iControl

Reviewed by Wayne LeFevre

Getting Started
Does it require much training? Yes, well, some. It’s pretty much exactly like GarageBand, but there is more functionality that you will need to have the manual handy.

Works fantastic doing what it is supposed to do. If you use GarageBand a lot, this would definitely be an add–on you would like to take a look at.

Most of the functions are straight from GarageBand. If you know how to use GarageBand, most of the buttons are a straight copy of them. There is however an Option button, and that is where you need to read the manual.

iControl for GarageBand is a new control interface designed for use with Apple’s GarageBand from M-Audio. It’s designed to look and emulate the onscreen controls of GarageBand in an easy to use physical controller. In fact, it looks so much like the onscreen controls, that the only thing included in the package is the controller, a quick start guide and a USB cable.

The product features include:
• 8 endless rotary knobs assignable to control volume, pan or effects
• 7 mode buttons assign knobs to control tracks or effects
• 8 sets of Mute, Solo, and Record-enable buttons
• up and down buttons assign the eight knobs to additional banks of eight tracks or effect parameters
• master volume fader
• dedicated transport buttons: Play, Stop, Record, Fast Forward, Rewind, Rewind to Start, & Cycle on/off
• jog wheel for easy song positioning
• Option button for extending functionality
• USB bus-powered-no power adapter required
• 5-pin MIDI input jack for connecting MIDI keyboards and devices to your Mac automatically recognized by GarageBand for easy setup

Now, understand that this product is designed just to work with GarageBand. In fact, it’s basically dead until you actually launch GarageBand, then the backlights on the buttons start to light up. One thing I never noticed before using iControl, was that if you look at GarageBand’s interface, it has the controls with wooden sides. Exactly matching the iControl. You can control up to 8 tracks at a time, with corresponding track select button, volume knobs, record enable, mute and solo buttons. If you are working with more than 8 tracks, there is a track selector button that if pressed, will select the next 8 tracks.

Most all the buttons and knobs on the iControl can control different parameters, depending on the settings of the buttons on the left side of the controller. If the Track Info button is selected, the select buttons for the tracks becomes specific functions of a selected track. Say Select 1 button will enable or disable the noise gate. Select 2 enables the compressor and so on. You can control effects, equalizers, echos, reverbs, etc. through these select buttons. The rotary encoders then become setting position knobs for the different effects, controlling the amount of noise gate, pan,
echo level, etc.

The best features are the large buttons on the bottom and the jog wheel. The buttons include Record, Rewind to start, Rewind, Play, Fast Forward, Cycle and Mast Volume slider. The jog wheel quickly scrubs through your track, greatly increasing the speed and ease that you can position the playhead.

The unit itself seems to be of top quality. It’s weight is solid, and well crafted, with the caliber one expects of M-Audio. I’ve heard of one or two of the rotary knobs breaking, but haven’t experienced any problems with the iControl myself. The buttons are quiet and have a great tactile feel. there is definite feedback so there won’t be any accidental presses as, and if you are recording live there won’t be the sound of a button being pressed, like you might hear the sound of a mouse click.

Conclusion
Having said all that, what’s not to like? If you are a GarageBand musician, this is probably a must have controller, for it will make life simpler. All the different options will take some time to learn and get used to, but once mastered, you can save a lot of aggravation of trying to use the mouse at critical points while composing. Imagine just sliding the master volume, panning with a twist of a knob instead of trying to “twist” the onscreen knobs. Selecting and muting tracks instantly without looking at the cursor.

But if you are not a GarageBand aficionado, or at least a budding composer, than the iControl is a really neat toy that will probably gain a little dust. As a podcaster wanna–be, there isn’t a lot to offer except a one button push to record, and a nice scrubbing wheel. It doesn’t work with my favorite podcasting software, Übercaster, so it’s really not as handy as I thought it might be. It does do what it says, and well, though. And I can’t fault it for that.

If there was one thing I would change, I would add at least one more button. That would be a Split Track button. As a podcaster, I use this more than any other button out there, and it would definitely be an enhancement.