Two stories for Mac OS X musicians today. First up, the Music Unfolding MIDI Controller lets you control synthesizers using just a computer keyboard and mouse. That already sounds cool, but it gets better: you can create windows of any color, size, and grid lines for unlimited virtual MIDI controllers, with all kinds of custom controller options. Vertical mouse action, for instance, can be aftertouch, velocity, or another controller, all in a handsome brushed-aluminum window. I’ll get back to you with a full review, but it sounds promising, especially as a companion to soft synths like Reason or to the forthcoming MAX for OS X depending on how configurable it is. I also like the idea of having a large area on-screen with visual feedback and using, say, a Wacom tablet as your controller! The software is US$15 shareware.
In other news for OS X and music, Digigram has announced release of OS X drivers for its VXpocket v2, VXpocket 440, and VX222 sound cards. The VXpocket has been a favorite among laptop users; it’s a reliable, good-sounding stereo PCMCIA solution; I haven’t used a VX222 but Digigram says that card is popular with the broadcast video market. The drivers work with both OS X 10.1 and 10.2.
