IK Multimedia has their hands in all areas of music creation technology, so it is no surprise that they have now announced iRig Pads, a portable groove controller for iOS, Mac and PC. iRig Pads offers full MIDI controller capability so it can be used with a variety of apps, and is now shipping for $149.99!
iRig Pads
For me one of the big things with iRig Pads is that it goes beyond other groove controllers by including two knobs, two buttons, one slider and one pushbutton rotary encoder. All controllers send MIDI data, which can be captured for expressive recordings.
Here are some key features:
Effortless portability
iRig Pads is designed to be effortlessly portable. It’s smaller than an iPad and less than 1″ thick – it’s the smallest groove controller in the market. It has a slim, compact form factor and it’s lightweight, which means that it can be slipped into any iPad or laptop bag or backpack and carried around with ease. For maximum portability, iRig Pads is a low energy consumption device – it draws its power directly from its host device and does not need a power source to be fully functional. It can be used with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch via its included Lightning cable (30-pin connector sold separately) without the need of an adapter as well as Mac and PC via its included USB cable. *iRig Pads are being tested for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus compatibility.
Extreme versatility, custom controls
At the heart of iRig Pads is its 4×4 grid of 16 velocity-sensitive, backlit multicolor rubber pads. Each pad lights up in multiple colors – red, green, orange and every shade in between – depending on the velocity of your playing and the MIDI information sent by your chosen music app or software.
Apps for Beats, Loops, Decks and more
To help you get in the groove, IK is working to make iRig Pads the ultimate controller for beats, loops and more by adding support for a growing suite of powerful apps and software. iOS users will be able to make beats out of the box with the included SampleTank® free, and they’ll soon be able to control grooves and launch loops with GrooveMaker® 2 free for iPhone and iPad and remix their preferred tracks with DJ Rig™ free.
iRig Pads works with several iOS, Mac and PC apps as well, including:
SampleTank Free
SampleTank
GrooveMaker 2 Free
DJ Rig Free
SampleTank 3 SE for Mac/PC
Pricing and Availability
iRig Pads is now available from music and electronics retailers worldwide for $149.99 as well as on the IK online store. Amazon has a listing for iRig Pads, and stores like Sweetwater Sound will soon carry it as well.
For more information, please visit IK Multimedia’s iRig Pads page!