airPad Midi Controller - Real or Rumor???

**ToOntown** · 01-20-2011, 02:33 PM

Saw an article on another blog last week about some midi controllers from Starr Labs and one in particular caught my eye. While the article's main focus was on midi guitars, I did a double take at this little pad controller called the airPad. Seems like the blog is focused on Ableton but if this is true midi then this could be a sweet side controller to any rig.

Great looking design. Hopefully those are multi-colored LEDs under the pads. The only thing I'm not sure about it whether that area under the knobs is an X-Y touchpad or an LCD display. I'd be cool with either, but since there are 8 knobs I'm guessing it's an LCD. I'm also hoping that it's in an aluminum casing.

Haven't been able to find any info on the Starr Labs site or whether this guy exists at all--this could easily be the rendering of a prototype rather than something already in production. Either way, I am interested to see what comes of it.

I'm kinda stoked about this now!!!

EDIT: Called the number on the bottom of the press release to get more info. They hope to release it next month and would like to MSRP for $250. The wireless capability is 2.4G ISM band radio wave, not Bluetooth, so it will be shipped with a receiver that plugs into USB. They didn't go to Namm so not many people have seen the press release from a few days ago.

**fullenglishpint** · 01-20-2011, 02:46 PM

that looks fantastic but expensive! would love one.

**deviantdigi** · 01-20-2011, 02:47 PM

idk, but I could see using picking one of these up if it was at the right price. The D pad looks like it just happened to fall onto the controller. Kinda hangin out there.

**ToOntown** · 01-20-2011, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by fullenglishpint

that looks fantastic but expensive! would love one.

Since APC40s are going for about $199 now I'd say they may have priced themselves a bit high. Still, $250 isn't astronomical considering the features.

**itskindahot** · 01-20-2011, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by ToOntown

The wireless capability is 2.4G ISM band radio wave

Either this is a bit crazy or I am missing something. The 2.4GHz band for an application where latency is critical? WLANs, cordless phones, and microwaves all have the potential to interfere with transmission. If you're a country bumpkin, maybe, but I doubt it's for those of us which live in the city.

**fullenglishpint** · 01-20-2011, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by ToOntown

Since APC40s are going for about $199 now

uh... where did you find that deal???

**ToOntown** · 01-20-2011, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by deviantdigi

idk, but I could see using picking one of these up if it was at the right price. The D pad looks like it just happened to fall onto the controller. Kinda hangin out there.

Yeah I agree. Could be useful though. In Traktor, it might be cool to have those mapped to nudge L&R and tempo U&D. Maybe to crossfade if you're in a pinch... Or even to focus the deck in a 4-deck layout. In Ableton i'm sure they'll be used primarily to select banks and scenes.

**ToOntown** · 01-20-2011, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by fullenglishpint

uh... where did you find that deal???

I should have said APC20 since that's what I was thinking... But nevertheless, depending on where you look there are online stores selling open box (returned, b-stock, factory blemished, store model) APC40s anywhere between $199 and $250. They aren't brand new but still not bad as long as they have a warranty or decent return policy.