WNAMM09: M-Audio Axiom Pro Wows ProTools User

US Integration with ProTools, MIDI and Qwerty commands sent 27/01/09

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6:49 mins

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The M-Audio Axiom range has had a facelift and a brain transplant and come out as the Axiom Pro. Tim Chandler the product developer, is keen to spread the word, the stuff it's got going on under the hood is actually pretty revolutionary for a MIDI controller keyboard. One key hardware change is the addition of a 9th fader for controling the master level which is jolly useful. The new brain adds something called Hyper Control which now allows bi-directional communication between ProTools - which means, track-names in the LCD, values reflected when changed in software or hardware, plugin editing, sends, pan, level, mute solo, etc etc. Sort of like Novation's Automap, but with deeper integration with ProTools. But the real doody is that it can be programmed to transmit ASCII commands - that is keystrokes and modifiers (shift, control, command etc). So you can use it to open/close windows, and pretty much anything you can do on the keyboard. Phil Jackson, Digidesign's hot shot ProTools demonstrator (he's arguably the best), says for him it's the product of the show, he completed his 35 minute Pro Tools 8 demo (if you can, go see him do it) without touching his QWERTY keyboard once, just using the mouse and the Axiom Pro. Axiom Pro 49 $599.95 shipping now, Axiom Pro 61 $699.95 within 6 weeks or so. Nick Batt