airPad Midi Controller - Real or Rumor???

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airPad Midi Controller - Real or Rumor???
Posted on: 20.01.2011 by Shonda Soulier
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.
Shonda Soulier
20.01.2011
Originally Posted by fullenglishpint
uh... where did you find that deal???
I should have said APC20 since that's what I was believeing... 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.
Shonda Soulier
20.01.2011
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.
Tatum Ansaldo
20.01.2011
Originally Posted by ToOntown
Since APC40s are going for about $199 now
uh... where did you find that deal???
Desiree Logie
20.01.2011
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.
Shonda Soulier
20.01.2011
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.
Shonda Soulier
20.01.2011
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.
Fe Kuchma
21.01.2011
looks good, would like to see a demo of it!
Tatum Ansaldo
20.01.2011
according to the PR it has USB I/O... is that 2 seperate USBs for chaining or something??
Leeanna Ayla
20.01.2011
Maybe if it had USB. No way with that wireless malarky.
Shonda Soulier
20.01.2011
Originally Posted by fullenglishpint
uh... where did you find that deal???
I should have said APC20 since that's what I was believeing... 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.
Shonda Soulier
20.01.2011
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.
Tatum Ansaldo
20.01.2011
Originally Posted by ToOntown
Since APC40s are going for about $199 now
uh... where did you find that deal???
Desiree Logie
20.01.2011
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.
Shonda Soulier
20.01.2011
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.
Franklin Momany
20.01.2011
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.
Tatum Ansaldo
20.01.2011
that looks fantastic but expensive! would love one.

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