M-Audio is the iControl control
surface, a dedicated hardware controller specifically designed for
Apple's GarageBand music software.
The iControl control surface gives users total tactile control over
GarageBand, melding the best of the software and hardware worlds. Dedicated
transport buttons put all recording and playback functions at the musician's
fingertips: play, stop, record, fast forward, rewind, rewind to start, and
project cycle on/off. A jog wheel also allows freely scrubbing the playback
position. A master volume fader occupies a prominent position, as well.
Another one of the main features of the iControl control surface is a bank
of controls for eight tracks at a time. These include dedicated buttons for
solo, mute and record, as well as eight rotary encoders that users can
easily assign to control volume and pan. Pressing the up/down buttons
assigns the eight sets of track controls to the higher or lower groupings of
tracks.
The controls on the left side of the iControl front panel assign the rotary
encoder functionality. In Volume or Pan mode, they function in a
one-per-channel configuration, for up to eight channels at a time. For the
remaining modes, the user selects the desired track via the bank of eight
Select buttons, and the rotary controllers will then function as multiple
controls of the selected mode. Selecting Generator, for example, instantly
provides tactile control over eight parameters of the track's Generator
instrument. Additional mode buttons allow assignments to a track's channel
strip, EQ, Effect 1 and Effect 2. When the assigned function has more than
eight parameters, the up/down buttons allow shifts through the full range of
parameters. The rotary controls also work in conjunction with any assigned
AU plug-in.
The iControl control surface communicates with your Mac and GarageBand via a
single USB connector. Users can also connect a traditional MIDI keyboard to
the 5-pin MIDI input to play any GarageBand instruments. The unit is USB
bus-powered, class-compliant and automatically recognized by GarageBand for
extremely easy integration. There is also an Option button for extending
functionality. The iControl control surface will also be supported in upcoming
updates of Logic Express 7 and Logic Pro 7 to provide an easy and seamless
upgrade path for GarageBand users who are ready to graduate to a more
advanced audio production tool.
The iControl control surface requires GarageBand 2.0.1 and is currently
shipping an MSRP of USD$179.95
For more information, visit their web site at www.m-audio.com. | 
