Feature:
This thing blows the faderport out of the water. The display shows track, pan, EQ, FX, & other data as you select which track and attribute to control. Rotaries up top give you quick access and fast control, press them down for finer control, or you can hit the FLIP button to momentarily allow the fader to control your plugin/pan/eq/whatever. The ribbon control allows you to jump through your project or shuttle through depending on how you use it. Programmable keys can be set to whatever function you want to add.
Quality:
Seems solid, the only gripe i had was the little rubber feet were a little wobbly when i got it so i pulled two of them off and switched them around and now it sits flat. The fader & encoders are very nice, and the display is crystal clear and very useful.
Value:
Compare to other units out there, the "ready-to-go" integration with major software is a HUGE plus. Without going to a larger MUCH more expensive control surface, this is as good as it gets.
Desirability:
When i saw the video demos showing how slickly the alphatrack integrated with Sonar i knew i was getting one. The built in display is very cool.
Sound:
This is a control device which does not directly generate any sound.
Ease of Use:
I tried it in Sonar 5.2 and it was up and working in minutes. Install disk, plug in. Inside Sonar, select it as a control surface and make sure the in/out ports are also selected in the midi screen. Then any project you load will immedialy work with alphatrack. If you have producer edition, the EQ control operates the sonitus per-track EQ. If not, use the PLUGIN control to control any track or bus plugin. Some plugins are easier than others to navigate, depending on the number of and order of controls therein.
Support:
Frontier has been outstanding with their support & updates, new functions were added to the Tranzport unit which i also own. The alphatrack software has been updated from 1.0 to 1.1 as of now so get the newest drivers & DAW plugin for your system.
Overall:
I've had it for around two weeks and I'm already hooked on using it. I would certainly get another one if i broke or lost this one. For owners of the Tranzport unit, this is a very nice addition. Where the Tranzport becomes essential for tracking, the Alphatrack is THE tool for mixing.
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