There's a scene in the movie Crumb, about the retro-iconoclast cartoonist & musician R Crumb, in which he sketches out his belief that everything went to hell when wires were strung across the American landscape*. I'm with him. Wires are ugly, and furthermore they have a lot in common with chains.
That's why wireless technology feels not just convenient, but liberating. Frontier Design is extending that liberation to musicians and sound designers, with a new wireless protocol that has low enough latency for some audio applications. They started with the Tranzport, an interactive remote control for audio software, including Pro Tools, Reason and iTunes. I'll be reviewing it in an upcoming article.
Now they've partnered with M-Audio on what looks like an at least equally great idea: wireless MIDI keyboards. I haven't had a chance to try the MidAir 25 or MidAir 37 yet, but I can certainly give a rave to the idea. Here's a blurb from M-Audio:
Each controller ships with the MidAir receiver-a 2.4GHz wireless interface that easily connects to a Mac or PC and relays MIDI data from the controller. The MidAir receiver also functions as a standard USB-MIDI interface, which allows users to work with other MIDI gear without the need for separate interfaces. Like many other M-Audio peripherals, the MidAir receiver is a class-compliant device-no drivers required.
You can use the MidAirs to control not just DAWs or soft synths, but other MIDI devices:
...the MidAir receiver can also be used without a host computer and connected directly to a standard MIDI instrument. Complete with preset and octave +/- buttons as well as assignable physical controllers, the MidAir 25 and MidAir 37 allow users to take control of any MIDI instrument-no cables required.
Presumably MidAir connections will also work with any MIDI-based gear, such as lighting rigs or theatrical displays.
Thanks to O'Reilly editor David Battino for the tip.
*Check out the wireless--and electricity-free--Cheap Suit Serenaders.
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