Every now and then when I review a digital synth, there’s someone that comments “it’s just a MIDI controller with a built in VST” – and technically, they’re right. Any digital synth is just a controller, computer and software bundled in a box.

The problem with most MIDI controllers is that they’ll typically have a few generic knobs or sliders; it’s up to you to match them to functions on a plugin, and it’s hard to remember what does what a day after you made the mapping. 

A company called Sound Force has decided to make a product line to solve this problem – mainly focused on controlling software plugins of vintage synths – this one for Juno 6, 60 and 106 style plugins, and in particular with a tight integration for the Juno 60 plugin by a company called TAL.

In this video I take a look at the pros and cons of this controller, the concept overall, and a few interesting alternatives:

TIMELINE:

0:00 Intro

1:05 Disclosure

1:25 Overview

1:45 TAL integration

3:10 Shift control

3:55 Panel mode

4:15 Hardware

4:55 Editor

5:50 Other plugins

7:25 Testing iOS

9:00 Pros & cons

12:45 Outro…