Product Reviews

Multimedia software

iControl [MacUser]
COMPANY: M-Audio	PRICE: Ł129 (Ł110 ex VAT)
RATING:	ISSUE: 21 19 DATE: Sep 05

Verdict: If you or anyone you know enjoys using GarageBand, whether for fun or for real music production, this is the perfect partner

GarageBand is enormous fun to use, but it can be rather fiddly mousing around the interface trying to click the different control buttons and sliders at the right moments as you're putting together your musical masterpiece. This is where M-Audio's iControl shines. It's a dedicated hardware GarageBand controller, that mimics the vital on-screen controls you fiddle with when laying down tracks and tweaking parameters. Learning how to use the basics of iControl takes seconds, and finding out its true scope is more fun than you'd believe.

Plug in the iControl using the supplied USB cable, launch GarageBand and you're ready to rock. There's no software to install or power supply to connect: it's simply recognised automatically and powered by USB.

The iControl's buttons are firm and slightly rubbery, giving a good tactile response. Buttons that are active light up their built-in labels in the appropriate colour, matching the way their on-screen equivalents appear in GarageBand itself. Even the basic look of the device mimics GarageBand, down to the wood-effect strips down either side. Handily, it also includes a five-pin Midi socket, so if you have a Midi device that doesn't connect via USB, this will provide it with an input socket.

There are eight sets of track-specific buttons that let you select, record, mute and solo any of the tracks that are currently focused. This



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doesn't mean the iControl can only handle eight tracks in GarageBand; the Track/Parameter buttons let these eight sets of buttons move up and down through the tracks in your current composition, giving you full control over as many tracks as your Mac can manage. When you're working in Track Info mode, set with one of the buttons on the left, the eight Select buttons control noise gate, compressor, EQ, echo, reverb and other effects for the current track. The Effect 1 and Effect 2 buttons target GarageBand's instrument effects, and the 'rotary encoders' let you play with the settings from here as well. Using the Track/Parameter up and down buttons cycle-through additional banks of parameters. In a small section on its own, an Option button extends the abilities of many of the other controls, always in a logical manner.

For recording and playback control, there's a direct physical version of the record, rewind to start, rewind, play, fast forward and cycle buttons. There's also a large jog wheel for dragging the play head back and forth, as well as a master volume control. Everything you use in the iControl works directly on GarageBand's interface, just as if you were clicking and dragging directly - although, unlike working with a mouse, you can play with multiple controls at once. We found it as useful for altering and muting different tracks on the fly during playback as it is invaluable for fluid control during recording and production.

The iControl is a must for anyone who wants to use GarageBand more fluidly. Yes, it's dedicated to GarageBand, so it doesn't work with any other application, but that's one of its strengths. The physical layout and functions of the various controls is an intelligent presentation of everything you need in GarageBand. At Ł129, it isn't quite a pocket-money price, but it isn't too expensive, either. If you or anyone you know enjoys using GarageBand, whether for fun or for real music production, this is the perfect partner.

By Keith Martin