New Music Gear Monday: Avid Pro Tools iPad Dock

Avid recently introduced a pretty cool accessory for Pro Tools called the Pro Tools | Dock. It's a unique controller that takes an iPad and marries it with controller hardware to give the user the ability to edit and mix at a faster pace.

The Dock is based on the advanced touchscreen workflows on the Master Touch Module of the S6 (Avid's high-end console controller) and basically shows a super-channel view for fast navigation, metering, and on-screen plug-in control . The hardware of the dock includes dedicated automation switches, transport controls, a weighted aluminum jog wheel, and color-coded Soft Key switches.

The Dock’s eight soft knobs can be used to control parameters like EQ, Dynamics, Panning, and Sends on the Attentioned (focused) channel, just like the S6 Master Touch Module. ‘Attentioning’ a track is done just by touching the track tile on the screen and it brings it to the fader.

The Pro Tools | Dock works with EUCON-enabled DAWs and video editing tools, including Pro Tools, Media Composer, Logic Pro X, Cubase, and Premiere Pro. Retail price is $1,199, not including the cost of the iPad. It won't be available until the end of the year though.

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New Music Gear Monday: DNA Music Labs Hotkey Matrix

If you're a Pro Tools user, you know that it's an incredibly flexible piece of software, but its massive feature set can sometimes be daunting. Even if you're an experienced user, there are the times when you know what feature you want, but just can't find it in the menu or don't know the command. Now Pro Tools operation just got a little easier with DNA Music Labs Hotkey Matrix, a dedicated command key control surface.

Hotkey Matrix features 144 color-coded keys designed, arranged and mapped to a comprehensive set of Pro Tools commands. What's cool is that all of PT's commands are accessed from just a single dedicated key, so you don't have to use the mouse to search through menus or use modifier keys for keyboard commands.

It's pretty much plug and play, as it works directly with the native features of PT and the operating system, so you don't need to install any new software to make it run. It's also commercial-grade hardware where the keys are rated for over 50 million presses, so it can stand up to everyday use.

The shortcuts are laid out in groups that cover editing, selecting, nudging, windows and layout, zooming, file menu functions, track and playlist, and MIDI.

The DNA Music Labs Hotkey Matrix works on Mac OS and Windows 7 and is priced at $280. There's a version for Pro Tools Native and Pro Tools HD. The unit only works on PT 10 and above however.

Here's a video that explains it in more detail.

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New Music Gear Monday: Avid S6 Control Surface

Avid has taken digital audio workstation controllers to the next level with its introduction of the new S6 family, which could prompt many mixers who are used to mixing with a mouse to reconsider.

The S6 offers a modular approach that can be mixed and matched to your way of working or application, or two preconfigured versions - the smaller M10 with up to 9 modules and 24 faders, and the larger M40 with up to 61 modules and 64 faders. Modules include Master Touch, Master Automation, Fader, Knob, Display and Process.

This looks like one slick system, very modern looking and ergonomic, but the one module that really sticks out to me is the Display Module, which displays 8 channels and the waveforms of each. The S6 communicates with the computer using the EUCON ethernet protocol like the ICON and System 5 before it.

The price for the M10 starts around $22,000 while the M40 begins at $43,500. Check out the video below.

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