Recording - September 2016 - 37

controllers-just select it and start controlling your session with your iPad or tablet!
Each V-Console app skin is specifically
designed for one software application,
with faders, mute, solo, pans, sends, highresolution metering, and lots of dedicated
controls for that application. Figure 1
shows V-Console running a typical mix session on an iPad and the compact transport
and fader control available on an iPhone.
As of press time, V-Control Pro 2 works
with ten DAW applications: Pro Tools,
Digital Performer, Cubase, Live, SONAR,
Logic, Studio One, Reason, Reaper, and
Tracktion, and also with controller standards like Mackie Control and MIO
Console, and Adobe Audition and
Premiere Pro for video work. Keypads,
shortcuts, zoom controls, transport controls... all the features you might need for
each program are right there for you.
I was moving multiple faders at a time
in Pro Tools within minutes. Eight channels
appear on the screen at a time; just swipe
across the channels with your finger to
move across the console. You can flip to
16-channel mode any time you want.
I really enjoy mixing on the 8-fader
VCA section of the Pro Tools SSL 6000,
so I set my mix sessions up with VCA
faders. Onscreen, V-Control's faders give
me the VCA functionality my hardware
console lacks, and I can easily put any
faders in front of me that I need to
access. Everything is just a touch away.
I was a bit concerned that latency over
Wi-Fi would be a problem, but it turns
out not to be an issue. Sending and
receiving information feels very good
and snappy; metering and displays are
fast, responsive, and easy to use.
The app allows you to control numerous fader moves at once, control panning, adjust effects sends and headphone mixes, control the transport,
adjust plug-in parameters, punch yourself
in, write automation, and a host of other
features. Figure 2 shows the popup keypad and other extras for Pro Tools.
And there's more
Every time I think I've found all the uses
for V-Control Pro 2, I'm surprised by
more. It used to be hard for me to tweak
tracks and mixes as I moved around my
studio: in and out of the tracking room,
back to the control room, out to my stereo
listening setup, always moving in and out
of the sweet spot. Now I carry my iPad
with me and I can do almost anything
from wherever I happen to be. All I need
is a Wi-Fi network-and it doesn't even
have to be connected to the Internet.
By using V-Control on a tablet with
your DAW connected to your network,
there is one word that immediately
comes to mind. Freedom! Since the app
is so comprehensive, it's like bringing
your keyboard, faders, rack, and screen

with you when you reposition yourself in
the studio. The freedom to walk around
and tweak the EQ or make minute
adjustments to levels or groups is awesome for mixing; I am free from the
mouse for many (if not quite all) tasks.
All these benefits in V-Control Pro 2 are
pretty sweet already, but with the addition
of the V-Window, it surpasses the flexibility
of a hardware controller. Most hardware
controllers won't have a gorgeous touchscreen to tweak plug-ins, for example, and
that functionality alone is a game changer.
The V-Window is a popup window within the app that allows you to open and
tweak any open window on your computer. That means you can tweak plug-in
parameters, play with your virtual instruments, or bang on your drum machine, all
in the palm of your hand in the comfort of
your easy chair. The V-Window can be a
duplicate of your edit window, a full-screen
view of a plug-in, or any open window on
your computer. Figure 3 shows it in use on
iZotope RX Final Mix.
While some hardware controllers can
also access your plug-ins, with V-Control
Pro 2 you are not stuck with a row of values with a rotary controller for each. You
get the actual GUI for the plug-in
onscreen, with touch control of all visible
parameters. Wow!
Conclusions
At one point recently, I was thinking of
getting a 24-channel hardware fader
controller, but that would have required
removing my analog console from the
control room. No more analog mixes
when I wanted them, and I would still be
locked to the one mix position if I wanted to stay in the sweet spot. This little
app has allowed me to have the best of
both worlds with literally zero footprint,
and the analog console is staying put.
If you need a controller for your DAW
or video editing program, there are lots
of options. Hardware controllers give you
tactile control of your sessions, but when
compared to the power and flexibility of
software, they may fall short on features
and convenience.
V-Control Pro 2 is a serious contender
for bringing feel back into "in the box"
mixing and for avoiding mouse fatigue
and wrist pain. It's a great way for you
to get into the DAW controller game
without breaking the bank, and free you
from the tyranny of the mouse.
Price: $49.99
More from: Neyrinck, www.neyrinck.com
Sean Shannon (shannon@recordingmag
.com) is a recording engineer and educator living and working in Florida.
Learn more at www.mixingtheband.com.
RECORDING SEPTEMBER 2016

http://www.neyrinck.com http://www.recordingmag.com http://www.recordingmag.com http://www.mixingtheband.com

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